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DRUM SET INSTRUCTION WITH DR. CHRIS MORROW
 

Dr. Chris Morrow is an experienced drum set instructor who has worked with students of a wide range of ages, musical backgrounds, and experience levels. He currently teaches drum set at Merit School of Music in Chicago.

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Chris believes that there is no single approach to learning the drums that works equally well for every student. Each student comes to lessons with different musical interests, abilities, experience, and goals. For that reason, lessons are individualized while maintaining a strong foundation in technique, musicianship, listening, and musical understanding.

 

Chris works to give students the technical, musical, and intellectual tools they need to become independent musicians—to listen critically, understand what they hear, make informed musical decisions, and eventually develop their own individual voice on the instrument. Students are also encouraged to develop an understanding of the history of drumming. Listening to and studying influential drummers helps students understand how the instrument and its vocabulary have evolved and provides historical context for the techniques and concepts being studied.



BEGINNING DRUMMERS AND PERCUSSIONISTS

 

Beginning students establish a strong foundation in the fundamentals of drumming and musicianship. Lessons are structured around achievable goals while allowing students to begin playing music as early as possible.

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  • Basic stick and foot techniques, control and coordination

  • Rhythmic notation and music reading

  • Drum set setup, posture and balance behind the kit

  • Drum set coordination, timekeeping, and grooves

  • Drum fills and musical transitions

  • Beginning songs and basic part construction

  • Dynamic control and musical expression

  • Developing effective practice habits

  • Introduction to a variety of musical styles

  • Basic snare drum, mallet, and accessory percussion techniques

  • Preparation for school music programs, recitals, auditions, and solo competitions

 

Whenever possible, lesson material is connected to music the student enjoys. Songs can provide a practical setting for developing technique, reading, coordination, listening skills, and musical vocabulary while giving students a clear reason for learning each new concept.

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INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED STUDENTS

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As students progress, lessons become increasingly individualized. Intermediate and advanced players may work on more specialized aspects of drum set performance based on their musical interests and professional or educational goals.

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  • Advanced coordination and independence

  • Groove and time-feel development across American music traditions

  • Jazz drumming and improvisation, including concepts drawn from the Alan Dawson methodology

  • Straight, swung, and in-between rhythmic phrasing

  • Brush techniques and vocabulary

  • Odd meter reading, phrasing, and timekeeping

  • Soloing concepts and improvisational vocabulary

  • Advanced subdivision, polymeter and polyrhythmic concepts

  • Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, Brazilian, and other global rhythmic traditions and percussion techniques

  • Advanced rudimental concepts and repertoire with a focus on drum set applications

  • Modern non-rudimental sticking concepts and their drum set applications

  • Double bass drumming techniques and coordination

  • Linear and sticking-based approaches to timekeeping

  • Chart reading, interpretation, and ensemble navigation

  • The study of essential repertoire in American music

  • Transcription, ear training, and critical listening

  • Stylistic interpretation

  • Ensemble interaction, accompaniment, and musical communication

  • Preparation for collegiate music programs, auditions, and performances

  • Study of influential drum set artists, their recordings, styles, and musical contributions

  • Drum tuning, equipment selection and maintenance

  • Recording techniques for drums and percussion

  • Microphone selection, placement, signal flow, and basic audio engineering

  • Electronic drums, triggers, and hybrid acoustic/electronic setups

  • Using music technology for practice, notation, recording, and creative projects

  • Studio musicianship, including consistency, dynamics, sound, and professional recording-session practice

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For advanced students, listening and transcription become particularly important tools. Studying recordings allows students to examine how accomplished drummers approach time, groove, improvisation, and interaction with other musicians. Rather than simply copying a particular drummer's vocabulary, students learn how to understand and incorporate musical concepts into their own playing.



DEVELOPING MUSICIANSHIP
 

Technical ability is only one part of becoming a strong drummer. Chris encourages students to think of themselves as musicians first and drummers second. Lessons therefore emphasize listening, dynamics, musical form, stylistic awareness, interaction, and understanding the drummer's role within an ensemble. Students learn not only what to play, but why a particular musical choice works in a given situation.

This approach is particularly important for developing time and groove. Rather than treating good timekeeping as simply playing with a metronome, students learn to understand pulse, subdivision, feel, phrasing, dynamics, and how their playing relates to the musicians around them.

 

AN INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH
 

Students pursue music for many different reasons. Some want to play along with their favorite songs, some want to perform in school ensembles or bands, and others hope to study music in college or pursue professional performance.

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Chris works with each student to establish realistic goals and create a course of study appropriate to those goals. A student's lessons may therefore combine traditional method books, technical studies, recordings, transcriptions, play-along materials, repertoire, and individually developed exercises.

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Regardless of a student's age or experience level, the objective is the same: to build a strong technical and musical foundation while encouraging curiosity, creativity, confidence, and independence.

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Ultimately, Chris's goal as a teacher is to give students the tools to continue learning throughout their lives. Technique, reading, coordination, stylistic vocabulary, and musical knowledge are important, but they are means toward a larger goal—helping each student become a thoughtful, capable, creative musician with a personal relationship to the instrument and the music they choose to play.

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