I took lessons my first 2 years of drumming and then stopped due to going to college, I have been playing for 7 total though. Recently I decided to start taking lessons again, but I'm not sure if I want to stick with them. I'm not saying I'm a prefect drummer, far from it, and there is still a lot I can learn. But I also know that if I really focused my practices and worked on improving my skills rather than just playing to have fun for an hour I can become a better drummer. Is it still worth it at this point to pay $50 a week for lessons. I believe at this point I am a fairly skilled drummer and can hold my own in most circumstances.
When should you stop taking lessons
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Pocket-full-of-gold
Platinum Member
When I felt I'd aquired the skills to continue teaching myself. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to go back for one-off or less regular sessions if I ever thought I needed to, or thought a teacher can offer a different angle than I could myself.
BillBachman
Gold Member
I was going to say the exact same thing, or "Once you know it all."
Of course I do believe that you can outgrow some teachers. Others even though you may think you can outplay them have tons of wisdom that only comes from years of experience.
Of course I do believe that you can outgrow some teachers. Others even though you may think you can outplay them have tons of wisdom that only comes from years of experience.
Pocket-full-of-gold
Platinum Member
Interesting viewpoints. Question for you. Are both you guys still taking regular (let's say weekly or fortnightly) lesson after all these years?
Surely there comes a time for "school's out"? By that I mean do you really think a drummer of 45 years experience needs a weekly drum lesson? I'm not talking about the guy who goes back for sporadic lessons or intermittently in order to learn a new trick or revise an old one. I'm talking about weekly lessons for a prolonged period of time (which is how I read the initial tone of the OP).
No-one stays at school forever, that doesn't mean the learning process stops though.
This is exactly what I was thinking. So do you think it would be better to take say a months worth of lessons, just to sort of get refocused and some good things to practice on my own?
Stop taking the literal approach for a second. I know I will never learn all there is to know, but I'm asking if it is still worth my time and money to take weekly lessons, when I can pretty much teach myself. I know I cannot outplay my teachers, there are many flaws in my playing. But I am aware of them and know I can work to get better at those things. Do I really need to pay a teacher $50 a week?
Pocket-full-of-gold
Platinum Member
I can only speak for myself mate. I've been at it a while. I know what I'm capable of. I know where I need to improve. I know how to go about improving myself. I know what I'm interested in learning and what can wait for another day (prioritising). I can tell good advice from bad advice. And I know what I can do under my own steam and what areas I'd be better served being taught by someone more skilled than I.
Unfortunately, I'm not as confident speaking for you. So I'll leave you with this: Lessons never hurt anyone and it's not possible to have "too many" IMHO.....but I'm not sold on the fact that you need to keep them up weekly until "you've learned everything there is to know" either (you'll certainly be there a while if that's the aim).
All birds leave the nest at some point mate.....when that is, has gotta be determined by you.
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mrmike
Silver Member
I think it depends on where you are at in your playing and the caliber of the teacher. I have found that some teachers who are really good players, when it comes to teaching just kind of wing it. I think an advanced player needs someone who excels at teaching.
Nothing beats instant feedback on your playing but a good instruction video is better than a mediocre teacher.
Nothing beats instant feedback on your playing but a good instruction video is better than a mediocre teacher.
Bo Eder
Platinum Member
This is an interesting discussion since it will be different for everybody. Some great teachers insist that if there's anywhere you want to go with your drumming, you'll get their much quicker with a good teacher. This could be true. Some great players tell me that once you know how to teach yourself and you've opened your mind to all kinds of differing viewpoints, you should be able to figure it out for yourself and get there just as quick.
Perhaps you've reached the point where you don't need to see somebody weekly just to kick your ass to make yourself do it. I think I'm at that point. If I run into some musical situation I can't handle, I'll get help. When I look back on it, that's how I've been working since leaving college. I didn't learn how to play a mambo in 7/4 until I had to, and when I had I to, I consulted a few teachers and practiced. Maybe I'm not as dedicated as some other players to the art form by not constantly studying with somebody, but in this economy and with the things I already have to pay for to live, forking out an additional $50-60 for an hour a week is almost full tank of gas on the truck!
Perhaps you've reached the point where you don't need to see somebody weekly just to kick your ass to make yourself do it. I think I'm at that point. If I run into some musical situation I can't handle, I'll get help. When I look back on it, that's how I've been working since leaving college. I didn't learn how to play a mambo in 7/4 until I had to, and when I had I to, I consulted a few teachers and practiced. Maybe I'm not as dedicated as some other players to the art form by not constantly studying with somebody, but in this economy and with the things I already have to pay for to live, forking out an additional $50-60 for an hour a week is almost full tank of gas on the truck!
DrumEatDrum
Platinum Member
Sound like perhaps you have out grown your teacher.
