Teaching drums to children

[Pedro G]

My wife is coordinating a new music school for children and, guess what..... she asked me to help her with the drum set students [img]confused.gif[/img] .

I've teached a lot over the years, but basically to young adults who want to become professional musicians, so teaching children is something new to me.

I have a few ideas but I'm sure there must be a few experts here, so any advice, suggestion, material, etc. would be more than welcome.

There will be children from 6 to 12 years in groups from 3 to 5 kids per lesson.

I may not give the lessons myself, but I want to prepare someone and give him/her a defined program, and all the necessary material for the lessons.

Thank you!
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[Jerbear1098]

Both of my boys are learning out of "A Funky Primer for the Rock Drummer" book and "Alfred's Drum Method book 1". They are 8 & 11 and coming right along.My 8 year old is in some pics in my sig. below.

[five eight]

I've taught very young children, as young as six months old. You can't teach somebody that age much but you can instill a love of drumming in them that will last a lifetime. The little man played flams like you wouldn't believe, that was his main lick, flamming. I spent most of my time behind the throne prepared to catch him if he fell. When you're less than 200 days old, and a Pamper is your Equator, the world can go topsy turvy pretty quick. He was so into it however he never fell, but would start bawling when you told him, "Game over."

Youngster's minds are clean slates. You can show a kid something and they'll go, "Oh, that's how you do it," as opposed to, say, one of their parents who'll say, "Wow, that's hard."

A 6-year-old student asked me how I played a Bonham lick with ruffs. He didn't say those words, he sang the lick to me. I showed him once, didn't have to show him twice. An open mind at that age (with potential, that is, not some dill-rod who justs wants to make noise) will soak up finesse, dynamics and concepts like a sponge.

Go for it, Pedro, the rewards will be great.

[Pedro G]

Good suggestions so far, thank you guys.

..........Anyone else?.

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[five eight]

Mr. G., I forgot that PocketPlayer had some great ideas about teaching young people (who can be quite noisy just fidgeting in their school desks and NOT talking). One excellent bit of advice he mentioned was: Take control, and have a sound, two handclaps for example, which means: "Silence!"

Maybe Pocket will read this and add some revelatory commentary. Hey, Pocket, it's summertime and we know you ain't at work, brah, how about it? [img]wink.gif[/img]