Drums • Percussion Tuition
Waltons New School of Music
‘In the beginning was noise. And noise begat rhythm. And rhythm begat everything else.’
– Mickey Hart
‘I think that any young drummer starting out today should get himself a great teacher and learn all there is to know about the instrument that he wants to play.’
– Buddy Rich
Available both in-school and online, the New School’s Drums • Percussion Programme offers expert tuition in drum kit, bodhrán and other percussion instruments for students of all ages and skill levels.
Instruments Taught
We offer tuition in:
- Drum Kit (all genres and styles)
- Bodhrán
- World Percussion (Djembe, Congas, Bongos, etc.)
Drum kit tuition can also include preparation for music grade exams from preliminary to performance or teaching diploma level, as well as Junior Cert. Music and Leaving Cert. Music practicals, and it counts as the ‘personal skill’ challenge area for Gaisce – The President’s Award. (For more information on grade examinations for drum kit, see the Grade Exam Syllabi tab below. And for more information on Gaisce, see the Gaisce – The President’s Award tab on our Tuition Options page.)
Questions about our
drums & percussion tuition?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
In-School & Online Tuition
We offer both in-school tuition, which takes in the New School, and online tuition, which takes place in your own home.
In-School Tuition
We have made a number of changes to the school, its equipment and our policies to make in-school tuition as safe as possible during the time of COVID-19. These include:
- Perspex screens in every classroom.
- Installation of HEPA air filtration/purification units where necessary.
- Antiseptic dispensers available throughout the school.
- Cleaning and disinfection of both classroom instruments and furniture between lessons and classes.
- Regular cleaning of public spaces.
See our COVID-19 Safety Policy page for more information on what we have done, as well as the protocols we expect all In-School students and visitors to follow.
Online Tuition
Online tuition is taught by the same expert teachers as our in-school tuition and takes place where you are, anywhere in Ireland or around the world.
For online tuition, you will need:
- An instrument for tuition and practice (except for voice, theory, songwriting and music technology tuition).
- An internet-connected laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone. (A laptop or computer with webcam and microphone is recommended, as it will have the largest picture.)
- Ideally, internet speed at least 1.5Mb per second. (You can test your speed using Measurement Lab’s Speed Test.)
- Headphones or earbuds, if possible.¹
- Free Zoom software or app.²
- Waltons Music has Zoom headphones and microphones that are ideal for online music tuition and are available at 5% discounts for enrolled New School students. If you would like to obtain a discount, please contact Waltons with your instrument choice and include a scan or photo of your course payment receipt.
- If you haven’t learned music with Zoom before, please see our printable Zoom for Students information sheet for information on how to download and set up Zoom for music tuition.
See our Online Tuition page for more information on online tuition with the New School, as well as the instruments, subjects and courses we offer online.
Tuition Options
Our options for drum kit and percussion tuition, both in-school and online, include:
- Weekly private lessons, 30, 45 or 60 minutes in length.
- Weekly partner lessons and small group lessons, designed for students at the same level of proficiency who enrol together, and available as 30- 45- or 60-minute partner lessons, 45- or 60-minute small group lessons for 3 students and 60-minute small group lessons for 4 students. Online partner and small group lessons are possible both for students in the same location and for students in different locations. Partner and small group lessons are not available for drum kit.
- Single 1- or 2-hour Intensive Lessons.
- Two group courses for beginners – Introducing Bodhrán and Introducing World Drumming. (See Group Courses for Beginners tab.)
See Tuition Options for more information on private, partner and small group lessons, and Enrolment • Fees for tuition fees and enrolment forms.
Group Courses for Beginners
We offer two group courses for absolute beginners:
By the end of the Introducing Bodhrán course, you will have the confidence to play a variety of Irish traditional rhythms and accompany other instruments, both solo and in sessions. The Introducing World Drumming course is a practical, hands-on introduction and exploration of world drumming and rhythm traditions.
‘Great [Introducing Bodhrán] teacher, full of knowledge, who made the classes fun and incorporated extra teaching tools to go above and beyond.’
– T. Stephenson
‘I had been looking for a course like this [Introducing World Drumming] and am so glad I found it. Exceeded my expectations.’
– E. Donohue
Other Courses
Introducing Music Technology is a practical, hands-on online course designed to teach absolute beginners how a computer or laptop and free music production software can be used to produce professional-quality recordings at home.
