Learn and Master Drums Review

It was a tough choice when we were evaluating drum courses for this site. Learn and Master Drums is part of the award winning family of self study music courses from Legacy Learning Systems. We’d seen the guitar and piano course and knew they quality they usually produced, and they didn’t let us down with the drum course.

This is an easy to follow course that provides just the right amount of content for beginner and intermediate drummers. When I say just the right amount I mean they provide a primer on a lot of different topics but avoid getting weighted down in any one area of learning the drums. This means it’s fun and interesting to learn the drums from these lessons.

The DVDs

The video lessons are the heart of the course. There are 12 DVDs included and over a years worth of content in the lessons. If you compare the cost of private drum lessons (about $1000 a year) to the cost of the Learn & Master Drums system ($149) it’s about 1 /10th the price.

Each video lesson takes advantage of multiple cameras and multiple angles to help you get a complete picture of what you’re learning.

On screen graphics are also used when new concepts are being introduced. A simple thing but the on screen graphics used in the dvd drum lessons are the same graphics you’ll find in the lesson book when you’re practicing.

Topics Covered

As I mentioned this course covers just the right amount of content in a variety of topics. Also it’s a good mix of learning by ear, notation and musical theory. There’s nothing like hours and hours of musical theory or Notation to make you bored, that’s why you’ll learn to starting playing with the high-hat and snare within the first 2 sessions.

Over all based on the topics covered and the styles covered this course will make you a very well rounded drummer by the end.

I’d say that if you’re goal is to be able to pound on the drums in a heavy rock or metal band then Learn and Master drums might not be for you. You may want to consider the Rock Drumming System.

Jam Tracks and Lesson Book

The 70 odd jam songs supplied on the 5 Jam Along Cds are a blast to practice with. When you’re starting out it can be hard to get the feel for different techniques without being able to play along with other instruments. These Jam discs solve that problem.

Your friends, family (and probably the neighbours) will be impressed (well the neighbours could be a little annoyed) when they hear you playing through full songs so quickly.

The lesson book is broken up into sections that correspond to each session on the DVDs. Through out the sections in the lesson book you’ll be referred to the Jam CD number and track so you can practice the songs being taught.

Listen to a few of the Jam Tracks Now

Great Teacher

Dan Shill authored and instructs the Learn and Master Drums course. Dan is a professional performer, studio musician and teacher in Nasvhille TN. From his full bio he lists several different agencies he’s involved with as a teacher in the community. He has taught one-on-one for many years and that comes through in these drum dvds.

I found that while these were dvd lessons they’re very personable feeling almost like a private session between you and Dann.

Support

Bar none Learn and Master has the best support and community in the industry for all of the products they sell and Learn & Master Drums is no different.

The online support website and community is well populated from other course owners and like all the Learn and Master instructors Dann Shill pokes his head in there frequently to answer questions and provide feedback and encouragement.

This part of the course is well worth the price alone in my opinion. It can be tough at some points when you’re learning an instrument on your own but having a community like this one to refer to helps make you feel like you’re part of a larger group with a common goal.

Beyond the support there’s also a 60 day money back guarantee if you aren’t completely satisfied with the course. Simply send it back for a full refund no questions asked.

Conclusion

Learn and Master Drums is the best course we’ve seen for beginners and intermediates who are looking for a well rounded education on the drums.

The long list of topics and styles covered supports the fact that Dan Shill isn’t just stuck to one style and he wants to pass that knowledge on to you.

The DVD video quality is great, the lessons are easy to follow and the lesson book and Jam Tracks make practicing fun.

The only con I see is that if you are looking to be a hard rock drummer you might want to consider the rock drumming system if you already have some experience on the drums.