The Musician's Forum

[imawesome1124]

I got my drum set, but I haven't been able to play recently because I strained a muscle playing a little over 2 weeks ago. Here's my kit:

 

Pearl Forum

22x20" kick drum

14x5" snare drum

12x8" rack tom

13x9" rack tom

16x16" floor tom

16" crash

20" ride

14" hi-hat

[no_brain_er]

Seeing that really makes me wish I had a set worth playing. I started playing drums in 10th grade, and my first set was a crappy Pulse starter set with a Gibralter Avenger II double bass pedal. Now that I'm in my third year of college, playing drums is a lot more difficult (not enough room in my house for a set, making neighbors angry, etc.), but I really do want to get a new set. I was looking at electronic sets around Christmas this past year, but they're all either too crappy or too expensive, so I'll probably just have to wait until I'm out of college.

 

A friend recently asked me to play for his band, though, and they have access to what I think is a Tama Silverstar 4-piece, and believe you me, it felt so good to be back on a set for the first time in about two years. I feel like I've lost a lot of my skill (I used to play for a metalcore band), but with practice, I can probably gain most of it back.

[mcjaco]

I started playing in third grade......yikes, that's about 1986! Played all the way through high school in concert band and marching band, played in a couple of garage bands here and there. I've also helped out a few friends lay down studio tracks every so often. Then I met a guitar player and a bass player looking for a drummer locally....

 

I've been playing in that band for almost three years now. I had the pleasure of "borrowing" my guitar player's Yamaha Stage Custom from the late 80's for most that time. I finally bit the bullet a few weeks ago, and bought my own kit. It's a Mapex M-Birch. I got the entire set, the hardware and gig bags for $500!

 

22" Kick

10, 12, 13 and 16" toms (the 13 and 16 shown below).

I'm using the Stage Custom snare, as the Mapex one sounds like a wet noodle. It needs some work.

 

Cymbals (I rotate around, as I'm a cymbal whore):

 

14" Zildjian Quick Beats or

14" Zildjian New Beat (1980's)

14" Zildjian A Fast Crash

16" Zildjian Medium Thin Crash

18" Paiste Twenty Full Crash

18" Zildjian K EFX

18" Zildjian A Custom EFX

21" Zildjian A Sweet Ride

19" Paiste Rude Crash/Ride (of which it does neither well)

18" Wuhan China

10" Zildjian A Splash

 

Here it is:

 

Edited April 9, 2013 by mcjaco

[imawesome1124]

Since I've had my kit since January I've finally started taking it very seriously. I started writing songs a few days ago and now I'm more motivated than ever to play since I have serious ambitions of starting a band a few years down the road.

 

I'd also like some feedback on these lyrics. Be as honest as you can be.

 

The first song is called "All I Need To Be" but I only have the chorus. It goes:

 

I know you see right through

All the times I've tried to hide the truth

I know that I've done wrong

I tried my hardest just to please you

No I'm not perfect

But that's okay to me

Cause this is all I am

And it's all I really need to be

 

Cause you love me anyway

 

------------------------------------------------

The other song is called "By My Side" and I have quite a bit more.

Verse 1:

I wake up every day

Hoping to feel your warming touch

You never have a lot to say

But the way you love me you don't need to say much

 

As I go through the daily grind

Hoping someday I'll find

The _______ that I've been searching for... (I need three more lines and a word to go in the blank)

 

Chorus:

Only your love can get me through the day

Shine your light, show me the way

Speak to me and bring me home

Can't face the pain of the world on my own

But I'll never hide

As long as you're here, right by my side

 

Verse 2:

Each day I struggle still

Try to continue but sometimes I lose the will

 

But I will never back down

Never give up the fight

If I have you to fight by my side

 

[Repeat Chorus]

-----------------------------------

Like I said be as honest as possible without being degrading.

[yay101]

I think those are good lyrics. I know some other non-enthusiasts who song write but they only write about girls/sex/how they hate their lives. So these are probably like the best lyrics that I've seen in a while. Are these about God? Whether they are or not, these are good lyrics. What was the inspiration for these songs?

 

Maybe in the blanks you can write about how you were lost in something (like faith, love, maybe you were hopeless and the subject of this song gave you hope) and how he/she/it helped you get through, like say what you were struggling with and how the subject helped you.

 

Note: There is a Sidewalk Prophets song with the line, "Cuz you love me anyway." Depending on how the instrumental goes, just try not to copyright.

 

I think you should be in a band, and I wish you the best of luck.

[imawesome1124]

^Thank you. And I forgot that I had changed the lyrics from anyway to just the same.

 

When I wrote the lyrics, I did in fact write them from a Christian perspective. I left them somewhat ambiguous so that people who aren't Christian can interpret them differently.

[yay101]

^Kinda like Breaking Benjamin and Chevelle.

[imawesome1124]

Breaking Benjamin and Chevelle aren't Christian bands. I was talking more about bands like Skillet or Red.

[yay101]

Did you write anything else?

[imawesome1124]

I've got snippets of a heavier song, but not enough to share. When I get a chorus or verse I'll post it.