What are a drum teachers biggest headaches when working with new students
for the first time?
Well if you asked most drum instructors they think they would agree on the answer to this one.
It really isn’t that complicated. I’ve been teaching drums for years and have come to the
conclusion that if new drummers just followed the advice given by most drum instructors, they
would acquire much greater skills and techniques and do it all in far less time.

What I’m talking about here are the same techniques used by a surgeon performing an open
heart operation, or a mechanic fixing your car or a housewife baking a delicious cake. Have you
figured it out yet? It amazes me that my 7 year old student will have the same problems in their
practice work as my 60 year old students. I find myself going over the same advice and the same
point, time and time again and asking myself if my students are really listening to what I am
telling them from my years of experience

Perhaps the problem has a bit to do with the world we live in and everyone wanting to have things
right away with attention spans being very short. So what am I getting at here? Simply put if you
want to learn drums well you have to practice everything slowly otherwise you won’t get it right
and your execution of the rudiment, the riff, the drum break won’t be clean. (the operation will fail; the car
won’t run; the cake won’ t taste good. The groove has to be played well and to do this you simply
must go slowly and break it down so you know exactly what you’re doing.

I hate to watch my students get frustrated because they can’t play something I’ve given them in
the first ten minutes. It takes time and patience to get it right. Slow down your efforts and you
will see things come together much easier and much better. My drum teacher always told
me…”Don’t worry about your speed. “Speed comes by itself as you practice”. I’ve found that to
be very true!

If you’re interested in taking lessons with me, simply contact me at bcasson@speakfilm.com or
phone me at 250-721-2113 or call Tempo-Trend Music at 250-384-2111. Mention you have been to
my website and i will give you your first lesson FREE.
Cheers, Barry