Virtual Drum Lessons
With the recent events of Covid-19, we have seen a major shift in how music and music education is conducted. Although the technology has existed for a number of years now, it has become more and more apparent that virtual drum lessons will become a new normal moving forward. Although there is a lot of speculation regarding their successfulness and efficiency, there are a lot of great benefits that virtual lessons posses that one should really consider if exploring the option.
An example of what a kind of camera angle a student would see during a virtual lesson.
One of the many benefits of virtual lessons is that you no longer need to live in the same city, state, or even country to take drum lessons with a particular teacher. With virtual lessons, geographical locations is no longer a factor in choosing who you can study with. For example, if you live in a very small town with little to no music scene, the quality and accessibility of drum teachers could be very limited. In those situations, you may even be forced to drive great distances to find a teacher. However, with everything that has taken shape in 2020 due to Covid-19, more and more drummers are at home offering virtual lessons. Therefore, the task of finding a great teacher who you can really connect with is easier than ever. Even many of our drum masters such as Dave Weckl, Carl Allen, Mark Guiliana and Peter Erskine are now offering virtual lessons these days! Prior to the Covid pandemic, getting a chance to study with players of this caliber was almost unheard of due to their touring and performing schedules.
Checking in with a student on what challenges and successes she had during her week practicing.
If you do a quick Google search, you will quickly discover that there is no shortage of great online drum lesson resources out there. However, these options can be a bit overwhelming, as a vast majority of them tend to focus on the quantity of content available rather than the depth and quality of material they present. Due to this fact, sites like these are often difficult to navigate. This is especially true if you are either a beginning drummer, or someone who really struggles to discern what they should or should not be working on in the practice room. Simply put, a majority of online drum lesson sites, with the exception of Mike Johnston’s online virtual drum school, cannot provide students with the level of accountability that a private drum teacher teaching virtually can. There is really no substitute for having a good private teacher who can sit and listen to your playing in the moment, and then give you immediate feedback. In addition, having a good private teacher ensures that you are learning material that is actually tailored towards your personal goals, without having to sift through seemingly endless content out there. It is for these reasons that I strongly suggest you consider having a private teacher, either in person or virtually, and use online drum lesson resources as supplemental education material.
A student practicing during his virtual drum lesson from the comfort of home.
Another benefit of virtual lessons is that you can take drum lessons from the comfort of your own home. Although this may sound cliche, sometimes we overlook how much more we can learn when we are in a space we are familiar with, as well as being on our own instrument. Generally when you take in-person drum lessons, you are traveling to your teachers studio or facility, which generally means playing on a drum set other than your own. In these instances, people can become easily distracted by how unfamiliar, or uncomfortable a drum set may be positioned. This level of unfamiliarity can ultimately lead to unnecessary distractions during lesson time. This is something I hear from my private students on a regular basis, and have also experienced myself during my own time taking private drum lessons. Virtual lessons can alleviate both of those scenarios because you can simply hop on a zoom call with your drum teacher from behind your own drums and in the comfort of your home. It should also be noted that depending on how your teacher sets up his or her camera(s), virtual lessons allow students to get a much closer look at technique and form that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Above all, drumming at home is convenient! For those who have very busy lives, and or struggle with finding the time to drive to a physical location, the virtual route is majorly convenient. All you need is a good internet connection, and a device that can access apps such as Zoom, FaceTime, or Google Hangouts.
All in all, taking drum lessons virtually can be just as rewarding as in person. With technology being what it is today, both students and teachers alike can learn and explore the drums just as efficiently as they can in person. Virtual lessons have made finding the right teacher for you that much more accessible, without sacrificing the accountability factor. Additionally, virtual lessons make taking lessons that much more comfortable and convenient. At the end of the day, regardless of how you get your drum education, just make sure that you are having fun in the process!