Denis Loncaric
Since I was a kid I loved having drummer lessons, and after 20 years of drumming and tons of experience with pretty much anything you can imagine, I still love seeing good drum lessons online.
However, I always find a thing or two that I would say or add, but hey, that’s “déformation professionnelle” so, don’t judge me. Overall, here are my 15 favorite drum lessons online that fulfill my drum criteria.
In a hurry?
- Best for Beginners - Mikes lessons/Dave Weckl/Drum ambition
- Best for Intermediate - Drumeo/Drum Channel/Benny Greb
- Best for Advanced - Matt Gartska/Hudson Music/JP Bouvet
What I look for
Personalization
I appreciate personalization at the highest level. Each drummer, whether a beginner or a pro has their own unique way of understanding, playing, and feeling. A good drumming teacher should be able to consider those needs and tailor necessary material and practice to each individual.
Tracking system
I believe that every drummer should track their progress. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to pause your drumming for a while, you can easily pick up where you left off thanks to a good progression system that every online drumming lesson should have.
In-depth lessons
Lessons must not be superficial. Especially when you have a large number of beginners. These teachers have to worry about their vocabulary, explain every little thing, know how to approach new students, and transfer their knowledge in the best way possible.
Affordability
I am aware that not everyone can afford the best possible drum sets, with the high-end equipment, and the highly recommended teacher that will cost you an arm and a leg. That’s why I also looked for free online drummer lessons that anyone with an Internet connection can attend.
Can drums be learned online?
Yes, although, the best way of learning drums is through private 1 on 1 lessons, online drum lessons provide in-depth knowledge about drumming.
Here is the complete list of the platforms to learn drumming online:
Platform
Monthly
Annual
Where can I learn drums online for free?
In case you don’t want to spend any money, here are a few fantastic YouTube channels with free online drum lessons:
- Drumeo
- Drum Channel
- Mike Johnston
- Juan Carlito Mendosa
- JP Bouvet
- Dave Weckl
- Daily Drum Lesson
- Stephen Taylor
- Rob Brown
- Drum Beats Online
Now let’s dive into the best paid online drum lessons.
Best for beginners and drum geeks
FEATURES
- Unlimited access to every lesson
- Easy to use progress-tracking
- Easy to use progress-tracking
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Free Trial
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Superstar drummers
- 500+ hours of videos
- Easy to use
- Systems for beginners
REASONS TO AVOID
- Lack of advanced video lessons
Why Drumeo drum lessons?
Because it is the largest platform for learning drums.
Their monthly and annual subscription cost the same as some other platforms on this list that don’t have nearly as many materials.
It’s the most modern platform with various tools, systems, podcasts, shows, and many more.
Next to Drum Channel, they have the most world-renowned drummers on their team.
It’s worth the money and one of the few platforms here that have enough material for 1+ years of studying.
You have nothing to lose since they offer a free trial and money-back guarantee, so I suggest you try it.
Who is it for?
Drumeo is mainly for beginners, intermediate drummers, and drum geeks.
For beginners – they have the Drumeo Method, an incredible set of step-by-step drum courses.
For intermediate drummers – lessons of the famous grooves, great coordination lessons, and more great lessons from guys like Dennis Chambers, Simon Philips, and Larnell Lewis.
Check out the full review of Drumeo Edge.
Best for advanced drummers
FEATURES
- 1,000+ lesson videos
- 400+ show videos
- 100+ masterclasses
- 50+ courses
- 90 day money-back guarantee.
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- In-depth lessons
- Superstar teachers
- Great annual price
REASONS TO AVOID
- Can be hard to navigate
- Not suited for beginners
- No free trial
Why The Drum Channel?
It is safe to say that DC has an equal amount of videos as Drumeo.
Unfortunately, they do not offer a free trial, but they offer a 90-day money-back guarantee.
If you figure out it is not worth the money, you can contact support and get a refund.
Their annual plan has the best value-for-money ratio out of all online drum lessons and courses on my list.
