should i get lessons NOW....or wait one year and see how much I progress?

[norgo]

So I started off as a guitarist. Maybe it might be different for drummers, but I think guitar can be self taught as the only thing that really matters is music theory that I need to understand. Compared to drums, I find that there isn't as much technique since guitarists don't use much of their body except fingers.

I'm thinking about taking drumming lessons with a professional and I'm willing to pay well...but I'm just looking for a second opinion.

Should I start off drumming by reading online guides and learning cover songs for a year first, see where I am .... or should I wait a full year and then find a teacher so I could actually make more progress at a much faster rate since I covered the basics already and will be more educated to ask questions?

I'm only 20 years old at the moment, a fulltime student with a part time job and I have to pay for my own lessons. I'm not in some kind of financial crisis but I just need a second opinion on whether I should really put money down for this or wait a year.

[Pete Stoltman]

If you can afford it and have the ability to find a good teacher by all means you should do it. Not only will you cut down the learning curve but a good teacher will help you avoid picking up bad habits and get you focused on what is important.

[dcrigger]

If a person could only take lessons for one year, I would vote for it being the first year. Proceeding with self study on top of solid fundamentals is a fine place to be - since, as came up in another thread, there's always a good chunk of intermediate and advanced study is self directed anyway.

But taking lessons on top shaky fundamentals is ALWAYS an exercise in slowly moving forward while also attempting to fill in the gaps.

Good luck with what ever you decide,

David

[PinkZepplin]

First as a guitarist, i feel that you may have a very myopic view of playing guitar. To say that you know everything you need to know by knowing music theory is hardly truely knowing the instrumet. Don't get me wrong however, music theory is an awesome thing to have a grasp of. But it is nowhere near everything you need to know to play guitar man.

And as far as drumming goes man, I'd say take the lessons. I basically got free lessons for my technique in marching band highschool band, but if that's not an option for you I'd say if you really wanna learn the instrument, definately take some lessons just to get someone to show you how to hold the stick properly, and strike the drum, and all the fundamental stuff.

[pbm2112]

Hi, I agree with an earlier post that says if you have lessons for one year, then make it the first. But remember that YOU have to get the most out of the lessons, and that's not about how frequent they are, but how prepared you are for them. Better to have one lesson every three weeks that you have really practiced and got to grips with what you were taught in the previous lesson. A lot of people waste money on lessons that they aren't ready for.

If you wait a year chances are you will teach yourself lots of bad habits. You may think you are developing really well, but those bad habits will stop you progressing beyond a certain point you might not realise it until years down the line. To get past that point you will have to go back to basic and unlearn, then relearn. Save yourself the trouble, and get the foundations right now.

Lessons will also give you a more critical ear and self-discipline, both of which will help you when you are learning and developing by yourself. It will also be helpful to have someone more experienced than you to ask questions of, and be informed by. If you can say about the guitar "I find that there isn't as much technique since guitarists don't use much of their body except fingers" I think you will find that there is a lot to learn that you won't learn on your own.

All the best on your wonderful drumming adventure.

[Cymbalrider]

I would start right away with lessons. A good teacher will help you begin playing the right way and not develop any weird habits or ideas of your own. I started in third grade and have been playing for 10 years. 9 years were with lessons. Of course this time wasn't spend solely on drumset playing. It's best to get the knowledge down of how drumming and music work before trying to figure stuff out on your own. Then you take your technical knowledge and develop your own style for whatever genre you play.

[Mikey Dangerous]

I agree with all the other replies. If you can afford it, definitely take the lessons now. I think the only stipulation (besides having the funds to pay for the lessons comfortably) is being serious about learning and playing the drums. If you are, then wait no longer and find a good teacher to begin taking lessons from. Incidentally, there's some threads on this site that offer great advice about what constitutes a good teacher. There's some valuable info in there so check that out before selecting one. Have a look:

http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36232

Best of luck,

- Mike

[DrunkenGarbageCan]

While I loved the idea of a teacher, my schedule at the time was so irregular, I found that I could not make the lessons and I was just throwing money away and missing lessons, which depressed me even more.

Again, not a knock on teachers or desire to learn the drums, just my priorities always got shuffled. For now I have just settled into online and dvd stuff.

Just make sure you have the time and not interferring with school or other priorities.

[balboa]

unless you work insane hours and travel a ton, time should never be an issue. if it is important enough you will do it. if you want to learn more and become a better player, do it. its only 30min once a week! or even an hour once a week, its better than nothing. Drumming is not a spectator sport. getting a 1hr lesson once a week is 1/24 of a day once a week! If you have the time and money to spend at a bar (and im not saying you do) then you have the means to find a teacher and take lessons. If there are any nearby colleges, im sure a senior in percussion would love to assist you cheaply. While they may not be masters, they still have several years of formal study which is still better than no lessons at all. I live near a great music school (SUNY Fredonia) and i have done this twice and it worked great. Im sure even a professor may be willing to give a lesson or two a month! while learning from dvd's and books is great, they dont offer you what a teacher would. Jojo Mayer will not step out of his dvd and tell you that your doing it wrong.

[zambizzi]

YES. Lessons now...so you learn proper technique (at least the basics). Otherwise, you're likely to form bad habits that will impede your progress at best...and potentially damage your hands, wrists, and arms, at worst.

[pbm2112]

I agree that it's a lot about what your priorities are. This goes away from the question a bit, but I always find it interesting when you see young drummers who don't take lessons because they say they can't afford them, but can somehow find the money to buy an expensive pro kit or cymbal that they don't know how to play. This is money so badly spent: there's nothing like an untrained musician to make great gear sound terrible, but if you know how to strike a drum properly, you can make a very average drum sound pretty good, (which is a very useful skill if you've just had to play on the house kit I've just had to play on!!!).