I took up playing the guitar a couple of years ago, after almost 2 decades of not touching any musical instruments and forgetting just about all the musical theory that I’d learned. I’ve enjoyed it; despite not being that good yet, it’s nice to pick up a new skill and I discovered I still like music despite abandoning the study of it years ago. So I have 2 guitars in the house now, one accoustic and one electric. But it appears this was just the start.
People warned me I would succumb to GAS (“Gear Acquisition Syndrome”) – I don’t actually have any plans to buy more guitars just yet, but I’m planning on taking up playing drums, having enjoyed the simulated experience enormously on Rock Band. That might sound rather silly, since it’s just a game – but when playing on Expert (which I do quite a lot now) the rhythm patterns are usually the same as the real drum chart, you’re just missing a hi-hat pedal and some pads are doubled up – so it’s a pretty good approximation. I’ve found drumming hugely satisfying; there’s something about nailing a complex rhythm that feels visceral and the more vigorous tracks are also a great workout – all in all a very nice buzz. So now my back is much stronger, I want to see if I can legitimately add “Drummer (amateur)” to my CV 
I’ve discovered there’s a DrumTech affiliated drum teacher locally too so I’ll probably grab a few lessons and see how that goes.
An accoustic kit is likely to be a bit cumbersome and loud in our wood-floored house, so I’m planning on getting a Roland TD-9KX which should give me a good practice set-up without the noise. They’re expensive, but everyone I talk to about this says you only regret going cheap and just end up spending more on upgrades, so it’s better to get the best you can. The TD-9 is a great module and all-mesh heads are a much better sim of an accoustic kit, and importantly they’re kinder to your hands than rubber, which is key when you’re approaching middle age and already have RSI 
My wife is getting in on the act too. She’s wanted to learn piano properly for a while, so we’re going to get her a Yamaha DGX-630 so she can do that. I used to play a little when I was younger so I might steal a few goes on it too
So, that’s our Christmas treats for this year sorted out It’s a fair amount of cash to splash since we’re going for quality kit, but I figure we’re more likely to enjoy playing if the kit we buy is decent, and besides these are better investments than most other things we could buy, seeing as they let us develop a fun skill. And what the hell, it’s only money - you can’t take it with you Looking forward to it!
November 10th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
The Yamaha DGX-630 is great (I personally have its precessor the DGX-620). Easy to transport and yet rich featured and good keys. So, a good instrument, especially for the road.
I have also had drumming lessons for about 8-9 years and also liked it, but I never was as good at it as in playing the keys. So, I fianlly quit it (also due to moving in a flat where accoustic drumming is not an option). Haven’t played on a eletric one yet. Perhaps I should try that…
November 10th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
The TD-9KX is definitely a nice kit. Too expensive for me since the drums aren’t my primary instrument, but I really enjoyed playing the 9kx in the shop.
I went the other way and went for an extremely cheap set. For band practice we rent rehearsal space anyway and they tend to have real drum kits. But the cheap kit is definitely less fun to play so I can seriously recommend the roland kit if you can afford it.
However, one thing I want to mention: even though there’s no accoustic bass drum, you’re still stomping your foot on the floor pretty heavily. This thumping sound can carry pretty loudly pretty far through floors and walls. You should probably try your rock band kit in the location where you’re going to put the real kit to check if the noise is ok. In a flat, I’d say it’s probably not ok. Anywhere other than on the ground floor, you’re probably going to hear thumping throughout the house. Good luck with it.
November 11th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Thanks for the thoughts.
@spacegaier: yeah I picked out the 630 because the feel of it is supposed to very close to a real piano, without needing all the space (and weight!). Good to hear you’ve had a positive experience with the equivalent previous model.
@Thomas: luckily we live in a detached house so the kick pedal noise will be manageable, and probably no more than we have now with Rock Band (and maybe slightly less since the stopping point is the beater on a pad rather than the floor). Preference for an electric kit was mostly so that I don’t have to drown out what other people are doing in the house while I’m practicing
November 11th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Great way to use money, for things that give you lots of satisfaction. It is so good to see you taking life in sunny way. These three instruments kind of fill your music with variety. I tried flute some years ago, and it just needs lungs of Hulk:) And when I tried Mouth Organ people told me to stop laying funeral tones:)
November 12th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
I own the Yamaha DGX-630, it’s a great choice. One of the more affordable keyboards with a (more) realistic feel.
You HAVE to get Synthesia! It is awesome (Guitar Hero for the piano!), and it works great with the DGX-630. You can check it out here: http://www.synthesiagame.com/
November 12th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
@Hudson: that’s awesome, thanks for the suggestion! Runs on the Mac too which is perfect for my laptop…
November 14th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
I’ve also started myself to acquire new gears years after years but usually i’m trying to buy some “exotic” gears in search for something to play without having to perform often but that has a good sound. I love string instruments because of their sounds but when i don’t use them for some weeks/months i destroy my fingers if i play too much after those pauses. Another problem is that there’s not much space from a string to another and i haven’t slim fingers. So i’ve tried many things, now i’m on steel guitars and dobros so i can play something without having to press the strings with the hand
I’ll move out soon i think 
Every new neighbour is an occasion for a new fight
I’m a supporter of virtual instruments that remove noises and i like to read about other people that care of it. I’m trying always to play or listen to music without having others to share the sounds from my house but sadly every neighbour here doesn’t care even having a right volume for the music coming from their stereos. Today i’d to get up from bed with disco music coming from the other side of the wall dividing my house to the other near… probably normal people are not allowed in this street
Probably being a computer programmer i care much more of having a quiet enviroment, not only for working.
November 26th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
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