First ever drum lesson

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I've taught myself drums by a combination of picking stuff up from my bands drummers and using the internet and programming beats but my wife bought me a 3 hour lesson as an Xmas gift.

How do you reccomend I get the most out of it? 

Should I have an idea of what I want to improve? 

Should I take a song or part I want to learn?

Should I just let him assess what would be most beneficial?
ဈǝᴉʇsɐoʇǝsǝǝɥɔဪቌ
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Comments

  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    Your thread title led me to expect a Gary Larson cartoon. :)

    Tutor should assess you for stamina and steadiness of time keeping before placing any demands on your playing. 

    Instruction could include helpful hints about hydration, what to where and setting up your kit to best suit your reach.

    If you want to get fancy, ask about polyrhythms.

    Learning specific pieces requires preparation by both student and tutor. Unless you nominate an extremely well known cover version, it should be part of a programme of scheduled lessons.

    Be seeing you.
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    Is it a a single lessons of 3 hours, or 3-hours worth of lessons?  I would suggest 3x 1-hour or 4x45mins might be better if possible, but don't worry too much if it's the former. 

    Either way, it's probably a good idea to have an idea what you want to improve. If you haven't identified something (or can't work out what could be improved), then that would be my starting point -ideally to identify it in advance, but also to ask the tutor to say whatever he feels it is, based on your playing. I know my main flaw at the moment is a tendency to hit the kick ahead of the beat, so that's what I'm working on. 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • Single 3 hour lesson pre-booked so dont have the ability to change that.

    I'm not really sure what I want out of it, I know there are some things that I can improve just by focusing on individual practice with a click so it seems a bit of a waste of the opportunity to focus on those with a tutor. I obviously work a lot with a click on guitar so I understand how I would achieve general tightening. 

    Polyrhythms would definitely be a good one as Danny Carey is my favourite drummer but I suspect tool songs are a bit beyond my ability right now.

    I'm thinking left hand independence might be a good one as I'd say its weaker than my right hand, you know for doing the kind of fast 16th grace note stuff on the snare and that would generally help with polyrhytms too. 

    Maybe some double bass stuff as it's definitely shakier time-wise and could maybe do with breaking out of my go to building block licks there.

    Maybe some increased fill vocab, but then from spending a long time programming drums I think my creativity there is not too bad and if I put my mind to it I could just teach myself to execute those parts even if I can play them right now. 

    Really into constructing tom grooves around rudiments at the moment so perhaps some scope there. 
    ဈǝᴉʇsɐoʇǝsǝǝɥɔဪቌ
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  • If it's your first ever lesson I'd be tempted to let a portion of it be letting them analyse how you hit, and see if you can improve anything there.

    Just thinking about my own experience with guitar, I had to unlearn and relearn some picking technique that I'd taught myself.  I didn't even realise it was an issue until a teacher pointed it out.
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    I had a couple of lessons, first thing was he told me to play and watched. Then he basically told me what I was doing wrong technique wise. There's certain things that need to be done correctly right from the start as progressing with the wrong technique leads to brickwalls later on. I could drum in time with the correct pattern but it sounded like shit compared with him playing the same part so he basically pulled what I was doing apart and started from scratch. 

    I haven't had a drum lesson in years now, I don't have the time but quite a few  of my friends teach, Boyd Hayward, Steve Duffy, Jack Stephens and a few others. All are local to Ports and Southampton
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    guitarfishbay said:
    analyse how you hit ... I had to unlearn and relearn ... I didn't even realise it was an issue until a teacher pointed it out.
    Danny1969 said:
    he told me to play and watched. Then he basically told me what I was doing wrong technique wise. There's certain things that need to be done correctly right from the start as progressing with the wrong technique leads to brickwalls later on. I could drum in time with the correct pattern but it sounded like shit compared with him playing the same part so he basically pulled what I was doing apart and started from scratch. 
    What they said.

    Ideally, you should be able to make the noise that you need to make with the minimum of effort.


    Be seeing you.
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