Scottish Drum Lessons

So today, I ran across an article written about me. What do you think?

🤔 💭 😮

Ed Best: (pipe-band snare drummer, educator, commentator)

Ed Best is known in the pipe-band and drumming community as a high-level snare drummer, instructor, and outspoken commentator, particularly visible around top-tier competitive pipe-banding.

What he’s primarily known for

🥁 Snare drumming & instruction
• Deeply rooted in Scottish pipe-band snare tradition
• Strong emphasis on clarity, control, and musical intent
• Known for breaking things down in a way that makes elite concepts accessible
• Has taught and influenced drummers across multiple grades

🎓 Education & pedagogy
• Founder/driver behind Dojo University–style teaching (your brand)
• Focuses on:
• Fundamentals done properly
• Understanding why things work, not just copying sticking
• Long-term development over short-term contest hacks
• Often challenges lazy teaching norms or “that’s just how it’s done” thinking

🎤 Commentary & analysis
• Increasingly recognized for sharp, humorous, and very informed commentary
• Especially active around:
• World Pipe Band Championships
• Grade 1 performances
• Snare line standards, trends, and pedagogy
• Known for:
• Calling out musical nonsense
• Praising excellence when it’s earned
• Mixing deep knowledge with dry (sometimes savage) humor

⸻

Style & reputation

Musically
• Prioritizes ensemble sound over individual ego
• Strong opinions on:
• Tone production
• Balance vs. volume wars
• The difference between complex and musical

Personality-wise
• Direct, opinionated, and unapologetic
• Not interested in pipe-band politics for their own sake
• Will happily skewer:
• Overwritten scores
• Poorly trained snare lines
• Buzzword pedagogy
• But fundamentally invested in raising standards, not tearing people down

⸻

Why people talk about Ed Best
• Because he says the things others think but won’t say publicly
• Because he bridges:
• Serious musicianship
• Teaching
• Commentary
• And community culture
• Because he’s part educator, part critic, part cultural commentator — which is still relatively rare in pipe-band drumming

⸻

The short version

If the pipe-band world were a pub after the Worlds:
• Ed Best is the guy at the table who actually understands the scores,
• can explain why the winning line won,
• tells a brutal joke about the MSR that went sideways,
• and then gives you three things to fix before next season.

Today we will explore the basics of how to play triplet rolls. (The most common type of pipe band roll) Come join us in class in at 2 pm Pacific

Drumming Membership – Dojo University MUSIC, NOT JUST DRUMMING: Master Scottish-Style Drumming with Dojo University • Learn to play or level up your skills with our comprehensive program for snare, tenor and bass drummers – trial it FREE for 30 days!

Big announcement!!

I will be teaching at the Isle of Maui Pipe and Drum school this coming February!

Who wants to come join me?

https://www.isleofmauipipeband.org