I switched teachers at one point when I was young, and it made a huge difference.
A few years back, I signed up for some guitar lessons. I got along with the guy great as musicians to musician, but as teacher-student, we didn't seem to connect as much.
Now at 41, I'd love to take lessons again, on drums and guitar, but I really don't have the $ or time these days.
I switched teachers at one point when I was young, and it made a huge difference.
A few years back, I signed up for some guitar lessons. I got along with the guy great as musicians to musician, but as teacher-student, we didn't seem to connect as much.
Now at 41, I'd love to take lessons again, on drums and guitar, but I really don't have the $ or time these days.
samthebeat
Silver Member
You can never know it all. I have been playing 11 years now, still taking lessons, everytime i get frustrated with something generally. If you look at a lot of players biogs and that you will see they have allways kept up their musical eduction in some way. I live in England and i feel i have outgrown a lot of drum tuturs here, i travel to london ocassionally now.
It is all practice though, i am largley sefl taught, but a good teacher helps you do that, thats kinda what good teaching is, its getting people to realise things for themselves, sometimes the fresh look on things is just what you need. Sometimes i just need a bit of motivation, or someone I respect to tell me that im doing really well, a mentor as much as teacher.
It is all practice though, i am largley sefl taught, but a good teacher helps you do that, thats kinda what good teaching is, its getting people to realise things for themselves, sometimes the fresh look on things is just what you need. Sometimes i just need a bit of motivation, or someone I respect to tell me that im doing really well, a mentor as much as teacher.
I think that you should go a have lessons only if you sit at your drum kit and have no idea what to practice - if you're comfortable with all the material and have worked through loads of exercises then you would need more info.
I did a drum course in London back in 2001 for a year and still felt like i wanted to be better but after a few lessons with two top drummers i realised i have all the material and just needed to spend dedicated practice time working through it in as many ways as possible to control everything i had.
I did a drum course in London back in 2001 for a year and still felt like i wanted to be better but after a few lessons with two top drummers i realised i have all the material and just needed to spend dedicated practice time working through it in as many ways as possible to control everything i had.
Davo-London
Gold Member
I don't agree with this.
I had 4 years of lessons to kick me off. I now dip into Mikeslessons.com, which is very cheap, to be part of a drum community and cherry pick the bits I want to work on.
No drummer is ever finished learning (which i guess is Guntersdad's point) but that doesn't mean you should stay with a teacher for ever.
After 4 years I thought my tutor and I were pulling in different directions and I thought it was time to stop.
Change is good and stimulating.
Davo
Skulmoski
Gold Member
Stop taking lessons when you reach a plateau. Consider changing your approach for a while (e.g. get a good book to teach you something different such as brushwork or latin techniques). Then return to the same teacher or find a different one.
Professional athlete's have coaches to help them maximize technique and understanding; no reason why musicians should stop taking lessons.
GJS
Professional athlete's have coaches to help them maximize technique and understanding; no reason why musicians should stop taking lessons.
GJS
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This is what I think I am faced with, I feel like I have the materials, I just need to work on actually practicing them, which I'll admit I'm not very good at. Half the reason I decided to return to lessons was to have some accountability for my practices. If I don't practice I now have someone who I have to own up to, instead of just being able to procrastinate.
Excellent analogy, I never thought of it that way.
Spreggy
Silver Member
Why not a monthly lesson then, or every couple of weeks? You'll have the accountability you're looking for, but also $150 in your pocket every month and a free feeling about the direction of your playing. You could also take a lesson or three focused on one topic, like say you wanted to get some foundation laid for Afro Cuban or something. Find yourself a teacher who can get you started, and then work the book or whatever yourself afterwards.
caddywumpus
Archnemesis of Larryace
If you have gained the ability to teach yourself, and have the motivation to kick your own butt into gear, then consider teaching yourself with books and videos for a while. If you come to a major stumbling block, seek the guidance of a teacher.
One of the major benefits of taking lessons is having an objective ear listening to you play and offering suggestions. You can do that with another drummer you trust, though. If your current drum teacher doesn't inspire you, get a new one, but in the meantime try teaching yourself.
One of the major benefits of taking lessons is having an objective ear listening to you play and offering suggestions. You can do that with another drummer you trust, though. If your current drum teacher doesn't inspire you, get a new one, but in the meantime try teaching yourself.
mattsmith
Platinum Member
I had a mentor in Romania several times a week for over two years. He was almost like an older brother, and I learned not only a ton of fundamentals but the mindset inherent towards becoming a good musician. That was one of those special deals.
In the interim between killer teachers I had another guy in Michigan who got me into Stick Control then taught me mallets exclusively for a year. After that I took numerous random lessons with any number of guys I felt had something I believed I wanted or knew I needed. I also attended camps. Then of course there was the school band training which was no joke.
