If you want to learn how to play drums, you’re in luck. Finding a good drum teacher is easier than it has ever been before, as the Internet has given huge reach to everyone around the world.
When looking for a teacher, you need to ask yourself a few questions, though. Knowing the answers to those will narrow your search down and make things a bit easier.
Here’s a quick guide on finding the perfect drum teacher.
The most important thing to look for in a drumming teacher is skill. Your teacher should always be a better drummer and musician than you. That’s how they’ll always have things to teach.
If you get to a point where you and your teacher are at a similar level, it’ll benefit you to find a new teacher with more experience.
There are so many different styles of music out there, and not every drumming teacher will be a master of them all. Some teachers are versatile, but it’s highly unlikely that you’ll find a teacher that can teach you how to play hard jazz as well as death metal.
If you like and want to learn a particular style of music, you should find a drumming teacher that lives in that world.
If you want to learn how to play jazz, find a teacher that regularly plays drums at jazz clubs and jams. If you want to learn how to play rock, find a drum teacher that plays in a rock band.
Not every great drummer is a great teacher. So, we don’t mean that you should look for a teacher with a good drumming reputation. Rather, you should find someone that has a great reputation for getting results out of their students.
Drum lessons can get very expensive over time, so you need to make sure you’re getting value for the money that you pay.
There are countless horror stories about students signing up for lessons with famous drummers and not getting anywhere with their own playing.
Look for someone that loves teaching and wants the best for their students.
The final thing to look at is different teaching styles. Some drum teachers love to push rudiments and practice pads, while others prefer to get their students to jam to songs as much as possible.
Do you want to understand drum notation? Find a drumming teacher that has a detailed curriculum that guides you through that learning process.
Do you just want to have a great time playing songs on the drums and not worry about theory at all? There are drum teachers that will help you do that.
Every local music store has connections with drummers around that area. If you’re struggling to find someone to teach you, just ask the guys in the drum department if they have contacts for drum teachers. They most likely will.
Some music stores have their own in-house teachers. You could sign up and pay for lessons with those guys.
Otherwise, some music stores have walls on which music teachers put their contact information.
Most towns and cities have dedicated music schools that have been started. Some of them are purely dedicated to drums, while most are rounded music schools that teach all instruments.
You get music colleges and universities that offer performance degrees and diplomas, but we’re not talking about those.
You’re likely to find music schools that teach lessons to people of all ages and all experience levels. Most of them have monthly fees, and then you attend weekly lessons with the educators that they have on staff.
The last place to look is online. There are thousands of drummers that you can find on social media that offer Zoom drum lessons.
You can also sign up for established platforms that teach lessons through courses. Those aren’t as personal, but some of them offer one-on-one lessons for extra fees.
Remember not to feel bound to a drumming teacher. If you feel that they don’t have your best interests in mind, make sure to look for a new teacher that will help you progress.
Your drum teacher should become your music mentor, and a good music mentor will make a world of difference to your playing ability.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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