About Drums lessons

What's so cool about drumming?

Drumming is as old as humanity; it gives energy when you play it and also when you listen to it. You can hardly sit still when someone is drumming nicely or when you experience the vibes of someone Djembé playing, right?

A little history

There is hardly a place on earth where drumming is not the heartbeat of the music. The most diverse percussion instruments were used to communicate over a long distance, to scare the enemy during wars, to drive away ghosts, celebrate religious ceremonies or to make music to dance to.

Is it difficult to learn the drums?

If you have a sense of rhythm and feel good about yourself, you can quickly master the basics of drumming. You can go as far as you want with drumming. From playing cool beats in your favourite music style to training your technique to the top and learn to play the most complex fills and solos! You decide!

What is important when you start? 

In addition to a sense of groove, drive and swing, tempo stability, good physical fitness, creativity and a sense of structure are important. Of course, this applies to every musician, but certainly to drummers!

Is reading drum notation difficult?

Being able to read drum notation well gives you the advantage of learning songs and exercises faster and enables you to lay in an orchestra or in a big band. It is not hard to learn. 

Can you play solos as a percussionist?

Absolutely! Every form of percussion, and therefore also a drum kit, lends itself to rousing and complex rhythms, creative combinations of various sounds, intense solos or poetic and subtle improvisations!

Who is the best drummer?

Listen to famous drummers such as Billy Cobham, Mike Portnoy, John Bonham, Art Blakey, Buddy Rich, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, Bernard Purdie, Steve Gadd, Mike Clark, Butch Miles, Danny Richmond, Zakir Hussain, Cesar Zuiderwijk or Charlie Watts and make your own (provisional) choice! 

What are brushes?

Brushes are spring-shaped telescopic (often steel) brushes with which you can play ballads and slow songs beautifully, but also up-tempo swinging shuffles. Think of Gene Krupa, Art Taylor,  Elvin Jones and many other great jazz drummers!

What are drumsticks made of?

Many drumsticks are made of American Hickory. A tree with the botanical name Carya, family of the Walnut. A resilient, tough wood that is used for hammer handles, axes and the best drumsticks.

What determines which sticks you choose?

There are sticks with wooden tips, oval and round, heavy and light, thick and thin, with nylon tips and just like with cymbals there is a huge choice. Which stick feels best and sounds best is personal and differs per situation. Before you know it you have a bag full!

What are the best drumsticks for beginners?

The better your playing technique, the clearer it becomes which stick you prefer to use for which piece. Experience will teach you! 

What should you pay attention to when choosing sticks?

A lighter stick (such as a 5A) provides a nice balance, light playing, clear articulation and speed, while thicker sticks (such as a 2B or 5B) are better if you like to play with a lot of volume and hit hard. Thicker sticks give more power and last longer. In any case, every stick has its own sound and feel. One stick suits the type of music you are going to play better than another.

What is a drum kit?

A drum kit is another word for drum set. Your kit has drums in all kinds of sizes and pitches. Usually, your drums can be tuned to a certain pitch, so that they sound good together. Your drum set usually consists of a bass drum, a snare, tom-toms and a floor drum. In addition, you have a high-hat and several cymbals.

What material is used for cymbals?

Cymbals are made of a certain alloy of metals. Brass, steel, bronze. The alloy your cymbals are made of has a big influence on the sound. Most professional models are made of a bronze alloy with 20% tin. This alloy is called B20.

How many types of cymbals are there?

There are endless variations on the market. Each cymbal has its own sound. High, clear, crash, rustling, (sizzle). Some have a long resonance; others have a short resonance. The sound and pitch of your cymbal is determined by the size, thickness, alloy, bell, tension, shape and profile.

What are well-known brands of cymbals?

The brands Paiste, Zildijan, Stagg, Fazley, Meinl, Sabian, Istanbul offer high-quality cymbals and many different sounds.

Why different types of cymbals?

The differences in sound of your cymbals allow you to make interesting combinations in solos and vary the sound of your band. You can use different cymbals to add accents to your sound profile and you can change sounds endlessly if you have many cymbals.

What is a high-hat?

A high-hat is a stand with a foot pedal, with which you can make two cymbals come together. This requires a special technique. A high-hat is standard with every drum set. There are different types and sizes and the sound of your high-hat depends on the choice of your cymbals.

Why do many drummers have a large collection of instruments?

The better you get at drumming, the more critical, creative and demanding you become. You are going to build a collection of drums and cymbals, so that you can make exactly the right sound that you are looking for at that moment. The sky is the limit!

In which music do you play percussion?

Percussion instruments are played in jazz, pop, rock, folk, soul, funk, classical percussion or all kinds of world music, such as Salsa, Brazilian, Afro, Latin, Hindustani, Turkish, Arabic or Asian.

What are well-known percussion instruments? 

Percussion instruments are timpani, tabla, claves, bongos, cow bell, congas, taiko, djembe, cajon, gong, gamelan and countless more! You can beat rhythms on anything, even drumming on your body sounds great! Check Cesar Zuiderwijk’s solos body percussion! Countless fantastic musicians have made their mark as percussionists, including Paulinho, Tito Puente, Candido, Zakir Hussein, Tarang Poddar, Konstantyn Napolov, Ray Barretto or Steve Berrios.

What are melodic percussion instruments?

Melodic percussion instruments such as marimba, balafon, xylophone and vibraphone are regularly used in world music, jazz and contemporary classical music. In addition to a rhythmic function, percussion can also have a melodic function.

Are marimba or vibraphone difficult to learn?

When you are at home on a piano and understand the structure of your keyboard, you can quickly play chords and melodies on a marimba or vibraphone. The marimba and vibraphone have the same structure as a piano. You just don't have keys that strike the strings of the piano but sticks or mallets to play the keyboard with.

More information

Looking for awesome drum lessons?

You're already close! Your next step is to visit the page of the drummer you'd like to learn more about. 

Trial Drum Lesson

Book a trial lesson for yourself or with your child to experience the atmosphere and discuss your wishes and goals. If you purchase your first lesson package right away, the trial lesson is free! (Regular price: €25)

Private Drum Lessons for All Ages

On the Vivaldi Music Lessons website, you'll find drum lessons for beginners and advanced. Playin the drums is fun for children, teens, and adults!

Drum lessons near you!

  • For children, teens, adults - all levels
  • Flexibility with lesson packages of 5 or 10 lessons of 30, 45, or 60 minutes
  • Free trial lesson with purchase of a lesson package (normally €25)
  • Private lessons at the teacher's studio or at your place

Lesson Packages

Lesson times, payment, and location are arranged individually between you and your teacher. Packages of 5 or 10 lessons of 30, 45, and 60 minutes are available.

Online Lessons

If you would like to take online lessons, you can contact the teacher of your choice directly to discuss the