Who is it for?
It’s for intermediate to advanced drummers.
They have something called DC academy, where they provide in-depth courses.
I suggest the Thomas Lang course since it contains all the “drummer’s weapons” you will need.
You can always check their free videos on YouTube.
For detail oriented drummers
FEATURES
- 13+ courses
- Private FB group
- IOS Teachable app
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Perfecting your drum technique
- Learning from a drum legend
- Learning unique approach
REASONS TO AVOID
- Small video database
- No free trial
Why Dave Weckl online school?
Because Dave Weckl is one of the best drummers on the planet with highly advanced technique.
You might run into his free videos on YouTube. If yes, then you know he is a great teacher as well.
In his courses, he covers topics like:
- tunning
- technique
- ergonomic drum setup
- recording
Dave also offers the possibility of booking a private online lesson via Zoom or Skype.
Who is it for?
It’s for all drummers who genuinely want to master drums.
He doesn’t offer a free trial and doesn’t have a nearly extensive database of videos such as Drumeo and DC.
But if you are interested in the topics I mentioned above, go ahead with the monthly plan and try it out.
For drummers focused on every day practice
FEATURES
- Live Drum Lessons
- Courses
- Drum Documentaries
- Practice Tracking
- 1 week free trial
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Great progress tracking system
- Community based approach
- Experienced teacher
REASONS TO AVOID
- Less videos than Drumeo & DC for the same price
- Lack of videos for advanced drummers
Why Mike’s lessons?
Mike is one of the most experienced drum teachers, with over two decades in drum lessons.
His platform is conceived as a progress tracking/daily practice planning tool.
With this platform, you have a good push to develop a regular drum practice routine.
By the way, you can use his groove transcription tool called GrooveScribe for free.
Who is it for?
It’s more for beginners and intermediate drummers than for advanced drummers.
Also, Mike has built a great community where you can get feedback while you learn drums.
He holds live sessions frequently; a good chance to ask questions.
Mikelessons.com are great platform for setting up a constant practice routine.
Collection of legendary DVDs
FEATURES
- Lifetime purchase
- Low costs per video
- 350+ online videos
- Drummers like Jojo Mayer, Tommy Igoe, Steve smith, Steve Jordan and many more
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Legendary videos
- Important part of drum history
- Various superstar teachers
- Watch videos from drummers who don't teach anymore
REASONS TO AVOID
- Separate purchase only
Why Hudson Music?
Hudson Music is a legendary publisher of drumming courses. Although DVDs are less popular nowadays, you can watch these videos online.
Many drummers widely popular today became popular precisely through Hudson Music Drum DVDs.
Their database contains videos of drummers who no longer teach; a real treasure.
Who is it for?
For intermediate and advanced drummers.
As someone who watched many of their releases, I must say most of these materials are tough to learn.
However, for all of you youngsters out there…
These videos are essential to drum history, and you should watch them.
For drummers who want to build career online
FEATURES
- 14-day free trial
- 160+ Hours of Video Lessons
- 45 Albums of Drumless Play Alongs
- Watch Offline Anytime
- Forum Access + Community Support
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Cool grooves & licks
- Unique approach
REASONS TO AVOID
- Less videos than Drumeo & DC for the same price
Why Orlando drummer online lessons?
Adam Turminaro, aka Orlando Drummer, became known precisely through YouTube drum tutorials.
He is the owner of one of the most followed YouTube channels in the drumming niche.
His videos look cinematic and are mostly short and easy to follow.
Except for videos where he mostly breaks down licks and grooves, you can expect a lot of videos concerning equipment, how it’s done, or shed sessions.
Who is it for?
If you want to build an online career as a drummer, guys like Adam should be your go-to since it’s precisely what they are successful at.
Although you may need expensive gear for videos to look like this, Adam may show you some tricks to do this on a budget.
Along with that, you will get more insights into the path of a digital creator.
