SAMBA DRUMMING CLASSES

Samba Drumming classes in London

Join our Drumming Workshops

The London School of Samba offers Samba Drumming classes in London for all levels. We love complete beginners and our fun samba teachers will get you up and grooving with the band within minutes! The classes are run by an experienced team of musicians and music lovers, with years of experience playing Rio-style samba. No experience is necessary and instruments, sticks and straps are supplied.

Samba Instruments

There are five standard instruments in a Samba drum group (“Bateria”)

Surdos: Large bass drums that hold down the beat.
Caixas: Samba version of a snare drum.
Repiques: Lead drum that plays rhythms the band responds to.
Chocallos: Tambourine jingles on a metal frame or piece of wood.
Tamborims: Small hand held drum played with a small multi prong stick.

Once each instrument group has mastered their basic pattern, the workshop comes together playing a Samba groove as one.

The workshop leader then teaches a basic standard Samba music arrangement. This arrangement is developed as the weeks go on.

Our weekly drumming classes are on Sundays at WAC

Every Sunday evening you are invited to come and join our Samba Drumming classes. The London School of Samba offers beginner-friendly and Intermediate / advanced Samba drumming classes in London. All classes are led by an experienced Bateria Director.

We also have an advanced bateria (Samba drumming) workshop at the same time and place for more experienced Samba drummers.

London School of Samba drumming classes are in London every Sunday evening at the Waterlook Action Centre, 14 Baylis Rd, London SE1 7AA.

See more of our classes and workshops at the Bateria Directors You Tube channel

Book Samba Drumming Workshop at The London School of Samba

DRUMMING CLASS

Beginner Samba Drum Classes

London School Of Samba welcomes all abilities and age groups to its classes. Novices are always welcome. Our friendly drum teachers will take you through the very basics of playing Rio Carnival music.

Our experienced teachers will advise you on the best instrument for you to start on. You will learn the basic technique for holding and playing the instrument you have chosen. All rhythms are taught by ear, using phrases to help you remember your pattern.

You can attend one workshop to see if Samba drumming is right for you or come every week and start to develop your skills.
Be warned, Samba drumming is highly addictive!

All instruments, sticks and straps are provided.

INTERMEDIATE CLASS

Intermediate Drum Classes

For those who have attended beginner classes for a while and are ready to move on or drummers with some previous Samba experience, we run an intermediate class that runs at the same time and venue as the beginner sessions.

In these sessions our experienced tutors will hone your Samba drumming skills, look in depth at technique for particular instruments and teach you the basic repertoire of the School’s drum group (The Bateria).

This will prepare you to join the gigging band, which rehearses weekly and regularly performs in London, the UK and abroad.
It will also prepare you to perform at Notting Hill Carnival, which the London School of Samba parades at every year.

All instruments, sticks and straps are provided.

QUADRA NIGHTS

Last Sunday of the Month

The London School of Samba is proud to present Quadra Nights! Come to the Waterloo Action Centre on the last Sunday of the month to see samba come to life with dancing, drumming and full costumes. Together with musicians and singers, we bring a little bit of samba life to SE1!

All are welcome to come and dance, drum and sing the night away.

Dance and Drum Classes start at 18:00. Performances start at 19:15

I'd never considered playing percussion and here I am at 65 having the time of my life. There was the joy of reaching performance level, sharing our music and watching people enjoy our performances. Exploring samba drumming has opened up a whole new music world and I have LSS to thank for this! So just come on a Sunday evening, be welcomed, choose any instrument and be amazed at what you can learn.

Kathy Stevenson

Honestly just the best place ever. Drumming or dancing, you will learn here! Just be warned, you might meet some amazing people and never want to leave!

CHarlotte cappio

Excellent place to make new friends. All the drumming People are lovely and friendly. Mestre Fred is outstanding. Very patient with newbies. I recommend everyone to try this amazing samba experience.

Rogerio Genova de Oliveira

These guys are absolutely amazing. I saw them playing in Canary Wharf when I was running the London Marathon. They were a highlight of the day and raised my spirits during a tough part of my run. I definitely recommend them!

Rey Smart

I really loved the drumming class. Totally made to feel welcome regardless of my inexperience. Fell in love with the beat and the warm community. Such energy! Looking forward to Carnival!

Kelly Coombes

This is such a fun school! The teachers are so friendly and supportive. I loved the drumming and bateria classes the best. You get to try all the instruments if you want! No former musical training necessary. Everything you'll need is there, so it's super easy. Just bring yourself! Everyone is so welcoming, too. I just had a blast!

Christine Rose

I found the London School of Samba on return from visiting Brazil - having experienced a day at the samba school in Rio - Unidos da Tijuca. The London School of Samba band is a vibrant hub of energy and camaraderie with enthusiastic instructors. All instruments are supplied as well as clear instruction on how to play them. You get to join in immediately with no experience.

Mel Macey

Regardless of your experience London School of Samba is a community open to everyone. Dance or drumming classes are led by experienced and well respected teachers that will help you to develop your skills. The school is also offering amazing performances that bring Brazilian carnival feeling to any event After being a member for over two years I have just words of praise

Martin Pokorny

Great vibe with live drumming every last Sunday of the month.

Laurence Danvers

"Love the guys at the London School of Samba! Super friendly and welcoming to us everytime we visit the School from Bloco B. Loved playing with them at Notting Hill Carnival and recommend there samba dance and drumming classes on a Sunday."

