The internet has opened up an incredible range of high-quality drum lessons that can be accessed on-demand. Top drummers from around the world are now able to share their knowledge through online video courses and lessons. This wealth of online instruction means drummers have more options than ever to improve their skills. In this article, we break down the 10 best online drum lesson platforms. We cover the key features, styles of instruction, and pros and cons of each. Whether you’re a total beginner looking for a complete pathway or want to sharpen your jazz brush skills, we’ll outline the ideal online drum lessons to meet your needs. Let’s explore the top sites offering virtual drum instruction to find your best match!
1. Drumeo – Overall Best Online Drum Lessons (Free 30-Day Trial)
Drumeo is hands down the best overall online drum lessons website. With hundreds of video lessons and courses taught by world-class drummers, Drumeo has something for drummers of all skill levels and interests.
Some key features that make Drumeo stand out:
– Huge library of high quality video lessons covering techniques, songs, genres, and more. Taught by pro drummers like Thomas Lang, Aaron Edgar, Daniel Glass, and more.
– Structured courses for beginners to advanced drummers looking to improve different aspects of their playing. Courses on hand technique, foot technique, reading sheet music, jazz, metal, blues, funk, and more.
– Daily live lessons with top drummers streamed 5 days a week. Ask questions and get feedback in real time.
– Drumeo Method – a step-by-step beginner curriculum taking you from no experience all the way to playing full songs. Teaches both drum set and snare drum fundamentals.
– Drum fills library with hundreds of fill ideas taught measure-by-measure. Great for improving groove and fill vocabulary.
– Play-along tracks and sheet music provided for many lessons and courses. Practice what you’re learning with high quality backing tracks.
– Active user forums with a supportive community of drummers. Get feedback, ask questions, and connect.
– Access on any device – phone, tablet, desktop, or TV. Download videos for offline practice.
– Free 30-day trial so you can fully explore the platform. Subscriptions start at $19/month after trial ends.
Drumeo is the single best value for the amount of premium drum lessons content provided. It’s like having access to a virtual school with the world’s best instructors. The structured courses progress methodically while the huge video lesson library lets you learn techniques and concepts more randomly. This combination of structure and flexibility can suit any learning style or interest. Highly recommended for all drummers from absolute beginners to working pros.
2. ArtistWorks – Best Jazz Drum Lessons Online
When it comes to online jazz drum lessons, ArtistWorks has the best instructors and content available. The jazz drum courses are taught by legendary jazz drummers like Peter Erskine, Allison Miller, and Jeff Hamilton.
What makes ArtistWorks a great choice for online jazz drum lessons:
– In-depth jazz courses that cover concepts like swing feel, brush technique, chart reading, soloing, and more.
– Video exchange learning method – upload videos of yourself playing for personalized video feedback and critiques from the instructor.
– Peter Erskine teaches the main jazz drumming course which provides a well-rounded foundation covering jazz styles, essential techniques, famous beats/fills, and more.
– Allison Miller’s jazz drum course focuses on brushwork and small group playing. Learn expert brush technique and musicality.
– Jeff Hamilton teaches a course on essential big band drumming concepts like driving the band, dynamics, chart reading, and trading fours.
– Study with jazz greats like Dennis Chambers, Taylor Hawkins, Will Kennedy, and other ArtistWorks instructors.
– App with slow motion playback, loop points, and drum notation displays
The combination of world-class instructors, video exchange learning, and a proven curriculum make ArtistWorks the premier destination for building jazz drum skills. The structured courses will take your playing to the next level while learning directly from legendary jazz drummers.
3. MikesLessons.com
MikesLessons.com provides online drum lessons via downloadable video packages and live webcam lessons. The pre-recorded video lessons are very affordably priced and focus on specific concepts or skills.
Some reasons to check out MikesLessons for drum instruction:
– Huge selection of video lesson packs covering technique, reading, songs, fills, and more. Lessons taught by qualified instructors.
– Downloaded lesson packs can be accessed on any device and kept for life – no recurring subscription needed. Great for one-time purchases.
– Covers a wide range of ability levels from beginner lessons to advanced soloing concepts.
– Affordably priced video packs available from $5-$50. Great value for the amount of content provided.
– Live 1-on-1 webcam lessons with teachers available for highly customized instruction
– Teachers are actively gigging drummers providing practical real-world advice
– No commitment required for the pre-recorded video lessons
If you want to pick and choose affordable drum video lessons to build your skills, MikesLessons is a great pick. The lessons packages let you target specific technical skills or styles to study. And the live lessons allow for personalized feedback and interaction.
4. Preply
Preply is an online tutoring platform that has drum instructors offering virtual lessons via video chat. It’s essentially a marketplace to connect with local and remote private drum teachers.
Here’s an overview of drum lessons with Preply:
– Search and browse profiles of tutors who offer online drum instruction
– Teachers have different backgrounds/specialties like rock, jazz, metal, technique, reading, etc.
– Lesson packages range from single sessions to weekly or monthly subscriptions
– Prices range from ~$15-$50 per hour depending on teacher experience
– Lessons scheduled based on your availability and time zone
– Interactive 1-on-1 learning tailored to your goals and level
– Flexibility to switch instructors as you progress and have new needs
– Video chat platform built into Preply website/app for ease of use
The benefit of Preply is connecting with drum teachers for live, private lessons from home. It provides the customized feedback and interaction of in-person lessons online. The fleet of teachers offer a breadth of styles and focus areas to choose from. Overall an ideal solution for remote drum lessons with the flexibility of different teachers.