Great for intermeddiate drummers
FEATURES
- 14-day free trial
- 160+ Hours of Video Lessons
- 45 Albums of Drumless Play Alongs
- Watch Offline Anytime
- Forum Access + Community Support
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Great "tool kit" for modern drummer
- Unique approach
- Getting into recording and mixing
REASONS TO AVOID
- Not subscription based
- Relatively small video database
Why ABB Drums?
Austin has a strong following on YouTube, where he built his reputation through his “Study the greats” video episodes.
Check out some of his free videos.
His paid video lessons are more detailed about:
- recording
- mixing
- mastering
- moving around the set
Who is it for?
It’s for all drummers who plan to post videos on social networks.
Austin’s videos are a great “toolkit” for young modern drummers who want to get their name out through platforms like Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
For highly advanced fusion drummers
FEATURES
- 10+ lessons
- Separate purchase
- PDF trascriptions
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Highly advanced lessons
- Unique approach
- Cool grooves and licks
REASONS TO AVOID
- Not for beginners and intermediate level drummers
- Small amount of video marterial
Why Matt Garstka online lessons?
Why not learn from one of the best drummers on the planet and get insights into his approach?
He has only 10 lessons but constantly adding new ones.
Lessons are short, and purchase is separate, like all websites with a small number of videos do.
I don’t know about you, but I am always ready to pay to even see an advanced drummer like Matt.
In his videos, he goes through advanced concepts on developing:
- double bass
- ghost notes
- time
Who is it for?
If you are technically an advanced drummer or want to become one and go a step further in the land of guys like Matt, Virgil Donatti, and Vinnie Colaiuta, this is your cup of tea.
Although, lessons are mainly aimed at experienced drummers there are still lessons like “Single pedal lesson” handy for drummer of all levels.
For drummers who are into licks and grooves
FEATURES
- Unlimited access to all courses
- Unlimited access to all live events
- Intuitive progress-tracking tools
- Community with 1000s of drummers
- 30 day money back guarantee
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Interesting lessons
- Cool beats and licks
- Progress tracking tools
REASONS TO AVOID
- Less videos than Drumeo & DC for the same price
- Not for advanced drummers
Why Drum Beats Online?
Like Orlando Drummer, Gabe Helguera, who you may know from his YouTube drum channel with 400k+ followers, is well established on YT.
His videos on YouTube are fun and easy to follow.
On the other hand, his website offers online drum courses that are more in-depth about drum technique, coordination, and chops.
Who is it for?
Although he separated his lessons into three levels,
- beginners
- intermediate
- advanced
I would classify his lessons as more for beginners than professionals.
With one exception, I must say.
Gabe is a modern drummer, and even if you are a professional, you can learn plenty of new stuff from him.
For drummers desired to explore
FEATURES
- 5+ lessons
- Separate purchase
- Affordable prices
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Unique approach
- Modern beats and licks
- Interesting lessons
- Very affordable
REASONS TO AVOID
- Small number of lessons
- Video quality is mediocre
Why Justin Scott’s lessons?
You probably come across some of Justin’s videos if you use Instagram. I ended up following Justin on IG and eventually buying two of his drum courses.
Both videos don’t look fancy but provide great insights into his creative process.
It takes years to build flow, and Justin has a great approach to practicing flow.
To his advantage, these courses cost less than $20.
Who is it for?
Primarily for experienced drummers with a need for ideas.
He currently has only a few courses, but enough to raise your working flow.
Lessons like “Hand technique” are for beginners, but drum lessons like “Developing flow” have really advanced materials that even professionals will struggle to learn.
For drummers who are into shorter format of drum lessons
FEATURES
- Custom lesson tracks
- Downloadable resources
- 4 DAYS 100% Money Back “Steal My Stuff” Guarantee
- Goal Generator
- Community forums, monthly student challenges with prizes
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- In-depth courses for beginners
- Active Community
- Constant Q&A Sessions
REASONS TO AVOID
- User experience (video loading speed)
Why Stephens drum shed?
