Topic: Drum Lesson Set-ups ... One or Two kits?

[Bart Elliott]

I'm doing some research and would like to know what you use and/or prefer.

If you are a teacher, let me know what you use or prefer in your teaching studio. If what you use is different than what you prefer, vote on your preference(s) and why. Feel free to express your thoughts on the subject, giving details to the pros and cons you've discovered with your students and your instruction process.

If you are a student or have taken drumset lessons, let me know what you use or prefer in your lessons. If you've only taken lessons where you and the teacher share the drumkit, vote "One" but feel free to explain if you believe you would prefer having two kits; one for you and one for the teacher. If you've only taken lessons where you and the teacher have your own drumkit, vote "Two" but feel free to explain if you believe you would prefer having just one kit; one for you and the teacher to share. If you have had lessons in both scenarios, one drumkit and two drumkits, vote for the choice your prefer or have found to be the most productive for you. Feel free to explain any thoughts or details.

I've posed the same question on Facebook, should you want to answer there. http://www.facebook.com/questions/10150960903392627/

[Mister Acrolite]

I prefer teaching on two kits, but have done plenty of teaching with just one.

In fact, sometimes the single kit can be more effective, because when you make something sound really good on the same kit, the student knows that the potential to sound good lies in the player, not the equipment.

And let's be honest: often the kits you teach on aren't that great, if you're using a music store or other teaching facility outside of your house. There's something very democratic about making that beat-up set of CB700s sound good in front of a kid who's willing to blame most of his or her problems on the gear they're using.

[Bart Elliott]

For me there are pros and cons to both approaches.

One kit affords me the ability to watch closely as the student plays, looking at technique, movement, etc. This is also advantageous for the student as they can closely examine my playing when I'm on the kit.  One kit takes up less real estate as well.

Two kits allows for simultaneous performance between the student and teacher. Time is saved by not having to switch places when the teacher needs to demonstrate something. Also, the student can position the drumkit set-up the way they want it; no need to continually move things around every time a player switch is made.

I think for me, if space permits, I would have two kits set-up ... and I would just move back and forth, from the kit to standing by the student, as necessary.

The times that I only have one drumkit set-up, I always have other percussion around (eg. shakers, tambourine, cowbell, congas, cajon, etc.) that I use to groove along with the student as well as demonstrate the drum groove but on percussion.

[Michael Beechey]

I teach at a music store with a cheapie set and a Pearl Traveller set, with regular heads. I have been trying face to face setups, bass drum to bass drum, which I prefer to side by side. More eye contact and better communication.

Only downside for younger students is that they sometimes get confused with regard to sticking, etc, since it's like they are looking in a mirror.

Anyone else use that configuration?

[Bart Elliott]

Only downside for younger students is that they sometimes get confused with regard to sticking, etc, since it's like they are looking in a mirror.

Which is the very reason why I don't like this set-up. The only time it's worked well for me is when I'm teaching left-handed drummers using a left-handed set-up.

Years ago, when I had to use this set-up due to lack of space, I would play open-grip in an attempt to make it less confusing. For some students, this seemed to help with the already confusing mirror image. Not seeing the crossed hands (ie. right hand on HiHat), seemed to help a bit.

[Andy Ziker]

Great topic, Bart!

In the article I wrote about an ideal teaching studio environment, http://www.drummercafe.com/education/articles/20-aspects-to-an-ideal-teaching-studio-environment.html, I speak to this. I prefer to teach with 2 drumsets, side-by-side, with the teacher's kit on the left side.

Everyone who responded brought up interesting points. Here's my take on these.

I prefer teaching on two kits, but have done plenty of teaching with just one.

In fact, sometimes the single kit can be more effective, because when you make something sound really good on the same kit, the student knows that the potential to sound good lies in the player, not the equipment.

And let's be honest: often the kits you teach on aren't that great, if you're using a music store or other teaching facility outside of your house. There's something very democratic about making that beat-up set of CB700s sound good in front of a kid who's willing to blame most of his or her problems on the gear they're using.

In my article, I mention that it is preferable to have 2 kits as close to one another (in quality, appearance, tuning, sizes, etc.) as possible.

I would recommend two beat-up sets of CB700s over one.

For me there are pros and cons to both approaches.

One kit affords me the ability to watch closely as the student plays, looking at technique, movement, etc. This is also advantageous for the student as they can closely examine my playing when I'm on the kit. One kit takes up less real estate as well.

Two kits allows for simultaneous performance between the student and teacher. Time is saved by not having to switch places when the teacher needs to demonstrate something. Also, the student can position the drumkit set-up the way they want it; no need to continually move things around every time a player switch is made.

I think for me, if space permits, I would have two kits set-up ... and I would just move back and forth, from the kit to standing by the student, as necessary.

The times that I only have one drumkit set-up, I always have other percussion around (eg. shakers, tambourine, cowbell, congas, cajon, etc.) that I use to groove along with the student as well as demonstrate the drum groove but on percussion.

