Teaching first drum lesson. Help!

acustomdrum

Senior Member
So I have my first drum student booked in for next week. He's at uni and he's learning the drums from scratch. He says we wants to focus on learning how to read drum notation, which is fine, but I'm wondering how I can incorporate two hours (which is what he's paying for) of reading practicing/teaching.
Obviously, this isn't an ideal scenario so I've suggested to break down the two hours into:

30-45 minutes of reading/drum notation

30-45 minutes of technique

and the remaining time left spent on playing/styles (the last two options can be switch or whatever).

Anyone have any experience they can shed some light on the matter to get the make the best out of his time. Any tips on conducting a one-to-one lesson also welcome.

Thanks!
 
So I have my first drum student booked in for next week. He's at uni and he's learning the drums from scratch. He says we wants to focus on learning how to read drum notation, which is fine, but I'm wondering how I can incorporate two hours (which is what he's paying for) of reading practicing/teaching.
Obviously, this isn't an ideal scenario so I've suggested to break down the two hours into:

30-45 minutes of reading/drum notation

30-45 minutes of technique

and the remaining time left spent on playing/styles (the last two options can be switch or whatever).

Anyone have any experience they can shed some light on the matter to get the make the best out of his time. Any tips on conducting a one-to-one lesson also welcome.

Thanks!

Not a bad plan on paper, but it will change very quickly.
By that I mean that you have time to teach drum music reading, but as soon as he learns that (and it shouldn't take too long), that will not apply any more. You will have to allocate that time into something else. By technique I assume that you meaning rudimental study, or do you mean something else?

I would split it up into part rudimental training, and works from Stick Control till he can control the sticks. Then, advance into multi-percussion studies (set drumming, and how to apply rudiments to that).

One thing that often gets overlooked is how a drum or kit is set up, and why. I would take a snare drum and completely take it apart before the lesson. I would then spend a lesson on how to understand the parts, and put it back together again, which will involve a lesson in tuning.

Find out what your student is looking for, and be sure you are both on the same page. Then determine if he has teh ability to learn (sense of rithym, etc).
Be patient!
 
You will have to allocate that time into something else. By technique I assume that you meaning rudimental study, or do you mean something else?

I would split it up into part rudimental training, and works from Stick Control till he can control the sticks. Then, advance into multi-percussion studies (set drumming, and how to apply rudiments to that).

One thing that often gets overlooked is how a drum or kit is set up, and why. I would take a snare drum and completely take it apart before the lesson. I would then spend a lesson on how to understand the parts, and put it back together again, which will involve a lesson in tuning.

Thanks for your response. When talking about 'technique', to start with, I'd would teach how to to hold the sticks, using a correct fulcrum etc etc. Talk about matched, French and traditional grips etc. And then move on to rebound using a preferred grip, and using a fulcrum. That would be the first lesson of technique.

Basic rudiments (singles, doubles and maybe paradiddles) would come in in a few weeks time, perhaps. Play them really slow at 40-60bpm and set him some exercises.

Drum tuning is a profession in itself, which is something I've yet to properly! Setting up a drum kit is quite essential, yes, but setting up is quite subjective. I can teach him the essential of setting up in a traditional way, from there, it's up to him, really.
 
I would recommend, Mel Bay's Easiest Drum Set Book.

It's a super thin (non-intimidating) book, that covers the basic's including sticking patterns, basic reading, eighth notes, eighth rests, eight-note rock beats, sixteenth notes and rests, two-handed sixteenth note rock beats, and drum fills.

I discovered that book after I took a month of lessons, and I think the book was a better find, then the lessons. Maybe if my instructor would of followed that book, I would of been more satisfied (with taking lessons).
 
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Thanks for your response. When talking about 'technique', to start with, I'd would teach how to to hold the sticks, using a correct fulcrum etc etc. Talk about matched, French and traditional grips etc. And then move on to rebound using a preferred grip, and using a fulcrum. That would be the first lesson of technique.

Basic rudiments (singles, doubles and maybe paradiddles) would come in in a few weeks time, perhaps. Play them really slow at 40-60bpm and set him some exercises.

Drum tuning is a profession in itself, which is something I've yet to properly! Setting up a drum kit is quite essential, yes, but setting up is quite subjective. I can teach him the essential of setting up in a traditional way, from there, it's up to him, really.

Just as an added point, the reason for taking the drum apart and putting it together is a basic lesson in how the parts work, understanding bearing edges, strainer and wire adjustment, etc. You really should know how a drum works and why. Tuning is subjective, but principles are fundamental. Good luck! :eek:)
 
I discovered that book after I took a month of lessons, and I think the book was a better find, then the lessons. Maybe if my instructor would of followed that book, I would of been more satisfied (with taking lessons).

Sounds like a handy book.

However, I don't want him to discover the book and then go away and just practice it without needing my tuition. I have to make it worthwhile of his time and money, and showing that book would (probably) be much better value for money for him?
 
Teaching takes experience.

There are no set answers, but you grow and learn how to deal with different situations over time.

You have what you have gotten from you own teachers. Hopefully more than one.

I have a big toolbox, but I also sort of organize things my own way based on general tendencies I see and what is useful to a general hobby drummer.

First lessons are what they are. You can only do so much. And just getting to know a student and, gauge them and find where to focus takes a while.

This sounds like and older guy who's ready to dive in. Still, developing any kind of technique will take time as it does with all of us.

With older students and more spread out longer lessons I try to give them a bigger picture, show them the main tools and and see where they want to focus naturally and help the develop a routine.

If the student is happy just working the hands on the pad + reading and is set on that I'd just roll with it. When someone wants to do the groundwork and understands this all on their own I think that's great.