Like Austin, Adam, and Gabe, Stephen became known in the drumming community through YouTube.
He currently has over 300k+ followers.
Although some of his videos on Youtube are primarily for fun. It’s his website, where he goes more in-depth about technique, beats, fills, and gear.
Stephensdrumshed.com contains more than 70 courses, usually 2 hours up to 7 hours long.
Lessons are 10 minutes up to 60 minutes long and mainly aimed toward beginner and intermediate drummers.
An excellent and unique website section I run into is SDS Tech Talk. Here you can find videos on gear, drum tuning, apps, and tools for recording.
Online drum platforms often neglect these topics.
For all beginners, Stephen created “The Warrior Way.” It’s a step-by-step guide for beginners with 11 courses.
The main downside is poor user experience in video loading.
Whenever I clicked on the timeline in the video it took longer than I expected.
It might be only me and my internet connection, but videos hosted internally usually have this issue. That’s why some platforms host their videos on Youtube.
Who is it for?
It’s for beginners and intermediate drummers who want to participate in the active drumming community.
Stephen’s website is the drum platform with the most active community I’ve seen. They have Q&A Sessions 5-7 times a month where you ask a question via video and get a reply by video as well.
Sometimes it’s Stephen who replies but sometimes, someone from his team.
Great platform for beginners
FEATURES
- Access to all courses
- Live chat / Email Support
- 7+ courses
- Single instructor
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Easy to follow system
- Structured curriculum
- Hundreds of additional audio file drum beats
- Over 100 accompanying music-notation PDFs
REASONS TO AVOID
- No superstar drummers
- Pricey for the number of video materials
- Aimed towards beginners
Why Drum ambition?
Drum ambition is a straightforward platform with a clear goal in mind.
Learn beginner drums.
Their lessons are lined up logically and packed into 7 courses.
I don’t see them adding new videos to this “beginner’s swiss knife” but instead pushing their own methodical approach contained in these 7 drum tutorials.
Here is what they said to me about their drum learning program:
“One-teacher approach. The fact that we don’t have multiple celebrity drummers is what sets us apart, which is viewed as a positive among our customer base”
“While we choose not to feature celebrity drummers, we do have endorsements from some of the best in the world, including Thomas Lang, Gregg Bissonette, and Rich Redmond, as well as happy customers in over 60 countries”
Who is it for?
It’s for beginners who don’t want to be overwhelmed with large platforms like Drumeo and Drum Channel.
Drum ambition goes straight to the point. You don’t get to geek out on Dennis Chambers or listen to podcasts, but you learn drums.
It will take you around 16 hours to watch all of their drum courses.
For drummers who are into swung grooves
FEATURES
- Over 200 Video Lessons
- Over 400 Pages of Written Lessons
- Drumless Play Along Tracks
- New Lessons Added On a Regular Basis
- Direct Access to Stanton Via The Interactive Community Forum
- 14-day free trial
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- In-depth video lessons
- Real time chat with Stanton
- Learn swung grooves from direct source
REASONS TO AVOID
- Less videos than Drumeo & DC for the same price
Why Stanton Moore Drum Academy?
Stanton is a Grammy-winning drummer from New Orleans. He is most known for his “swamp” grooves based on the triplet feel.
He has a solid database with more than 200 videos.
You should expect to improve the grooves you already know and expand your drumming vocabulary to more stuff you are going to actually need in a band.
Who is it for?
Stanton has materials for drummers of all levels.
He teaches anything from rudiments and foundation to advanced stuff like feel and time.
He offers a 14-day free trial, so you can check it out and see it yourself.
For drummers who are into grooves and creativity
FEATURES
- Unique courses and drum books
- Master teacher
- Creative systems
- Multiple languages
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Unique approach
- Developing timing and sound
- Highly creative lessons
- Lifetime purchase
REASONS TO AVOID
- Only a couple of courses
Why Benny Greb?
Benny Greb is easily one of the most creative drummers we have today.
