Do you offer drum lessons for beginners?
We offer drum lessons for for students of all ages and at all levels, from absolute beginners to advanced drummers (up to and including diploma level).
What is covered in the lessons?
Drumming is a complex skill, and drum lessons typically cover a range of elements, including:
- Grooves
- Techniques
- Rudiments
- Independence and co-ordination
- Musicianship
- Time keeping
- Drum notation
What styles of music are taught?
Our drum kit faculty, all professional drummers, teach a wide range of music styles, including rock, jazz, metal, R&B, funk, blues, country, etc.
Can you prepare me/my child for grade or practical examinations?
Drum lessons can certainly include preparation for grade examinations with such exam boards as Trinity Guildhall and Rockschool. Our teachers can also prepare you for Junior Cert. and Leaving Cert. Music practical exams.
What will I need to practice with?
Ideally, you should have a good starter drum kit, which consists of a snare drum, a bass drum, two or three toms, a hi-hat and cymbals. However, students can get started at home on practice pads before purchasing a drum kit.
Are drum kits expensive?
Good basic drum kits needn't be expensive. Waltons music shops offer good quality acoustic and electronic drum kits suitable for beginner/intermediate students at very reasonable prices, and currently-enrolled drum students at the New School can also purchase them using payment plans. See Recommended Instruments - Drums & Percussion for more information.
Playing a drum kit in the house will be very noisy, won't it?
It doesn’t have to be. A drum kit can easily be fitted with sound reducing practice pads and dampers that considerably reduce the level of sound produced. Alternatively, there are electronic drum kits available (see Recommended Instruments - Drums & Percussion). These can be played through headphones, making them almost silent to others.
Do you offer group drum lessons?
Because of the noise level involved, the size of the instrument and the complexity of technique, the New School offers only private (one-to-one) or 'partner' (two-person) drum kit lessons. We do, however, offer larger group courses for bodhrán and Latin percussion.
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