Wanstead Drum Lessons

Hello! I’m Ricky, a professional drum kit tutor and drummer offering drum lessons in Wanstead.

What do I teach?

As drummers, it’s essential to open our minds, listen attentively, have fun and do whatever it takes to create brilliant music that others will enjoy. I treat teaching the drums the same way. Flexibility is mandatory…..some budding drummers like to focus on exams and grading, others want to play in bands, and one or two just want to play the fastest bass drum rolls in the world! I therefore tailor my approach to what every student’s goal is. At the same time, there are some basic principles which true drummers live by, such as timekeeping, learning to listen to your fellow musicians and being able to sound good.

Technique is also important for achieving the maximum range of tone, control, groove and speed whilst also keeping you relaxed and you and your equipment damage-free!

I also teach Tabla (North Indian Hand Percussion) so contact me if you’re interested in Tabla Lessons in London.

How do I teach?

I cover all styles of music ranging from pop, rock and metal to funk, reggae, jazz, Latin and world music. Typically I encourage learning real drum beats and playing along to songs right from the beginning, whilst developing listening skills and muscle memory. I gradually introduce music-reading skills, which sounds more intimidating than it is, but gives a student the chance to open up their rhythmic vocabulary to a hundred years’ worth of the world’s greatest drummers. However I am also happy to teach drum students who have no intention of reading sheet music…….indeed there have been many drum stars who never read a single note in their lives!

I give special focus to the musical genres that my students enjoy but often expose them to the great drumming in less familiar styles of music. I also cover preparation for Grade exams from Trinity, Trinity Rock and Pop and Rockschool if aspiring drummers are interested. 

As a Tabla teacher (Indian hand percussion) I also offer both classical Tabla and popular Tabla lessons.

Where do I teach?

I teach mainly in my home studio in Wanstead, London, E11…I have at least two drum kits set up which means I can play along with students. I can also play rhythm guitar and bass, which helps drum students develop their accompaniment skills, crucial for developing the ability and confidence to play in bands. I can also travel locally to students if they have a drum kit and basic audio equipment at home. 

Teaching location…..home studio in Wanstead, London E11 or students home if local and timetable allows….Wanstead, Leytonstone, South Woodford, Redbridge, Stratford, Barking

Online drum lessons

I also offer drum lessons online. This allows me to teach people that cannot get to me so they can enjoy learning drums from the comfort of their home.

A little about myself…….

I have been attracted to the formidable look and sound of drums for as long as I can remember. I started playing drums around the age of 12, after hearing some of the other schoolchildren having their drum lessons and thinking “I can do that”. I’d sneak into the drum room and teach myself beats and drum fills from my favourite songs – mostly heavy rock in the vein of Iron Maiden, ACDC, Motorhead and Led Zeppelin, along with some electro and hip hop beats popular at the time. Being able to read drum music expanded my repertoire and pretty soon I was performing in and out of school in various gigs including my first group called Sixpence Worth of Heaven, a Manchester-indie-influenced band fronted by a now-very-well-known TV sports/Breakfast/gameshow presenter. I was in numerous bands at university, often several at the same time, playing rock, metal, jazz, blues, reggae and soul. As time went on I felt that I wanted to improve my playing technique to be able to play with more finesse, and learn “properly” about drums in greater depth so I started taking lessons from a well known teacher in Chiswick for around 10 years whilst continuing to record and perform with a variety of musicians. I’ve been in around 50 groups altogether playing a range of genres, have recorded CDs and digital releases on iTunes/Spotify etc., writing and performing original music with my bands (The Doog, Subterranea, The Revelation Band and Anaam) as well as playing as a session drummer. I have also gigged around the UK and abroad, and get a special satisfaction from being able to pass on the skills and knowledge that I have learnt in lessons, as well as through years of listening and watching other musicians closely and playing in bands. I’m very excited about helping to you take your drumming to where you want to be…and beyond!