He teaches stuff that will stick forever, and if you follow his methods, there is no way you don’t become a true professional.
Although his technique should not be neglected, his lessons shoot for “more important stuff” than speed and chops.
You can heavily prosper from his book “Effective Practicing for Musicians” alone.
Benny is a wise guy whose words powerfully ring out in the drumming community.
Who is it for?
It’s for drummers of all levels because Benny’s teaching is essential at every level.
Don’t expect him to teach you the “1st grade material,” like how to hold drumsticks.
Instead, expect the nitty-gritty of:
- drum tuning
- developing a sense of time
- developing your own sound
- mastering time
Talking about developing time. I suggest you try out Benny’s metronome app called Gap Click; it’s the best metronome app for sure.
Great for developing coordination and creativity
FEATURES
- All Levels
- Guided courses
- Fundamentals
- Fills and Soloing
- Track Your Progress
- PDFs and Transcriptions
- Downloadable Lessons
PLANS
REASONS TO USE
- Creative drum systems
- Personalized contact
- Expand your creativity
- In-depth courses
REASONS TO AVOID
- Less videos than Drumeo & DC for the same price
Why JP Bouvet?
JP arose as one of the most creative drummers ever to win Guitar Center Drum Off.
He proved himself as a master drummer long ago, but now he is setting new standards as a teacher.
His lessons cover methods and systems rather than single licks and grooves.
The idea with systems is when you adopt and master them, you will instantly have dozens of grooves at your disposal.
Who is it for?
It’s for drummers of all levels since JP methods incorporate systems crucial for drumming, like:
- linear coordination
- fluidity
- reading
- writing
- independence
I strongly advise all young drummers to learn systematically.
If you learn one lick, you know that one lick, and you can use it, right?
But, if you learn the whole system behind that lick, then you know how that lick was created, so you can create many more by yourself.
Are online drum lessons worth it?
On average, one month on an online drum platform costs as one private drum lesson.
Here’s what’s best!
Online drum studying gives you access to legendary drummers, various drum communities, and a much more comprehensive range of material than one drum teacher can cover.
The average cost is $29 per month and spending $200 to $300 to learn drums in 1 year is worth it.
What is the hardest part of learning to play drums?
The hardest part of learning drums for beginners is independence and linear coordination.
For intermediate and advanced drummers, that’s playing odd time signatures and metric modulations.
How I Picked
I’ve been drumming for two decades now and I went through every single possible online drumming lesson you can think of. Luckily, there are many great available lessons that you can learn from even for free.
I set up the criteria mentioned above and dived into searching. I took into consideration online lessons that I also used and that helped me with my drumming experience. However, I also checked the less popular ones and tested them as well. I also went through online platforms, drumming courses, and videos.
I highly prised the level of personalization these lessons offer so this was one of my most important features when picking the best ones. After I chose the 50 best ones, I dove deep into testing their features, options, navigation, and so on.
How I Tested
I tried to test as many websites as possible. Even the ones that are not as popular as for example Drumeo or Dave Weckl drum school. I didn’t care about the name but I cared about the good and satisfied reviews from their students and then good feedback from myself.
While some websites were tested for free, some I had to pay in order to get the full experience. I applied the same criteria to every test I conducted. That includes accessibility, learning approach, progress tracking, lesson depth, and navigation system.
Why you should trust me
As a drummer and percussionist with over 15 years of experience, I’m deeply passionate about drumming. My insights and writings have earned recognition in Drum Magazine, reflecting my commitment to the drumming community.
I focus on providing authentic advice and well-researched recommendations, drawing from extensive hands-on experience. My aim is to deliver relatable and informative content that supports drummers of all levels in their musical journey.
My name is Denis. I am a drummer, percussionist, music enthusiast, and blogger. Drums have been my passion for 15 years now. My idea is to write about the things I like and I am interested in. I want to share my drum passion with fellow musicians who walk, talk, and breathe drums.
