Become the Best
Drummer you can
possibly be!
Learn from the best and take your drumming
to the next level.
Direct Access to
Master Drummers
Regular live online meetings, Q&A and practice
sessions with renowned drummers: Claus
Hessler, Anika Nilles, Ramon Montagner,
Claudio Spieler and more.
No MIDI!
Only Real Drums!
Hundreds of exercises with practice tracks
recorded by the teachers in multiple tempos &
variations. Loop, slow down, speed up and
practice alongside Anika and Claus.
Structured Courses.
Real Progress.
Forget random tutorials on the internet. Follow a
clear curriculum with step-by-step lessons, sheet
music on screen, downloadable material and
progress paths.
Learn Anywhere,
Anytime
It’s not just prerecorded videos. You’re part of an
active, learning community guided by
professionals. Whether you’re in your studio or on
the road your learning never stops.
What Our Students Say
Seren Durkan
Drummer and drum teacher from Turkey
“The Open Minded Drumming website has been one of the most comfortable sites I have ever used. It is simple to reach all the courses. The nicest thing is to be able to access zoom meeting content on the website whenever we want after those meetings. Training and the courses on the site definitely affect my work in a positive manner. A site like this works great and it’s great that you did it. I’m looking forward to good ideas that may come up in the future. Thank you!.”
Nina Pará
Drummer and drum teacher from Brazil
“I am loving Open Minded Drumming! The courses are full of knowledge, excellent production and amazing didactic. I am also digging into the Online Meetings, which have a lot of good exercises. I sure recommend it for any level of drumming”
Benno Schlachter
Drummer and drum teacher from Germany
“The next best thing to having 1:1 lessons with Claus is to be part of Open Minded Drumming. The great thing about this drumming school is that in addition to courses which you can work through in your own time, you’ll have the opportunity to learn in live sessions (“Practice with..”) directly from Claus or Anika. OMD is well organised, offers valuable content & gives you direct learning opportunities – what more would you neeed? I can highly recommend.”
Thomas Froschauer
Musician and drum teacher from Austria
“Open Minded Drumming is very cool and informative format. The different topics are very well explained and you can even practice along Claus or Anika! The online meetings are a place where you can watch the masters in real time and ask them questions. Well done!”
Chris Joyce
Former drummer of Simply Red and drum teacher from United Kingdom
“Starting with the Swiss rudimental drumming which I found fascinating using a lot of quintuplets to the New Orleans Second Line, Brushes course, and Songo course and then the regular play along sessions with Claus there is endless material here for any student of drumming to learn new ideas and grow their knowledge. The approach on everything I have seen is friendly and encouraging. The material supplied is seemingly endless and forever useful.
Highly recommend.
Thanks a lot to the OMD team.”
Barry Trickett
Drummer from United Kingdom
“I became a member of the Open Minded Drumming platform in September 2021, the material is excellent, the content is easy to understand and the videos are superb… There is a wonderful network of people who know their way around the drums and answer any questions you may have… nothing seems too much trouble, very friendly, helpful people/team.”
Christoph Martin
Musician, Composer, Producer & Piano teacher from Germany
“It’s been a year since I signed up and I can recommend it to every drummer.”
Mark Magnarella
Drummer from North Carolina, United States
“I have used other on line platforms and they do not have the same insight and detail for learning. Open Minded Drumming has multiple practice exercises with video for each technique being utilized and adapted in addition to live classes that you can take and participate in.”
Courses and Instructors
A growing library for every skill level, from beginner to advanced.
Learn technique, coordination, styles, rudiments, konnakol, polyrhythms and more. All in one place.
Study with top educators! Not just great drummers, but masters who know how to teach.
Austrian percussionist and multi-style virtuoso, classically trained and deeply rooted in hand percussion. He studied classical percussion at the Vorarlberg Conservatory, worked with master Hakim Ludin, and studied with Selvaganesh Vinayakram from the legendary Indian band Shakti. Claudio has performed internationally with ensembles such as Tevana, Ragga Gröndal, and World of Strings, and has led workshops and masterclasses at respected institutions across Europe.
Claudio joined Open Minded Drumming in 2022 and teaches his signature course Konnakol | The Mother of All Rhythmic Languages. On the platform, he guides students through structured exercises, downloadable sheet music, and professionally recorded audio tracks to improve their sense of pulse and broaden their rhythmic vocabulary.
Claus Hessler is a German drummer, author, and educator, master student of Jim Chapin and a true authority on Moeller Technique, open-handed playing, and rudimental drumming. He has over 35 years of teaching experience, has performed in more than 40 countries, and has published highly regarded educational books and courses.
One of the founders of Open Minded Drumming and the mind behind the entire educational structure of the platform. Claus leads multiple courses focused on technique, rudiments, different styles, and hand independence. He provides hundreds of exercises, in-depth video lessons, and audio play-along tracks so you can practice directly with the master. Since starting Open Minded Drumming 10 years ago, he has mentored countless drummers in building solid fundamentals, developing efficiency, and leveling up their rhythmic vocabulary, hosting online meetings and practice sessions every month, and teaching our students every year during the Open Minded Drum Camp.
Anika Nilles, a visionary German drummer, composer, and educator. She has toured with legends like Jeff Beck and has recently been announced as the drummer for Rush’s 2026 reunion tour.
