First Jam with my son

**CanyonCarver** · 12-30-2003, 12:10 PM

This morning at 8:30 I hauled my Flextone amp down to my son's room where the drum set it is.
I told him to set his own rythm and speed and I would latch on to it to see what happens. No pressure.
He started with a simple lick his teacher gave him and I played the intro chords in D to Steve Vai's Bad Horsie. Since my son knows what the song sounds like he was actually able to squeeze a few well-timed fills over my playing.
He's not exactly a metronome yet, so our speed was fluctuating quite a bit, but we both got really excited to play together for the first time.
On top of it, playing with a guitar allowed him to drum continuously for a longer time, since he usually plays licks three or four times before moving to a different pattern.
I am really stoked about this, and proud as heck of my kid. I saw a spark in his eyes after we played. He's got a nasty blister on the right hand and needs to build up resistance, but didn't complain about it. He wants us to play again tonight, when Mom comes back from work...

Did I mention than he hits the skins like a maniac? He's been watching the Led Zep DVD too much meethinks...! [img]images/smilies/rock.gif[/img]

ericgtr · 12-30-2003, 12:17 PM

Sounds like he's off to a good start and you guys have a great way of hanging out. I think getting the tempo down is the hardest thing for any drummer, I am still practicing on my kit and that's the hardest thing for me to get back and I struggle with it a lot. Glad you guys are having fun together!

**CanyonCarver** · 12-30-2003, 12:41 PM

I think we have something very special, but I'll encourage him to play with people his own age so he's not stuck in the 80,s playing Crazy Train, I don't know, Panama, and Bark At The Moon with the old man, ah ah ah!

ericgtr · 12-30-2003, 12:51 PM

**Mondy** · 12-30-2003, 12:53 PM

This is way cool !

Rock on ! A great story !!!

[img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

**Raven** · 12-30-2003, 01:14 PM

Man, CC - how very cool! That has got to be so much fun! Thanks for sharing, bro.

wahwah · 12-30-2003, 01:34 PM

I'm chuffed for you CC-with a 5 year old son who makes me proud as punch, I know how special it is when something connects like this. I'm filling up as we speak! [img]images/smilies/icon_ball.gif[/img]

NewHalen5150 · 12-30-2003, 02:07 PM

right on cc...keep them chops up..oh yeah and your sons too..lol...seriously tho he might get bored with them one day ..just don't sell em..he'll be back..every musician needs time away from their instrument..if this day comes for him..but hell he might be like vai and ed and just have the damn instrument glued to himself..

**dbmaster** · 12-30-2003, 02:49 PM

[ QUOTE ]
CanyonCarver said:
This morning at 8:30 I hauled my Flextone amp down to my son's room where the drum set it is.
I told him to set his own rythm and speed and I would latch on to it to see what happens. No pressure.
He started with a simple lick his teacher gave him and I played the intro chords in D to Steve Vai's Bad Horsie. Since my son knows what the song sounds like he was actually able to squeeze a few well-timed fills over my playing.
He's not exactly a metronome yet, so our speed was fluctuating quite a bit, but we both got really excited to play together for the first time.
On top of it, playing with a guitar allowed him to drum continuously for a longer time, since he usually plays licks three or four times before moving to a different pattern.
I am really stoked about this, and proud as heck of my kid. I saw a spark in his eyes after we played. He's got a nasty blister on the right hand and needs to build up resistance, but didn't complain about it. He wants us to play again tonight, when Mom comes back from work...

Did I mention than he hits the skins like a maniac? He's been watching the Led Zep DVD too much meethinks...! [img]images/smilies/rock.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Post a clip!!! Love to hear it. My boy plays drums and guitar [img]images/smilies/icon_jam.gif[/img]. It's a riot when we play together. Right now he's into Randy Rhoades and Zakk [img]images/smilies/rock.gif[/img]. Lots of fun!!!

El_jalepeno · 12-30-2003, 05:38 PM

Awesome news CC! I have an 8 1/2 year old. I bought him an Epiphone Wee Vee a couple of years ago, and he is just starting to get into it. He mostly plays air guitar while I am playing, but I can tell he is getting ready to actually plug in. I did teach him the intro to Rock You Like a Hurricane, and he nailed it with his little hands! [img]images/smilies/icon_dance.gif[/img] [img]images/smilies/icon_jam.gif[/img]

Dave G 5150 · 12-30-2003, 06:58 PM

that's just freakin' awesome CC!!!
since i'll probably never be much of a guitarist, i hope to make the same connection with my son someday (he's only 15 months now), but our connection will probably be through racecars... that's the only thing i'm any good around , anyways... [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

...Dave

**CanyonCarver** · 12-30-2003, 07:45 PM

Thanks, dbmaster!
Great about you and your son too!
I'll try to put an ambient microphone in the staircase next time (the computer is upstairs and the drums are downstairs) and we'll see what it sounds like.
Gonna turn the house into Headley Grange or something... ah ah ah!

**CanyonCarver** · 12-30-2003, 07:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
El_jalepeno said:
Awesome news CC! I have an 8 1/2 year old. I bought him an Epiphone Wee Vee a couple of years ago, and he is just starting to get into it. He mostly plays air guitar while I am playing, but I can tell he is getting ready to actually plug in. I did teach him the intro to Rock You Like a Hurricane, and he nailed it with his little hands! [img]images/smilies/icon_dance.gif[/img] [img]images/smilies/icon_jam.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Way to go Pepper Man! Good to see that we've got kids to carry the torch! I hope you enjoy your quality time with your kid as much as I do with mine.

**CanyonCarver** · 12-30-2003, 07:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Dave G 5150 said:
that's just freakin' awesome CC!!!
since i'll probably never be much of a guitarist, i hope to make the same connection with my son someday (he's only 15 months now), but our connection will probably be through racecars... that's the only thing i'm any good around , anyways... [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

...Dave

[/ QUOTE ]

Race cars are great. I'm into traditional hot rods myself and old school choppers. I dream of putting together a 33 Ford Coupe or a 32 Roadster with my son someday, but budget concerns may have us turn to a more economic project.
In the meantime, we just jam and rock out. That'll have to do for us! [img]images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif[/img]

Top Jimmy · 12-30-2003, 08:58 PM

ya wanna teach your son how to teach himself? Give him Back In Black by AC/DC....it's all he'll ever need.....it'll give him his clock, and all the basics to fly from. That's the launching pad, that cd right there.....and I got into Maiden and I was into Bonzo, Bill Ward from Sabbath was another HUGE influence on my drumming, but it all starts with Back In Black. It ain't as basic as you think...it has some subtle stuff in there that if you miss while playing, it might get you through, but it sure won't sound RIGHT...this will give him a lot of taste.....and tell him it'll lay the ground work for any nu-metal or power-pop-punk that he might hear on the radio today....it'll also teach him patience....there ain't a lot of fills in that cd, so he has to learn to look to other parts of the band for a 'payoff'....does that make sense? A drummer's payoff at the end of four bars tends to be himself, a big crash or little fill at the end of a riff to go to the chorus.....but a great BAND will more often than not look to each other for the payoff, instead of LOUDLY SAYING "LOOK OUT EVERYBODY HERE COMES THE NEXT PART!!!" ....and THAT's where the magic begins...when you LISTEN to the guys you're playing with , then it truly IS playing WITH a band instead of playing IN a band.....

I hope that made a bit of sense in there.....what I am trying to say is the best lesson you can teach your son when it come to ANY instrument....is this:
It's not enough to simply know HOW to, a TRUE master must also know when NOT to. [img]images/smilies/afro.gif[/img]