Drum lessons in Downers Grove.

Who drum lessons are for

• Kids who drum on everything. Tables, steering wheels, their siblings. That energy is a good sign. If a child can sit for thirty minutes and reach the pedals, they're ready.
• Teens who want to play in a band. A solid drummer makes every band better. Ages 7 to 18 can join our rock band program too.
• Adults. Drums are a great way to blow off steam after work, and adults who start from zero do very well. See lessons for adults.

What you'll work on

• Grip and stroke. Holding the sticks so you play relaxed, loud when you want and soft when you need to, without hurting your wrists.
• Rudiments. Single strokes, doubles, paradiddles and flams. They're the vocabulary behind every fill.
• Beats and fills. Rock, pop and funk grooves, then the fills that move between sections of a song.
• Coordination. Hands and feet doing different things at the same time. This is the part that feels impossible and then suddenly isn't.
• Time. Playing with a click and with recordings. A drummer's main job is to keep everyone together.
• Reading. Drum notation is simpler than it looks, and it makes learning new songs much faster.

What a first month looks like

Practicing at home (without upsetting the neighbors)

Drums are loud, and that's the first question most families ask. A few options:

• An electronic kit. Played with headphones, it's quiet enough for most homes and apartments. Our lessons are electronic-kit friendly, so practicing on one at home is fine.
• A practice pad. A cheap rubber pad and a pair of sticks covers rudiments and hand technique, which is a big part of early practice anyway.
• An acoustic kit with quiet tools. Mesh heads, cymbal mutes and lighter sticks bring the volume down a lot.

Short daily practice works best. Ten to fifteen minutes on a pad most days beats one long weekend session. More in how much a beginner should practice.

Gear

To start, you need sticks and a practice pad. A kit (acoustic or electronic) can come a little later once you know you're sticking with it. We'll give you straight answers on what a beginner actually needs. For used kits and electronic drums, Evolution Music's stores in Midlothian and Logan Square and evolutionmusicstore.com are a good place to look. The Downers Grove studio itself is lessons only.

How to get started

1. Sign up online. Tell us who's playing and what they want to learn. It takes a couple of minutes.
2. Pick a weekly time. It becomes your spot every week with the same teacher. If nothing fits, tell us when you're free.
3. Save a card to lock it in. Lessons bill monthly after that, so there are no checks or reminders.

Rather talk to a person first? Text or call (630) 541-5022.