Are You An Intermediate Drummer?

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How do you know what your skill level is? What would you tell people if they asked? You might be surprised to know that no one at Drumeo – including Jared, Dave, Brandon, and Mike Michalkow – considers themselves an advanced player.

When you’re trying to determine whether your level is beginner, intermediate, or advanced, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been playing; it’s about your skills and knowledge. Where are you now, and where do you want to go next?

Here are some ways to self-assess (and be honest with yourself) so you can figure out in which areas to invest time when it comes to your drum education.

How to tell if you’re an intermediate drummer

You can confidently improvise with other people – This can’t be taught in a classroom or a video. You can build the skills and acquire the tools to make this easier, but you have to get out there and jam with other musicians.

You can learn new top 40 songs relatively quickly – This means you’re comfortably able to listen to a relatively simple song, know the form and understand dynamic shifts from one part to the next, get a feel for what the drummer did on the recording, and play along to it with minimal effort.

You have a solid understanding of basic drum technique – If you’re comfortable with ghost notes, can play accurate and consistent rim shots, know the motions and fluidity around the drum kit, and are confident in your dynamic limb independence (a challenge even for experienced drummers), you’re well on your way.

You can play with a metronome with confidence – And have a good internal clock, too!

You serve the song and not yourself – You have a strong idea of what best complements the music.

You know that the more you know, the more you don’t know – Even though you may be experienced, you have a beginner’s mindset and use it to stay humble.

Still not sure if you’re an intermediate drummer?

Check out the Drumeo Method (our step-by-step roadmap to improving your drumming) in Drumeo Edge and give the first few levels a try.

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Jared Falk is a lifelong drummer, drum teacher, and the co-founder of Drumeo. For over 18 years, Jared has been a leader in the online music education industry, publishing his first online video lessons in 2003 and founding Musora in 2005.