Types Of Drum Lessons
Good drum lessons are important to any drummer who wants to take their drumming to the next level. Most musicians can tell the difference between properly trained drummers and self taught drummers after only a couple minutes of hearing them play. There are a couple of options that all drummers have when it comes to taking drum lessons. Drummers can chose from Private Drum Lessons, Drum Clinics, Drum Books, Or Drum DVDs.
Private Drum Lessons
Private drum lessons are one of the most popular methods of instruction for drummers. Private lessons are good in larger cities where you have a good selection of drum instructors to choose from. In smaller communities you are often stuck with a less professional drum instructor, who has less experience and is less qualified to teach. Private drum lessons can also be one of the more expensive options for learning how to play the drums. Private drum lessons can cost anywhere from 50-70 per hour for instruction. However, if you do happen to find a qualified instructor for a decent rate the rewards will be un-measurable. Having a qualified drum instructor will get your technique corrected and refined faster than any other method.
Drum Clinics
Drum clinics are great for learning information about drumming, it is less practical that formal drum lessons, and is more intended to “inspire” drummer than to actually “instruct” them. Drum clinics can cost you any where from $0-$100. The main purpose of drum clinics is to build up the community of drummers in your area, and to introduce you to new drumming concepts.
Drum Books
It seems that every one who has learned the drums started with a basic “introduction to drumming” book. These books are great if you plan on going the “self taught” method, and they will introduce you to the main drumming concepts. Books are priced reasonably, and should cost you anywhere between $20-$50 for a decent sized book. The only dis-advantage of using books to teach yourself is that it is missing audio and video examples. You are unable to actually see or hear how each beat or fill is supposed to be played.
Drum DVDs
Drum DVDs are becoming a more popular instructional method of choice. The interactive menu systems, and self paced lessons are a great way to get started playing the drums. Drum DVDs let you learn how much you want to learn, and they let you learn when you want to learn. New innovations like the “Rock Drumming System” have changed the way that drumming DVDs are expected to be. This DVD package has 4 camera angles, and the sheet music on screen, so during every beat you can watch exactly what part of the drumset that you want to watch. There are other DVDs out there that focus mainly on “inspiring” drummers, these DVDs are like video versions of drum clinics, where you get to see all sorts of cool stuff, but nothing that you will actually be able to apply to your own drumkit.
It doesn’t really matter what way you choose to learn. You can uses one of these methods, or any combination of them. The most important thing is that you always focus on educating yourself, and making yourself a better drummer.
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