This is exactly what I do. I have two kits set up in both of my studios, but I don't always hang out on the drum throne of the teacher kit. In fact, I have one of those office-style rolling chairs to facilitate my movement back and forth. I'm constantly on the move during a lesson. (At times I must seem hyperactive: rolling in the chair, standing up, sitting down, to the right, to the left, etc.)

Moving around like this might seem like a waste of time, but I scurry around the studio(s) pretty quickly. However, it can sometimes be a waste of time if the student has to stand up and sit back down too many times.

I teach at a music store with a cheapie set and a Pearl Traveller set, with regular heads. I have been trying face to face setups, bass drum to bass drum, which I prefer to side by side. More eye contact and better communication.

Only downside for younger students is that they sometimes get confused with regard to sticking, etc, since it's like they are looking in a mirror.

Anyone else use that configuration?

You're right. Face-to-face set-ups do promote better communication. However, the mirror-image hurdle is too steep to overcome in my experience.

With the set-up that I describe in the article, it's very easy for the student to make eye contact with the teacher. If closer communication is required, I roll on over closer to the student and engage them there.

Also, think about how most drum videos are produced. Sometimes, the instructor is filmed from the front of the drumset when talking into the camera (sometimes not). But when the actual demonstrations take place, the view is most often from the left or right side and sometimes from up above.   

[Jeff Johnson]

Both of my teaching locations have two drum sets.  They are set up side by side.  You can see the general setup on my website under "Studio Tour" www.johnsondrum.com  The kits now are set up facing the wall, unlike the pic on the website.  I don't spend the entire lesson on drum set, so I also have a mirrored corner with snare/pads for technique analysis. 

I have taught at stores in closet size rooms.  Some had practice pads.  Others had drum sets that were beaten up.  When I designed my home studio, I wanted the student to feel comfortable.

In my own experience as a student, I studied at Drummer's Collective where they had two drum sets in most rooms.  I have also studied with other private teachers, mostly on one drum set.

Jeff

[Bill Bachman]

I like 2 sets so that you can trade licks & groove together. Of course, most of the time I use 1 drumpad and 2 stools! 

[Andy Ziker]

Here is my 2-kit setup at my studio at Linton-Milano Music in Mesa, AZ.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=430850646926925&set=a.149077861770873.27028.146044865407506&type=1&theater

[David Stanoch]

Greetings to all,

Interesting thread! I’ll chime in since you’re polling, Bart.

I teach in so many different places, I’ll take what I can get -  including no drumset at all, which was something brought home to me by the great Steve Smith when I had a chance to shed a bit with him in a club a couple years ago where we sat in dining table chairs with a pair of sticks and played with our feet on the floor in full 4-way coordination mode. He mentioned he does a LOT of practicing that way in airports and the like and for us it worked just fine.

In my classroom at McNally Smith College of Music I have two kits placed side by side in what I call "performance mode.” I remember reading Jim Keltner’s description of how and why he and Ringo set up like they did in this same way for George Harrison’s "Concert for Bangladesh,” so that, with Jim having a clear view of Ringo’s backbeat, they could really lock in. This is my preferred scenario.

In my home studio, where I rarely teach, I either teach on just the one kit I keep set up in there, or throw up a second kit for the occasion, which, due to space, would be facing the “house kit."

For the record, I loved and totally agree with Mister Acrolite’s comments on the advantages of using one kit and since I don’t teach beginners regularly, I don’t worry about the mirror-image issue that Bart discussed. If it was a concern where space was an issue then I’d strip back down to one kit.

Also, I dig where Andy’s coming from with his comments about having the kits close in sound to each other - I do that in my MSCM classroom as well. I also dig it when I have the opportunity to use kits that are set up differently, like say a general characteristic rock/funk set up, with tuning, BD muffling, cymbals, etc., all typically stylistic to the idiom, paired with a be-bop or big band jazz set up, again with stylistic tuning - open BD, cymbals, etc.

It’s cool to give the student a chance to experience the differences on many levels - sound-wise, feel-wise, etc. The kits tend to respond much differently and it’s easy to demonstrate how each accommodates the general dynamic balance typically needed, in say a rock vs. jazz style, which can also open discussions and experiments regarding how to set up in ways needed when you have to play a cross section of music on a show and have a choice of what gear to bring and how to tune it, etc.

As an aside, the only double-drumming gig I do with any regularity features two kits in the type of combination described above. They actually blend quite well and provide a very wide range of color which serves the variety of musical styles we incorporate, and it makes the sound of the drumming much more open than two kits tuned the same way would on this particular gig.

I know there’s a lot of good options available these days for having a teaching studio that’s tweaked optimally and I’m into all that, but at the end of the day the connection between the teacher and the student and the quality of the instruction is the main thing. I think a teacher certainly needs some quality resources to be competitive but the quality of the teacher comes first. We are only limited by our own imaginations when it comes to how to work with what we’ve got.