A Pearl Drumset
I have been facing a big decision for the last few months. It’s nothing totally major, but will require spending a bit of money. Over the past year or so I’ve been playing Rock Band (I realize how nerdy this sounds) and I’ve gotten pretty good at the drums. I’m not perfect, but I can hold my own when playing. What has happened, though, is my interest for playing for real has been sparked. I’ve never really been musically inclined, I mean I took piano lessons for a year, but those didn’t turn out so well.
I can typically pick out a beat in a song though, and am getting pretty good at recognizing patterns, what drums are being used, and am kinda getting into the theory (when I have time). I think I could do pretty well if I have a real instrument at which I can sit and just play around and pick things out.
That is where the problem comes. Buying a real drumset is a pretty straight forward process, they aren’t that expensive (for a cheap base set) and would give me a pretty good feel for how I would like playing. Drums are, however, very loud. So loud that I think my neighbors would more than likely crucify me. I live in an apartment complex, so I have to worry about being loud and distracting, especially if people are trying to study.
A simple solution to that problem is I could purchase an electronic set for more money. There are lots of bonuses to this idea, mainly less noise, as I can turn the volume down, or use headphones. Midi sets are really great because with a press of a button you can change tones, pitches, and notes without having to mess with the drums. The one drawback I see to a midi set is that I will not get that feeling of really playing. When you play the drums and you hit that note, you can feel the vibration, feel the noise, feel that you are doing something. I don’t think I’ll get that with an electronic set.
Really, when it comes down to it the real set isn’t an option, simply because of my location. Maybe once I have my own house it would be more plausible, and I’m not paying to soundproof my room. So the question becomes, do I just wait, or go for it with the midi? I’m usually pretty terrible about holding out on decisions like this until it doesn’t really even matter anymore, so it might take me years to decide. Hopefully by then I’ll have a house and I can do whatever I want. If I’m not married, if that’s the case, then I won’t be playing the drums at all 😛
Read more of my ramblings at Synaptic Thought.
