Have Fun. Play In A Band. Start Playing Drums Today!

Hi, I’m Doug from LearnDrumsNow.com. Start learning to play the drums
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Each lesson is packed with tips to help you learn to play the drum set in a band!

"Doug thanx a lot for this post i really appreciate your effort on making me a better drummer." - Ajose Tosine, LearnDrumsNow reader

What’s My Story?

Now that we’ve covered an overview of LearnDrumsNow.com (in my first blog post here), I’d like to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about my musical background.  I started playing the drums at a young age and have played all different styles of music in all different kinds of bands.  I’ve studied with some of the greatest drummers in the world, have travelled all over the United States playing music and made many friends through music.  My hope is that, through the http://www.LearnDrumsNow.com/ website, I can help you fulfill your musical dreams by sharing some of my experience and knowledge.

Some of my earliest memories are of sitting on the floor in the kitchen, playing pots and pans with spoons, forks and knives. I remember being excited to learn that hitting a pot in the center gave a different tone than hitting it on the edge.  It was a great day when my dad came home with a Black Pearl snare drum!  It’s amazing to think my parents tolerated the sound of drums in our small home without ever complaining.

I was fortunate enough to play in public school bands in grade school, high school and college.  I played in concert and jazz bands under some great directors who always encouraged us to be our best.  I still keep in touch with band friends from school (Yes, I was a band nerd!) and it was from this group of friends that our first garage bands were formed.  We played for high school dances, college parties and, eventually, local night clubs.

Drum lessons have always been important to my musical development.  I started taking private drum lessons when I was around 13 years old, thanks to my sister who not only paid for the lessons but provided transportation!  Growing up in Gresham, Oregon, I studied with Chic Colburn for a number of years and Mel Brown for a short time.  Both of these guys are great teachers and inspirational mentors.  Chic not only showed me the basics but also taught me to be versatile by playing many different styles of music.  The more styles of music you know, the more opportunities you will have to play.

My first paying gig was playing country music at the Tippy Canoe bar and grill in Troutdale, Oregon.  I was 16 at the time and had to walk straight from the band stand to the kitchen during breaks.  That was the beginning of a professional career where I’ve played rock, jazz, country, Dixieland and praise music in many different musical settings.  I’ve traveled throughout the U.S. playing in rock bands, lived in Los Angeles trying to break into the studio scene and finally settled in the Seattle area.  I continue to play in bands and in the studio.

Continuing education is also important to me and I study the drums every chance I get.  The Seattle area has a very active drummer community with several world-class drum shops.  I’ve had the opportunity to attend master classes with:

  • Steve Gadd (Paul Simon, James Taylor, Eric Clapton),
  • Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, John Fogerty),
  • Alan White (Yes),
  • Danny Seraphine (Chicago),
  • David Garibaldi (Tower of Power),
  • Dave Weckl (incredible jazz player) and
  • Billy Ward (drum guru, New York studio guy).

And, of course, I’m always surfing the Internet for the latest drum news, tips and tricks.

At an early age, I started to collect and study from a variety of drum instructional materials.  My collection includes over 100 drum books, hundreds of music CD’s and many instructional DVD’s.  I have many books that feel like old friends because I have spent so much time with them.  One of my favorite DVDs is Getting Started on Drums by Tommy Igoe.  His approach to drums is similar to mine and it’s great to see such a high quality video that explains the basics so well.

My goal is to never stop learning, never stop improving and never stop sharing the information I’ve learned through the years.  I enjoy teaching others about drumming and about how to play the drums in a band.  I’ve given lessons to beginners and have helped experienced players fine tune their groove.  I hope I can help you learn to play drums, have fun and be a better musician!



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