edforbes - jazz drummer - drum tutor

"When my 5 year old son said he wanted to learn the drums, I thought his interest would be brief and frustration would soon get the better of him. But from the very beginning Ed has been the most amazing teacher - he is so patient and enthusiastic, generous with his time, and the most encouraging person I know. Every lesson is a balance of learning and just having fun, without getting hung up on every single mistake. My son has learnt more than I would have thought possible, and just loves his lessons. I cannot recommend Ed highly enough."

"Ed has been teaching our daughter Bridget for a little over a year now and she can play the drums! He sets thoughtful practice work for her to do at home, and she has been learning from day one. He seems to get the balance just right between teaching the skills and processes needed and just having fun - she loves his lessons and her love of playing drums has grown and grown. He is friendly and personable to people of all ages, and he listens as well as he teaches - he wants his students to enjoy what they're doing, and she certainly does."

"Ed has been teaching my 12 year old for some time now and I love the way that Ed will change a lesson that he has obviously planned mid way through to listen to a piece of music that uses a certain drum style that my son will recognise. His knowledge of all types of music seems to be massive. My son loves his lessons and has even managed to get me to start lessons too. Ed is a great teacher and made me realise you can learn at any age."

"My 10 year old has been having lessons with Ed for over a year and loves it. Ed’s passion for the drums is infectious and his non-prescriptive style of teaching gets the best out of his pupils. He allows my son to choose some of his favourite music to work through in the lessons which holds his attention much more than being presented with things that he can’t engage with, and actively encourages him to improvise and try new things and start to be creative in his own right. For me, this is what learning an instrument should be all about. Thanks Ed!

"I sent my son to try out a lesson with Ed as he'd been having drum lessons for nearly two years and didn't seem to be enjoying them or making much progress. The infectuous enthusiasm and motivation Ed provided totally transformed my son's view of drumming and six months on he now describes himself as a drummer and can't wait for lessons."

"Without Ed Forbes we never would have known that our son had a talent for playing drums. This comes in great part due to Ed's unique approach in tutoring, making learning to play the drums easier and more importantly, a lot of fun to do. We would definitely recommend Ed to anyone wanting to learn drum playing in an unconventional way."

"With Ed's huge experience through years of playing and listening he has a vast musical knowledge across all genres. He has taught our daughter and two sons in his workshops and our son in school. From this our son decided to have private lessons with Ed. From the start we could tell that his style of teaching was great. Ed teaches the importance of drum rudiments and shows students how they fit in with every style of music you want to play. He has also opened up so many more styles for our son to enjoy. We would recommend Ed to anybody of any age who wants to learn to drum."

"My ten-year-old son has been learning drums with Ed for just over two years now in which time we have seen his musical ability rocket and he has amazed us with his sense of rhythm. His love of music has grown and he now listens and sings along to a much wider variety of music. He always enjoys his lessons and I put this down to Ed's patience and enthusiasm. Ed is very approachable and flexible when it comes to tailoring lessons to suit each child."

"I like drum lessons because Mr Forbes makes them really fun and you can let out a lot of stress. For example after I had taken my 11+ exam I went and had a lesson and it was the best drum lesson I have ever had because it helped me to let off steam. Mr Forbes also lets you choose the songs you like and teaches you to drum along to them which is really cool!"