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About to Become a Teacher

JesterMasque - Tue, 06/15/2010 - 11:00 | 3,342 views

Hey everyone, great news! I just got my first official student for drum set! I have taken about 4 or so years of lessons before and I was a percussion major in college for about 2 years, so don't be too scared for the kid =)

But, I am pretty nervous to kick it off. He's 12 and doesn't own a drum kit, but he plays at school every day because he's in the band for about a year now. I'm just not sure how to arrange a lesson flow. I want to work on sight reading with him since he's in band, but he asks me about double bass all the time. So I guess I'm asking all you teachers out there how I can keep a lesson plan full of cool stuff to keep him interested, while still sticking theory and reading in there.

I never really had "good" teachers to take example from until I got to college, but by then I was already pretty far advanced that our lesson plan involved whatever I wanted to expand in my playing style.

Thanks so much guys! I appreciate any input =D

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davieshall Says Re: About to Become a Teacher

Submitted On: Monday, Jun 17, 2013 - 6:42 AM

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seminole Says Re: About to Become a Teacher

Submitted On: Monday, Jun 21, 2010 - 5:45 PM

Congratulations on your first student! You will soon learn (while teaching) every student is different and should be treated differently if you want to improve your chances as a successful teacher. You will have to learn to recognize desires and direction of each student and cater your lesson program to their needs.

Being a pro/semi pro/drummer who actually gets paid to play my drums, I had a hard time at first understanding that not all drummers want to sell out stadiums or be on MTV. Some people just want to play for fun! Wow, what a concept, that's why I play so why don't these people want to sell a million records? Well guess what? Most students don't want to be professional drummers and they're called "Hobbyists" so please, please treat them like that. Throw them a bone or 2 or what ever it takes to keep it fun. Sometimes it's not so fun working on inverted flam-a-diddles between your right hand and left foot, so teach them their favorite Green Day song and write it out for them. (I am in no way picking on Green Day, they're a GREAT band that has and will continue to inspire- like the Beatles- many future musicians so show the kids it's possible to play music like theirs.) Show them it's easier to read something new then to memorize everything at once. Inspire your students, they will want more!

Now for your new guy, have him read the double bass exercises before you play them for him, and mix up some of the footings so it's not all right/left patterns. Give him rudiments to play with his feet and then show him with your hands and he'll think you the coolest teacher around. "Keep them happy and keep them learning" and you can creatively teach any student theory and reading and they won't even know it! (But explain it after the fact, fun first, facts later.)

Best of luck and thanks for sharing your musical knowledge!

John