Ableton Live Basics is another online course that covers the essentials of Ableton Live, one of the fastest, most fluid and most flexible DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) available. The course is designed both for those who have Ableton Live software and for those who have Ableton Live Lite, which comes free with a range of music technology hardware.
‘I have wanted to do a music technology course for years, but the opportunity didn’t come up until I saw that Waltons were offering an online version of their Introducing Music Technology course. Signing up was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I thoroughly enjoyed the course. My zero experience in recording music was no problem because it is tailored for beginners, and looking back on how much I learned in such a short space of time is incredible! The teacher is very friendly, helpful, and explains things in a clear and concise way. I would highly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in the subject!’
– A. Hickey
Ensembles • Sessions
Drum kit students may be interested in joining one of our two Jazz Ensembles, which introduce students of all instruments to the art of improvisation through the study and performance of blues and jazz.
Bodhrán students may be interested in our Trad Slow Sessions, open to both New School and external students/players, which take place once a month on Friday evenings.
Drums • Percussion Faculty
- Paul Dunne O’Connor • drum kit
- Éamonn Galldubh • bodhrán, Introducing Bodhrán, Bodhrán Tasters, bodhrán Outreach and Music at Work courses
- Solomon Ijigade • Drumming Around the World outreach workshop
- Harry Long • bodhrán, Introducing Bodhrán, Bodhrán Tasters
- Ian McTigue • Drumming Around the World and Sounds Irish outreach workshops
- Hugh O’Byrne • drum kit
- John Sweeney • bodhrán, Introducing Bodhrán, Bodhrán Tasters, bodhrán Outreach and Music at Work courses
New School Stage System
Drum and percussion tuition at the New School is designed to work within our Stage System, a comprehensive methodology for assessing student progress, from absolute beginner to a professional qualification (Performing or Teaching Diploma level).
New School Stages, ten in all, are roughly equivalent to the ‘grades’ of graded music exams offered by widely recognised exam boards (ABRSM, RIAM, Trinity Guildhall, Rockschool, etc.) and progress from beginner to performing or teaching diploma level. Stages and their grade equivalents are:
- Stage 1 (1 term of lessons or an Introducing group course for beginners, equivalent to Preliminary Grade)
- Stage 2 (1 year of lessons, equivalent to Grade 1)
- Stage 3 (equivalent to Grade 2 or an intermediate group course)
- Stage 4 (equivalent to Grade 3)
- Stage 5 (equivalent to Grade 4)
- Stage 6 (equivalent to Grade 5)
- Stage 7 (equivalent to Grade 6)
- Stage 8 (equivalent to Grade 7)
- Stage 9 (equivalent to Grade 8)
- Stage 10 (equivalent to a Performing or Teaching Diploma)
Students who successfully complete a stage can be issued with a certificate of completion. Please let the school office know if you would like this certificate.
See About Our Stage System for more information.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees for private, partner and small group lessons are listed in the Enrolment • Fees section of our website and depend on the length of lessons as well as the duration (number of terms) of enrolment:
- First Term (September-December) • First-Second Term • First-Third Term Fees
- First Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Second Term (January-March/April) • Second-Third Term Fees
- Second Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Third Term (March/April-June) Fees
- Third Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Summer Term (July-August) Fees
- Summer Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Intensive Lesson Fees
Group course fees are listed on individual group course pages.
Tuition Assistance
The New School is dedicated to providing high quality music education for a wide range of students, whatever their financial circumstances, and our Tuition Assistance programme is designed to help defray the cost of tuition with us. Although there are a limited number of Tuition Assistance awards each year, every effort will be made to assist students (or their parents) who, because of financial circumstances, would otherwise be unable to study with us. Tuition assistance awards are in the form of discounts of between 10% and 40% off the student’s fees and depend on the both student’s and the New School’s financial circumstances, as well as the type of tuition. See our Tuition Assistance Policy for more information or follow the link below to apply for tuition assistance.
Enrolment • Booking
Enrolment for drum kit and percussion instrument tuition with Waltons New School of Music requires a completed enrolment form and, except for those students using payment plans, full payment of tuition fees. Intensive Lesson booking requires a completed booking form and deposit.
Lessons & Ensembles
First – Third Terms
Group Courses & Workshops
First – Third Terms
Lessons, Courses & Workshops
Summer Term
Intensive Lessons
Gift Certificates
Questions About
Enrolment & Booking?
