Finding a Great Drum Teacher
Recently, Andrew in Florida, sent me a nice note asking:
"What is the best way to find a great drum teacher?"
Andrew poses a great question which, I am sorry to say, I had not addressed earlier on the website and really should have.
Finding a great drum teacher can be a bit of a process. I recommend:
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Talk to as many of the best drummers you can find in your area and ask them who they studied with, you might also find some them had not thought about formally teaching but might be happy to take on a student.
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Check with the local drum shops and ask who they think are the best drum teachers in the area - not just who teaches out of the store but:
a) who has the best reputation in the community?
b) who has the largest number of current students?
c) who has the largest number of former students that are actually out in the world making a living playing drums? -
Check craigslist.com. A lot of drum teachers are advertising online now and this is a good place to start. Try a variety of different search terms, such as "drum lessons" "drum teachers" "drum instruction" because one person might list their ad as "Drum Lessons Available" while another might say "Drum Teacher taking on new students"
There are a lot of really great drummers and drum teachers out there. However, keep in mind that the best drummer in town may not be the best drum teacher, and the best drum teacher in town may not be the best drum teacher for you.
You may need to spend some time taking one lesson from a variety of different teachers and ask a lot of questions to see who feels like the BEST teacher for you.
You should feel like your drum teacher is not only a great player with a lot of information to share, but they should be capable of communicating that information to you in a way that is easy for you to understand.
As I said, it can be quite a process, but I hope this helps you find the information you need to become the drummer you want to be.
Here are a couple of former Chuck Brown students that are great players and great teachers too:
in San Rafael, CA:
in Petaluma, CA:
in Lakewood, CO: