The Foo Fighters frontman started his career as the drummer in Nirvana and he has revealed that he had to improvise when it came to learning his instrument of choice and though his DIY kit helped him hone his playing style, it also caused problems when he finally got a real set of drums.
He said: “I didn’t even have a f****** drum set when I was learning how to play drums.
“I had two drumsticks that were actually marching sticks so they were gigantically fat, and I would set up pillows in the formation of a drum set, and play along to Ramones records or Minor Threat records, with really fast, 200 beats per minute, aggressive drumming.
“So when I was 16 and someone gave me an actual normal pair off drumsticks on a normal drum set, I just shattered everything.
“I was breaking cymbals like they were teacups.
“That’s the reason I’ve always been such a basher. I’ve tried to learn the subtleties of dynamic drumming but it’s no use.
“So when the rock 'n' roll bug hit I really decided, ‘This is who I am.'
“All the sport went out the window. I was like, this is my passion. This is my love.”
And the ‘Everlong’ hitmaker also honed his musical skills on long road trips he used to take with his mom and sister during school holidays.
In an interview with Big Issue magazine, he explained: “For our family trip in the summer, the three of us would pile into our tiny Ford Fiesta and drive to Ohio or Chicago, which is a good 12-hour drive, going through mountain passes and cornfields.
“And I learned about rhythm in a funny way on those trips.
“My mother and I would sit up front in the car and she taught me how to sing harmonies or we would do these little games – name that tune. Or snap our fingers to the song on the radio as we drove through the mountain passes to see if, when we came out of the tunnel, I was still on the beat.
“Honestly, it taught me about rhythm and metre and still to this day it’s one of my favourite games to play. Those were the days, man.”
Dave Grohl learned to play drums on a set of pillows. From a young age, Grohl showed a keen interest in music, particularly the drums. However, without a drum set of his own, he had to get creative. He began practicing his drumming skills on a set of pillows, mimicking the movements and rhythms he heard from his favorite songs.
This unconventional method didn't deter him; in fact, it helped him develop a unique style that would later become a hallmark of his career.
