Drum Lessons NYC

For the past several years, I have been offering all of my students the option of doing their private lessons over Zoom.

In my experience, Zoom lessons can work just as well as in-person lessons…and sometimes better! Each approach has its own unique advantages.

If you’ve never played drums before, and don’t have any drums of your own, then it’s probably best for us to meet in person at one of my studios. That way, you’ll have a drumset to play on during our lessons, and I will be right there to help you with positioning the equipment.

On the other hand…if you actually have your own drumset (whether it be acoustic or electronic), it can be nice to do your lessons while sitting behind your own gear! That is a tremendous advantage of taking drum lessons in NYC over Zoom.

Of course, Zoom also has the advantage that it enables you to take drum lessons in NYC without needing to travel anywhere. I have some students who work from home. At the time of their drum lesson, they simply take a short break from work, and they don’t even need to leave their apartment!

In the end, the decision about whether to do your drum lessons over Zoom or in person will not make a huge difference. In either case, I will do everything possible to ensure that your drum lessons in NYC are a fun and productive experience.

I have 2 different midtown studios where I teach my drum lessons in NYC:

1) The famous MUSIC BUILDING at 584 8th Ave. (bet. 38th and 39th Streets). This location is a historic part of the New York rock scene. As surreal as it may sound, this is where people like Madonna, Blondie, and Billy Idol did their rehearsals before becoming famous. If we do our lessons here, you will have a genuine rock ‘n’ roll experience that only a place like this can provide.

2) FUNKADELIC STUDIOS at 209 W. 40th Street (bet. 7th and 8th Avenues). This location is near and dear to my heart because it was the first place that I taught drum lessons in New York. Many years ago, shortly after they opened, I became one of their regulars. I taught there so frequently that they eventually gave me my own dedicated room! These days, Funkadelic has a new roster of employees and even a new address, but I still smile when I remember our shared history.

We’ll choose one of these 2 studios based on availability and preference. Either way, we can’t go wrong. Both studios work extremely well for drum lessons in NYC.

Of course…if you choose to do your lessons over Zoom instead of doing them in person, then your drum lessons in NYC will take place in your own home with your computer in front of you. That’s an excellent option as well!

Absolutely!

Owning a set of drums is not a requirement for taking drum lessons in NYC. In fact, the vast majority of my students do NOT own drums. Instead, they look forward to their lesson time as a weekly opportunity to play on a real drumset.

But what about practicing?

There are at least 3 very effective options for practicing:

1) You can go to a rehearsal studio and rent time in a room with a drumset. New York has several studios in town that offer this service. You can ask me about it, and I’ll let you know all of the best options. The prices are usually between $15 and $35 per hour, depending on the time of day that you go.

2) You can simply practice at home with a pair of drumsticks and a rubber practice pad. For many decades, it has actually been a tradition for drummers to practice in this manner. A pair of sticks and a pad are very inexpensive, and they allow a drummer to practice many of the fundamental techniques of drumming. If you’re wondering which brand of sticks and pad to purchase, I am thrilled to recommend and officially endorse Vic Firth.

3) You can eventually purchase an electronic drumset. Many of my students have gone this route, and it allows them to practice on a full setup in their apartment while making minimal noise. Please note that I said, “minimal noise” and not “zero noise.” Students who buy electronic drums generally find that they still need to be conscientious about practicing at times when the neighbors won’t get annoyed by the tap-tap-tap sounds.

These 3 practice options make it entirely possible to take drum lessons in NYC without owning drums. In fact, if you don’t own a set of drums, it just means that you’re in the same boat as virtually EVERYONE who is taking drum lessons in NYC!

The reality is…most people who offer drum lessons in NYC are performers who just teach a few lessons “on the side.” Consequently, they don’t do enough teaching to become truly effective instructors.

For more than 2 decades already, I have been teaching drum lessons in NYC full-time. This has enabled me to teach an enormous number of lessons to an enormous number of students. In doing so, I have learned how to get results that simply can’t be matched by most other drum teachers in New York.

If you’d like to assess the track record of a potential NYC drum teacher, ask them the following important questions:

How many drum lessons have you taught?

How many drum students have you taught?

How well do those students play the drums?

What have those students ended up doing with their drumming?

If you’re lucky enough to receive honest answers, you’ll begin to see what sets me apart from other people who are offering drum lessons in NYC.

No.

What’s expensive is paying for drum lessons in NYC and not receiving the quality of instruction that you had hoped for. This can easily happen if you choose an instructor who has limited teaching experience or no proven track record of effectiveness. Even if that kind of instructor charges an incredibly small fee, it is still expensive because your time and money end up being wasted!

As one of my students, you never need to worry about that. My teaching experience and track record are virtually unparalleled, so you can rest assured that you’re getting drum lessons in NYC that are of the highest possible quality!