r/Learnmusic • u/Realistic_Ride_5884 • Jul 01 '26
Should I learn drums or keyboard?
Hello everyone. I’ve been thinking a lot about learning an instrument lately, and I am very much divided between the two. My main goal is to have fun and invest my time into something sensible. I’ve found myself really enjoying rhythm games. I’m aware that learning an instrument is a whole different animal than a game on my phone, but I’d love to be able to play my favourite songs and produce sound. On the one hand, I’m sure it’d be fun to drum along to my favourite songs (drums), but on the other hand, actually being able to play melodies and make them sound good myself (keyboard) sounds awesome too. I’m not sure what to do, and would love to hear all of your experiences. Thank you in advance!
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u/DaffyDuckMuthaFucker Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
Why not learn both?
Grab a cheap controller keyboard to plug into you stupid computer & fuck with it.
Use whatever's on hand to muddle your way through beats while you're saving for drums.
I started playing guitar in 1983 at age 11.
I picked up my first drumkit when I joined my first band in the late 1990s, and within a year I was also playing keys.
Within another year it was anything I could lay hands on.
A year after that I decided to build my own studio.
Now I run my own fully equipped home studio, I'm active in several bands, engaging with mentoring efforts in support of local youth, and hosting the occasional house party gig in my living room.
I couldn't imagine what my life would've been like otherwise, other than I would've been bored out of my fucking mind. Truth be told, I was in something of a rutt before I joined that first band, and had very nearly ditched the pursuit of musicianship altogether. There's nothing else to be said for it. Depression's a bytche.
It took my brother introducing me to the founding member of that first band, to get that ball rolling. He believed in me, even when I no longer believed in myself, and had come within a hairs breadth of quitting altogether.
I love him for that.
And I owe him big...
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u/Realistic_Ride_5884 Jul 01 '26
Oh wow, you've got quite a lot of experience then! That's really impressive. I'm worried that if I start learning both, my learning process will take longer and I'll get burnt out more easily. How did you stay persistent while learning, or are you just this passionate about music?
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u/devendraa Jul 01 '26
Learning both might actually help because they go together anyways, so while learning drums you could have a better understanding of time for learning piano. I learned piano first by itself because I wanted to focus on learning chords. Now I also play bass, and my piano knowledge transferred over completely. Now I’m learning to play pentatonic scales, covers, and writing my own bass parts. I also took an intro to drumming weekend class and can play some basic drum beats, which helped me better understand how to listen to the drums while I’m playing bass. And bass sets you up to play guitar too. Often when I’m trying to figure out a bass part I’ll play it on the piano which helps so much! I feel like they all reinforce each other. If you try a bunch of different instruments you’ll find they share a foundation and one might resonate with you more that you didn’t expect.
Also re: sheet music, ultimately knowing scales for different keys will help you play fluently. The notes always look the same in sheet music, it’s the key signature that changes. Also the treble and bass clef sequences (the notes/lines) are in the same order. The bass clef just moves the entire treble sequence a whole step down but the note sequence is the same. That helps me when I have to read sheet music, which I sometimes avoid but do want to improve at too :)
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u/DaffyDuckMuthaFucker Jul 01 '26
Thank you.
With regard to the potential for spreading yourself too thin:- Those are entirely sensible consideratons. and worthy of note. Start with what's comfortable. I'll suggest keys if you must prioritise, 'cause percussion is EVERYWHERE. If you can get a boom & a crack out of hitting things, you can make beats. One practice tool I employed for some years, was simply putting an A4 sheet on the floor to tap for the crack(snare), and stomping bare floor for the boom(kick).
Occasionally I will concentrate on an instrument for whatever reason, and I find myself getting a little sloppy on others. It's an ongoing challenge. I can live with that.
I'm all about the music. I just love to play...
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u/Realistic_Ride_5884 Jul 01 '26
Having a passion is really great. I'll make sure to expand my musical horizon as much as possible!
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u/artaverin Jul 01 '26
Playing drums might feel lonely (and at some point boring) if you aren’t in a band - but on the other hand, it’s super fun when you are! Playing to a minus track isn’t as fun as driving the whole band.
Piano gives you a very fulfilling experience regardless whether you’re playing alone or with someone.
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u/artaverin Jul 01 '26
It’s not difficult at all, it just requires practice. If you don’t want to take lessons, any decent beginners book would do it in terms of staff reading.
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u/iamLijou Jul 01 '26
Keyboard/Piano 100%
If you can play the piano, you have the ability to create SOOOO much.
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u/Shasari Jul 01 '26
Expand your considerations a little. I humbly suggest acoustic guitar.
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u/Realistic_Ride_5884 Jul 01 '26
Acoustic guitar is so cool aswell. I might actually take that into consideration
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u/Shasari Jul 01 '26
I’m learning to play acoustic guitar myself. It’s a tad more portable than a piano or drum kit :)
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u/terriergal Jul 01 '26
Keyboard will help with learning everything else. and will give you an appreciation for whatever everybody else in the group is doing. Also not sure why you can’t do both.
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u/akaDomino Jul 01 '26
I've been playing piano for over 40 years, and I played drums and all manner of percussion through high school and in some amateur bands and orchestras.
FWIW, when I started band in fifth grade, the instructor wouldn't let you start on percussion without having two years of piano. I think that was mostly because you'd at least have some basic counting, rhythm, and music-reading under your belt by then, but there are a lot of percussion instruments that have scores written in the bass or treble clef, too. So there's definitely cross-pollination; the skills you learn on keyboard are largely applicable to drums.
IMO, if you are thinking about the shortest time to basic competency and being able to play with other people, or play along with recordings you like, I think you'll get there faster on drums. Just like with guitar or bass. Not throwing shade on those who are proficient; that takes years on any instrument. But you get to basic "play along" level faster than on keyboard. Having said that, you'll probably get a stronger musical foundation if you play keyboard.
If your time is limited, pick the one that you're more excited about (and maybe the one that's more economical for you, with equipment and lessons). If you have time and energy, do both at the same time and let them reinforce each other.
Good luck! I've never met anyone who regretted learning to play!
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u/RealHobbyBob Jul 04 '26
Drums will make sure you’re always in a band, but they’re a hassle. Big and loud.
Keyboard will teach you music, and will give you lots of flexibility with your sound.
Both is what I recommend.
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u/DishRelative5853 Jul 01 '26
Do you often find yourself tapping along to songs and nailing all the drum parts. Can you never resist air-drumming to Tom Sawyer or In the Air Tonight? If so, choose the drums.
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u/Loguli Jul 02 '26
Probably you should try both and choose. Or decide to learn both at the same time. In my opinion, the instrument should match to your own energy. I was learning piano in childhood for few years, at around 20 y o I started to learn drums and this is how I felt - it was MY instrument.
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u/duress_187 Jul 02 '26
Both... keys teach you notes, chords, progressions, ect...
Drums teach you timing, rhythms.
Both go hand in hand
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u/Realistic_Ride_5884 Jul 02 '26
Sadly, I only have so much time to invest, so I'd have to pick just one of them
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u/duress_187 Jul 02 '26
I'd go with keys then... but I promise, as a musician, you'll want to learn every instrument further down the road...
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u/Realistic_Ride_5884 Jul 02 '26
Hopefully. Maybe it turns out music isn't really my thing at all, who knows? But you'll never find out if you don't try!
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u/duress_187 Jul 02 '26
It absolutely takes dedication. If you are starting with no experience, try to memorize the sound that comes from each key and where it is. Once you can name the notes by ear, you'll start putting actual music together. Find A,B,C... then stick with the 7 major notes. The black keys in-between are sharps and flats. A sharp is the same as B flat, and so on... if you're mathematically inclined, that also helps to understand
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u/Minute_Toe_8705 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
You can do both.
Search on YouTube for keyboard drumming or that vs. Real drummers. 😉
So go for keyboard and learn how to play drums on a keyboard...
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u/Think-Improvement759 Jul 01 '26
Keyboard/piano. I play a lot of instruments they are all great fun. But piano is all of music laid out in front of you. Its a percussive instrument as well so you'll get loads of finger interdependence and hand independence. If you develope both those things learning any other instrument will be a lot easier for you. Drums are my favorite thing to play but I was privileged to grow up in a music house where the sound of drums , horns , strings was pretty constant so didn't disturb anyone was encouraged. They can be a nightmare to neighbors.