I don't have anything against being self taught or having lessons. But in my own opinion, drumming and like any other instrument is a language. We learn basic words from the people around us when we were small. Just like you learn a simple lick, a basic groove or fill by hearing other drummers play. We start out by way of emulation, or by copying what we hear. The collection of what we had aquired through years of listening, emulating (through disciplined practice) makes our drumming vocabulary. It pays to have a good teacher to teach you proper technique and discipline. Again, ( I'm using speech as an analogy), we learn to speak before we go to school. But it is in school that they teach us to harness our ability and be fluent in the skill. Just like in drumming, a good teacher guides you in the right and proper execution of playing the instrument. To be a good drummer. Drumming is not just a technical display of dexterity, prowess and barrage of chops. It is about TIME KEEPING, TONE, GOOD TECHNIQUE, AND OFCOURSE THE GROOVE. Now if you have a high level of awareness starting out studying on your own, you won't need a good teacher to guide you. Maybe unless you are what they call the 'kung-fu genius' of drumming, that's one in a million.
There are things that we learn outside of school and things that we learn inside. A combination of the two would be best. A good suggestion for drummers starting out would be to:
1- startout studying on your own. Its more convinient to take lessons from a teacher later on once you know the basics. Meetings would be progressive.
2-Get your hands on cd's of the great drummers that you want.
3-Watch videos of the great drummers that you want.
4-Watch drummers live when you have the chance.
5-Try to emulate what you hear from cd's, watch from videos, andwatch from live performances. This is what you call your formative years.
6- PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. You'll be surprised of new great things that you would learn and discover each time you spend with your instrument.pRACTICE IN FRONT OF A MIRROR IF YOU CAN, THIS WOULD HELP YOU WITH YOUR FORM. Practice with and without a metronome or any time keeping device.
7-Play along cd's of your fav bands. Play different styles of music as much as possible
8-Get a good teacher to guide and teach you to the rudiments and good techniques of execution, and to monitor your tone or unique sound. Ofcourse to teach you to read music. Yeah it's kinda boring for starters, but this helps you a lot in precisely analysing licks and stuff. Helps you getgood session work too
9-Try to incorporate everything in your own playing style. I believe what we should strive for is to develop our own unique voice to the instrument.
Playing the instrument is saying who we are, our personality, our individual uniqueness in playing the drums..
Imagine how boring the world of drumming would be if every drummer sounded alike.
10-join drum communities, or build camaradery among other drummers. Or better build drum gatherrings. You could learn from each other. More heads are better than one.
I hope what i've written helps.
'Cuse the typO's
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