FAQ

Is it easy to learn to play the drums?
It is no easier or harder than learning to play any other musical instrument. The key to progress is regular practise, the dreaded ‘P’ word! In over 30 years of teaching I have only ever encountered one student who just couldn’t learn to play the drums. It was nothing to do with his intelligence, he was the top Latin scholar in a well-known public school, he just had a complete inability to play a rhythm.

Will you give lessons in my home?
No, I have a purpose built and fully equipped teaching studio in my home where I have everything I need to deliver first class, professional tuition. If I had to add the cost of travelling between students, I would have to charge at least 75% more. However, one service I do offer is when a student gets their first drum kit, I will give a lesson in their home to show how to set up their kit, how to tune it and basic maintenance procedures to keep it ticking along nicely.

What do I need to start?
Initially you will need a pair of drum sticks, (no surprise there!) and a practise pad. Sticks cost between £6 and £10 depending on the quality. A practise pad will cost about £15 and I will advise as to type and quality. I supply a manuscript book in which I hand write lessons/exercises. I am very aware that every student is an individual and each will encounter their own problems. It is my job, as a teacher, to identify those areas and devise teaching strategies accordingly.

How much does a drum kit cost?
How much does a bike or car cost? The answer is, you get what you pay for. Prices start from around £200 on the internet. I urge my students not to go there, because what you get is basically ‘rubbish’! Spend between £350 and £400 with a reputable dealer and you get a decent kit to coax you through your next 5 to 10 years of exploration. In my teaching studio, I use a ‘Mapex’ kit which retails at about £800 for five drums and I would be happy to use  that kit in almost any working environment I found myself.

Will you give me advice if I’m not one of your students?
Yes, of course I will. There is an unwritten law within drumming that, information/knowledge that was freely given, is freely passed on to the next generation. I have been privilege to talk, one to one, with many of drumming’s greatest exponents. Buddy Rich, Steve Gadd, Joe Jones, Simon Phillips, Gary Husband, Ian Thomas and Bob Armstrong to name just a few. All were generous in their help and advice.

Where do you teach?
I have a purpose built teaching studio in my house in Caddington, Bedfordshire. It is a village between Luton and Dunstable, close to junctions 9 and 10 in the M1.

How much do you charge?
As of June 2008, I charge £11 for a half hour lesson and £22 for an hour. I recommend half-an-hour, weekly lessons for younger students (pre-teens). For older students it is a matter of choice as to length and frequency of lessons but I do recommend regular lessons.

Do you teach the Moeller techniques?
Yes I do, but rather than as an advanced technique, it is introduced early on into stick control as a natural progression. When I learnt it in the 1960’s it didn’t have a name, it was just the accepted, natural way of playing.