r/Drumming

I have been thinking about learning how to play for years now and I just impulse bought an Alesis Turbo Mesh I saw on fb marketplace for $160. Unfortunately I didn't do my research well enough and after I bought it I saw that it doesn't seem to be a great kit to learn on. It is also missing one pedal so I would have to buy that to complete the kit.

As the title states, how bad would it be for me as a learner to start with this kit? Would I be developing bad drumming habits that are hard to unlearn? If I can stick with it then any tips for how to learn the right way would be appreciated! Thank you!

My daughter is learning drums and her teacher had her play along to "Angel" by Shaggy. The reason it works so well: the groove is basically the exact same one-bar pattern repeated through the entire song. Because nothing in the arrangement changes, she can break out of the beat and drop a fill (or a little solo) literally anywhere she wants, as long as she stays in the same time signature and tempo. It's a great, low-pressure way to practice fills.

The only problem is she doesn't like the song itself.

So I'm looking for alternatives with that same quality: a steady, unchanging groove that just repeats all the way through, so you can insert fills wherever you like without them clashing with the song. Tempo/BPM isn't the issue — it's specifically that "flat," consistent groove that makes it fill-proof.

Ideally something in the alt-rock / moody direction — think The Neighbourhood or sombr — but honestly I'm open to anything with that kind of loop-like, uniform beat. She's a teenage beginner, so nothing too fast or technical.

I suggested Creep by Radiohead, but that did not get a favorable vote either.

What songs would you recommend? Thanks!

I’ve been playing on an Alesia Nitro Max for a few years now, and I want to upgrade my kit without buying a new one, since I don’t have the space for a full acoustic kit. I noticed Alesis sells an extension that comes with a fourth tom and extra cymbal for around $100. Can anyone who has purchased this extension let me know if it’s a worthy add-on? Thanks 🤘

I’m a drummer who’s mainly into rock/metal music. Recently I think I should start to dig deeper into funk or soul music, as I notice some funk songs have very interesting drum grooves. Some examples are What is Hip and Oakland Stroke, both by Tower of Power, One Nation Under a Groove by Funkadelic, and Superstition by Stevie Wonder. Any recommendations based on these songs?