Introduction
When you’re learning a new skill, it can be hard to know exactly what to do next. The internet puts a wealth of information at your fingertips, everything you need to get better. But it’s all jumbled. The easy stuff is mixed in with the complicated stuff. This makes the journey pretty bumpy.
Having lessons with a drummer who has been playing and teaching for a while gives you an immediate advantage. They can guide you towards your goals on the path of least resistance. Lessons can seem expensive, but in reality, you are buying time. You are acquiring a skill that would take you between 5 and 10 times longer to acquire on your own.
The Advantages of Having a Tutor
- Encouragement and motivation to move forward
- Accountability
- New exercises that are tailored to your learning goals
- Access to drum music and teaching materials
- Progress faster
- Ensure you learn the right way first time
Can I Teach Myself?
You can definitely teach yourself. There are now more resources available than ever to learn from the internet. The most common pitfall for new drummers teaching themselves is not spending enough time on developing good technique. One of the worst things you can do is keep repeating something that is wrong. At some point in the future you will have to go back and unlearn this bad habit.
Good technique is essential both for health and longevity of the body, and also achieving a good sound on the drum kit.
With bad technique, one may struggle to develop speed and dynamics. It certainly isn’t the end of the world, and unless you’re really doing something crazy, you are unlikely to cause any lasting damage. But it will cost you time to unlearn and relearn the right technique in the future.
Learning How To Learn
Perhaps the most valuable skill a tutor can help you acquire is how to learn. Once familiar with learning drum patterns and songs, you are equipped to make progress on your own. You certainly can’t expect to make progress by only playing drums in your weekly lessons. You need to develop a practice routine in between your lessons.
Thank you to Rachel Loughman on Unsplash for the above photo.
