Learn the Drums, Properly

— -- I wanted to play the drums as a teenager, but my mom nixed lessons so I took up other instruments. However I always hoped to get another crack at them, and thanks to Roland (which makes a pretty impressive electronic drum kit), maybe I will.

The company has introduced software for teaching people to play drums the way real musicians do, complete with training in musical annotation for drummers. The Roland HD-1 Drum Tutor costs $100-not cheap, but this goes well beyond what you'd pick up playing Guitar Hero.