I stumbled upon Drumeo.com in March, and I have to say, my whole motivation for drumming has changed. "Drumeo" stands for "Drum Education Online," and that's exactly what it is. Through Railroad Media, this site boasts several amazing resources to members, among them:
- Streaming live lessons
- Knowledgeable, friendly instructors
- Training packs
- Archived lessons for streaming (about 75 hours as of this post)
- An extensive forum section
- Built-in Chat and Q&A features
- A positive, affirming attitude for drummers of all levels
- Awesome, responsive Web and customer support teams
The streaming live lessons are generally one-hour long with accompanying sheet music and mp3s--all downloadable--for most lessons. The instructors take the time to explain what they're doing, how and why they're doing it, and how you can best integrate the instruction into your practical drumming.
Just one viewing of any of the instructor's lessons will show you that these guys are competent and eager to share what they know with each person--even individually as the lessons progress through a pop-up Chat box and question submit area. There do not appear to be huge egos among the bunch, something drumming seems to engender sometimes. It's all about encouraging and sharing knowledge.
Drumeo has assembled various high-quality Training Packs" that you may purchase, either in physical or online format. These include important areas like drum rudiments (which I'm working through now, having NEVER had a lesson on these my entire 30-ish years of playing), Latin and Jazz Drumming, the Cobus Method, Bass Drum secrets, etc. Each pack comes with extensive videos or DVDs, workbooks, sheet music, mp3s or play-along CD's, and even an interactive place for you to ask questions about the materials in the online versions. Purchasing one Pack gets you access to all of the site's resources mentioned above in various quantities. Any way you cut it, it's the best deal around for value-added drum instruction.
There's also an extensive and growing database of archived online lessons (in case you miss a live lesson that your membership allows you to view). These, at just about 1 hour each, also have an interactive dialog box for you to ask questions.
Want to talk about drumming with others just like you? There are many forums to do just that covering everything from drum gear to "who's the best drummer" to "show us pics of your drum kit." The forums provide a place for the creation of a vibrant and truly global drumming community. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. I've never been a fan of so-called "social" media, but this is actually USEFUL.
The Built-in Chat and Q&A features allow contact during and after lessons with the instructor, as well as notices about frequent contests and give-aways. You're only a click or two away from help with any content or from winning something really cool, like a Training Pack or trial live lesson membership.
One of the best things about Drumeo.com is the positive, affirming attitude displayed by the instructors and the drumming community alike. A novice drummer doesn't need to feel self-conscious asking questions about rudiments or basic drum beats, how to set up the kit, etc. Sure, there are those on the site who are advanced in all these things and more, but rather than use the site to boost one's ego at the expense of others, Drumeo is committed to enhancing and promoting "your drumming success" no matter your level of learning.
Lastly, this incredible site has an on-the-spot Web and customer support team. You need not worry about purchasing an online product that does not stream well, for instance. The staff there can either help you troubleshoot those problems or set you up with an account upgrade that allows you to purchase Training Packs in physical format, which they can then ship to you nearly anywhere. And best of all, they're friendly AND knowledgeable about what they do.
So, if you play drums--or have ever wanted to--check out Drumeo.com. It's sure to become on of the Web's best sites, and with good reasons.