5. Lessonface
Lessonface enables you to take online drum lessons from the pros through live 1-on-1 video chat. Top instructors like Todd Sucherman, Thomas Pridgen, and John Blackwell are on the teaching roster.
Here are some key things to know about Lessonface for drum lessons:
– World-famous drummers handpicked as instructors. Learn from the best.
– Affordable pricing from $20 for 30 min sessions to $90 for 2 hours
– Convenient scheduling calendar to book lessons directly with instructors
– Interactive live drum instruction via video chat software
– Instructors provide personalized feedback and teaching tailored to you
– Flexibility to take one-off sessions or recurring lessons
– Great for targeted skills improvement from pro drummers
The big draw of Lessonface is the ability to learn from drummers playing with major acts like Styx, Prince, and Ariana Grande. Their teaching chops combine with interactive video lessons for an engaging learning experience. The platform makes it easy to book sessions with your pick of instructors.
6. TakeLessons.com
TakeLessons is one of the most popular online lesson marketplaces. You can find vetted local and remote drum instructors offering virtual lessons via video conference software.
Some key advantages of drum lessons from TakeLessons teachers:
– Browse profiles and reviews of hundreds of qualified drum teachers
– TakeLessons focuses on more serious students looking to improve
– One-on-one customized instruction to your level and goals
– Remote teachers available for virtual lessons online
– Flexible scheduling based on your availability
– Prices range from ~$35-$70 per hour long depending on teacher
– Trial lessons available to test teachers before committing
– Useful tools like built-in sheet music, playbacks, and lesson summaries
TakeLessons stands out through the vetting process they use for finding quality music teachers. Especially helpful for parents of beginner students. You get the feedback and interactivity of private lessons remotely. Great for consistent weekly lessons or short-term targeted instruction.
7. 180 Drums
180 Drums offers streaming video access to HD drum lessons organized into monthly courses focused on core skills. There is a monthly/yearly subscription fee.
What you can expect from 180 Drums:
– Every month 12-15 new HD video drum lessons released
– Lessons target important techniques, grooves, and concepts
– Taught by instructor Nate Brown in detailed 20-45 minute videos
– All skill levels covered from beginner to advanced
– Access additional student resources like notation files, technique charts
– Community forums to interact with other students
– Mobile access to stream lessons on any device
– Monthly subscription – $18/month or $10/month annual
The structured, monthly course format ensures you are learning key techniques and practice concepts sequentially. The high quality video lessons deliver this curriculum from beginner fundamentals to nuanced skills. A subscription allows unlimited access to the entire lesson archive too.
8. Drum Channel
Drum Channel offers streaming access to hundreds of video drum lessons organized into courses. There are courses for beginners through to teachers with lessons by top drummers and educators.
Some of the things that make Drum Channel a great online learning option:
– Huge range of video courses covering essential drum techniques, styles, and concepts
– Structured courses for methodical progression from beginner to advanced levels
– Options for month-to-month memberships or discounted annual plans
– Taught by an experienced faculty of working drummers/teachers
– Film quality HD video optimized for online streaming
– Supplemental resources like PDFs, notation files, audio tracks
– Accessible from any internet-connected computer or mobile device
– New courses and lessons added on a regular basis
The combination of structured learning pathways and a wealth of quality video instruction makes Drum Channel a great choice. From building pure fundamentals to high-level concepts, their courses can take your drumming to the next level.
9. Drum Ambition
Drum Ambition provides online drum tutorials through their structured video courses. Their courses aim to build skills sequentially for steady improvement.
Some key things that make Drum Ambition lessons valuable:
– High quality video lessons optimized for online streaming
– Organized, methodical courses for consistent learning
– Options for one-time purchases or monthly memberships
– Covers the full range from beginner basics to advanced techniques
– Taught by qualified instructors like Rob Bookspan
– Isolation tracks, sheet music, notation files available
– Interactive tools like slow-mo video playback
– New courses added regularly to expand scope
The well-paced, detailed courses make it easy to improve your drumming skills in all areas. Lessons ensure you build a solid foundation while providing the tools to dissect and practice techniques slowly. This educational approach combined with video accessibility provides engaging online learning.
10. Stephen’s Drum Shed
Stephen’s Drum Shed offers online access to streaming drum lessons that isolate specific concepts, skills, and warm ups. The affordable one-time fee grants unlimited lifetime access.
Reasons why Stephen’s Drum Shed is a great option:
– One-time access fee around $100 depending on available courses
– Focused “sheds” that isolate a specific drum skill or warm up
– Taught by instructor and author Stephen Taylor
– Options for both drumset and snare drum sheds
– Great for targeted and repetitive practice of core skills
– Unlimited access to all shed videos once purchased
– Downloadable PDFs included for each video series
– High quality instruction from an experienced teacher
For the price, the lifetime access to targeted video instruction is a great value. The laser focus on individual techniques/skills in each video series provides the excellent practice that drumming requires. The affordable access fee lets you revisit lessons as needed.
Summary
Learning drums online has never been easier with the breadth of top-quality instruction now available. There are options to suit any learning style – from structured courses to one-off video lessons.
The key is finding the format best for your needs. For a complete A-Z beginner pathway, Drumeo’s structured curriculum shines. To get feedback from the jazz greats, ArtistWorks is ideal. If you want to isolate specific skills, Stephen’s Drum Shed laser-focused videos excel.
No matter what you’re looking to improve at the drums, one of these 10 best online drum lesson platforms can take your playing to the next level through engaging video instruction.
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