Leytonstone drum teacher Sam Thomas

Leytonstone Drum Teacher Interview with Sam Thomas

Leytonstone drum teacher Sam Thomas has been building his reputation as a highly sought-after drummer, guitarist and songwriter/producer over the past few years. He also just happens to be available for lessons through North London Drums! Here Sam shares some of his advice about what learning an instrument can entail. He also takes us through his own personal rig and tells us just how far this Leytonstone drum teacher will travel to see Roger Waters play live!

 

Starting out

 

Hi there Sam. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your schedule for this interview, we know you are busy! You play both drums and guitar. Which came first and what made you pick these instruments in the first place?

Leytonstone drum teacher Sam Thomas learning to play

I began having percussion lessons at the age of four. My Mum was a professional musician and she was keen for me to get into music. Mum tried to teach me piano but it didn’t go too well so she let me go my own way with percussion, something I was really keen to learn at the time. I ended up teaching myself piano at a later stage, as well as guitar. I was quite pleased with how I was getting on with drums and very inspired by guitar-based bands, so wanted to expand to melodic and harmonic instruments too.

So does that mean you play other instruments as well?

Playing piano spills over into synth/keyboards too. I also play bass guitar.

 

Teaching philosophy

 

What would you say are the main differences between teaching guitar and drums?

Drums are linear. There’s no melody or harmony to worry about so you can focus fully on things like rhythm and structure. With that focus, beginners progress through the basics quite quickly – although that’s not to say that you ever run out of things to learn and improve on!

I couldn’t agree more there, we’re all constantly learning and improving.

Guitar is perhaps more multifaceted so there’s a little more ground to cover initially. I try to focus on the type of music that gets the individual excited so that progress is made in one particular area before we begin to branch out into other areas of interest.

You teach from your own studio. Before you start working or teaching do you have a practice routine you run through?

I do a lot of writing and composing these days. I often have an idea in my head that I want to record but that I’m not yet practised enough to do justice. So I’ll work on that idea until I’m happy with it, which is a good way to push my playing. I also find the most rewarding practice is to find players you really love and meticulously pick apart how they do what they do.

 

Practice makes perfect

 

So in addition to that, what would be your number 1 piece of practice advice?

Repetition is key. It’s not always the most exciting part of the process but if you can’t do something then slow it down and keep doing it over and over until you can. Sometimes it’s good to just sit watching TV with a practice pad or guitar that isn’t plugged in and just get your hands and fingers really familiar with what they need to be doing.

Is there anything you bring into your teaching from the lessons you had growing up?

Leytonstone drum teacher Sam Thomas in the studioI started with quite strict classical training on percussion but then ended up having more informal drum kit lessons. It’s good to encourage the work ethic that classical disciplines promote but also keep in mind that people are so much more inclined to stick at it if it’s in rooted in something they enjoy and that they’re interested in. It needs to be explained in a way that is most suited to their preferred style of learning. I really try to focus of the specific interests and musical tastes of each student, without imposing any particular method.

 

Teaching philosophy

 

Do you have any advice for anyone thinking of starting drum or guitar lessons?

Do it! Learning is really fun. It relieves stress, it’s good for your brain, good for your mind and the list goes on! It’s not easy sometimes so you have to try and commit to it but the challenges are extremely rewarding to overcome.

And for anyone already taking lessons?

Keep doing it! It only gets more rewarding as time goes on. Also, make sure you don’t get too bogged down with technical details and remember that it should always be an enjoyable process. In my experience, if you’re playing music you enjoy you’ll make better progress. The technique will come.

Do you have any advice for adult learners? We are constantly getting emails from people who believe it’s far too late to start learning.

Learning an instrument isn’t about having an end goal so there’s no reason why anyone of any age shouldn’t do it. The process of learning is so beneficial is so many ways. You learn a language for the end goal of being able to speak it fluently. Whereas having just a single music lesson can be fun, mentally stimulating and leave you with a real sense of accomplishment afterwards.

 

Half electric / half acoustic

 

Take us through your current drum kit and guitar set up.

I have spent most of my life building up equipment. I’m pretty happy with my set up now! I have a half electric / half acoustic drum kit which works really well for me. It feels like a real kit, records well and I haven’t had a noise complaint from the neighbours, yet!

As far as guitar is concerned I have a nice Orange amp and an embarrassingly enormous pedal board. The board is capable of making the guitar sound like an orchestra, as well as a guitar, and everything in between.

Are there any potential purchases in the not too distant future?

There is always more equipment that any self-respecting musician wants!

Leytonstone drum teacher Sam Thomas playing live

As briefly mentioned before, you have your own studio. What do you enjoy about being a Leytonstone drum teacher?

Leytonstone is so great. It’s very easy to get in and out of London from here but it’s far enough out to be quite relaxed. There’s a nice sense of community and also a lot of space. I don’t think I’d be so lucky as to have a studio in my garden if I was further into town!

 

Quick fire

 

Let’s finish with a quick fire round. Ready?

Okay!

Best gig you ever played?

I played in the Royal Albert Hall recently, which was pretty cool! Not the main-stage but still technically the Royal Albert Hall!

Worst gig you’ve ever played?

I played a lot of gigs in various bands whilst at university and definitely had my fair share of empty dive-bar experiences.

Best gig you’ve ever been to?

Roger Waters in Buenos Aires is going to be pretty hard to beat!

Dream collaboration?

Mike Patton, his vocal skills are otherworldly!

Lastly, favourite drummer or guitarist?

Snarky Puppy’s Larnell Lewis absolutely blows my mind on drums. And David Gilmour is probably the guitarist that has had the biggest influence on me.

Thanks Sam, we really appreciate it – you can get back to recording now!

If you’re looking for a Leytonstone drum teacher and you’d like to contact Sam for lessons, simply drop us an email at jack@northlondondrums.co.uk. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible. You can also fill out the contact form right here to send us a message. If you’re not quite in the area but you’re still looking for London drum lessons, please still do contact us!

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