The Complete Guide to Drum Lesson Pricing
How Much Do Drum Lessons Cost?
Rose Park
1/26/23 • updated 4/3/24 • 4 min read
The Average Drum Lesson Cost:
Drum lessons generally cost between $40-$80 per hour, but costs can vary widely depending on the teacher’s education and performing level, the location, lesson length and whether they are in-person or online.
The average price for a one-hour drum lesson is $60. Live online drum lessons using Zoom or Skype charge between $20-40 for a half hour lesson. Local private one-on-one lessons range from $35-45 for a half hour lesson, while in-person group lessons can cost $20 for a half hour lesson.
Drum teachers without a music degree will charge as little as $25 an hour, and professionally performing drummers with tour and recording experience might charge well over $150!
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What Determines Drum Lesson Costs?
1. Drum Teacher Level
Drum teachers who don’t have music degrees usually charge around $30 to $35 per hour, but their instruction might not be as pro-level.
If they hold a music degree in a different field such as guitar or vocals, and have some knowledge of drums, their hourly rate might range from $35 to $45. While they have a solid understanding of music, their proficiency in drums may not be exceptional which limits the practical guidance they can offer. This increases the risk that they will teach drum beginners bad habits that will be harmful over time.
Your ideal drum instructor should have at least a Bachelor’s degree in drum, and lessons with those teachers range from $45-$65 per hour on average. Teachers with a Master’s or Doctorate in drum typically charging $50-$70 per hour.
Q. Should beginners learn from professional drum teachers from the start?
Absolutely! For beginners, it’s important to learn the correct way to play drums from the start to avoid developing bad habits. A professional drum teacher can guide beginners smoothly from basic to advanced levels, helping them achieve their musical goals faster through effective practice methods and tips. It’s perfectly fine to switch to a different (and possibly better) teacher later on, but if you can find a more experienced one from the beginning, your drum journey will be solid.
2. Online vs In person lessons
Online drum lessons are generally the most affordable option since the lessons can be set up with a few digital equipment from home. In-person drum lessons at a teacher’s studio typically cost an average of $10 to $15 more, and there is usually a small additional fee of about $10 for the teacher to visit your home.
In-person prices can vary widely though depending on the number of qualified drum teachers in your area. In order to find highly-qualified teachers at reasonable prices, online lessons will be your best bet.
3. Pre-recorded vs Live Lessons
If you’re looking for the cheapest possible drum lessons, there is the option of pre-recorded lessons. These are typically video or app-based lessons that aim to teach you basic drum skills for a monthly fee.
Unfortunately, pre-recorded drum lessons cannot compare to the quality of live one-on-one lessons, where the teacher can customize the lesson material for you or provide live feedback on your playing in real time. Live teachers can help you improve your drumming practice and performance with professional tips they have gained through their rich experience in drumming.
Any student who is interested in becoming a better drummer is better off looking for live one-on-one lessons, such as the $35 half hour lessons offered through Lesson With You.
What Will I Learn in Drum Lessons?
Drum Techniques
In drum lessons, students will learn how to hold the drumsticks and strike the drums with proper weight, in addition to developing good posture and hand placement. Professional drum instructors will also help learners work on playing accurate rhythms, timing, and coordination with their feet, which is important if the student wants to join a band or ensemble.
Music Theory
Drum instructors will teach students on how to read music and different musical notations. Understanding different note values and studying music theory helps students play drums more precisely and explore various music styles and genres, which can expand their range of skills and creativity as drummers.
Rudiments and Ear training
In drum lessons, students learn rudiments—basic drumming patterns—and develop listening skills to recognize rhythms and drum sounds. This will boost your performing skills and ear for detail.
How to Find the Most Affordable Drum Lessons
We surveyed over 100 drum teachers across our own site, Lesson With You, and three other major sites, Tanara.com , Lessons.com and Thumbtack.com, using a random zip code as the location. We specifically looked for teachers who have a degree in drum and teach online lessons.
Lesson With You has a set price of $65 per hour and indeed the value is better than any other site we have found. Drum instructors at Lesson With You has at least a Bachelor’s in drum from schools such as the New England Conservatory of Music, but the lessons are only $65 per hour, making the live online drum lessons an incredible value.
Tonara had the highest average price among qualified drum teachers, at $72 per hour. Even finding a teacher who didn’t major in drum, such as one with a guitar or general music degree, charges online lessons about $60 per hour. Sorting through the options, it became apparent that many of the top teachers didn’t major in drums or percussion, and even those who had a college degree in drums often charge at least $65 for an hour lesson.
Thumbtack has an average price of $60 per hour among the teachers we surveyed. But like Thumbtack, many of the drum teachers listed either did not have a music degree or did not major in drum. Tonara and Thumbtack both have a very large number of drum teachers, so surely there are some good deals, but finding teachers who’s education and prices matched that of the teachers at Lesson With You is difficult and time consuming.
Looking for Professional Drum Lessons?
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Rose Park
Rose Park is a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where she studied Piano Performance and Arts Administration, receiving both Bachelor's and Master's degrees before co-founding Lesson With You. As a pianist, Rose was a prizewinner in many international piano competitions and performed at various summer programs and festivals across the United States, Italy, and Japan.