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what are lessons like?


guitar420

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i think i might start taking some lessons because i have the opportunity and it cant hurt to learn from a pro (helped immensly with guitar). so how do drummers teach? do you get to play on a kit during lessons? ive been playing for a year without lessons, what would you expect me to start learning at lessons? i dont want them to tell me exactly how to play because my three favorite drummers are all self taught and kick serious ass. do teachers dislike heavy hitters/bashers?

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They'll go over the basics first. Even if you know them pretty well, it always helps.

 

Then they'll work on specific things. If it's a good teacher, they'll mix in stuff that they want you to learn in with stuff that you want to learn.

 

Other than that, I'm not sure. Never did any drum lessons yet. (college next year....)

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Since you're not a small child learning from scratch you're in the drivers seat. Unless you want to learn whatever the teacher can teach you, you can walk in and tell a teacher specifically what you want to learn.

 

My feeling is that drum teachers will take any student they can get their hands on and if they're capable they'll teach you want you want to learn. They won't turn you away because they only want to teach what they want to teach.

 

A good teacher can show you something in 5 minutes that can keep you practicing for weeks or months to master on your own.

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Yeah, it depends on your skill level, but when I taught, I would always fall back on the 13 essential rudiments and show how you can apply them to the kit. Also I liked to work from Joe Morello's book Master Studies. Lots of good excercises in there, and Joe's whole idea was to get you to be able to get what was in your head out to your hands and feet. I like that approach: Teach the skills that allow you to play what you hear.

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Originally posted by Chabo

They'll go over the basics first. Even if you know them pretty well, it always helps.


Then they'll work on specific things. If it's a good teacher, they'll mix in stuff that they want you to learn in with stuff that you want to learn.


Other than that, I'm not sure. Never did any drum lessons yet. (college next year....)

 

Im confused....how were you qualified to answer the question?

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I studied with three different teachers. They all started me on practice pads. Two had drum kits that were very basic. The third only used practice pads.

 

What are lessons like?---- They're very good to keep you progressing. You'll need to learn your "homework" for the next week, or suffer your teachers' wrath! One of my teachers was very strick, but you knew that going in. You had to be serious 'cause he wouldn't waste his time with those who weren't.

 

By the way, most kits are pretty abused and small-sized with minimal cymbals.

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Lessons are great as long as you are getting something out of them.

 

I've had two teachers since I started playing drums, the first was an old boy, who I'm fairly convinced didn't know how to play a kit, for like three months all he had me doing was paradiddles and flams. Yes, learning the foundations are REALLY important, but its more important that the student is enjoying themselves. I was a gnats bollox width from giving up when that guy left(or got sacked) and a new teacher came to teach at my old school.

 

This new guy had me playing a really basic rock beat in my first lesson, more progress in half an hour than three months with the old guy. That guy taught me a HUGE amount, a fantastic teacher for beginners to intermediate. However as I got better and better, I could tell that he was running out of stuff to teach me. Thats not to say that I know everything, far from it, but in the end I think that you need to judge for yourself when you need to move onto that next tier of teachers.

 

I'd say that lessons are the difference between good players and excellent players. Sure you can get there on your own, but its heaps easier with someone to guide and correct you.

 

And to answer your question, yes you do play on kits. It depends on the teacher as to the quality, one of my friends has a junker kit for his students, on the other hand I'm considering doing some teaching and I dont have room for another kit so they'll be using my Ludwig Super classic kit.

 

A smack round the head for the first kid that goes mental on my kit. :D

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Originally posted by steamyz


Im confused....how were you qualified to answer the question?

 

 

Cause I've taken lessons on other instruments, and this is how I would (and plan to, when I get into Music Ed.) teach drums.

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Hello guitar420

 

I hope i can help you out here.

I ve been teaching for years now and at the moment I m working on a musicschool here in holland where I teach about 35 students a week..

 

I ve got the impression you want just a few lessons ,not taking lessons every week for a longer period right?

 

In this case I think its important to find out what you want to know or at least what direction you want to go..

So you dont waste time during the lessons finding this out..

so take examples of thing you like and think of styles,musicians you like and so on..

 

further I think its important to find a "qualified" teacher..

esspecially since you want to learn as much as you can in a short period..

There are several ways to explain several topics in drumming and a teacher with experience and a good education is supposed to find out quickly what will work for you..

 

then the question about playing on sets..

well thats an easy one..

if there is any teacher saying you cant play on the drums before you did excerises or rudiments on a practice pad run away as hard as you can...:)

I think its absolute stupid not to let students play immediatly at a drumset.

the best way to learn drums is behind a drumset..

In good and proffesional school there wil be good sets ..if not...well then again..no point in going there

Off course there wil be some excersises on one drum only but in my opinion practice pads are "old-school..'

 

then the hard hitter point..

In this case there will be no problem if you find a teacher that has a sort of simular background that you have..

what I mean is this,

If you like pop/rock or heay music,see if you can go for a teacher who also like to listne and play this style.

He s suppose to know the chops of the style so he s able dig deeper in this subject then a jazz-drummer would..

off course this goed also the other way around..

note I m not saying that a jazz drummer isnt able to teach you rock ,but I think its easier to connect with people that are into the same styes( if you would like to go jazz,find a jazzdrummer of course)

 

anyway my point is..

there are a lot of teachers out there with tons of knowledge and experience.

dont settle for a practice pad from the drummer next door

teaching any musical instruments is a serious proffesion and it takes a firm education to quallify as a pro..

hope it helps..

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