FAQs for Drum Lessons
Cancellations
We understand that unforeseen circumstances may arise, but to ensure consistent progress in your drumming journey, we require a weekly commitment from our students.
Therefore, we do not offer replacement lessons for cancellations.
If you are looking for a school with a flexible cancellation policy, we may not be the best fit for you.
We require weekly commitment from our students as it helps maintain a steady learning pace.
If you are unable to commit on a weekly basis, we recommend considering a school with a more flexible lesson plan that suits your needs.
Fees and Payment
While our courses are not the cheapest in Singapore, they are designed to help you learn the drums faster and more effectively.
Learning quickly means you will be able to transition to self-learning sooner once you have built a strong foundation and acquired the necessary skills to problem-solve independently.
This approach ultimately translates to significant savings compared to spending an extended period at a lower-cost drum school.
The cost of our lessons varies depending on the course you enrol in. For example, if you choose to enrol in a Grade 1 quarterly course (11 lessons), the first payment (2025 pricing) would be as follows:
Senior Instructor Tuition Fee – $825
Withdrawal Deposit (one-time) – $100
Lesson Materials (per grade) – $95
Registration Fee (one-time) – $70
Total: $1090
Please visit our tuition fee page for more detailed information on pricing.
We offer different payment options to suit your needs. Depending on the course you enrol in, you can choose to pay monthly, quarterly, or annually. Here are the durations for each payment option:
Monthly – 1 Month (4 Lessons)
Quarterly – 3 Months (11 Lessons)
Annual – 12 Months (44 Lessons)
Please visit our tuition fee page for more detailed information.
The tuition fees for higher grades increase incrementally.
The difference between each grade from Grades 1 to 5 is $5 per lesson, and the difference between each grade from Grades 6 to 8 is $10 per lesson.
For a comprehensive breakdown, please refer to our tuition fee page.
Our courses don’t function like a typical short-term program (such as a computer or cooking course) that has a fixed timeline and clear end date.
Drum education is designed to be a long-term learning journey — most students typically take four to five years before they become proficient enough to learn on their own.
For this reason, our courses do not run on a fixed schedule. For example, even though you have signed up for the Grade 1 Annual Course, it is not designed to end within a year. The fee you have paid covers a fixed number of lessons, but the number of lessons doesn’t define the length of the course.
Our courses are supposed to be ongoing and recurring. There are a total of eight grades available, and while students don’t have to learn all the way to Grade 8, the school’s policy is that we don’t treat students as “withdrawing” simply because they have finished one course.
Unless a student submits a formal withdrawal online notice, we take it that they intend to continue their lessons and renew their course.
Once a student has enrolled in the course, we will not offer their time slot to new students.
The withdrawal deposit exists to encourage students to provide early notice if they wish to withdraw from the course. This allows the school to make plans for the instructor by offering the time slot to new students.
As our instructors typically plan their schedules well in advance, last-minute withdrawals can disrupt their planning and leave an unplanned gap in their schedules. By notifying us early, we can manage the instructor’s schedule more effectively.
Yes, you can receive a refund of the $100 withdrawal deposit. The deposit will be refunded to you via PayNow 10 days after the last lesson of the course if you have successfully submitted an online withdrawal form by the deadline. The deadlines for different course durations are as follows:
Monthly Students – 2nd Lesson
Quarterly Students – 7th Lesson
Annual Students – 34th Lesson
We only accept payments via PayNow or cash.
If you wish to pay by credit card, bank fees will apply. The bank fees will cost about $40 to $60 on top of the other charges for the course.
We accept credit card payments for trial lessons to make the booking process quick and convenient for new students.
For regular tuition fees, we use PayNow to help keep our operating costs lower as credit card processing fees can add up over time.
This allows us to keep our lesson prices sustainable for all students.
Unfortunately, we do not accept instalment payments. However, we offer various payment options such as monthly, quarterly, or annual payments, depending on the course you enrol in. Please refer to our tuition fee page for more details.
Unfortunately, we do not accept SkillsFuture Credit as a form of payment.
Lessons
The lesson duration is 45 minutes for Grades 1 to 5 and 60 minutes for Grades 6 to 8.
Typically, students are required to start the course the week after they attend their trial lessons. The charges will be prorated.
Grades 1 to 5 students will have the option to extend their lessons to 60 minutes for an additional $10 per lesson if they find that 45 minutes is insufficient.
The monthly course includes four lessons per month, the quarterly course includes 11 lessons per term (lasting three months), and the annual course includes 44 lessons over a period of 12 months
Since trials are one-time sessions meant to introduce new students to our lessons, we open up multiple slots across our schedule to accommodate different availability and maximise opportunities for interested learners.
For regular students, we maintain a structured lesson schedule to ensure consistency in learning progress.
Our strict cancellation policy helps us manage time effectively and provide a fair and stable schedule for all students and instructors.
