A drum tutor will generally guide students through the art of percussion, providing instruction on how to play various kinds of drums. These professionals may teach a single student or a small group, although tutors are usually involved in one-on-one instruction. Drum tutors can provide assistance to beginners, those with intermediate drum skills, or those looking at advanced and specialized techniques or unusual kinds of world percussion.
Drum tutors might start out with simple resources on the background of various drum types. These simple basic beginning curriculum items could include tips on physical technique for drumming, especially for drums that are drummed by hand, without sticks or brushes. Basic tutorials might also include information on tonality for drums or different percussion tones.
In serving the needs of a particular student, a drum tutor must often figure out what the student’s specific goals are for percussion. Many students want to master playing a full drum kit for a role as a drummer in a modern band, whether it’s rock, pop, or some other genre. Some other students want to learn marching band drum skills in order to participate in a school or university drum line, or some other type of marching band. Other students may want to practice individual drums that are more obscure and arise from specific world cultures.
In addition to showing students how to play a particular drum or set of drums, a drum tutor may spend a lot of time focusing on the theory of percussion. This professional may reveal to a student how percussion is measured and marked in standard ways, for instance, how sheet music provides guidance to drummers. Complex rhythm requires a lot of attention to tempo and an almost mathematical precision. This is something a drum tutor might discuss at length with a student, while working through any issues with mastering complex rhythms and tempos.
Essentially, the drum tutor provides live one-on-one instruction that will serve the student well as he or she works toward more advanced uses of drums. Drum tutors might help students to prepare for specific songs or pieces of music, or they may focus on more general skills that can be applied to any piece of music. They may help the student to develop skills for free play, or focus on more formal drumming, such as a role in an orchestra or drum line.