Best Method Book for Beginners?

Liebezeit

Junior Member
I'm starting drum tutoring this year and I'm wondering what other teachers out there might recommend as the best method books for beginners.

Ideally it would be fun for the student and not too un-hip, incorporating important technical principles in a simple and accessible way.
 
I always liked the Roy Burns Elementary Drum Method. It is an older book so I don't know if it's hip or not, but it does get one started. There must be alot of good ones that have come out since then, but that one was what I first learned on.

The Podemski Snare Drum Method might be good for the beginner, but it might jump to intermediate too fast. But it covers alot of music theory stuff too. Another good one.
 
Well, if it's that bad, maybe a book isn't the way to go. I've done alot of teaching where it was just alot of playing first, and then introduce written stuff as I hand write it out and make copies. Sometimes a mix of the Suzuki and traditional styles of teaching is a good thing. Actually, one time with a few beginners in a high school class, I taught them some basic hand technique, and then I immediately put them on a drumset and taught them some beats. I'd bring in CD's for them to play their simple beats along to and they loved it. Since they were into playing the drumset, no point in disappointing them and making them do snare drum stuff for weeks before they got to the kit. That turned out to be a great idea. I might do it that way all the time.
 
Yeah maybe it's a good idea to start with more of a focus on listening and playing, and ease the reading stuff in gradually. I started more on percussion so I was doing a lot of reading but I can see that for drum kit that it might be more engaging for a beginner to get a feel for playing and listening and get their body right first. Thanks for the suggestions.

Sorry Liebe_zeit for inadvertently becoming your doppelganger. How good is Jaki Liebezeit though? Listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a_XVM7LGnk
 
I always liked the Roy Burns Elementary Drum Method. It is an older book so I don't know if it's hip or not, but it does get one started.

Second that. Unless grainy black and white photos of a high-sticking fortyish white guy with heavily Brylcreem-ed hair is someone's idea of hip, I would say it's decidedly un-hip. It doesn't matter- it's still a good book.
 
Well, if it's that bad, maybe a book isn't the way to go. I've done alot of teaching where it was just alot of playing first, and then introduce written stuff as I hand write it out and make copies. Sometimes a mix of the Suzuki and traditional styles of teaching is a good thing. Actually, one time with a few beginners in a high school class, I taught them some basic hand technique, and then I immediately put them on a drumset and taught them some beats. I'd bring in CD's for them to play their simple beats along to and they loved it. Since they were into playing the drumset, no point in disappointing them and making them do snare drum stuff for weeks before they got to the kit. That turned out to be a great idea. I might do it that way all the time.


I think everyone is different but I agree with Bo. I know as a student that if my teacher hadn't allowed me some kit time early on, I would have gotten bored really quickly. Now we spend about half of our time on the kit and the other half on the practice pad with rudiments and such. It's a really good balance for me and keeps me from being bored. I don't know how long I would have lasted if the only thing I did was work out of a book.
 
learn the bass guitar and jam with them
 
The Roy burns books is timeless. does one want to be "hip" or be a great drummer? Go from there to the Ludwig solos book, work up through the Charlie Wilcoxon stuff. It is this rudimental foundation that will help you sread it out on multiple drums. Everyone wants a shortcut to greatness. There is none. It takes work, patience, and practice on the foundations. You cant build a brick wall starting a foot off of the ground!
 
The Roy burns books is timeless. does one want to be "hip" or be a great drummer? Go from there to the Ludwig solos book, work up through the Charlie Wilcoxon stuff. It is this rudimental foundation that will help you sread it out on multiple drums. Everyone wants a shortcut to greatness. There is none. It takes work, patience, and practice on the foundations. You cant build a brick wall starting a foot off of the ground!

This... Times a million!
 
I would suggest taking lessons. I teacher will be able to guide you. In the meantime, try this:

http://www.vicfirth.com/education/features/webrhythms/intro.php

You can also check out Pat Petrillo's new DVD on reading rhythms.

Jeff

+1 to this post! The Vic Firth website is an amazing resource of educational materials.

Also, will you be tutoring in snare drumming, drum set playing, or both? Any mallet instruments? Any particular styles of music?
 
Some may laugh at me for this, and they may be justified in doing it, but to get someone up and playing on the kit fast I found "realistic rock" by Carmine Appice to be pretty good.
 
The snare drummer's toolbox from Row-Loff (rowloff.com) is a fantastic beginner snare book. I started with the Roy Burns book which is perfectly cool, but this is way beyond that and yes, "hip" & fun for youngins.
 
One of my teacher's would combine books, handouts and written stuff that would target my specific needs. The lessons were well balanced and I always looked forward to them. Oh and for a book +1 for Realistic rock, I didn't do it as a total beginner but it was early on. Great book.
 
I'm starting drum tutoring this year and I'm wondering what other teachers out there might recommend as the best method books for beginners.

Ideally it would be fun for the student and not too un-hip, incorporating important technical principles in a simple and accessible way.

My drum teacher began teaching me with Stick Control and the other book was Syncopation for the modern drummer.

I recommend those books a looot!!!
 
I would suggest taking lessons. I teacher will be able to guide you. In the meantime, try this:

http://www.vicfirth.com/education/features/webrhythms/intro.php

You can also check out Pat Petrillo's new DVD on reading rhythms.

Jeff

The guy is teaching, not just beginning himself.

To answer OP's question, how about a combination of Stick Control to get the hands working, and Tommy Igoe's Groove Essentials for some fundamentals grooves with the play-along element?
 
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