Rockschool Exam Success for Harry

Do Online Drum Lessons Really Work?

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 08:24:30 GMT

I didn't think online lessons would work.. how wrong I was!

Do Online Drum Lessons Really Work?

I was teaching face to face drum lessons at a music school when the restrictions put into place to due to covid caused the music school to temporarily close.

I doubted that online lessons would be of great benefit to students.

Some of my students, like me, doubted that online lessons would work.

Never the less I decided to set up a studio in a spare bedroom and was pleasantly surprised with the progress students were making.

As it became clear that the lockdown would continue for sometime and the online lessons were going well I decided that a purpose built studio (which I have always wanted ) was required.

This proved a good decision as the music school recently permanently closed its doors.

The students taking online lessons were making excellent, faster progress.

I wondered why this was. I can only surmise that their focus on a familiar screen concentrated their attention.

Lessons taking place in their own home, a familiar environment, on their own drum kit meant they were more at ease.

My original doubts were dispelled.

The only downsides I can think of are latency (a slight delay in the sound) and poor internet signal, both can be annoying but solutions are available.

My most advanced students are studying Grade 5 Rockschool, which has some pretty fast fills in it, and we are coping quite well with both of these irritations.

The tracks in Rockschool and Trinity Music College are only a couple of minutes long, so if there is an interruption or delay we repeat the track. ( in drumming repetition is good. ) When the students progress to Grade 6, they are obviously taking their education seriously, I will suggest that they purchase an audio interface which can be purchased for under £100 and this should help with the latency.

The poor signal can sometimes be down to another member of the family using the internet elsewhere in the house, this is easily solved by asking that for the duration of the lesson other members of the household don't use the internet, also signal boosters are available.

Why pay for lessons when if you click on YouTube there are thousands of drum tutors showing you how to do it?

This is a question that I have heard a few times. There are some amazing drummers on You Tube and I frequently pick up tips and fills from them myself but it is not structured learning. A good experienced online tutor will structure your learning process, picking up errors and offer exercises and advice on how to develop into a competent musician. I have had students merrily smiling away playing a track totally oblivious to the fact that they were playing it wrong.

I teach Rockschool, Trinity Music College, London Music College and The Percussive Arts Societies 40 Drum Rudiments.

Recent exam results have been great, of the last five students to take exams, four achieved distinctions and one achieved a very high merit. Amazing results!

The students are enjoying the lessons and we are still able to build a good rapport.

I have students in Kent, Rugby, Stockton on Tees, Oban, London, in addition students nearer to home.

So do online lessons really work?

When you compare the advantages of no travel time and traffic problems, no parking problems or payments, the comfort of lessons at home using your own kit etc. with the slight irritation of the odd time lag or poor signal..........

A resounding yes! Online lessons come out on top every time.

If you would like to try a sample lesson go to www.grahamfielden-drumschool.co.uk or www.drumlesson121.co.uk

check out the testimonials and get in touch.

Rockschool exam success!

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 22:23:51 GMT

Harry with his distinction certificate.

Harry attends Graham Fielden Drum School where he is developing into a proficient drummer.

His lessons include reading music playing along to Rockschool tracks, learning The Percussive Arts Societies 40 drum rudiments, and tailored lateral drumming pieces add to the flexibility and independence of limbs.

Amongst the technical aspects of learning to read music and controling your limbs to do four different movements without going insane, an important part of learning is having fun.

If you have always wanted to try drumming why not give it a go, if you can count to four, with practice, commitment and the correct guidance, you could be reading music sooner than you think.

Drum lessons in Bury Lancashire

183:684768269 (Graham Fielden) — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 22:34:35 GMT

New student Harriet age 4!
If Harriet can learn so can you. Age is no barrier to drumming, for the younger student it's a fun way of letting off steam. For the more mature, it's never too late to learn. Learn to play your favourite song or study the 40 drum rudiments. Learn at your own pace with one to one tuition and a peronal programme which will have you playing and reading music sooner than you think possible.
If you already play drums but never studied reading why not try it now?
There are a few slots available on Satutday afternoons in Bury.
Whatever your experience or age you can apply for a free trial lesson.
Click the link for more details http://drumlesson121.co.uk

10 Reasons You Should Love Blogging

183:684768269 (Graham Fielden) — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 22:34:34 GMT

Blog posts are a great way to get recognised within your community and share your voice. Here are the top 10 reasons you should love writing blog posts.

Anyone can make one:
For better or worse, anyone can write a blog post about anything they want. Everyone has a voice and the best voices will rise to the top.

The writer can show their personality:
In blog posts, the writer has more leeway to add in their voice and personality than other types of writing.

Blogs are a great form of mass communication:
You can help people, learn new things, entertain your audience— the possibilities are endless and amazing. Blogging opens up all of these to a very wide audience.

You can make money:
Get the right blog going and you can make a lot of money through advertising and sponsored posts.

It allows people to craft better thoughts:
Instead of reading haphazard, uneducated Facebook statuses, it’s much better to see people’s thought process in a well-written blog post.

You can establish a community:
Blogging allows you to connect with other individuals who share the same interests. Sharing ideas and opinions within your community helps establish yourself as a thought leader.

Good for SEO:
Keeping content on your site fresh and relevant, you can use your blog to boost the search engine ranking (SEO) of your site and your business.

It brings people back to your site:
If your blog is strong enough and updated regularly, people will come back looking for more and bring traffic back to your site as well.

It’s free:
It costs you a grand total of zero dollars to post to the blog, so if you have something to say, there’s nothing to stop you.

You can establish yourself as a thought leader:
A blog is a great place for your original thoughts, and it can be a wonderful way to show off your individuality. If people like your ideas, you can become a thought leader in your industry!

What else do you love about blogs? Let me know!