Your Feedback
Have you learned – or are you learning – drums or percussion with the New School? We would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to give us your feedback in a brief online questionnaire about your experience. Thank you!
We would also appreciate your Google review, which will help to spread the word about the quality of our tuition.
Martin A. Walton Memorial Scholarships
Running since 1995 and taking place in late May / early June each year, the New School’s annual Martin A. Walton Memorial Scholarship Competition offers the most generous scholarship opportunities of any music school in Ireland. The Competition awards full-year tuition scholarships in three categories:
- Young Student of the Year (students aged 18 and under)
- Mature Student of the Year (students aged 19 and over)
- Most Promising Beginner (students who came to the school as beginners on their instruments)
New School Ensemble Prize
This prize is awarded for the best performance in our Scholarship Competition by an instrumental, vocal or mixed ensemble/group made up of two or more students, as well as for progress over the school year.
Songwriting • Composition Prize
This prize is is awarded for the most creative original composition or song for solo instrument, voice or ensemble, performed by the composer/songwriter alone or with a group.
See Scholarships • Prizes for more information.
Drum Kit Grade Exam Syllabi
Links to downloadable drum kit syllabi (pdf format) with different exam boards:
Friday Casual Concerts
Our Friday Casual Concerts are a great opportunity for students to perform in public, in a relaxed and supportive setting, before friends, family and other students. These brief concerts take place around once a month on Friday evenings at 7 pm in the school and allow individual students and ensembles to show off their skills and learn how to cope with nerves. They are also highly recommended for students preparing for exams.
End-of-Year Concert
Our End-of-Year Student Concert takes place in the National Concert Hall’s John Field Room each June and showcases some of our best students and ensembles, of all ages and in all music genres, as well as scholarship and prize winners in our Scholarship Competition. Performers are selected by their teachers and the school administration.
See School Concerts for more information.
Drum Kit Practice
Our drum kits are available for practice rental by currently-enrolled drum kit students (subject to availability).
See Practice • Rehearsal Facilities for more information.
Student Benefits
Currently-enrolled students (and parents of students) are entitled to several useful benefits, including:
- Discounts on Waltons World Masters Series events
- Discounts from Waltons Music
- Discounts on ensembles, sessions and music theory courses
- Discounts on practice facilities
- Discounts on city-centre parking
See Student Benefits for more information.
Outreach Workshops
Our Drumming Around the World workshop combines dynamic live demonstrations with a variety of fun activities, offering participants an enjoyable and positive introduction to music and rhythm in a multicultural context, as well as ‘hands-on’ experience with a wide range of percussion instruments.
Based on our popular Irish Music Tasters, which have been running since 1999 and taught hundreds of people from all over the world about Irish traditional music, our Irish Music Taster workshops provide engaging introductions to the beautiful melodies and infectious rhythms of Irish traditional music. We offer Bodhrán Tasters, Tin Whistle Tasters, a fascinating one-hour Introduction to Irish Music and Combined Bodhrán or Tin Whistle Tasters and Introduction. See Irish Music Tasters for more information.
Our Sounds Irish workshop is designed to open participants’ ears to the rich tapestry that is our music, our history, and our heritage. The workshop features dynamic live demonstrations and allows participants to develop their musical awareness through the hands-on exploration (using both bodhráns and fiddles) of the forms, rhythms and instruments of Irish traditional music.
See Outreach Workshops for more information on the workshops we offer.
Outreach Courses
Our Outreach Programme offers a range of curricular and extra-curricular music courses for primary schools, post-primary schools and youth centres. We offer a Bodhrán course for absolute beginners as part of the programme. See Outreach Courses for more information.
Music at Work Programme
Music at Work is a unique programme that provides convenient and affordable music courses in Dublin-area workplaces. We offer a Bodhrán course for absolute beginners as part of the programme. See Music at Work Programme for more information.
What is covered in drum kit lessons?
Drumming is a complex skill, and drum kit lessons typically cover a range of elements, including:
- Rhythms & grooves
- Techniques
- Rudiments
- Independence & co-ordination
- Musicianship
- Time keeping
- Drum notation
What genres/styles of music are taught?
Our drum kit faculty, all professional drummers, teach a wide range of music genres/styles, including:
- Rock
- Pop
- Jazz
- Metal
- R&B
- Funk
- Blues
- Country
- and more
Can you prepare me / my child for examinations?
