Come and learn the practical skills you need to play drumkit in contemporary music: stick technique, four-way coordination, listening and music reading. You will play acoustic and practice kits in class. Please bring your own sticks.
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
As a beginner, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of drum set playing: set up of the drum kit, posture, stick grip and control, some starter rudiments and essential co-ordination exercises - hand to hand and hand to foot. This training aims to teach kit drumming up to the standard whereby you can function in a band.
What will we cover?
- Stick control exercises, warm-ups and rudiments - Introduction to drum notation: 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 notes, triplets, rests - Basic co-ordination on drumset: hand/hand, hand/foot - Rudimentary exercises - Essential grooves - weekly practice of playing together.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Demonstrate good posture and stick control - Count time reliably - Play some rudiments: paradiddle, double strokes - Demonstrate developed co-ordination skills on the drumkit, applying rudimentary forms to the drumset - Play a variety of grooves.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
No prior experience of drumming required, but any music experience will be of advantage.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
As much practical work as possible with practice pads. Some kit work where co-ordination exercises involve hand/foot techniques. Demonstrations and recorded examples, listening, playing along. Build a practice regime. Resources will be available also in the google classroom.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Bring your own sticks, note pad; all practice pads and kit are provided. Written material (exercises and samples) will be provided by your tutor but in addition you may be required to purchase a study book.
Paul has spent most of his adult life playing with sound, making music, and helping others to do the same. In the late 1980s, with 0.5 MB of digital memory, he played his own compositions at clubs and parties around the M25. He first taught music technology in 1990, whilst programming and recording with Asian Dub Foundation, Coldcut, Jeff Wayne, Juno Reactor and, latterly, Dub Colossus. He also studied with jazz drummer and pedagogue John Stevens, and with West African, Brazilian, and Cuban drummers. Paul ran his own recording studio in Belzise Park for 20 years and his interest in audio editing and performing brought him to sound art, leading to a Masters at Middlesex University in 2011, researching mashup culture, multiple simultaneous audio streams and associated issues of ownership. Paul has taught for Community Music, WAC Arts, and now at City Lit, where he teaches Sound Art for Music and for Learning Disabilities, Afrocentric drumming and other practical music courses. He also teaches at Guildhall, as professor of Electronic and Produced Music. He has run three recording studios and now likes to spend time enjoying the countryside and the sounds of nature.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/drumming-1a146309Drumming 1Ahttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/d/r/drumming_2048_3.jpg279279GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Performing arts/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Jazz & popular music/Courses/Courses for beginners228513141351135818391228513141351Come and learn the practical skills you need to play drum kit in contemporary music, including stick technique, four-way coordination, listening and music reading. You will play acoustic and practice kits in class. Please bring your own sticks. The aim of this short course is to introduce beginners to drumming exercises and technique, and enable you to play the drum kit. A drum kit is not required for this beginners' course, however. You will be guided towards development of good practice routines. Understand how to play musically and expressively. Tutor: Mark Huggett.<br />
<br />
This is a live online course. You will need:<br />
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.<br />
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.<br />
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.<br />
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.15https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/d/r/drumming_2048_3_1.jpg3034258Drumming 1A279279https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/d/r/drumming_2048_3_1_15.jpgInStockDaytimeSatKeeley StreetAvailable courses11 weeks or longerWeekend2026-09-19T00:00:00+00:00BeginnersSep 2026Performing artsME630A279279Drumming 1A279279279Paul Chiversdrumming-1a/me630a-2627Come and learn the practical skills you need to play drumkit in contemporary music: stick technique, four-way coordination, listening and music reading. You will play acoustic and practice kits in class. Please bring your own sticks.0000-Available|2026-09-19 00:00:00As a beginner, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of drum set playing: set up of the drum kit, posture, stick grip and control, some starter rudiments and essential co-ordination exercises - hand to hand and hand to foot. This training aims to teach kit drumming up to the standard whereby you can function in a band.Come and learn the practical skills you need to play drumkit in contemporary music: stick technique, four-way coordination, listening and music reading. You will play acoustic and practice kits in class. Please bring your own sticks.- Stick control exercises, warm-ups and rudiments<br/>- Introduction to drum notation: 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 notes, triplets, rests<br/>- Basic co-ordination on drumset: hand/hand, hand/foot<br/>- Rudimentary exercises<br/>- Essential grooves<br/>- weekly practice of playing together.- Demonstrate good posture and stick control<br/>- Count time reliably<br/>- Play some rudiments: paradiddle, double strokes <br/>- Demonstrate developed co-ordination skills on the drumkit, applying rudimentary forms to the drumset<br/>- Play a variety of grooves.No prior experience of drumming required, but any music experience will be of advantage.As much practical work as possible with practice pads. Some kit work where co-ordination exercises involve hand/foot techniques. Demonstrations and recorded examples, listening, playing along. Build a practice regime. Resources will be available also in the google classroom.Bring your own sticks, note pad; all practice pads and kit are provided. Written material (exercises and samples) will be provided by your tutor but in addition you may be required to purchase a study book.Progress to Drumming 1B next term.MusicJazz & popular musicvirtual279279279ME630ANONESat19/09/26 - 28/11/2614:00 - 15:3014:0015:3011 sessions (over 11 weeks)1111 weeks or longerWeekendKSKeeley StreetPaul ChiversBeginnersAvailable courses2026-09-19T00:00:00+00:00DaytimeSep 2026Performing arts279279Drumming 1Adrumming-1a/me630a-2627Come and learn the practical skills you need to play drumkit in contemporary music: stick technique, four-way coordination, listening and music reading. You will play acoustic and practice kits in class. Please bring your own sticks.0000-Available|2026-09-19 00:00:00As a beginner, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of drum set playing: set up of the drum kit, posture, stick grip and control, some starter rudiments and essential co-ordination exercises - hand to hand and hand to foot. This training aims to teach kit drumming up to the standard whereby you can function in a band.Come and learn the practical skills you need to play drumkit in contemporary music: stick technique, four-way coordination, listening and music reading. You will play acoustic and practice kits in class. Please bring your own sticks.- Stick control exercises, warm-ups and rudiments<br/>- Introduction to drum notation: 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 notes, triplets, rests<br/>- Basic co-ordination on drumset: hand/hand, hand/foot<br/>- Rudimentary exercises<br/>- Essential grooves<br/>- weekly practice of playing together.- Demonstrate good posture and stick control<br/>- Count time reliably<br/>- Play some rudiments: paradiddle, double strokes <br/>- Demonstrate developed co-ordination skills on the drumkit, applying rudimentary forms to the drumset<br/>- Play a variety of grooves.No prior experience of drumming required, but any music experience will be of advantage.As much practical work as possible with practice pads. Some kit work where co-ordination exercises involve hand/foot techniques. Demonstrations and recorded examples, listening, playing along. Build a practice regime. Resources will be available also in the google classroom.Bring your own sticks, note pad; all practice pads and kit are provided. Written material (exercises and samples) will be provided by your tutor but in addition you may be required to purchase a study book.Progress to Drumming 1B next term.MusicJazz & popular musicconfigurable
13581351Jazz & popular musichttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/performing-arts/music/jazz-and-popular-music1/2/285/1314/1351/13581/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Jazz & popular music
