Monday, December 2nd
2024 Drum Lesson Program Reviews
Learn & Master
- Priced at $249
- One-time purchase
- 17 DVD lessons
- 70 play-along tracks
- Different musical styles
- Many teachers
- Beginner to intermediate level
- 60-day money-back guarantee
- 4.5-star rating from retailers
- "A+” rating from the BBB
Learn & Master is a multi-program teaching company developed by Legacy Learning Systems. Offering a variety of lessons including piano, guitar, painting, ballroom dance, photography, and (of course) drum lessons, Learn & Master is a reliable site with a variety of materials. However, some modern students might be surprised to find that the primary method used by Learn & Master is DVDs. Compared to other sites for drum lessons that offer streaming and mobile apps, the Learn & Master program may be best for those who prefer (and have access to) more old-fashioned tech.
Multiple drum styles and beginner-friendly courses
Before we go into the DVD problem, let's talk about the course itself. Learn & Master Drums includes follow-along video lessons on all of the most popular styles of drumming. The program offers play-alongs made by professional musicians in the studio and a variety of helpful topics. Some of the lessons offered include:
- Setting Up the Drum Kit
- Good Practice Habits
- Tips to Drum Soloing
- Swing Drum Playing
- Reggae Drum Playing
- Playing a Shuffle
- Double Bass Drumming
- Drum Fills
- Classic Beats of Famous Rock Songs
The play-alongs include over 70 tracks both with and without the drum part, so you can practice with a pro and then play your own version when you're ready. However, there is no live content at Learn & Master, so you're going to have to do a lot of self-teaching.
Old tech is a huge drawback
If you're looking for a modern way to access drum lessons, Learn & Master isn't going to be it. The lessons are only offered on DVDs and the play-alongs are on CDs. For many students, a DVD or CD player may not be part of their home tech anymore. With the popularity of streaming services, Learn & Master feels significantly out of date. This easily leads to further costs if you have to go out and buy equipment to access the drum lessons.
Beginner to intermediate lessons
The primary focus of Learn & Master seems to be on absolute beginners. The drum lessons help you set up your drums and develop your practice habits from the ground up, so this program may be a step backward for advanced drummers. Some of the drum lessons on Learn & Master include material for intermediate students, but if you want to advance beyond that, you may need to find a different program entirely.
Priced at $249 per package
A major benefit of choosing Learn & Master is that it's fairly low-cost, and you only have to pay once. The price for the 17-disc edition of Learn & Master Drums is normally offered for $249. This includes 12 lesson DVDs, 5 play-along CDs, a lesson book, and access to the student support site. However, at the time of our review, the entire set was out of stock and couldn't be purchased.
Limited 60-day guarantee
Currently, Learn & Master offers a 60-day return policy. If you are unhappy with your Learn & Master program for any reason, you can easily return it within 60 days for a full refund. However, Learn & Master does not offer refunds for the cost of shipping (including shipping to you and shipping costs for returns). If there are any defects on the CDs or DVDs, you will also be charged for sending back the defective items.
Stellar ratings across the board
Despite its drawbacks, the ratings for Learn & Master Drums are impressive. Currently, Legacy Learning Systems (the parent company of Learn & Master) has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau. On outside retailers, Learn & Master Drums has an average customer rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. For customers who had DVD systems and were able to use the program, Learn & Master was a standout way to learn drums. Students loved the progression of lessons and the slow technique-building exercises. However, the most recent review on outside retailers is from 2019, which indicates Learn & Master may be having some difficulty selling to modern students who don't have DVD players.
Too much hassle and too low-tech
While we love the high praise for Learn & Master, the technology problem is a drawback. Most sites with Learn & Master's positive reputation would normally earn a solid 4 or 4.5 stars in our review, but the fact that many modern students may not have the technology necessary to run the Learn & Master drum lessons is a huge factor in its lower rating. While you can buy a DVD player and CD player, this is just an extra cost for your drum lessons. Plus, Learn & Master doesn't offer the convenience of modern streaming. You'll have to carve out time to be in front of your TV or CD player to practice. Since other drum lessons offer more convenience and technology-savvy programs, Learn & Master drops in our review despite its high ratings. But if you've got a DVD player and can find the Learn & Master Drum package when it isn't sold out, you may enjoy the lessons as much as previous students.
