Just curious if anyone else drums as a hobby or professionally. Traditional drum kit or marching band drumline or bongos, it doesn't matter - if you were born with the ability to lay down a beat, you're a drummer.

I have a 5-piece Pearl Forum Series that helps me keep relatively sane during the long Canadian winter. I've been drumming on and off since I was 16 and have been in a few bands along the way.

Anyone else...?

Anybody?..... Bueller?....

I'm an amateur drummer.
I haven't got a fancy kit, I bought it when I didn't really know much about kits and sound just yet.
A crying shame in a way, because I got cymbals that aren't particularly great. Not the cheapest ones, but not really good ones either. At the time I could have afforded good cymbals, right now I can't, so I cannot replace them.
I got myself roto toms a few months back, triples. Not Remo, I got them second hand, again due to a very small budget.
Next on my list is a cowbell, lol.

One of the reasons I never invested in buying more 'extras', is that my ex had been a professional drummer so he had the full works. If I needed splash, cowbell, decent cymbals etc, I just used his kit instead of mine.
We had both set up next to each other upstairs.
Later on he invested in an electronic kit, a huge one, with great sound, lots of extras, sample pads and so on.
At that time I quit playing. We'd moved both our acoustic kits due to lack of space, and I could never even find the on/off switch on the electronic kit. So I basically gave up.

When we split up, he put up my kit again for me, but it took me quite some time to get playing again. Of course I lost lot of my technique, esp HH technique, but at the mo I'm getting better at stuff on the toms, which I had problems with in the past.
I'm not a brilliant drummer, I can't be @r$ed to learn paradiddle doodles, lol. I had lessons at first, so I had to learn it, but I gave up on it.
But the stuff I play, I like, and if there's something I cannot play, I play it "Crystal style" I simply improvise.

I love Chad Smith! Simon Philips (one of Chad's idol so kind of figures I like both). But no way will I ever be able to play that good.
Manu Katché, OMG! Instant joygasm to hear him play!

I don't play in a band. Thought about finding a band to play in, but it would mean dragging the kit around. I can't do that due to back and neck problems. And I'm not sure I'd like to play for a longer time, maybe an evening.
I'd prefer to do more things, bit of drums, some singing, some backing. Maybe some simple percussion.
So I just enjoy playing at home :)

Awesome story, thanks for sharing that!

I'm not a brilliant drummer, either, as I've played on and off and never kept at it long enough to approach the level of John Bonham or Neil Peart. I had a few short lessons way back when I was a teenager, the rest of my experience is all self taught. I can lay down a solid and consistent beat, but there's no fancy twirling sticks or backup vocals or any cool stuff that the big time drummers do. I just enjoy playing.

A set of roto toms and a double bass pedal are on my wish list. I just have the Pearl 20" ride and "18" crash cymbals that came with the kit, although I did get an extra stand with a Z-Planet 16" crash/ride to compliment them. Some day I might upgrade them all to Paiste cymbals, but like you I am on a small budget. I also have a motorcycle and an SUV that require periodic bites out of my wallet, which doesn't help.

I've never been a fan of electronic drums and drum machines, it offends the Renaissance Man within me. My Uncle is a hard core drummer, he's been at it professionally for over 50yrs now and got rid of his drum kit long ago. He uses a combination of hand drums, bongos, Japanese Taiko drums, gongs, wood blocks, cowbells and all kinds of percussive instruments. Fascinating to listen to and watch him play.

I played for 2 weeks in high school. Learned one song :)

So why did you give it up?

My teacher was in a band and he moved. I did play piano for a semester in high school as well.

So you can read music, then. That's one skill I never mastered, all my drumming is from memory because I can't read music.

It's been years since I've read music :)

I don't have a ride I bought a basic kit back then (I didn't know the first thing about it, lol), just 1 cymbal, HH, snare, floor, kick and 2 toms. Now I got my roto toms. Would love to have a splash and a cowbell. I miss that cowbell a lot. There's one Guns & Roses song that I play and need it for. And it's always nice for accents here and there. Now I use the bell of the cymbal, but not the same.

