Drum Lessons

WELCOME TO MY STUDIO

WELCOME

to the drum lessons section of my webpage! In these classes, you will dive into essential drum concepts, covering patterns, drum beats, drum fills, brush beats, snare drum solos, bass drum comping, and even a couple of challenging beats! The exercises we will focus on will empower you to cultivate the strong skills required to play music with a live band.

Player

What genres will we study?

Rest assured, we won't just be delving into jazz rhythms; we'll explore a wide array of styles, encompassing rock, world music, backbeats, and a multitude of others crucial for your journey toward becoming a professional drummer. I must emphasize that without jazz, I wouldn't have reached the level of satisfaction I'm at now. Jazz drumming has propelled my creativity to heights I never deemed possible, and my goal is to share that with you!tx

Levels

Feel free to check out the three different levels on this page. You'll find all the juicy details about what we'll be covering in our lessons. Get a sense of where you're at and where you'd like to go!

Can lessons be online?

Certainly! I operate from a professionally equipped studio that guarantees the utmost clarity when you listen to me and my drums.

What do I need?

It's crucial that you come prepared with a pair of drumsticks, a practice pad, and the books I'll assign to you when classes begin (the choice of books will depend on your level). Don't fret if you don't have a drumset; a practice pad will work perfectly!

Here's a sneak peak of some my drum lessons

BEGINNERS

Introduction to Jazz Drumming
Recommended Course Materials
Holding the Sticks
Practice Pads - Introduction, basic strokes, warm ups and rudiments
Basic Tone Production
Ride Cymbal Techniques
Basic Hi-Hat & Ride Practice Techniques
Practice Routine
Subdivisions and the Rhythm Vocabulary
Learning to read music
Drum Tunning
Big Band Charts
Jazz Phrasing
Heel Up or Heel Down?
Independence & Coordination
Vocabulary - Jazz Context
Comping
Introduction to Coordination Exercises
Coordination Exercise
Introduction to Jazz Coordination Exercises
Jazz Coordination Exercise
Additional Submitted Songs and Miscellaneous Topics
Learning snare drum solos

INTERMEDIATE

Orchestrating Rudiments
Dynamics
Choices
Playing a Melody on Drums
Hi-Hat Control - Basic Technique
Hi-Hat Control - Exercises
Brushes
Brushes Play a long
Brushes in 3/4 Time
Big Band Charts
The Blues
Call & Response Exercise
Introduction to Destination Point Fill Exercises
Creative Practicing with Fills
Additional Submitted Songs and Miscellaneous Topics
Learning a drum solo

ADVANCED

Phrasing
Big Band Charts
Listening to other instruments
Slow Jazz Blues - 4/4 Time
Ballads
Odd Time Signatures learning to play in odd meters, 3 - 5 - 7 - 9 and 11
Call & Response Exercise
Exploring Textures - Drum Sticks, Brushes, Mallets
Brazilian Rhythms
Cuban Rhythms
African Rhythms
Building a Solo
Additional Submitted Songs and Miscellaneous Topics
Learning a Drum and other instruments solo

DRUM LESSONS