Welcome to the homepage of Jim Farey, professional drummer and teacher based in Nottingham, UK. This site is a temporary space while a new site is built, please be patient with the limited functionality: you can talk directly to Jim via the yellow chat box in the bottom corner or get in touch directly on 07904584443 or [email protected]. Supporting new and old students is never, ever too much trouble.
COVID19 update 14/9/22: All local students have now returned to in person lessons, however Jim is teaching a mixture of online and in person lessons currently. Jim and his students had a fast response to the pandemic and all students have been and continue to be supported with their online set-ups. Students need very little equipment for online lessons and several new students have started with Jim, online only, since the onset of the pandemic. Please get in touch for more information.
Drum lessons in Nottingham are available in person or video lessons via Zoom regardless of location (Jim’s last 3 students to start online were based in Nottingham, Kent and New Zealand). Jim is co-author of the book Drumset For Beginners, published and distributed globally by Alfred Publishing. He has 20 years of teaching experience and has played across all of the UK, worked on cruise ships, in theatres, performed and/or taught in France, USA, Egypt and others – whatever you want to develop, Jim can help you make a plan and achieve your goals. Please click here to read Jim’s excellent testimonials via Google.
Drumming and music is for everyone, whether you want to play for fun, work towards graded exams, develop or brush up on professional skills then Jim can help you. Students are expected to take their studies seriously which requires focused practise outside of lessons, but the focus is always on enjoyment and personal development. All styles can be covered, including rock, jazz, funk, punk, hip-hop, Latin, metal and other “world” styles. Techniques for hands and feet will be covered as part of students’ development, plus developing ideas about ergonomics on the drums, musicality and working with bands and reading drum notation.
Ali says: “Jim has been teaching my son for a couple of years…
now, we’ve been really happy with his progress on the drums. He has worked consistently to understand my son and his personality and seeks to teach in the best way to help him learn and be motivated. Jim is always engaging him during lessons and helped to find ways to help with concentration when he was younger. His style with my 9 year old has been a great mix of fun and focus and has included loads of music theory alongside practical drumming skills and techniques which has been invaluable for my son at this age.
During lockdown Jim was able to swiftly and smoothly pivot to teaching via Zoom which has been fantastic for us during this season. We highly recommend Jim!”
Jim takes students from absolute beginners up to professional standards; all ages from 5-75 and more are very welcome; lessons usually take place weekly or fortnightly for 1 hour each, but other frequencies are possible. Group classes are also available in either a shared private lesson format, or a structured class format in blocks of 10 weeks, these are excellent value and designed to include as many people as possible. One to one lessons take place on two full-sized, professional quality acoustic kits.
If you’re interested in asynchronous learning then this is also available via ‘clip coaching‘ – students agree to and set some goals, Jim sends a lesson plan and materials via a short video and email, and the student returns a video for feedback. Clip coaching is great for people who have limited time, can’t commit to regular slots, live in places with unreliable internet, and who want excellent value for money.
Gared says: “I’ve been playing drums for about four years now…
and started taking lessons with Jim after a year or so of self teaching. I am still taking regular lessons as my progress after being with Jim improved considerably.
Jim Farey is an excellent drummer and a wonderful teacher. He is very flexible in how he teaches, if you come with a problem then you will leave with the steps to a solution outlined!
His set up is great, with a full kit set up you can use with full view of Jim on his kit, so you can both see the other person and what they are playing clearly.”
Lesson pricing for new students is £50 for 2 taster lessons (2×1 hour). After this, students may choose 5 or 12 lesson packages (£150 and £400 respectively) or go directly to PAYG. Please note that the 5 and 12 lesson initial packages can only be purchased once per student. The PAYG hourly price is £41.50 after initial package lessons have been completed.
Cancellations are fine with 48 hours’ notice, anything less than this may be forfeit, alternatively if a student can’t make a lesson then they have the choice to get online if possible or Jim will offer a personalised video lesson plan with materials and instruction so that value is retained to the best degree possible. Physical gift vouchers for 2, 5 or 12 lessons are available via post.
Clip coaching is priced at £16 for a video lesson plus 1 short feedback clip if necessary.
Shared classes are £18 per hour if shared between 3 people, or £25 per hour if shared between 2 people. These often require waiting lists, however they are ideal for family members e.g. siblings or couples. Each student will play independently on an electronic kit.
Group classes run for 10 weeks, have 4 students per class and cost £160 for the full 10 weeks. Please see Facebook for events or get in touch to discuss. These also run subject to waiting lists.
Becky says: “I’ve been learning drums with Jim for 6 years now…
and I’ve only enjoyed it more and more as I’ve gone along. He’s taken me from not really understanding what to do with the sticks, to being able to play really cool beats that I never thought I’d be able to play. And I just passed my Grade 6 as well. Jim is always super enthusiastic, no matter what you ask him to do, and trust me, I’ve found some very interesting pieces to throw at him over the years! I can’t believe the amount that he has taught me, and how he breaks things down, even really technical stuff, makes it so easy to learn. He’s a legendary drummer, and an absolute legend of a teacher, and I honestly can’t recommend him highly enough.”
Check social media for examples of playing, teaching style, and some lesson ideas – you have to like your teacher if you’re going to make progress and Jim encourages people to find teachers that suit their needs and genuinely care about their progress. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram.
Get in touch via [email protected] or call 07904584443 any time.
Studio address: Oldknows Factory, St Anns Hill Road, Nottingham NG3 4GN.
Steve says: “As maybe Jim’s oldest pupil, Jim’s patience…
with my pace of learning is very welcome and a great virtue! However everything is done in a spirit of fun and adventure but with purpose and I look forward to rewarding his and my patience with long term progress.”