Ten Essential Beginner Drum Set Tips for Improving your Lessons (2024)
Unusual but important beginner tips for learning and playing drums with a teacher
This article contains affiliate links to products we love and recommend.
Good drum lessons should inspire you to learn independently
Paying for drum lessons is a great way of ensuring your technique is up to scratch, that you know the right things to focus on, take inspiration and hear nuggets of wisdom from experts who have been there.
But it’s important to make the most out of the opportunity (and make sure you don’t waste your money). Here are ten tips to help you make your lessons productive:
Set goals and plans
Identify what you want to achieve with your drum lessons. Your teacher can help you to decide this.
Having clear goals, both for a specific lesson and for long term aspirations, and sharing them with your teacher can help you both stay motivated and focused.
Learn more about what makes good goal setting in our behavioural science and drumming guide.
Put it into practice, regularly
Your lessons will be wasted if you don’t put what you’ve learned into practice. It’s easy to assume that you’ll leave a lesson with a host of new skills.
Your lesson should point you in the right direction, but make sure those techniques your teacher told you make it into your daily practice and repertoire on the drum set.
You may need a practice pad for working on your technique. Check out our guide here.
Ask questions
Don't be afraid to ask your drum teacher questions. They're there to help you learn and improve, so ask for clarification if you don't understand something. It’s even better if you can think of questions in advance so you can make the most of the time with your teacher.
Go beyond technical questions
Your lessons should also be about introducing you to new ideas, philosophies of approaching the drum set, practical advice about gigging and gear, the history and stories about drumming, introducing you to new people and realizing the potential of where your skills can take you. Ask your teacher to recommend gigs and drummers to watch, take you to their own gigs and meet new people, dig out stories from their previous gigs and find what inspires them to play.
Write things down or record yourself
You won’t remember as much as you think you will. So write things down. The act of writing it down helps you to remember, and of course you can go back to your notes to remind you of key points. Alternatively you can record yourself or your teacher as a reminder of what to work on after the lesson.
Be honest with yourself and your teacher
Your drum lesson is a time for self-reflection as well as digesting new information. If you are honest with yourself about what you need to work on, and share this honesty with your teacher you will work on the right things, feel better about where your playing is at, and see more progress.
Don’t be shy
You might feel embarrassed to play in front of your teacher because you probably respect them as a player. But don’t be shy if you struggle to play a certain technique. You’re there to improve and you’re on your own journey. So play with enthusiasm and show your teacher that you are working hard. It will motivate you both.
Be open minded
Your teacher will have experience that you don’t currently imagine. They might take you in a different direction to what you were expecting. Go with it and be open to being inspired. It will probably lead somewhere good.
Apply your lessons to other parts of your life
Your drum lessons can be about more than just drumming. They can give you different perspectives on other parts of your life. Not least taking confidence and self-respect that you are able to make progress and be artistic. They can also teach you about respecting music as something bigger than yourself: the art of humility. They can teach you about dedication, focus, listening, teamwork, entrepreneurship and respecting your body. Be mindful about how your drum tuition can help you to grow as a person and you will grow as a drummer.
Keep it fun
You are there because you love drums and are excited about your next steps. Make sure you are having fun and making progress.
Above all good drum lessons are about inspiring you to learn things for yourself. Your enthusiasm and commitment are the key ingredients. Stay on track, keep progressing and keep it fun to make the most out of your drum tuition.
Related Articles
Jazz has given us some of the most technically gifted and musical drummers the world has ever seen. In this post, we'll delve into the distinctive drumming styles of some legendary drummers: from Art Blakey to Eric Harland.