The duration to complete a grade may vary depending on each student’s performance and progress. On average, a student typically completes Grade 1 in three to six months. Here’s an estimate of the average course duration for each grade:
Grade 1 – 3 to 6 months
Grade 2 – 3 to 6 months
Grade 3 – 6 to 9 months
Grade 4 – 6 to 9 months
Grade 5 – 9 to 12 months
Grade 6 – 9 to 12 months
Grade 7 – 12 to 18 months
Grade 8 – 12 to 18 months
We adopt the exclusive J Music drum syllabus, an original curriculum meticulously designed by our founder, Jason.
This proven syllabus draws inspiration from the renowned Trinity College London framework and stands apart from other drum and music schools.
It includes a variety of drumming techniques, styles, and musical genres, ensuring a comprehensive and enriching learning experience that covers all aspects of drumming.
Yes, we offer graded drum examination courses, but they are optional.
Our students are sent to exams conducted by Trinity College London, a reputable UK examination board.
We strongly encourage all our students to own a drum set at home so that they can have access to their drum set easily which encourages regular practice and in turn, progress.
While it is not a requirement, it can greatly enhance your learning experience.
However, we also understand that some students may have space constraints in their house. Hence, an alternative for them would be to rent a drum studio on a weekly basis for practice.
Practising solely during lesson time is insufficient for significant progress and may hinder your learning experience.
| Acoustic | Electronic | |
| Beginner | $700 – $1500 | $700 – $2000 |
| Intermediate | $1500 – $3000 | $2000 – $4000 |
| Advanced | $3000 onwards | $4000 onwards |
Regrettably, we do not provide free drum studios for personal practice.
We highly recommend that all students consider purchasing a drum set before or shortly after beginning their journey with us.
All our lessons are conducted on a one-on-one basis. This ensures personalised attention and focused instruction for each student.
Currently, we have students with conditions such as a history of heart attack, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. While they are able to learn the drums, their progress tends to be slower than usual.
If you are comfortable with a slower pace, you are most welcome to take up drumming.
Unfortunately, we do not offer group lessons. Our focus is on providing individual attention to each student which we believe is crucial for effective learning and progress.
It will be the same instructor for every lesson.
Our lessons incorporate a balanced approach, consisting of both lesson materials and songs.
As a student at J Music, you will be required to play exercises from our textbooks, which cover essential grooves, fills, rudiments, warm-ups, rhythmic studies, and sight-reading.
Additionally, songs are regularly introduced in lessons based on your progress.
This combination of exercises and songs helps to make lessons educational, engaging, and enables you to apply what you have learned in a musical context.
To ensure optimal learning, enjoyment, and consistent progress, we have established a set of guidelines/protocols for our instructors to follow.
These guidelines have been developed based on years of experience and have helped hundreds of students achieve drumming success.
While you may express your preferences and goals to your instructor, we recommend placing your trust in their expertise and guidance throughout your drumming journey.
Unfortunately, we do not offer home lessons at this time. All lessons are conducted at our drum studios at Katong Shopping Centre.
Yes, your lessons will be scheduled for the same day and time slot each week. This provides consistency and allows you to plan your schedule accordingly.
You will need to commit to your current time slot for the duration of your course.
For example, if you are enrolled in the Quarterly Course (11 lessons), any change in time slot can only take effect after completing all 11 lessons.
A minimum of 4 lessons’ notice (for Quarterly Course students) is required to request a time slot change.
Similar to a government school, all our students are required to follow our academic calendar to keep track of their lessons. For specific dates and details, please download a copy of our academic calendar.
Yes, they do. Our instructors can communicate in simple Mandarin. However, technical terms will still be used in English.
Trial Lesson
The trial lesson is designed for one student at a time.
If both you and your friend wish to experience the trial lesson, two separate bookings and payments must be made.
The trial lesson is primarily intended for students who wish to learn and commit for the long term.
For short-term commitments or special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries, we recommend enrolling in the monthly course instead.
The school has implemented a strict no walk-in policy due to our busy daily schedule of lessons.
Our goal is to maintain a conducive learning environment for our students.
If you are interested in exploring the school environment or learning more about our courses, we kindly encourage you to book a trial lesson.
General
Absolutely not. You are never too old to play the drums.
We believe that passion and dedication matter more than age. Do not let your age deter you from pursuing your drumming aspirations.
The sky is the limit, and we have adult students of all ages enjoying their drumming journeys. Our oldest student is currently 70 years old, and we would love to break that record!
As Singapore’s only dedicated drum school for adults, we have proudly educated 800 plus adult drum students since 2013.
Our experienced instructors understand the unique challenges that adults face when learning the drums. We recognise that senior students (in their late 50s to 60s) may take longer to complete exercises. Therefore, all our instructors are specially trained to be patient and show empathy towards them.
Additionally, our lesson materials are specifically tailored for adults. They are easy to understand and enjoyable to play. Even students in their 60s without any musical background can learn to read musical notes and play the drums proficiently.
Unlike other schools that offer lessons for both adults and children, our all-adult environment creates a comfortable and welcoming space for adults to enjoy their weekly lessons without feeling out of place.
If you are ready to challenge yourself and learn from the best, we encourage you to book a trial lesson and experience the difference.
Regrettably, we are unable to accommodate children. To ensure a conducive and exclusive learning environment for adults, our courses are available to students aged 16 and above only.