So I've been drumming since I was 10 (five years).

I started out getting lessons, but only did about four sessions. All I learned from those sessions was how to do a 4/4 rock beat. :(

Anyway, nowadays I'd say I'm pretty good for someone who's self taught. I can play pretty much any hardcore/metalcore song I hear etc etc. But I don't know shit about rudiments or time signatures or theory.

So my dad thinks I should go to this jazz drum teacher we know.

My question is, what the fuck will jazz teach me, and how will it help?

Is it worth it?

it will teach you different techniques, time signature help, and tons of theory

give it a try and see if you like it

it'll teach how to swing and play with syncopation. plus it'll expose you to a higher level of music.

Getting down some swing and syncopation helps a great deal for expanding your musical muscles past just the clearly shitty music you insist on playing (hardcore/metalcore). You should apologize to your father for playing that near him when he's trying to get you to play jazz. These wretched youths...

But seriously, the added technical proficiency you will gain from going into jazz and hopefully getting some theory and time signature work under your belt (I'm not too huge on just learning rudiments; too often, a drummer will get obsessed with them and forget about groove) will make you tremendously better as a player. Also, you should only stop at going to a jazz drum teacher and playing your shitty, terrible music. Expand your musical ability outwards (even if you don't necessarily like the music) to Latin music, African music, pop, more extreme forms of metal, etc. Without going too greatly into detail, there are certain specific characteristics you can only really acquire from immersing yourself in the genre of origin (or preference) for some techniques. It's like method acting, but for drumming.

But yeah, jazz lessons are easily the most versatile lessons you will ever take. If you can't apply jazz to literally whatever you are playing, you are playing it wrong.

Okay, thanks.

I guess I'll go for it then.

...Of course it's worth it. If you can play Jazz, you can play anything. Literally.

I think the fact that you're playing metalcore as a drummer, and don't know anything about time sigs or theory (seriously, what kind of fucking drummer doesn't know anything about time signatures? That's your job in everything you do - to keep time in relation to the signature! If you can't do that, then you're just randomly hitting shit).

And I think the fact that you're a drummer that can play any hardcore/metalcore song, but don't know anything about rudiments/time sigs doesn't say much for that genre of music.

Kids these days...

Have fun with the jazz though. Don't get too caught up in frustration if it seems to hard.

AND LEARN YOUR FUCKING RUDIMENTS! I can't explain HOW important theory is to actual music playing AND composition.

Don't stop at rudiments though. Go further if you enjoy music in general. A musician that can't explain the music they make is like an author that can't explain the book that they've written.

A musician that can't explain the music they make is like an author that can't explain the book that they've written.

That sums it up beautifully. As much as I know it will get taken out of context or approached from the wrong angle, I think this is just perfect.