How to Choose the Right Teach Yourself Drums Website

A drummer enters a shop and asks for some sheet music. “Are you a drummer?” the shop owner asks. “Yes, how did you know?” asks the drummer. “You’re in a bakery.” The old gags are the best, so they say. Whilst some musicians might look down on drummers, we all know they’re the coolest part of any band. They keep the rhythm, and without that a song falls apart. Not only that – drummers also perform awesome solos and get to thrash around at the back center of the band, for the whole audience to sit in awe of. Think of Animal, from Sesame Street! Yes, you too, could be Animal. 

If you, like most people, have dreamed of being a great drummer, have you considered trying a Teach Yourself Drums Website? Drum Learning Websites provide online lessons and tools to help you learn how to drum. As a category, they cater to absolute beginners, intermediate and advanced players, helping to create skills and developing existing ones. In the vast majority of cases, you’ll need a drum kit and some passion for playing, but the aim is to help you improve your drumming at your own pace, as well as making learning fun.

We’ve checked out some of the best Learn Drumming Sites around, comparing and contrasting them to bring you a comprehensive set of reviews. Our reviews use a star ratings system so you can easily see how each site compares against the others. We’ve also provided details on costs and features, plus a write up on the particularities of each site, and who they’re best suited to. Before you read our reviews, though, we’ve a few top tips on what to look out for: 
 

Teaching Effectiveness 

A good teacher can make all the difference to any student. We look at the resources available (lessons are usually delivered as videos with supporting materials) and whether these cater to a range of learning styles. We also consider the pitch of the lesson, and whether it’s appropriate for the level of the player it proposes (for example, beginners or advanced drummers). Customer feedback can also play a role in this, and we recommend looking out for comments on particular lessons, as well as descriptions of what each class involves. If you’re someone who likes to watch and copy, videos are important. If you’re someone who learns from reading and practicing more on their own, look for websites which offer plenty of additional resources such as books and e-books, music sheets and more.

Styles Covered 

Just as you have different styles of guitar or piano playing, you can learn all sorts of drumming styles. If you’re just starting out then we recommend learning the basics with a generic course. However, if you’re ready to branch out into more unique genres, we recommend looking for drumming sites which allow you to explore lessons in other styles. These might include jazz, blues or Latin music, but there are plenty more to find. If learning alternative styles of drumming is important to you, look out for websites which score highly under “styles covered”. 

Features

The best Teach Yourself How to Drum Websites will include additional tools and features to support your learning. These include metronomes, looping tools (so you can replay a segment of music over and over for practice), rhythm and speed training systems, virtual drum kits (to hear different drums for particular sets of beats) and notation tools. Think about what you might want from your course: if you’re just looking to improve your general skills such as rhythm and speed, features which support this are necessary. If you wish to create your own music, you’ll need a website which offers access to blank music sheets and notation tools.

Ease of use

Some of the sites in this category contain thousands of lessons. As such, it’s important that they’re easy to use and that you won’t struggle to find what you’re looking for. Look out for sites which allow you to sort and categorize lessons, as well as those which allow you to keep a check on your progress. This will help you to recall which stage you’re at when you next sit down at your drum set. We also think it’s important to test out some of the tools, where possible. Having the ability to loop sections of a track, for example, is a great way to practice one part of a song. Without that easy-use feature, you’ll have to constantly play the whole song or keep rewinding, which can waste your time and ruin your rhythm.

Formats of materials covered 

This is linked with the effectiveness of the teaching. It’s important to think about the way in which you learn best, and the sorts of resources which will help you to improve. The sites which rate highly in this section will combine a variety of resources, including online video lessons, supporting animations, a range of useful tools, access to notation and other documents. The general rule is that the more resources available, the better. If you don’t learn well from watching and listening in isolation, you’ll need to find a website which better suits your needs and offers materials which will help.

Customer support

Whilst some technical issues can occur, customer support is mainly to do with “getting help when you need it.” In many respects, having a hands-on tutor and a vibrant community of students is a hugely important resource. They offer the opportunity to ask professionals for help when you need it, and to receive unique feedback. The best websites offer one-on-one support, plus forums to talk to others. It’s important not to underestimate the relevance of additional resources such as blog posts, articles, links to other sites, FAQ’s and more, too. All of these can be invaluable, particularly if you’re just starting your drumming career.

Value for Money

The cost of drum lessons can vary quite significantly, but “cheaper” doesn’t necessarily mean “better value”. The main reason for a higher cost is that you receive more personal time with a tutor. If you are sure you need one on one support from a professional drummer or tutor, you may have to admit that it could cost you a bit more. If you’re happy to simply go at your own pace following online lessons and courses, it will probably cost you less. Some of the best sites offer a combination of these factors whilst also managing to offer very affordable options.

The Bottom Line

There’s quite a lot to consider when choosing your ideal Learn Drums Website. It’s all about how you think you’ll be best supported, and how you learn more effectively. Take a look through our reviews and consider a few of the websites from those we’ve recommended – they differ considerably. All being well, it shouldn’t be long until you’re rocking out with the best of them, you animal, and that's no joke!