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How do I go about this...

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How do I go about this...

remodrummer90

YO!

Posts: 350
Joined: Sep 8, 2005
Location: my computer desk

No. 1 Posted on May 1, 2008 9:38 PM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Here's the deal. My girlfriends dad wants me to teach his little boy how to play drums. The kid is only about 6 years old and is already doing 16th note fills around the set, He just doesn't know it. I've been playing for about 9 years. I took lessons myself, but only for about a month. (thats about 4 lessons). For some reason my mother stoped paying for the lessons. I had to figure the rest out on my own. THE POINT IS... I don't know the first thing about teaching a kid how to play. Do I start with theory? Do I start with basic rythems and rudiments? What books can I pick up to help me , basicly...become a teacher? Thanks. -nick

Texray1

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Joined: Dec 28, 2005
Location: Dallas, Tx

No. 2 Posted on Jun 25, 2008 8:46 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

6 year-olds usually have short attention spans. Do lots of little seperate things each lesson. A few minutes of a new groove to think about. A few minutes on old grooves. A few minutes on 1 or 2 rudiments. Eventually you can work on notes and writing and reading music. I wouldn't rush into that at his age. Don't get too frustrated that some days he will be exhausted from playing with his friends or swimming at the pool and he just can't focus on drums. It will likely happen on occasion. If he seems to get stagnant in his practicing, spread out the lessons to every two weeks.

Texray1

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Joined: Dec 28, 2005
Location: Dallas, Tx

No. 3 Posted on Jun 25, 2008 8:48 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

And if you don't read music yet, you might want to start working on that yourself, so you can teach him later. I wouldn't bog him down with too much high level brain work at this point. Just let him play and teach him how to play more.

pwc

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Joined: Jan 16, 2005
Location: Pattaya, Thailand

No. 4 Posted on Jul 25, 2008 9:20 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

I just saw the above new entry into an old post and have no idea if the initiator of the thread has come back to it but ... I feel that while letting him play some grooves is Ok, I feel that some sense of the subdivisions of the 4 beats to a bar is an essential starting point. So with bass drum counting out 1,2,3,4 he gets a sense of why the 2 and 4 are most grooves' snare accents and why 8ths or triplets on hi-hats (as examples) make sense. To learn and be get instinctive about where the 2 and 4 are in relationship to the 1 and 3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

Crusher

Moderator

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Joined: Jan 15, 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada

No. 5 Posted on Aug 1, 2008 5:49 PM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Kaitlin's DVD would be perfect for this situation. PM me for details. Musicians Wisdom Communicate! It can't make things any worse.

Eeasyflow

Posts: 8
Joined: Aug 19, 2008

No. 6 Posted on Aug 19, 2008 11:26 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Hi! My approach would be like this. When a new beginner is starting up to learn the drums i think the most important thing is to have fun and play to music. Choose a really simple tune with some basic stratight grooves from a CD or an Mp3 that you like and sounds cool. It can be fun with a live record with som cheering crowds in between. Use headphones and let the kid play along. Help the kid so he does not feel left alone. You can simulate the drumset with the floor tom, use rimshot to simulate snaredrum and tip in center of drum to simulate the bassdrum. Play along until the kid get the hang of it. Good luck!

drumsftw

TimJ

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Joined: Sep 3, 2009

No. 7 Posted on Sep 4, 2009 2:18 AM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

wheres steveo when you need him?

Daddyo

Posts: 17
Joined: Nov 23, 2009
Location: SoCal

No. 8 Posted on Nov 23, 2009 9:19 PM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Well, most music stores don't start teaching until age 12. The reason is that attention spans at younger ages are gone in 60 seconds. There are a few places that accept kids at ages 5-6 (www.TheDrummersLounge.com). Generally, if you can't refer your student to a store that has lesson plans for that age, you will need to start very slowly. (1) Lessons no more than 15 minutes (2) Focus on 1 or 2 subjects each lesson, no more. (3) Keep 'homework' simple from lesson to lesson. (4) Realize that you know it, but they don't. It is easy for someone who does not have any teaching experience to assume that it is just as easy for the student as it is for yourself. (5) Talk with the parents of the student to make sure they check on the student and their progress at home. They need to practice, but not stress about it. They need to get their work done, but not to a point of frustration. Have Fun! (7) Get some pointers from a kindergarten teacher as to how to relate to a 6 year old (this helps tremendously). I know there have been posts already as to where you can get info, but I did not see PAS (Percussive Arts Society) listed. The information is for adults, but you could certainly use it for reference. (9) Email me if you have additional questions. We have a full teaching studio for all ages, including junior drum sets, standard drum sets, practice pads, etc. Daddyo

DrJosiah

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Joined: Dec 27, 2009

No. 9 Posted on Dec 29, 2009 11:18 AM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Given the age of the student, and your lack of experience. The best thing would be to refer them to an experienced teacher, preferably one who works with young children. There is a range of issues not even touched on by posts here that are drastically more important then anything mentioned. The primary of these issues is his lack of physical development as a human and the high risk for RSI's. These are issues far too complex and liable to hand out advice for someone with zero teaching experience on a message board. If the parents are serious about lessons for the kid, they need to go to a professional. There is nothing shameful about bowing out of situations beyond you.

2cymbals1cup

Swing em.

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Joined: Oct 24, 2010

No. 10 Posted on Oct 24, 2010 6:31 PM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

I tried getting a kid to play drums. The person who owned the drums was very angry. The kid kept throwing his drumsticks around, thrashing on the drums and the cymbals flew all over the place. All I can say is... there was a biiiig mess at the end.

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