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Where is the Best Place to Take Drum Lessons?
Ever sit and listen to your favorite bands and dream of being the next lead drummer? Whether you like jazz, classic rock, or you just grew up trying to beat the high score on "The End” by the Beatles on Rock Band, we get your groove. Drums are one of the most interesting instruments out there and a great way to enjoy learning rhythm, get your cardio in, and gain all the benefits of music education at the same time.
No matter what anyone says, the drums are the most important building block of the band (we love you, lead singers, but it's the drummer's turn). Go on, pick your favorite song, and listen to it on YouTube with "no drums.” You'll feel the emptiness, like the heartbeat of the piece is missing.
Drum Lesson Program FAQ
Continued from above...
While all elements of a song are needed to create music magic, the drums are the basis of the beat. In the studio, the drummer usually puts his or her tracks down first to give everyone the beat to follow. And there's no age limit to learning the drums; so, no matter where you are in your journey, you can pick up drum lessons anytime.
Drums have a unique history as one of the oldest instruments known to man. While most people are familiar with the drums through our favorite bands ("Moby Dick” by Led Zeppelin, anyone? Or maybe you're a fan of "Drumming Song” by Florence + The Machine), you can find drums in almost every culture. From steel pans in Trinidad to tabla in India, drumming has been used as an ancient art form since over 7,000 BC. And drums aren't just for music. In Africa, drums have been used for long-distance communication for centuries. So, whether you're trying to be the next Ringo Starr or explore music from another culture, the drums are a great place to start.
Many recent studies show that there are plenty of benefits to drumming when you practice a few hours per week. Most drummers work on two motor skills at the same time, so regular drumming practice can help you improve your ability to perform multiple large body movements in different directions at the same time. Drummers also have more symmetrical brains because regular drumming can make your brain more efficient. Cool, right?
Plus, drummers tend to have better connections between different hemispheres of their brains, so you don't have to worry anymore about being "Right” or "Left” brained; you'll be doing it all once you start drumming. The benefit that most surprised us was that drummers tend to be calmer, and drumming can have positive impacts on those with ADHD. Drumming really helps you get all that energy out.
Ready to rock and roll? Great! - but now you might be stumped at where to find the best drum lessons. It can be costly to pay for private instruction, and not everybody has the time. Luckily, there are plenty of online drum lessons to choose from. Here are a few things to consider as you browse different courses and teachers:
- Cost. People make a career out of music, so it can get pricey to pick up lessons. As you browse drum lessons, make sure that the course or teacher offers what you need within a budget you can handle. You'll want to look at who is teaching and how far you'll get with the instruction (do they stop at beginner or can you go all the way to advanced or professional?) to make sure the cost and value are worth it.
- Methods. Learning anything is a personal experience, and you know how you learn best. So, keep an eye out for drum lessons that teach the way you like to learn. Whether that's synchronous online video lessons or distance learning from videos and booklets, you'll want to be comfortable learning throughout your drumming journey.
- Guarantees. Sometimes things don't work out, and that's okay. But you want to make sure when you sign up for drum lessons that there's a guarantee or refund policy to support you if you change your mind. Some courses offer a trial period to test the drum lessons for yourself. Either way, you want to make sure you can move on to a better teacher or course if the first one doesn't work out.
- Reputation. There are plenty of other drummers (pros and beginners too) who have tried lessons and left reviews. Check out what they have to say to help guide you toward your best pick. Third-party review sites like the Better Business Bureau are a great way to see if drum lessons from a particular teacher are worth your time.
To help you start laying down a beat, Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked today's top drum lessons. We hope this gets your toes tapping (ideally on that snare drum) and pretty soon, you could be one of the next names in music history. Let us know when we can buy your new album!
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