Radiohead: Creep - My first song

I've decided to try and learn Creep as my first song. I plan to try and learn some of my favorite songs from the Rock Band game.
I searched for sheet music for the song but wasn't able to find any. I did find a note chart for the Rock Band game. That note chart shows the pads that are hit and the pedal, to play the song in the game. This is helpful, but needs to be translated to a real drum kit. In Rock Band you have four pads, in my kit I have 5 drums, a bass drum, 3 cymbals and hi hat each of which can be played in a variety of ways.


I printed out the note chart I found and listened to the song several times following along with the chart. I commented on the chart where different pads translated to different pieces on the kit. And I identified the basic rhythm of the song. The song has four beats per measure but those beats are split in half and even quarters in some places. The basic rhythm is 1 and 2 and a 3 and four and.

I've been practicing this song a little each night. Last night I was exhausted and didn't spend too much time on it but I am having a lot of difficulty being consistent with the bass pedal. Consistently getting the quick two beats has been tough. I think it would be easier if the spring was stronger, the beater doesnt' come back fast enough for me. But Steve Smith in his video says he has his set very light. I'm going to try my other pedal and then maybe tighten the spring and see if that helps. I learned a while ago in Rock Band that you had to develop you leg muscles and those quick beats have always been a problem for me.

I've also learned a lot working on this song. It's not an overly difficult song, and I didn't want to pick one that was too tough for my first song. But it does have a lot of different parts that make it a great learning experience for me. I certainly found that playing a long with a song with a drum track is a lot different than playing a long with one without. While I've learned the basic beats of the songs I'm terrible in the transitions. I still need work on the main groove. I need to incorporate the open hi-hat and cymbal crashes yet. There is still much to learn and practice. And while there is no deadline and I've found that some things just come with time, I'm anxious to get my first song under my belt. But there is still a lot of practice ahead of me to be smooth.

Learning Rock Band Songs

The songs in Rock Band are great and since I have access to the music with and without drums, I think that I'll concentrate on some of the songs in the game as the first song I'll try and learn. Rock Band organizes the songs in order of difficulty, and while those difficulties might not match the difficulty playing on a real kit, the song list should still be a good guide of songs to try and learn. I'm sure it will be no easy task.

FreeDrumLessons.com

I can't say enough good things about this Web site. It's awesome a group of people got together and built a Web site loaded with information and videos on everything from music theory to advanced drum techniques. The site has been a huge help in learning how to read drum music and playing the drums.

Without the site I certainly would have needed to take drum lessons. But combined with a couple DVDs I feel that I have a good basis of learning and most of what I need. Sure, there is no substitute for human interaction and direct critiques. I just didn't feel I could afford paying someone around $30 each week for a short lesson where they would give me the same things to work on. I feel a practice enough, and I have goals. But I wasn't sure the once-a-week lesson schedule was for me. Being able to watch videos of the lessons over-and-over again seems better in some aspects that trying to remember what the teacher said.

With that said, I did find a card in a posting for a local person who gives music lessons. I hope to contact him soon and see if he will agree to at least review my playing once a month or on some schedule. I don't want to learn bad habits so hopefully that might be a win-win for us both.

Score!!!!

Playing Rock Band is a lot of fun. I've been into music, playing various instruments, all my life, but with Rock Band it's never been this easy to sound this good. While the game can be challenging, it's not playing a real instrument or learning the actual music. I told myself if I was able to finish the game on hard and continue to have fun, that I would consider getting real drums and learn to play.


As I worked through the game I begin looking for a used set of electronic drums. Since my wife gets migraines, I didn't think a real drum set would be an option. So I checked out a few stores and did some research. Of course my wife saw the signs. Why would I want a real drum set? I'm not sure I have an adequate answer even now for that question. As I worked through the game learning new songs and playing a little each night I found I really enjoyed playing the game.


I found a used set of drums that were local and I went to see them. They were nice but several years old and a little dated when it came to the types of drums, pedals and cymbals used. I realized that I didn't need the best or newest equipment. But I had tried several models at various music stores and even with my very limited knowledge I could tell the difference between the different equipment.


While I was considering whether this older set was the one for me I came across a new ad. It was one of those ads that seemed to good to be true. The ad was for a top-of-the-line Roland kit at a very reasonable price. I e-mailed the seller for more information. I mostly discounted the ad because there have been several scams going around on Roland drums. People trying to sell drums they don't actually have or bait and switch.


I was surprised when I got an e-mail response with a phone number. I called the seller and we talked for some time. I had him verify the equipment models numbers to make sure we were talking about the same equipment, and it seemed legit. It turned out that a new member to their band had a change of heart and wasn't interested in playing and wanted to sell his new drums. The drums were reported to be in excellent shape and used just a few times.


The drums sounded incredible. It was the set I wanted but knew I couldn't afford. I asked him what his bottom line was and he came down a couple hundred dollars. It seemed too good of a deal to pass up. I told him I'd get back to him in an hour and let him know.


"Hey hunny, remember those drums..." My poor wife. We talked a little about it and it was a done deal. I called the seller up and made sure he would be home. My wife and I hit the road and drove two hours to a rural place in Illinois to see the drums.


Unbelievable. They were just as he described--an incredible beautiful like new Roland TD-20 black kit. And not just that, dual DW9000 bass drum pedals and behemoth DW Hi-Hat and snare stands. You have to feel these pedals and the stands to appreciate them. The pedals are smooth as butter and the stands are incredibly strong and massive looing. It was a dream set. One that I certainly wasn't qualified to have or deserved.


I plugged it in, verified the pads and cymbals worked, handed the guy the envelope, and began packing it up. I couldn't believe my luck. I felt genuinely humbled. It sounds funny, but with not even knowing how to play I appreciated the quality and craftsmanship that went into that kit. I hoped that someday I would be able to due it justice, to be able to play it with some authority.


It was a good day and I beamed the whole way home. My poor wife.