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Thread: Teaching Drum Lessons

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    I have been thinking about teaching drum lessons again. It has been years since I have taught but have a lot of experience. Also older and have more patience. There are a couple of music stores in the area who offer lessons but have no clue what they are charging and don't want to work in or for a music store.
    My approach has always been to teach people how to play. Basic beats, hand feet co-ordination. If a student wants to learn a certain song, etc.
    Make it a fun experience. As far as teching someone to read I have found most kids want to just play. I will leave that up to the band directors at school. Unless a student wants that specifically. I was thinking of advertiseing for 6 spots to begin with and teach two 30 minute lessons three days a week. Tues, Wed, Thurs. afternoons after school. I have the perfect place for it and the extra $ won't hurt. What are lessons going for in different area's. Thoughts from you guys please.
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  2. #2

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    Sounds like a plan! Good luck with it if you get it up and running! My lessons are currently £20 (UK) which I think equates to around $31-32? Hope this helps?
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    Drum lessons in Los Angeles range from $30-$40 per hour in most places, unless you're studying with an in demand highly experienced professional, like touring guys or clinicians. I charge $35. The big time pros charge a lot of money for lessons - like around $100/hour.
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    I charge $20/half hour. General price for around my area.
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    Here around Indy, $20 - 25 at the smaller music stores. I've seen $30 at a national chain here- all per half hour.
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    good luck, i was chatting to a friends brother and he says the lessons he had were strict and wouldn't wander off course, so no bringing your own songs, wrong way to do things i think, the student needs some input too, it needs to be enjoyable.

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    I have to disagree with you about teaching songs and having a non drummer kinda direct the lesson structure. I remember when I took drum lessons the instructors had a structured drum method, a process, meaning certain books to teach and taught the fundamentals. Snare work for the rudiments and drum set books to learn how to play on the whole drum set. He didnt have to keep me interested, I was always excited and looked forward to going to the lessons. As far as the school music teacher teaching the drum students to play at a high level of drumming, they dont have the time with all the other students and other instruments. If the student gets strong and solid in the fundamentals of playing then they will have the ability to get creative and advance as a drummer. They get the ability to express them selves on the kit. Well thats just my opinion from taking drum lessons.
    Last edited by Jackie; 12-10-2011 at 01:42 AM.

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    i was at my local GC recently and this guy was picking up a nice Roland Ekit for his kid, he was rather odd in personality and he got my attention with this, "hey! youre a drummer right?"
    with drumheads in hand i responded "what gives you that idea?"
    he says "how do i know if my kid has rythym?"
    i stated, "give him a drumset to play and see"
    he looked puzzled.
    my point is, you cant teach drums to someone who doesnt have it in their blood.
    no way in hell i can ever learn the violin, its not in my DNA.
    im not the greatest drummer on earth but ive got natural rythym and the desire to play drums daily, i love it!
    that! you can never teach someone.
    when the student is ready, the teacher will appear and vice versa
    ive never had a lesson except for JR Robinson in a master class and he critiqued me rather harshly pointing out i play like charlie watts.
    i told him "not too bad considering ive been playing for only 6 months."
    i got a standing ovation
    doubt ill ever take a lesson
    Last edited by kyle102565; 12-10-2011 at 08:22 AM.

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    To be told that you play like charlie watts is an honor. Hes a great drummer. You are in great company because buddy rich, gene krupa, and the list goes on didnt take drum lessons. Some people will say yes they did take lessons. Buddy and krupa were well established as drummers with their own way of playing, with their own drum feel when they went to take a few lessons. They were in their 30s/40s when they formerly learn how to read music.
    Buddy said he played what he was feeling when he was drumming. His feel is what created most of his drum style, the same for krupa. The advantage you get when you take lessons and learn to read is if I wanted to learn a buddy drum lick, I can read it out of a book, practice it and now it becomes part of my drumming. My drum teachers basically gave me direction on other players, drum information, insight to some of their experiences about playing, which I think was worth it. It was also fun and it helped me because I played in the school band, as a kid. The right drum instructor can have a big influence on a drummer.
    Last edited by Jackie; 06-02-2012 at 07:42 PM.

  10. #10

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    i was shocked to get that comparison, he explained that i always miss a beat on "and" between beats 2 and 3. which Charlie Watts does.
    i got home, hit my kit and realized he was right.
    i still have that lil quirk and ive grown to like it, gives me a unique sound and its how i play, ive tried to shake it and gave up.
    JR Robinson is a phenominal drummer. his fee for the class was 25 bucks a head with a limit of 15 students, lasted an hour and a half.
    Last edited by kyle102565; 12-11-2011 at 07:44 AM.

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jackie View Post
    To be told that you play like charlie watts is an honor. Hes a great drummer. You are in great company because buddy rich, gene krupa, and the list goes on didnt take drum lessons. Some people will say yes they did take lessons. Buddy and krupa were well established as drummers with their own way of playing, with their own drum feel when they went to take a few lessons. They were in their 30s/40s and wanted to learn how to read music.
    Buddy said he played what he was feeling when he was drumming. His feel is what created most of his drum style, the same for krupa. The advantage you get when you take lessons and learn to read is if I wanted to learn a buddy drum lick, I can read it out of a book, practice it and now it becomes part of my drumming. My drum teachers basically gave me direction on other players, drum information, insight to some of their experiences about playing, which I think was worth it. It was also fun and it helped me because I played in the school band, as a kid. The right drum instructor can have a big influence on a drummer.

    +1000 with this.

    In lessons, this is pretty much what I emphasize, that although one can be somewhat self taught and play by feel, when you learn to read, it makes communication a lot quicker, plus it means that I can set exercises for homework, etc. Learning to do your rudiments, stroke height exercises (which all comes into play when it comes to flam and drag-based rudiments, etc) are quicker to comprehend when it is written out.....especially when learning to play snare cadences, as but one example. However, I don't just strictly drill exercises, but when I introduce songs, bit by bit the exercises get introduced as we go from song to song, and once a student sees that particular rudiment incorprated into a 'lick' in a chart (which is one of the reasons to learn reading), then everything comes together a lot quicker.

    Classic example was yesterday when I was teaching one of my girl students who has been with me for a long time. Tamara's really great at not only the reading aspect but picking up by ear as well. We've been working on the Toto tune "Georgy Porgy", as part of her lessons on solid feel. Basically most of the song is based on a 1/16th note shuffle feel (which Jeff Porcaro was an acknowledged master of). However in a couple of spots there are some tricky 16th note offbeat accents you have to catch (it goes with a signature piano/keyboard riff), one before the guitar solo, and one right at the end of the tune. With us playing two drumkits, she pretty much picked up that lick within 10-15mins, after slowly going through it with the chart, then gradually working up the speed to catch up with me. In the previous lesson, we had gone over the basic groove plus the various short snare-to-tom fills and open hi-hat parts of the song. By the end of the first hour (she does a two hour lesson with me, by the way), she pretty much had got the whole song, from beginning to end, with all the bits and pieces.

    As to what I charge: $25 per half hour lesson at my home (usually this would be with young ones, although a few of them now go for the full hour), $35 per hour lesson at home, $40-45 per one hour home visit (depending on distance - most students are reasonably driving distance). Double lessons are obviously at double the price depending on a lesson here or as a home visit.
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  12. #12

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    my lessons are 13 for a half hour a week
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    12" tom
    16" floor tom
    14" snare
    22x20 kick

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