Peter Holthuis

The friendliest samba school in London. Whether you wish to dance or drum and regardless of your prior experience, the teachers here will get you grooving in no time at all.

Adrian Lewis Designation

Customer Reviews for our Samba Drumming Classes

The London School of Samba offers fun-filled friendly samba workshops for complete beginner, intermediate and experienced drummers in London. We have fantastic Google customer reviews for our samba drumming workshops.

Book a drumming workshop for a Sunday evening

Book your place in the next available samba drumming class with the London School of Samba. With our help, we will get you playing a samba groove and smiling from ear to ear! All sticks and instruments are provided at our samba drumming classes. If you have your own samba drum, then bring it along and join in with the fun! The London School of Samba welcomes experienced drummers and complete beginners to our Samba drumming classes every Sunday (except Bank holiday weekends) in London.

We offer “pay as you go” samba drumming classes in London. You do not have to sign up or commit to a monthly or yearly membership. Our classes are great value for money for a ninety-minute class. There is no commitment to come every week and come along and try it out! Classes start at 7:50 pm and finish at 9:20 pm every Sunday (no classes on bank holidays & we have different start times for Quadra nights – last Sunday of the month).

What do I need to bring?

We recommend earplugs or over-the-ear headphones as our classes are very loud! We supply all instruments. You are welcome to bring your samba instrument if you have one.

Do I need previous experience, I've never touch a drum in my life!

We love complete beginners and yes you can join in with our samba drumming classes in London with no experience! Our Bateria or samba drumming classes are a lot of fun, so come on down. We break it down into simple steps and our teachers are world-class. They will have you up and banging on a drum within minutes of arriving!

I don’t own a samba instrument, can I borrow one?

All instruments are provided by the London School of Samba. You can come along and try any of the instruments. This allows you to have a go at everything and before you know it you will be grooving with the band!

Do I need to wear earplugs?

YES – the London School of Samba workshops are very LOUD! We highly recommend bringing your own earplugs or you can buy some at our samba drumming classes in London at the door.

Can I join in on my own or do I need a group of people?

You don’t need a group of friends to join our beginner’s samba drumming classes in London. You are welcome to come on your own and we are a very friendly bunch of people. Many people say they love the classes and quickly make new samba friends. The teachers are laid back, fun and patient. Therefore it is perfect for anybody on their own looking for a samba drumming class.

Does it matter if I make a mistake?

Don’t worry about making mistakes. The only way to learn is to make mistakes, no need to worry. Our teachers are fantastic and really will make you feel comfortable and relaxed. Within minutes you will be playing a samba groove and enjoying attention our samba drumming classes in London.

I want to learn how to dance Samba – do you offer dance classes?

The great thing about the London School of Samba is we offer both samba drumming and samba dance classes in London. The samba dance class is held before the samba drumming class, so you can do both on the same day! Click for more information about our dance classes.

Where and What time are the samba drumming classes held in London?

Our drumming workshops in London are held close to Waterloo train and tube station. We are a two-minute walk from the tube station and close to South Bank. Our Weekly Sunday Classes are held at Waterloo Action Centre, 14 Baylis Road, Waterloo, London SE1 7AA. You can view a map or what3words ///hurry.hurry.held

The class starts at 7:50 pm and finishes at 9:20 pm. Quadra nights start at 6 pm and finish at 8:15 pm.

What time does the class start?

Our Samba workshops start at 7:50 pm and finish at 9:20 pm every Sunday. Quadra nights start at 6 pm and finish at 8:15 pm. If you have more questions, please get in touch below and select “Classes” from the drop-down to send a message to our bateria email.

I already have experience in a Samba Bateria

If you are already an experienced player you are most welcome to join our advanced Bateria sessions at the same time and location as the beginner workshops. If you have your own instrument please do bring it along!

How long does it take to join the main band?

This question is one we get all the time! We love having enthusiastic samba loving people join our main Bateria performance group. The first thing to do is keep coming to our beginner’s samba classes in London and start to feel comfortable playing your chosen instrument. Once you get to get confident, have a chat with our Musical Director about joining the London School of Samba’s main band.

Most of our bateria show band members began in the beginner’s samba drumming classes. Continue attending, and once there’s an opening and the timing is right, you can join our main bateria show band.

Is it a group class?

Yes, our bateria workshops are in a group setting. You will meet new people and you can try out all instruments. Our band members with years of experience can share their experience with their instruments and the best techniques for playing the samba instruments.

Do you offer kids samba classes in London?

The London School of Samba runs our super popular Kids
Samba Classes in London course called “Little Sambista’s”. Please get in touch below and select “Little Sambista’s” from the drop-down menu to send a message directly to our team who look after this area.

We something film classes for publicity and training purposes

By signing up for our workshops, participants agree to be photographed and videoed as part of the group for publicity and training purposes, unless they specifically make it known to the teacher BEFORE the start of the class.

FAQs for our Samba Drumming Workshops in London

Become an LSS member

There’s never been a better time to join the London School of Samba. As a member, you get great discounts on classes. You’ll also get exclusive access to events and to vote in LSS elections. Annual membership is just £40 for the entire year, or £35 concessions.

Or come and join us for a taster Samba class or Bateria session on Sundays next to
Waterloo Station.