How Much Do Drum Lessons Cost For Beginners?

January 23, 2024

Many of the new drummers have asked themselves one question – How much do drum lessons cost for beginners? To make this search easier for you, I’ve spent one full day searching the internet and marketplace so I can provide you with the most accurate information. 

After I compared around 20 different platforms I came to the conclusion that the optimal price set for drum lessons is $15-$50 monthly for online platforms. This means that an approximate hour of drumming lesson costs $15 while live drum lessons can cost up to $50. However, a drum lesson with master drummer Dave Weckl costs $250 an hour and there is a waiting list.

how much do drum lessons cost

Four main factors will determine the price of the drum lessons, let’s check them.

1. Do you want online or live drum lessons?

If you are a beginner or have minimal knowledge, you are more it is better to have live classes. One of the main advantages are:

  • Better interaction with the teacher;
  • Better knowledge characteristics of the instrument;
  • Greater and faster progress in mastering the technique of playing.

Online lessons are already uploaded on the Internet, there are no interactions between the teacher and the student, and are more limited.  

Live drum lessons can cost from $20 to $40 per hour. However, you can pay less for youngsters because it is very likely that their lessons will last 30 minutes instead of one hour.

2. Individual or group drum lessons?

Here are the reasons why individual lessons are more efficient for beginners:

  • The teacher deals with only one student;
  • The student achieves better results;
  • Errors are corrected faster and more efficiently.

The teacher dedicates himself only to the student in the individual lesson, and his problems in learning to play the drums. This influences the price. 

Unlike group teaching which does not have the possibility of sufficient engagement of teachers for each student individually. 

Individual drum lessons are around $30 an hour while group drum lessons are around $15 per hour. 

"You only get better by playing. If you think you stink, you probably do. I consider every drummer that ever played before me an influence, in every way"
traditional grip
Buddy Rich
Jazz Drummer

3. Location of your drum lessons 

The student’s geographical location affects the drum lesson price. For the monthly income of the course in countries with lower living standards, it is necessary to set aside about $20 to $30 a month. 

At the same time, courses of a similar form in some well-known schools in high-standard countries cost incomparably more.

4. The choice of teachers

The more experience and reputation the drum teacher has, the higher the price will be. Here are the top four factors that can include the teacher’s price:

  • Adequately educated;
  • Experience;
  • Reputation;
  • Genre.

If you decide to attend classes with a highly educated professor in not-so-popular genre fields you will have to pay around $40 to $50 per one-hour class.

price of drum lessons for beginners

What are the Best Platforms for Online Drum Lessons and how much do they cost?

After my thorough research, these are the top four most popular and best platforms for online lessons. Here there are.

Dave Weckl Online Drum Lessons

  • Monthly Plan: Full access and cancel at any time – $30
  • Six-month Plan – Discounted: Save $15 for 6 months and cancel at any time  – $165 every 6 months
  • Annual Billing – Discounted: Save $60 annually and cancel at any time – $300 per year

This platform is suitable for every type of drummer, from very beginners to those who want to make their drumming flawless.

Drumeo 

With Drumeo you will have 7 days free trial and then choose one of their two plans:

  • Monthly plan: Unlimited personal support and cancel at any time  – $30 per month.
  • Annual plan: Unlimited personal support and cancel at any time  – $240 per year – save 33%.

Unlike Dave Weckl on the Drumeo platform, you have the opportunity to focus on more types of music including electronic, prog, country, funky, and many others.

Drum Channel

  • 7 days free trial
  • Annual plan – $16.42 
  • Monthly plan – $25
This platform is suitable for advanced drummers, it contains over 250 video lessons rom guys like Thomas Lang, Virgil Donati, Terry Bozio.

Mike Johnston Online Drum Lessons

  • Monthly plan – $29.99
  • 6 Month Plan – $149.95 (1 month free)
  • Annual Plan – $269.90 (3 months free)

To get more thorough information about the best platforms for drum lessons and get into more details check the 15 best drum lessons online and find your perfect match.

dave weckl drum lessons

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is the difference between Online vs. in-person drum lessons?

Online drum lessons are lessons recorded by a drum teacher and are made to be suitable for a wider audience. They are the most affordable option and you can take them from the comfort of your own home. These types of lessons approximately cost $20.

In-person drum lessons are more expensive because the student will have the teacher just for himself. The teacher can either come to your home and practice with you, or practice with you via an online meeting one-on-one. 

These prices depend on the teacher’s experience, location, and education as we mentioned above, but they are usually $10 to $20 more expensive compared to online lessons. 

With face-to-face lessons, the teacher is able to focus on your playing, your problems, answer any of your questions and doubts, and even demonstrate to you anything you ask for.

What is the difference between pre-recorded vs Live drum lessons?

The pre-recorded option is the in-advance recorded drum lesson by a teacher and it is the cheapest way of learning drumming. One of the most popular pre-recorded lessons is the Drumeo platform. These types of lessons are usually app-based lessons that aim to teach you basic drum skills. 

This is totally opposite compared to in-person lessons where you have a teacher by your side to teach you. Here teachers customize the lesson to your own needs, learning pace, and drumming style. 

While pre-recorded lessons are one-way lessons, with live drum lessons the student can get the teacher’s feedback and give you the tips and tricks right away. 

What Do You Learn in Drum Lessons?

Getting to Know Your Drum Set

The first thing you will learn is everything you need to know about your drum set. Your teacher will explain each drum and cymbal and all the other necessary equipment including hardware. You will learn the names, the sounds it produce, and the aim and use of each drum and cymbal. 

Drum Techniques

You will learn the basic drum techniques like how to properly sit on your drum throne, how to hold your posture, how to hold your drumsticks, and most importantly how to hit the drums. You will also learn different grips, dynamics, articulation, independence, and so on.

These are some basic drum techniques that you will learn first. Then you will start with your first accurate rhythms and timing and as you progress, you will start learning different drum techniques according to your drumming style and skill level.

Note Reading

In your drum lessons, you will also learn how to read music as well as different musical notations. When you know music theory you will be able to explore a wider range of musical forms and genres and play the drums more precisely. This can help you become a more creative and versatile drummer.

Rudiments

Once you are familiar with these basic and more technical things, you will start learning your first rudiments. There are many recognized rudiments, but you will start with the basics, which are the 5 most popular rudiments for beginners including Single Strokes, Double Strokes, and Paradiddles.

Wrap up

If you wonder how much drum lessons cost, the answer is anything between $15 and $50 per month. On average this musical path will cost you $30 a month.

However, a better but more expensive option is one-on-one lessons either live or online. This one will cost you between $50 and $250 per hour depending on the platform and the teacher’s expertise. 

The main difference is that now you’ll have a teacher to tell you when you are doing something wrong and provide you instant feedback and answers to your doubts and questions.

My suggestion is to start slowly with any of the online platforms, then as you progress and you need a more expert approach, you can start with one-on-one lessons and reach that perfect pitch. 

Denis Loncaric
Denis Loncaric

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.

2 Comments
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  1. hi I love any drums and would love to learn to play them I just looked up how much it would cost I might try it on line next year but I will have to see it might stay a dream I realy envy you all the best x

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