Today I wanted to write a little about how you should start learning the drums. With all the information out there, it’s hard for students or teachers to know what techniques or concepts to start with. At one point in my life, I taught 40 students every week. Each one of those students had a completely separate curriculum, even if they both started drum lessons at the same time. So whether you are a teacher or a student, the most valuable knowledge I can give you is that everyone is different and no one learns exactly the same. When customizing yours or your students lesson plan, it is most important to keep this in mind, never putting yourself or the student into a box. So how do you figure out what to learn? Well, to start, I would recommend writing out all your goals for drumming. Some of you may just want to be a weekend warrior, and some of you may have aspirations to hit the big stage and play in front of thousands of people. Either goal is achievable, but the route that you take to get to them is very different. For the student that wants to just play for their own enjoyment I would recommend playing along to a lot of music as well as learning different drum beats and fills. This approach will get you jamming with your friends in no time. For the student who is looking to possibly make a career out of playing the drums I would recommend studying technique, sight reading, and playing different styles of music, and learning all of your drum rudiments. I am using these only as examples, as like I said earlier, every students lesson plan will be customized based on their exact drumming goals. There are some people who have gotten it into their head that there is only one proper way to learn the drums. This mindset, in my opinion, is wrong. I hope this article helps you in your journey of learning the most exciting instrument to play in the world. Remember to always be patient and have fun! Note: If you would like to setup a structured practice routine based around your drumming goals I highly recommend checking out the Drumming System and included Practice Routine Generator.