Yes. Although we don’t require students to take grade examinations, we recognise that they are an excellent way to measure students’ progress, recognise their achievements and act as a very useful motivational tool. So drum kit tuition can certainly include preparation for grade exams. (See the Grade Exam Syllabi tab above for links to the syllabi of different exam boards.) Our teachers can also prepare students for Junior Cert. Music and Leaving Cert. Music practical exams.
What will I need to practice with?
For drum kit lessons, students should ideally have a good starter drum kit – which consists of a snare drum, a bass drum, two or three toms, a hi-hat and cymbals – to practice at home. Electronic drum kits, which can be played almost silently with headphones, may be more suitable for some students. Beginners can get started at home on practice pads before purchasing a drum kit.
Are drum kits expensive?
Good quality acoustic or electronic drum kits, suitable for beginner to intermediate students, needn’t be expensive, but not all kits in the same price range are of similar quality. Your teacher is the best source of advice on this.
Waltons Music sells both acoustic drum kits and electronic drum kits, some of which are available at discounts for currently enrolled New School students.
Won't practising a drum kit at home be very noisy?
It doesn’t have to be. An acoustic drum kit can be fitted with sound reducing practice pads and dampers that considerably reduce the level of sound produced. Alternatively, there are some very good electronic drum kits available that can be played through headphones, making them almost silent to others.
What's the point of lessons, when I can use a book or YouTube videos?
While there are many ‘teach yourself’ materials and aids available, determining which to use, where to begin and what path to follow are not so simple. On the other hand, a good music teacher
- has years of experience working with a wide range of students
- will evaluate your skill level and work out a tuition plan specifically tailored to your needs and goals
- can closely observe your technique and progress
- can give you positive feedback on things you do well and constructive advice on areas that need improvement
- can answer your questions and address any difficulties as they arise, so you don’t develop bad habits that may be hard to correct later
- and can provide you with sound guidance to keep you on track and focused on topics most appropriate for your development and personal objectives.
What's the difference between in-school and online lessons?
The only difference between in-school (in-person) and online voice lessons is learning at the New School or learning from your own home, which can be anywhere in Ireland or around the world. (We currently have a number of students living in other countries.) Otherwise, online students will have the same expert voice tuition from the same highly qualified teachers as in-school students. See our Online Tuition page for more information about online tuition with the New School.
Do you offer group drum kit lessons?
Because of the noise level involved, the size of the instrument and the complexity of technique, the New School offers only private (one-to-one) drum kit lessons. We do, however, offer two group courses for beginners in other percussion instruments:
How do I choose the right drumsticks?
A great drumstick is the perfect combination of balance, response, feel and sound properties. Each of these critical factors is a function of a stick’s design – and knowing a little about drumstick design will help you to make the right choice. First and foremost, it’s important to use drumsticks that are comfortable in your hands – neither too big nor too small. The volume and technical requirements of the type of music you’re playing also determine the type of drumsticks to use. Keep the following three elements in mind:
Material
Drumsticks are generally made from hickory, maple, oak or carbon fibre. Each has a slightly different ‘feel’ and sound, which have to do with how the stick transmits or absorbs vibration and how much it flexes.
- Hickory is a common, multipurpose wood for drumsticks.
- Maple is a lighter, more flexible wood.
- Oak is densest but transmits vibrations more; it tends to be more durable.
- Carbon fibre sticks are extremely durable and last significantly longer than traditional wood sticks.
Thickness
Drumstick thickness also changes the sound. Drumsticks are labelled by thickness, with higher numbers represent thinner sticks. However, thickness is not completely consistent between brands. Here are four common ones:
- 7A – thinner and lighter and are ideal for beginning players and players with small hands. They are also often used by jazz students.
- 5A – slightly thicker than 7As. They’re good for rock but are versatile enough to be used for just about any style of music.
- 5B – thicker, more intense drumsticks, and are generally used for rock.
- 2B – especially thick and are often used for metal.
Tips
Finally the tips of drumsticks also change the sound:
- Nylon tips make cymbals sound terrific and give drums a ‘pow’ sound.
- Wooden tips (the most common), give drums a deeper, more traditional sound suitable for jazz and older rock styles. These don’t make the cymbals ‘ring’ as much.
Your teacher can advise you on selecting the right drumsticks both for your skill level and the music you want to play.