I have and older student now that I meet sort of every other week. We have sort built up a basic routine for mainly hands for a few months, though he has grooves to work on as well and since I know pretty much where he wants to take it we can sort of let the hand stuff rest for a while now. I've made him a routine that works for that and some simple things he can do to expand.

This thing is different from teaching a kid.

We talk a lot and I'm opening up the whole "drum world" to him, which is also important.
 
Sounds like a handy book.

However, I don't want him to discover the book and then go away and just practice it without needing my tuition. I have to make it worthwhile of his time and money, and showing that book would (probably) be much better value for money for him?


Just because someone has a book doesn't mean they don't need coaching. I personally show my library when it's appropriate. Most of my books are completely irrelevant, but I often bring and show them things I think would be good for self study and exploration.

These books still can't do what I do. There's so much information and practical knowledge to fill in and also structuring to make it fit for each individual.

If all I did was get people through a book rubatum with no extra knowledge added I wouldn't be much of a teacher.

More today than at any other time we have to truly coach and lead through applications and open basic doors of creativity and exploration. Just sharing information is not enough.

There is no substitute for being taught in person.

Holding back because of fear is just cheap IMO.
 
Just remember that you're the teacher and he's the student. You might not have experience teaching, but I assume that you have experience playing and that's the knowledge that he requires. A combination of what works for you and the "ideal" teaching regimen.

You just have to be a step or two ahead. Don't hide anything for fear that he'll learn all of your tricks and leave. But do hold back to the extent that he has to demonstrate understanding and proficiency before moving to the next lesson. It's tempting to dump a lot of things into one lesson because you want to demonstrate your level of knowledge. But it's not an intellectual exercise; he has to internalize what you show him and it will take time.

Note what works and what doesn't. At this stage, he's your first Guinea Pig but don't let him know that!
 
Helping students with resources for self study generally has a positive effect.

More often than not my student's surroundings offer nothing in terms of inspiration. All it will do is give them more to talk about, better skills at communicating what they want and as with all knowledge, they'llbe able to appreciate drumming from a different perspective. They'lll even be more impressed with you 10 seconds of showing off once in a while because they have a more realistic understanding of what's going on and what it takes.
 
Just because someone has a book doesn't mean they don't need coaching. I personally show my library when it's appropriate. Most of my books are completely irrelevant, but I often bring and show them things I think would be good for self study and exploration.

These books still can't do what I do. There's so much information and practical knowledge to fill in and also structuring to make it fit for each individual.

If all I did was get people through a book rubatum with no extra knowledge added I wouldn't be much of a teacher.

Thanks for your input. Some really good words of wisdom here.

I agree that a book can no way explain or show like a human can. It's just I don't wanna be seen as one of those guys that will open up a book, explain what the notes read and says "get on with it". It's not my nature to be like.

Being a teacher is too make it fun, inspire and provide a good education for the learner.
 
been a successful teacher for just over 15 years now and my advice to you is simple

teach from your heart not from books

share information about music not just drums

teach to gain musical instincts

set a large goal and chop it into many small ones

sometimes the best lessons are taught when you don't even pick up sticks at all

everything you teach should have an eventual resolution in making music ... show them where you are leading them.

show them the tree when you hand them the seed
 
been a successful teacher for just over 15 years now and my advice to you is simple

teach from your heart not from books

share information about music not just drums

teach to gain musical instincts

set a large goal and chop it into many small ones

sometimes the best lessons are taught when you don't even pick up sticks at all

everything you teach should have an eventual resolution in making music ... show them where you are leading them.

show them the tree when you hand them the seed


 
Assume that however good, bad or indifferent your student is, s/he is doing their best. Children are used to learning and being taught; adults are accustomed to knowing a lot and being good at things, and being able to do a lot, so an adult student is placing a lot of trust in you, and that's a difficult thing for them to do.

How did it go?
 
Assume that however good, bad or indifferent your student is, s/he is doing their best. Children are used to learning and being taught; adults are accustomed to knowing a lot and being good at things, and being able to do a lot, so an adult student is placing a lot of trust in you, and that's a difficult thing for them to do.

How did it go?

Still yet to happen this Thursday!
 
I teach at Guitar Center Studios and you're fortunate to be teaching a student who's older and obviously has an interest in playing and learning the drums. I teach mostly kids ages 8 - 13 and a couple have no interest in drums but their parents force them into lessons, keeping kids interested and focused for 30 minutes to an hour can be a real challenge!

Two hours is a long drum lesson you definitely need to be prepared with a couple different exercises in case he picks up everything fairly quickly and you're stuck trying to stretch out the last 30 - 45 minutes!

I start my first time students off with an introduction to the kit I'll tell them what each piece is called what it's used for and where it appears on drum notation, then I'll show them how to hold a stick and have them do RLRL 8th notes on the snare and correct their technique til they're playing properly.
It's usually at this point where I ask what their goals are with playing drums I've got students that want to play snare in marching band and students that want to play the drum kit in a rock n roll band, I work with the marching snare students on sight reading, rudiments (played to a metronome), etc and with the drum kit students I work on playing basic beats, expanding those beats, coming up with their own drum parts, moving around the kit comfortably, dynamics, etc, etc!

With focusing on drum notation I'd say chart out 1 or 2 beats for him to play on the kit and once hes got those down have him chart out the drum part to a song either with your help or on his own, pick something easy like a Ramones song or an old Misfits song or something along those lines then have him play the beats he charted out.
 
Do you have to 2 hours? In my experience, an hour is more than sufficient. I find any longer and it becomes kind of overload. I prefer to focus on one thing for an hour and nail it rather than multiple things that they "Kind of get down".
 
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