Bit of a different one this week.
We are certainly living in crazy times at the moment with schools closing and entertainment venues shutting while we all stay home self isolating ourselves. So I thought I would let you know what we here at Ravebugs are doing to try and help relieve boredom, and help our students continue to learn their instrument. I have mentioned before that we do offer lessons over Skype, FaceTime Google hangouts etc for anyone that wants a ‘virtual’ face to face lesson. These work just like normal lessons but you are sat at your drum kit or practice pad in the comfort of your own home. These are a great solution for those already having lessons as we can continue to practice and develop the skills that you are currently working on. In the next few days we will be doing some Facebook livestream events that will be suitable for everyone. These will include a bit of bucket drumming, some info on building a ‘Junk Percussion set up and generally some fun things to do with music. We may also stream some lessons for anyone that might be interested. There is also a host of videos to watch on the Ravebugs YouTube channel and we will be adding much more over the coming weeks so please check that out and if you could subscribe to the YouTube channel that would be amazing. Talking of social media please check out the Ravebugs Facebook and Instagram offerings as we are also trying to build those as well..... Of course if you have people you would like to share these with that would be brilliant and we certainly would appreciate it. Anyway that’s enough from me, you are probably busy stopping the kids from killing each other 😂 Stay safe, be nice to each other and don’t hog all the toilet rolls! Phill xx
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So what can you do if you want to have a drum lesson but can’t make it over to our studio in Eastbourne?
Luckily help is at hand. We can offer full lessons over Skype, FaceTime, Google or any of the other popular video messaging services. All you need is a web cam, a microphone and a way to connect. You could also just use your smart phone or tablet. As long as we can see and hear each other then you are all set. Once we have arranged a date and time, all you need to do is be sat at your kit and connected to Skype or whatever messaging service we are using. I will then contact you at the agreed time and your lesson will begin. After your lesson I will send over an invoice which can be paid in whatever way suits you the best. It’s as easy as that. Have fun Phill Probably the one question I get asked more than any other is. 'should I buy an electric or acoustic drum kit'. Rather unhelpfully the answer to this, and most questions around learning, is that it depends on your situation and what you want to use it for. Both types of kit have their pro's and con's, their supporters and detractors. Its probably easiest for me to look at each type separately.
Electric Kits These are great if you are short of space as many of them are on a rack that easily folds away reducing the space required when not in use. They are also good if you are likely to upset the neighbours with your practice. Having said that however they are NOT silent and you still get a lot of stick noise from them as well as noise transmitted through the floor from the bass pedal. There are several solutions available to help with this though. Another nice feature of most electric set ups that my drum students certainly like is they have built in metronomes and also the ability to plug in a music source so you can practice with your favourite music and hear both the music and your drumming at the same time in your headphones. Acoustic Kits Nothing beats the sound and feel of acoustic drums. They just sound better and as they physically move air, unlike the electric alternative, you can actually 'feel' what you are playing. They do take up space though and can be extremely loud. In fact when using acoustic drums in my studio here in Eastbourne I always insist that students wear ear protection. Don't let that put you off completely though. There are a whole range of dampers, pads, covers and even mesh drum heads that can be applied to help keep the noise down. At the end of the day the choice is yours. Here at Ravebugs I am always more than happy to advise, set up and even source the perfect drums for you if you feel a little overwhelmed by the choice out there. Until next time. keep drumming and have fun. Phill |