Should I do Drum Exams?

Reaching goals in your playing is a lot easier to achieve when you have a deadline that you need to meet. There’s nothing more motivating than having a set date you need to be able to play a whole list of songs by, otherwise you are more likely to lax in your practice. In my experience this is especially true for younger players as it helps develop discipline in order to improve.

One of the best ways to ensure this is through Rockschool Drum Exams. If you aren’t familiar with these exams they are administered by the AMEB in Australia for pretty much every instrument and are scaled at each level with a focus on progressive mastery which is exactly how I plan my lessons and books so they work hand in hand. Basically you learn 3 tracks to a high level of proficiency as well as some Technical Work then sit an exam on a set date throughout the year (there are typically 3 intakes around March, June and September) at the AMEB studios.

Even if you use the Rockschool books simply for their repertoire without sitting the exams they can be a great resource in order to gradually build your skills without getting overwhelmed. In my opinion the Rockschool system has the best repertoire of any other system with killer tracks in pretty much every genre from a lot of different generations so they are great for almost all age groups.

These exams were a big part of my development in the early stages of my playing and I’ve seen them help every student that goes through them. Seeing yourself move through the grades is very reassuring that you are progressing and are developing skills rather than feeling like you are treading water in your playing. They aren’t a compulsory element of lessons but I really highly recommend them.

In order to sit the exam you’ll need a copy of the Grade book for which the link is HERE or you can pick it up from your local music store.