Learning to Play Drums via Rock Band?

Note: There are a few swear words and a bunch of b.s.'ing in the beginning of this video. Just skip to :35 for the start of the playing.



I started playing drums after playing Rock Band for a year, and believe it or not, that's where I learned the basics. I had always had an acoustic drum kit, but never knew how to play, and the drums just sat there unused, but after a year of Rock Band I decided to give them a look, and right away I noticed a drastic difference. My Rock Band ''skills'' really had transfered over to the real drums.

I had to learn how to use a high hat pedal of course, and relearn positioning and how to play cross handed, but I immediately was able to at least play a few beats, something which I was never able to do before.

Here's a video of me playing a few months into it so you can see the evidence that it is possible to learn drums via Rock Band. The basics, at least.

Few things to preface it:

1) I had not been drumming long at all when this was filmed (May 2009). I was (and still am) a newb, and I have zero musical training. This was filmed after drumming for maybe four months, and only a few hours a week. No lessons or anything.

2) I do have an acoustic kit, but I have a wife and baby at home, so I bought the electronic kit to enable me to play with headphones.

3) I've improved since this, and actually leanred to diversify my fills a bit. I am planning on starting lessons sometime this year, so I can take it to the next level and really become the intermediate drummer I know I can be :)

Alright, now that I got that out of the way, here it is:

Enjoy (?) and now if anyone says Rock Band won't teach you anything, you can tell them otherwise.