Hi all,

Good to join the forum after reading it anonymously for a while...
Been on the MySpace list for a while now.


Anyway, let me introduce myself first.

I'm Craig, and i've been playing drums for around 8/9 years now. I'm a professional live and session drummer, working quite regularly with bands of all styles.
I've studied with a few great teachers, and continue to do so. Working very closely with a student of Jim Chapins, and another guy who has studied with Jim Marshall and Jack DeJohnette...

Anyway, i'm now looking at spending some of my free time teaching drums, and i have several students lined up wanting me to teach them.

I've read lot's of the topics discussed already and they're really interesting, got some great tips from them. Just wanted to ask how people usually approach there first lesson with a new student...? What mix of theory to playing do you generally take?

Thanks for your time, and advice.

Craig.








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Mapex Saturn
Ludwig Black Beauty - 1973
Sabian/Zildjian
Vic Firth

yea...i know wat you're talkin bout...i taught a friend of mine for my graduation project...you're teaching them drumset rite??...wat i would do is first give them drum pads b4 u put them on a kit....teach the rite stroke and technique...as u k...this is very important when playing the set..when they're done wit that....start some basic beats...like the Back in Black beat by AC/DC...slowly...add some things in...like hiting the bass on 1+...and stuff....just make sure you go slow...i think u know wat to do from there








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Mapex
Zildjian
Paiste
Vicfirth

Cheers for that, more advice and as always with us drummers it's always good!

One other concern i have, is at first i would be limited to teaching on my Electric kit. Obviously the sounds and layout is as near as damn it to a real kit... but do people think a new student to the drums would struggle more with the association of "This black pad here is a snare drum, this black pad here is a hi-hat"...?

Once again thoughts experience and opinions greatfully received.

Craig.








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Mapex Saturn
Ludwig Black Beauty - 1973
Sabian/Zildjian
Vic Firth

they should understand the general setup of the kit

or you should explain it either way, even on a normal kit, you would be suprised how little some people know

other than that, maybe write a label on a piece of paper for each one
i would have thought it will be the cymbals on an electronic kit that will be the more difficult to understand (im only generalising here, as ive only played on a TD20, never used any other electronic kit)

for the theory / rudiments stage, the excercises in practical percussion were the way i started back in school, i just wish i had a metronome back then, i could have been so much better by now

but i would say that a metronome, a practice pad and at least one book of rudiments and basic beats would be the minimum required for the student


i myself have been thinking of offerin lessons, but i can only teach rock / metal, as like a pleb, i didnt want to learn jazz / swing etc
o, how i regret that now








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drums - extreme maggot infestation & step aside

tubthumped wrote:

Hi all,

Good to join the forum after reading it anonymously for a while...
Been on the MySpace list for a while now.


Anyway, let me introduce myself first.

I'm Craig, and i've been playing drums for around 8/9 years now. I'm a professional live and session drummer, working quite regularly with bands of all styles.
I've studied with a few great teachers, and continue to do so. Working very closely with a student of Jim Chapins, and another guy who has studied with Jim Marshall and Jack DeJohnette...

Anyway, i'm now looking at spending some of my free time teaching drums, and i have several students lined up wanting me to teach them.

I've read lot's of the topics discussed already and they're really interesting, got some great tips from them. Just wanted to ask how people usually approach there first lesson with a new student...? What mix of theory to playing do you generally take?

Thanks for your time, and advice.

Craig.

Hello everyone, Im Mike,

This is my first post on this website and this post made me sign up.

Some good points from everyone here, because drums are a such a huge subject. My advice is see what the students want to learn and what they want out of it i.e whether they want to play in a band... styles of music etc.. Its all very well teaching loads and loads of rudiments but some students will become bored quickly and lose interest and put them off the idea for good....

My advice is teach them a basic beat, bass on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4. And build up the ideas from there. Adding fills and it all helps build co-ordination around the kit. And as they improve start showing them various Rudiments. But everyones different in the way they teach.... I think the most important thing is make it fun for the student!

I have only just started teaching and its great fun. And sharpens your game up.

Hope this helps?!

Good luck!

i've considered taking giving lessons a try.. never commited though.. i never knew how to advertise myself and stuff.. how where you gonna do this?

my advice for you is.. your student is paying you to play the kit.. they'll enjoy it if there sitting behind it all the time.. if you keep jumping on the kit saying do it like this you'll de-moralise them by keep letting them know your better than them. pretend your at the same level as them.

help?








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Make sure your students know how to read music. I think if you're teaching someone without teaching them how to read, you are doing them a huge disservice.








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M.U.S.I.C.- Make up something interesting and complementary- Neil Peart

Without music, Life would be an error- Friedrich Nietzsche

Flatliner wrote:

Make sure your students know how to read music. I think if you're teaching someone without teaching them how to read, you are doing them a huge disservice.

I agree!! It has to be fun...but they have to understand the basics and build from there if it is going to continue to be fun.