Online
Drum
Classes

Course Overview

Our online drum course is suitable for children aged 8 and above, as well as adults. You will explore rhythmic patterns, learn to play and practise the drum parts of your favourite songs. The programme includes beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. No previous musical experience is needed to start, and for those who already play, the teacher will select material suited to their level.

Lessons are individual and last 45 minutes. You can study in Russian, Ukrainian or English. We agree on the schedule and teaching language before lessons begin.

Lessons take place in real time on Google Meet or Zoom. Your teacher demonstrates techniques, listens to your playing and helps you correct mistakes. Our teachers hold higher education qualifications in music and have teaching experience; many also perform in concerts and take part in music projects.

We recommend lessons with your teacher twice a week, with exercises and passages to practise at home between lessons. The duration of independent practice is discussed with your teacher and depends on your age, level and current assignments.

You can perform the pieces you have prepared in the school’s online concerts and competitions. Students receive certificates upon completing each module and level.

Teaching Approach

At the start of the course, the teacher gets to know the student and discusses their experience and musical interests. They then select exercises and pieces that build technique step by step. Beginners start with posture at the kit, stick grip and basic strokes. Experienced students work on accuracy, more complex rhythms and playing techniques.

We break each new part into short passages. First, the student reads the rhythmic pattern and tries playing it slowly. If needed, they practise sections separately before playing the whole part. The teacher helps them maintain a steady tempo, place accents and play fills.

Once the main passages are secure, the student learns to play the complete part with a backing track. It is important to listen for the introduction, follow the structure of the piece and move between sections at the right time. The prepared programme can be performed in an online concert or competition, followed by a discussion of the performance with the teacher.

Benefits of the Teaching Approach

Clear tasks: the teacher explains what needs improvement in an exercise or part and demonstrates how to work on it.

Gradual progression: new rhythms and techniques are introduced once the previous material is secure. More time can be devoted to a difficult passage.

Technique through repertoire: students learn techniques in exercises, then apply them when playing their chosen drum parts.

Feedback: the teacher pays attention to posture, movement, rhythm and sound, helping students notice and correct inaccuracies.

For children and adults: the difficulty of assignments, explanations and repertoire are adapted to the student’s age, experience and interests.

No exams: students can demonstrate their progress in online concerts and competitions.

Continued learning: after completing the programme, students can explore more challenging pieces, learn techniques from different styles and develop their drum improvisation skills.

Course Levels

Beginner level: an introduction to the drum kit, posture, stick grip and pedal technique. Students learn simple rhythmic patterns, read drum notation and coordinate hand and foot movements. The programme includes exercises for even strokes, basic fills and straightforward parts played with accompaniment.

Intermediate level: work on a wider range of rhythms, accents and dynamics. Students learn pieces of intermediate difficulty, practise transitions between sections and return to the main rhythm after a fill. Greater attention is given to accuracy and how the drum part interacts with the accompaniment.

Advanced level: learning complex parts and playing techniques in different musical styles. Students refine the speed and accuracy of their strokes, work on expression, and try improvising and playing drum solos. Together with their teacher, they prepare a programme for an online concert or competition.

Course Goals

Playing technique: develop proper posture, stick grip and pedal technique, and learn to play accurate strokes without unnecessary tension.

Hand and foot coordination: learn to play different elements of a drum part simultaneously, gradually progressing from simple combinations to more complex ones.

Music notation: read drum notation, understand note values, rests and accents, and work through rhythmic patterns independently.

Rhythm and tempo: learn to play evenly, come in at the right moment, perform fills and maintain the tempo when moving between passages.

Repertoire: learn pieces in different styles and understand what distinguishes their characteristic drum parts.

Playing with accompaniment: hear the other instruments in a backing track, follow the structure of the piece and play your part from beginning to end.

Improvisation: experiment with combining familiar rhythms and techniques, creating fills and short solo passages.

Performance preparation: rehearse a programme for online concerts and competitions, and gain experience playing for an audience.

Benefits of Drum Lessons

Sense of rhythm: working with note values, rests and accents helps students hear and reproduce rhythmic patterns more accurately. Metronome exercises teach them to maintain a steady tempo.

Coordinated movement: at the drum kit, the hands and feet perform different tasks. Students gradually learn to combine these movements and play parts that initially seemed difficult with greater confidence.

Attentive listening: playing requires following your own part, listening to the accompaniment and noticing changes between sections. Students learn when to maintain the main rhythm, emphasise an accent or play a fill.

Musical memory: learning a piece helps students remember sequences of rhythms, transitions and rests. Over time, they rely less on notation and become better at following the piece by ear.

Independence: home practice teaches students to organise their time, repeat difficult passages at a suitable tempo and assess the results. The teacher helps establish this routine so students can gradually work through assignments independently.

Creative practice: familiar rhythmic patterns can be varied, combined and enhanced with accents. This gives students a way to explore improvisation and discover different approaches to playing.

Performance confidence: learning a part and gaining online performance experience help students recognise their progress. Rehearsals teach them to play a complete piece and continue after a small mistake.

Time for favourite music: lessons offer the chance to learn the drum part of a song you have always wanted to play and hear a familiar piece from a performer’s perspective.

At your first lesson, you will meet your teacher and discuss your musical interests. Beginners will learn how to sit at the kit and hold the sticks, and try their first exercises. If you already play, you can perform a familiar part and decide together what to work on next.