Then I got to AIM and got seriously cleaned up by a guy named Creig Harber and Tom Knight, the drummer for TLC.
Now I would love to have at least one more year of polishing by another great guy, but for now I will take ocassional lessons with guys I want to learn things from for brief intervals. So while I'm here in Nashville, I plan to see Zorro and some others.
If I were in New York or NJ and Morello were still alive, I would be going to his studio once a week for the next ten years beause to me that $400 a month would be pure gold.
And I'd love to delve into that Bob Moses subculture, so maybe that will indeed happen. I mean you look at great opera singers and they all still have great teachers well into their 40s.
But, I agree with others here that this one will absolutely fall under the category of to each his own, because everyone's goals and aspirations are just going to be different.
In the interim between killer teachers I had another guy in Michigan who got me into Stick Control then taught me mallets exclusively for a year. After that I took numerous random lessons with any number of guys I felt had something I believed I wanted or knew I needed. I also attended camps. Then of course there was the school band training which was no joke.
Then I got to AIM and got seriously cleaned up by a guy named Creig Harber and Tom Knight, the drummer for TLC.
Now I would love to have at least one more year of polishing by another great guy, but for now I will take ocassional lessons with guys I want to learn things from for brief intervals. So while I'm here in Nashville, I plan to see Zorro and some others.
If I were in New York or NJ and Morello were still alive, I would be going to his studio once a week for the next ten years beause to me that $400 a month would be pure gold.
And I'd love to delve into that Bob Moses subculture, so maybe that will indeed happen. I mean you look at great opera singers and they all still have great teachers well into their 40s.
But, I agree with others here that this one will absolutely fall under the category of to each his own, because everyone's goals and aspirations are just going to be different.
diegobxr
Silver Member
Hey man, I'm in a very similar situation than you.
I've been playing for almost 10 years now. The first two, I took lessons. Then I "learned on my own" (that's what I thought, looking back, I never practised anything valuable properly). At some point, maybe year 5 or 6, I got a double pedal, so I went three months to a teacher to give me some exercises for that, and then continued "to learn on my own".
I'm not a professional player, by any means, but I've played in many bands, I've recorded and gigged. I've been a sub for many drummers too, and I get reccomended and called by many musos. So yeah, I think I can handle myself pretty good (when it comes to playing in bands, at least).
Anyway, I think that I hit a wall the day I realised that guys that had been playing for less than I did, could play better than me. What was the main difference? All of those guys studied for all that time, had instant feedback from a pro and worked on their weaknesses, whilst I played mostly the same stuff all the time, learning new things just by trial and error.
Nowadays I'm taking lessons again, for almost a year now. And man, it's so great. I'm working on all that stuff that I never worked on and I feel like I made more progress in the last 6 months than I did in 4 years of playing by myself. Following my own teacher's advise, I only go twice a month, once every two weeks. That allows him to give me more stuff to practice and me more time to do so. Maybe you could do the same.
Just make sure you find someone that you admire his playing, who knows how to teach and also that you'd like to hang out as a friend too.
Edit: to answer the question... I think you should stop taking lessons when you feel you don't need them anymore (when you feel there's nothing you can't play), or when don't have fun or you feel their cost is bigger than their benefit, I guess. But make sure you think twice, you may regret quitting later on.
Cheers!
I've been playing for almost 10 years now. The first two, I took lessons. Then I "learned on my own" (that's what I thought, looking back, I never practised anything valuable properly). At some point, maybe year 5 or 6, I got a double pedal, so I went three months to a teacher to give me some exercises for that, and then continued "to learn on my own".
I'm not a professional player, by any means, but I've played in many bands, I've recorded and gigged. I've been a sub for many drummers too, and I get reccomended and called by many musos. So yeah, I think I can handle myself pretty good (when it comes to playing in bands, at least).
Anyway, I think that I hit a wall the day I realised that guys that had been playing for less than I did, could play better than me. What was the main difference? All of those guys studied for all that time, had instant feedback from a pro and worked on their weaknesses, whilst I played mostly the same stuff all the time, learning new things just by trial and error.
Nowadays I'm taking lessons again, for almost a year now. And man, it's so great. I'm working on all that stuff that I never worked on and I feel like I made more progress in the last 6 months than I did in 4 years of playing by myself. Following my own teacher's advise, I only go twice a month, once every two weeks. That allows him to give me more stuff to practice and me more time to do so. Maybe you could do the same.
Just make sure you find someone that you admire his playing, who knows how to teach and also that you'd like to hang out as a friend too.
Edit: to answer the question... I think you should stop taking lessons when you feel you don't need them anymore (when you feel there's nothing you can't play), or when don't have fun or you feel their cost is bigger than their benefit, I guess. But make sure you think twice, you may regret quitting later on.
Cheers!
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