Drum Lessons – Online vs. Private

– The Modern Age of Drum Lessons

Today there are different ways you can go about getting the right resources to learn the drums. There are no perfect solutions in anything in life; There are only trade offs and you might be wondering whats available and what might be right for you to learn the drums. Using the principles outline in “Should I Take Drum Lessons” to set the standard for what is most beneficial in Drum Lessons as a whole, I want to provide a cost benefit analysis of the four different types of Lesson Formats: (Generic)Online Lessons, Private In-Person, Private Online, and Drum Clinic’s, to help YOU decide what is right for you.  

Let’s dig in!

(Generic)Online Lessons

If you’ve read my aforementioned blog post, then you know I have put some consideration into the idea of ‘teaching ourselves’ with ‘online resources,’ and, while I do believe that most of these “resources” are usually very superficial, very broad, overwhelming, and are typically broadcasted for “free” on platforms that are geared toward selling your attention, there is a subset of these ‘online resources’ that are valid and beneficial. I will call these: (Generic) Online Drum Lessons. These are going to be behind a paywall of sorts, and will be organized in such a way that they will feed you content in a more linear fashion, and will have some regard to your skill level. 

Benefit: This is the assembly line of drum lessons, so to speak. Meaning; this is probably the most cost efficient way of taking lessons, as it takes a more “generalized” approach, and it is usually laid out in linear fashion, that you can work through at your own pace. You can also access them from ANYWHERE at ANYTIME, even if you live in the middle of a cornfield. This is great for our fellow cornfield dwellers. 

Cost: Everything has it’s draw backs of course, one of them being the aforementioned generic format. This can be a draw back because the content is not as personalized, and, depending on how much content is available, and how much guidance and direction the Host offers for their individual subscribers, you won’t get as personalized content/feedback, and it can be more possible to get “lost” in the content, similar to the “free” content listed on many social media platforms.

Private Online Lessons

Private Online Lessons entails, you and an instructor, connected via Zoom or Skype. Private Online lessons are great for several reasons. 

Benefit: Private Online Lessons offer the personalized touch of having a Private Lesson, with a private instructor, but over the internet. Our cornfield dwellers are in luck, and you’re getting personalized content! Another strength of doing Online Private Lessons is the “Big Pond” nature of the internet. Contrary to the past, where you had to have some circumstantial luck to encounter any major name in the game, the internet gives us access to some of best drummers and/or teachers, from anywhere with an internet connection.

[note: a great drummer is not always a great teacher] 

Cost: Intrinsic to the nature of any one on one private lesson, is the requirement for each party to set aside time. This could be challenge depending on ‘supply and demand’ of a particular teacher. In contrast to aforementioned generic lessons, you should consider this. Another restriction being; While the internet allows us the sharing of idea’s via language and gestures, it is another challenge to get the essence of a conversation, and drum set, portrayed accurately over the internet(particularly in realtime) and it’s really not quite the same as being in person. But it may be a necessary trade off, depending on geographical constraints.

Private Lessons

Tride and True! This entails one on one time, with a person, in a room. Ideally there will also be two drum sets, and monitoring, etc…

Benefit: This is a great option because it is a hands on approach. It’s the way its been done in the past and there is no bit rate or speakers that we are trying to jam a lesson through. And the content is going to be geared toward exactly what you need. This allows student/teacher to interact at the resolution are minds are accustom to over history. [It is hard to describe the true value of realtime communication] and we get the personalized feedback we need. Perhaps if we haven’t bought a drum set, it is also a way to get to try one. 

Cost: As mentioned before, private lessons require time set aside. Private lessons are also probably more costly than a lot of your internet based alternatives. And, if you are a more seasoned player in a smaller town, your local instructor might not be what you’re looking for. 

Drum Clinics

I had almost forgot to mention this, because it’s not really a goto when you think of a Drum Lesson, but it is a note worthy means of learning. If you took the former 3 and mashed them altogether, you get: the Drum Clinic. Drum Clinic’s entail a venue that typically hosts an accredited artist from the industry as a guest, and artists then typically will give a presentation.

Benefit: A clinic is great because you get to see really incredible drummers, in a venue that is typically paying them to be there in a trade for the publicity of hosting them. They have the energy, and real time communication of being in person. There is often times time for questions. These can be very educational, very inspirational, and cost effective. 

Costs: Similar to Generic Online Lessons, however, it is a group setting, and the information that is appropriate for the setting may not cater to your specific needs as a player. You may also have to travel depending on where you live relative to where the Clinic is hosted. And, of course, the event is usually scheduled completely separate of any consideration for any particular persons time.

If you have been considering lessons, I hope that this offers you some insight into the options available to learn the drums, and helps you discern in what might be right for you in your drumming journey. Till next time…

GO PRACTICE!