Double kicks is not really my thing. My ex had double kick pedals, and up to a few years ago it was pretty sexy to do, but now every drummer does it. But it's just not my thing. Women are supposed to be able to multitask, but there is a limit
If there's tricky rhythms/fills with kick and other toms, I sometimes cheat and simply use the floor instead

I can read music (used to play guitar), but you don't need that skill when you play drums. Drum tabs are written in a different way. I read those too, I use them a lot, actually always do. Got them printed and on a stand when I play.
Many songs I know by heart, but somehow I lose track halfway through a song when I don't have the piece of paper there I kind of panic like "OMG, where am I!" Just knowing the piece of paper is there, helps.

Funny thing is, that your body remembers songs. Ever notice that? I hadn't played for at least 5 years, then I did a song I used to play a lot. And I (read: my brain) hadn't a frigging clue what I was doing, but my body remembered it still and did everything right.

In a way I'm not a fan of electronic kits, but it does have major advantages. The modern ones feel almost like a normal kit and sound like one too. Last year for our King's day gig, the drummer used a small electronic kit in the rehearsal studio. Not even all that expensive, not big, but dang, did that thing sound great! Seriously as good as any acoustic kit. The snare sound was brilliant!
Must admit I don't like my own snare too much. It sounds okay, but I cannot get really tight rolls right on it. I tightened the skin a while back, but still not to my liking. Best snare I ever played on was my ex's and the skin on it was ancient. No spring anymore, very tight, but bloody nice to play on! Very easy to do rolls. So I guess I just gotta wait till the skin on my snare's gone old and stale

I play the Guitar as a hobby, as a younger man I/we tried forming a band but never really succeeded in any meaningful gigs or paid venues..
(we stunk) But I still play and own a Aria Les Paul and jam a bit... when I'm feeling in the mood.. I originally took bass lessons and later switched to a 6 string playing rhythm and lead.. I can read Music but not to play and read.. it's a lot harder than it looks keeping time..

I'm not impressed with the Pearl snare on my kit, either. I tune my drums low and fat, but the snare just does not respond well there so I've had to tighten the lugs more than I want just to get a half decent sound out of it. I use Evans E-Rings on all the heads, as I've holed the bottom skins on all the toms to get that cardboard box sound that was big in the 70's. They work great on the toms but kill the bounce on the snare, but I have to leave it on there anyway or I get a lot of buzzing and ringing if I don't. The only way I'll get the sound I want is to get a different snare, but then I run into the budget wall so I'll just have to make do with what I've got.

The double bass pedal is a bit overdone these days, true, but it's something I've always wanted to try. The cheapest ones ring in around the $200 mark here and you get what you pay for with those, so it's another purchase that will stay on the wish list for a while yet. Plus, I'd need to get a high hat clutch, too, which is another $100 or so.

I started learning to read drum tabs a few years ago, but never kept at it and eventually lost interest. I'm too used to playing by ear and, like you, if there's a riff too difficult to figure out I just substitute my own fill. As for electronic drums, they do produce a nice sound, but... to me it's a lot like watching an electric fireplace; it looks real and it puts out heat, but it just isn't as good as the real thing and never will be, IMO.

I drove my parents nuts when I was young, pestering them for years to get me a drumset. Instead, one Christmas they bought me a guitar and booked some lessons with a music teacher in the hopes I would get hooked on that. I attended about four of the lessons, got bored and then set up my pots and pans and cardboard boxes in the basement again and went back to drumming. They gave in a couple months later and for my 16th birthday bought me my very first set of drums.

I admire the skill it takes to play guitar, though. It's just never been my calling. Drummers are a bit... different.

Nice My Fav all time Drummer was Keith Moon, other than his antics on the road His skill set was amazing,, there are many Videos on Youtube.. and folks talking about his playing which was ahead of time.. It was like he played Lead drums... Good chat!