Recently, I received an email asking what the best age was to learn drums. Below is an excerpt from the answer I gave, I hope that it is helpful and if you have any thoughts or further questions, please consider contacting me via my Contact Form. Thanks for reading!
I typically say the best age to learn drums is between age 9 and 13. However, I currently teach students as young as 5 and as old as 50 and age alone is not an indicator of success in learning drums.
Success in learning a skill such as drumming will come from disciplined (i.e. regular and focused) practice, and a sense of self-motivation. If those qualities are present, age doesn't matter. I've found that many younger students are more interested in exploration and "play" and are not yet self-motivated enough to put in the work necessary to practice on a regular basis. I think this sense of exploration is important in one's learning process, but can be done without the aid of a teacher (although I'm well equipped and experience to aid in this area as well). Often this exploration can bring about a memorable bonding experience between parent and child. Group classes such as Kindermusik and Music Together as well as community drum circles can help foster the joy of music and the sense of play.
For many of my younger students, I usually suggest to the parent that we do a few lessons and see how it goes. Ultimately I want what is best for the child and I want my students to enjoy the learning process.
It is difficult to know if we'll be successful at something until we give it a try. I suggest if you or your child is showing interest in learning drums please feel free to contact me, sign up for a lesson and see what you think!
