If you're feeling a bit wound up, stressed and strung out, why not hit something repeatedly with a stick? Rid yourself of pent-up aggression this weekend with a hard-hitting drumming session.
You can find classes, lessons, and hedonistic free-for-all drumming sessions somewhere in your city for just about every type of percussion instrument (I'm not sure if anybody's offering lessons on the
lagerphone, but they really should). The internet is a useful place to start when researching which drum is right for you. And if you don't want to pay for lessons straight up, there are free video tutorials you can learn from on the web.
This guy has the basics for absolute beginners on a standard drum kit.
If a rolling rock beat isn't your thing, why not try West African drumming? The goblet-shaped djembe drum is growing in popularity, and you need nothing more than your bare hands to create a great rhythm. It looks tiring, but once you learn to place your hands correctly, you'll achieve a big sound for little effort. YouTube has plenty of
tutorials for African drums, too.
African Drumming in St Kilda offers classes, workshops, programs for children, drum making workshops and free jam sessions if you're in the mood for a wild drumming free-for-all. Check out
Melbourne Djembe, who also specialise in West African dance, and
InRhythm who organise drumming retreats, and offer disability therapy and free drum circles.
Music Teachers Online is a great resource for people seeking music lessons in Australia. Can't find classes for xylophone, steel pan drums or the vibraphone? This is a good place to start. You'll find teachers for djembe and drum kits, too. If you just want to have a bit of a bash at home without heading out to a class, bongoes are a fine lightweight option. They sound good without much effort, too. Check out
eBay and
Gumtree for good second-hand instruments, and brush up on your drummer jokes
here.
Get out there and bang a drum: it's a spirited way to get fit, learn an instrument and meet some new people.
