Learn to Play Drums Like a Pro -
The Right Way!
A Great Low-Cost Drumming Course for Beginners (and a Refresher for Intermediates)
When I started to learn to play drums I was desperate to get as good as possible - as quickly as possible. The problem was I only had one drum lesson a week which was over before I could blink. It took me about a year to move off snare rudiments onto the kit! If I'd had access to online drum lessons back then, I would have made faster progress, and I wouldn't have spent most of my practice time un-tutored.
My first kit was a real mongrel - bits and pieces from about four 20 year old (cheap) drum sets - but I loved it. Every moment I could get away with it I was bashing away to Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Police... but I'm showing my age now...! But because I was mostly self-taught, I picked up some really bad habits which I still have today.
Bad drum technique in the early stages of playing can result in (at best) limited range and speed, and (at worst) tendon injuries. Luckily, I just suffer from the first of these!
This is why I tried to turn the clock back and plug some of the gaps in my knowledge, and where possible re-learn some techniques. But there are so many 'learn to play drums' tutor products out there, it's hard to sort the good from the bad.
I hope this'll save you some time - stumbling across Jim McCarthy's Begin Drumming course has really made a massive difference to my basic technique.
The Begin Drumming Course helps absolute beginners learn to play drums online (or via your iPod) at your own pace and convenience
I came across this course online and very nearly left Jim's site immediately because of his (sorry Jim) annoying sales page. (He's a great drum teacher, not a great website designer!) So a word of warning! - set your volume to low before visiting his sales page (click here to see it)
and look past the 'vibrant' web design to the high value of the course itself.
It's unique because it includes 45 multimedia lessons which include:
- Over 4 Hours of Video
downloadable as MP4 or Windows Media files.
- 52 Pages of Printable Tutor Sheets
including instructional text, sheet music and diagrams.
- 198 Audio Files
All the beats and solos, played at various speeds to help you learn to play drums competently.
What I find invaluable is the fact that I can download the video straight to my iPod (or iPhone) and watch and listen while I'm at my drum set or practice pad. It's like having a teacher watching over your every move, whenever you want them there. That's something I could have done with all those years ago. Technology - great isn't it?
Why learn to play drums with this course?
I could rave about Jim's course for ages, but I'll try to summarise what I like about it as briefly as I can. Here are some of the pros and cons of the course:
PROS
- Jim McCarthy is a great teacher. He has a Masters Degree in percussion performance, so I know I can trust his technique and ability to teach.
- He doesn't pretend that you'll get instant results. You'll need to practice - and as with any instrument, the more you practice, the better you'll get. But having said that, his teaching method means that you will pick things up very quickly.
- The fact that sheet music (and instruction) is included was a great bonus for me. When I started learning drums I used sheet music, but then played entirely by ear and memory. I missed the ability to sight-read - but that's just me. I'm picking it all up again now!
- The audio and video features are great - and after putting them onto my iPod, I carried on learning and practising whenever I was on a train, at the gym or anywhere other than at my kit!
CONS
- The streaming videos are rather small, so if you're looking at a laptop whilst playing, you might have to strain to see what's going on. However, it's more important to hear that see most of the tutorial, so this might not be an issue for you. And you can download Quicktime or Windows Media versions anyway which can be blown up on-screen.
- The layout of the accompanying printable book of the course looks a bit rough and ready - as I said before, Jim is no graphic designer. But what's really important is the content, and that's worth the price of the course on its own.
- If not for the video and audio assistance, some of the lessons appear daunting to the beginner at first - but as a package it works well. Use all the elements together and you'll be fine.
Give it a test drive
Jim McCarthy offers five free drum lessons so you can get a taste of how it all works. These include:
- The grip - how to hold the sticks
- First Rudiments - The Paradiddle Family
- Reading Rhythm 4 - Semiquavers
- Reading Rhythm 5 - Semiquavers on Drum Kit
- Drum kit solo #6 - Funkasaurus Rox
If you're starting to learn to play drums, or (like me) need a refresher course to lose your bad habits, you won't find a better foundation course than this for the price. And above all, ENJOY it! Click on the image below to get started.
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