PRIVATE DRUM TUITION
Safeguarding, Security & Inclusion:
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I’m a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme and have undergone child protection and safeguarding training from the likes of the NSPCC and Children in Scotland. I have experience teaching children and adults with autism, dyspraxia, ADHD, APD, FASD, extreme anxiety, and physical disabilities-. establishing a no-pressure environment to help work with them to reach their goals at an achievable pace with an approach that makes them feel comfortable. If you are concerned about leaving your child/vulnerable adult in my care I am more than happy for parents and carers to sit in the lesson or if that's not possible I will gladly record the entire session for your security.
Location, Availability and Pricing:
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Location: When it’s time for your lesson, you’ll need to come to the following address: Unit 2, 2 Harvest Rd, Newbridge EH28 8AN. Online drum lessons are delivered via Zoom. A link will be provided to you ahead of the lesson.
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Availability: Regular slots are available, if your preferred day or time isn't available I can put you on the waiting list and get in touch as soon as anything becomes available. Arrangements can be made in terms of different lesson length and group lessons. I'm generally quite flexible and able to accommodate special requirements. If you’re on the fence about taking lessons with me and want to have a chat and get to know me first, please get in touch! My contact details are further down the page!
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Pricing:
One Half-Hour Drum Lesson (in-studio/online): £24.00
One Hour-Long Drum Lesson (in-studio/online): £32.00
One Half-Hour Drum Lesson (at your home - within 20 mile radius of Edinburgh): £21.00
One Hour-Long Drum Lesson (at your home - within 20 mile radius of Edinburgh): £33.00
One Hour-Long Drum Lesson (at your home - greater than 20 mile radius of Edinburgh): £40.00
Refunds and Cancellations:
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Refunds:
Lessons paid for in advance are refundable (minus lessons already taken) within the 30 day statutory period outlined in The Consumer Rights Act of 2015. Outside of that, I can't offer any refunds.
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Cancellation Policy:
Lessons are subject to a 48 hour cancellation period, outside of which the lesson may be cancelled or rescheduled without penalty. Anything within the 48 hour period that has to be cancelled for reasons that don't involve emergencies are chargeable at the full rate.
Overview:
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I am one of Edinburgh's top-rated drum tutors and offer private one to one drum tuition, both in-person and online. If you choose me as your drum tutor, I will work with you to develop a drumming program specifically tailored to help you reach your goals. Whether that be to just start from scratch and begin your drumming journey; develop your ears and musicality; work on learning rudiments and applying them to the kit; learning how to play like your favourite drummer; refining your technique, or learning the fundamentals of a new genre, I will put the work in to make sure you achieve those goals. I NEVER generalise lessons and I tailor each lesson to the individual. Additionally, I offer my students contact outside of lessons. If you encounter any difficulties whilst practicing, need my advice on anything, or just want to chat about music and drums, I’ll be there for you. All levels of drumming welcomed; from complete beginners to more advanced players.
FAQ's:
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Do you work from a syllabus?
It all depends on the end goal. I find good results come from working on fundamentals, musicality, technique and conceptual ideas and having students choose songs they like for us to learn and explore some of the drumming involved. However, I can and have put students through graded exams, but personally don't push for them unless I think the qualifications would be beneficial or if requested.
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How old is too old and how young is too young?
You can never be too old to start, my oldest student is in his 70s and absolutely loves it! In terms of children, I usually start at aged 7. However I will offer an introductory session to younger kids and can make exceptions based off how well they do in this initial session.
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Do you teach music theory?
Yes. Music theory is a big part of my lessons and I will make sure at the bare minimum my students understand basic drum notation and basic subdivisions so that they have a grasp of what they are playing in relation to the time and have something to follow with their eyes. I can't really structure and progress lessons just doing things by ear so having something tangible to work and build on is essential to maximising potential. Don't be intimidated by this though, rhythmic theory and drum notation is the easiest to understand!
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How do I get booked in and how fast/how much do I have to commit?
I run this all myself, and it's a pretty easy process during the initial consultation: just give me a call, text or email and we'll have a chat to establish what will be best for you based on what you want out of the lessons and how much time you're willing to put in. For adults booking themselves in: in an ideal world, you'd be practising in-between lessons, but some people struggle to do that due to lack of time or practice facility/resources. If this sounds like you, but you still really want to learn the drums... no problem AT ALL. What I do in these situations is take things much more slowly and have you play and work on exercises for a lot longer, this creates a practice element within the session. The overall program in these situations is a lot less work as well. What you spend your money on is your decision, and I will never turn anyone away who wants to explore this instrument regardless of time and commitment constraints- we will work at whatever pace YOU want to.
However, if you are booking your child in for regular lessons, I need them to have some way of practicing within the first month or two of lessons. A practice diary is provided and homework is set to practice between lessons and log practice sessions.
THE CARTER SKILLICORN MONTHLY DRUM SCHOLARSHIP:
Launched in 2023, The Carter Skillicorn Monthly Drum Scholarship is a scheme designed to provide monthly music and drum-kit education to a young person who's family is not in a financial position to provide them with extracurricular tuition.
Each month, a different young person will receive two drum lessons completely free of charge. I believe that financial hardship should not prohibit the receiving of quality music education and this is my way of enabling young people interested in learning the instrument to make their first steps in doing so.
Applications are to be sent to carter@carterdrums.com.
"A tutor you can trust"