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WHY SHOULD STUDENTS TAKE PRIVATE LESSONS?

Regardless of the quality of instruction a student is receiving at their respective learning institution, it’s easy to see how that student would receive less personalized information in favor of broader, more comprehensive comments that are generally more effective when teaching a group of people.

While this information certainly holds great value, the thing that usually spurs the most significant growth in a student’s learning trajectory is highly personalized, individual instruction that takes into their specific strengths and weaknesses into account in order to provide effective solutions. Video Lessons allow the student to receive this sort of instruction in real-time so they can reach their goals more quickly.

how bdg private lessons are structured

As I mentioned before, a great reason to seek private instruction is the highly personalized information the student receives to help get them on the path to improvement sooner. The way I diagnose a student’s specific needs is by evaluating them through their responses to the following four questions.

 
 

1. What are your goals as a musician/instructor?

Here are some of the most common goals among the students who I teach privately:

  • “I have no experience as a bass drummer and would like to learn the skill-sets necessary to join the percussion program at my educational institution/independent ensemble.”

  • “I’ve already played in a bassline at an educational institution/independent ensemble but I’m looking to learn more advanced skill-sets to join a relatively more competitive percussion program.”

  • “I am already in a very competitive percussion program and would like to tightly refine skill-sets I understand but have not quite mastered yet.”

  • “I am an instructor with no bass drumming experience at an educational institution/independent ensemble and am looking to understand bass drum-specific skill-sets to advance the skill level of those musicians in my program.”

These goals and any others a student or instructor might have benefit from different road maps to success, and laying those goals out.

2. What is the time frame you’re attempting to reach these goals within?

Understandably, not everyone has the same time to reach the goals they set out for themselves. Some of my students are looking to be prepared for an audition coming within 1 or 2 months, while some are looking ahead to the future and being at a certain point in their drumming career 6 months from the original evaluation.

Here are some common time frames my students tend to operate within:

  • 1 week - 1 month

  • 1 month - 3 months

  • 3 months - 6 months

  • 6 months - 1 year

  • 1 year +

Regardless of the time frame, keeping it in mind will allow us to develop an accurate road map to help you accomplish your goals in the time you’ve allotted for yourself, whether you continue to take regularly scheduled lessons or not.

3. what aspects of bass drumming are you looking to improve on the most?

While not 100% necessary, it can be helpful to understand exactly what skill-sets you are attempting to develop during your private lessons. These are some common categories that those skill-sets tend to fall into:

  • Mechanical Approach (technique, hand shape, limb awareness)

  • Rhythmic Excellence (rudimental accuracy, vocabulary development, stroke control)

  • Learning Techniques (sight reading, practice methods, memorization skills)

  • Teaching Methods (Delivering information to bass drummers of all skill levels effectively)

Establishing expectations about the exact type of progress you’re trying to achieve helps me deliver even more targeted, focused information.

4. what aspects of bass drumming are you looking to improve on the most?

While not 100% necessary, it can be helpful to understand exactly what skill-sets you are attempting to develop during your private lessons. These are some common categories that those skill-sets tend to fall into:

  • Mechanical Approach (technique, hand shape, limb awareness)

  • Rhythmic Excellence (rudimental accuracy, vocabulary development, stroke control)

  • Learning Techniques (sight reading, practice methods, memorization skills)

  • Teaching Methods (Delivering information to bass drummers of all skill levels effectively)

Establishing expectations about the exact type of progress you’re trying to achieve helps me deliver even more targeted, focused information.

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR PERCUSSION EDUCATION?

If you like the prospect of receiving effective, personalized information across