Anika studied at the Popakademie in Mannheim and worked with top drumming mentors, including Claus Hessler. She has taught masterclasses, workshops, and university programs around the world. Anika joined Open Minded Drumming in 2020. On our platform, she leads her signature course, Power of Groupings, where she teaches her groove-based approach, from basics to complex rhythmic groupings, creative feel, and the mindset for musical growth. Students work through real drumming exercises, downloadable music notation, and professionally recorded audio tracks by Anika herself. She also hosts regular online meetings and practice sessions and often appears at our annual Open Minded Drum Camp.
Internationally celebrated Brazilian drummer and educator, known for his breakthrough hand techniques: Push-Pull, Slide, and Dual Grip. Ramon played with Johnny Alf, authored educational books on drumming, and travels the world teaching workshops and masterclasses. He has a BA in Popular Music, a degree in History, and a postgraduate degree in Psycholinguistics.
Ramon joined the Open Minded Drumming team in 2023, teaching at the Open Minded Drum Camp, and since then he has been a regular guest in our online meetings and practice sessions. He shares his knowledge on hand coordination, Brazilian grooves, creative phrasing, and the technical control needed to develop real musicality.
Regular Online Meetings
Our students can not only follow structured video courses but also get direct access to the world-class teachers, ask questions, and get immediate feedback. We host live online meetings and practice sessions every month, a feature our students often highlight as a major benefit.
Upcoming meeting:
Claus Hessler
Library - All Meetings, Anytime
Get full access to our library of all previous online meetings.
There are 26 Online Meetings and 48 “Practice With…” sessions with guided practice, so you can not only watch and listen but also practice and play along with our teachers.
Easily filter by category or difficulty level to find sessions tailored to your needs.
Previous meetings:
Take a look inside
Courses, Lessons and
Massive Library of Exercises
Our course structure is designed to guide you step by step, from understanding concepts to applying them in real practice. Watching videos is just the beginning. The core of Open Minded Drumming is helping you maximize your time behind the drum kit with focused, practical exercises.
Choose one or multiple courses Each course page contains a title, description, entry level, a button to start or continue, your progress bar, a short video, and most importantly, the full course content with all lessons and exercises.
Start with the first lesson Follow the curriculum and your teacher’s instructions from beginning to end. Take your time and practice at your own pace. The heart of each lesson is the video. Watch it, read the summary, and internalize the material before moving on to the exercises.
Practice with exercises Watching masters in action and understanding theory is just the first step. The most important part of the learning process is practice. Exercises are the key to every musician’s growth, which is why we design them to be practical, flexible, and effective, with plenty of options to match your needs.
& practice tips
(no MIDI!)
loops and more
speed up
You practice. We take care of the rest. Watch the videos, follow the instructions, practice, join regular online meetings and practice sessions, ask your questions, share your challenges, suggest topics for courses and meetings, and most importantly, enjoy your progress!
Open Minded Drumming in Numbers
+100 comprehensive lessons based on consistent, legitimate and usable information
+20 hours of high quality video content with all the explanations and exercises with sheet music on the screen
+430 exercises with practice pointers, explanations, audio tracks, and many functionalities to help you organise your daily routines
+3200 audio tracks to each exercise that you can easily loop and play in different tempos
240 pages of booklets with exercises that you can download and print to study wherever you want
Online live meetings every month! Ask your questions and meet other Open Minded Drummers.
Access to all the previous online meetings and practice sessions +65h
Select your plan to continue:
SAVE 30%
Annual
£16
/per month (billed annually)
After your 7-day free trial, enjoy full access
for an entire year at the best value.
Monthly
£23
/per month
After your 7-day free trial,
continue with flexible monthly access.
Monthly
£23
/per month
After your 7-day free trial,
continue with flexible monthly access.
+105 comprehensive lessons based on consistent, legitimate and usable information
+21 hours of high quality video content with all the explanations and exercises with sheet music on the screen
+430 exercises with practice pointers, explanations, audio tracks, and many functionalities to help you organise your daily routines
+3250 audio tracks to each exercise that you can easily loop and play in different tempos
249 pages of booklets with exercises that you can download and print to study wherever you want
Online live meetings every month! Ask your questions and meet other Open Minded Drummers.
Access to all the previous online meetings and practice sessions +54h
Bring world-class drummers to your practice room.
“I am loving Open Minded Drumming! The courses are full of knowledge, excellent production and amazing didactic.”
Nina Pará from Brazil
“The approach on everything I have seen is friendly and encouraging. The material supplied is seemingly endless and forever useful.”
Chris Joyce from United Kingdom
“The next best thing to having 1:1 lessons with Claus is to be part of Open Minded Drumming.”
Benno Schlachter from Germany
“The material is excellent, the content is easy to understand and the videos are superb…”
Barry Trickett from United Kingdom
“OMD is very cool and informative format. The different topics are very well explained and you can even practice along Claus or Anika!”
Thomas Froschauer from Austria
“It’s been a year since I signed up and I can recommend it to every drummer.”
Christoph Martin from Germany
“I have used other on line platforms and they do not have the same insight and detail for learning.”
Mark Magnarella from United States
“The website has been one of the most comfortable sites I have ever used. It definitely affect my work in a positive manner.”
Seren Durkan from Turkey