Drum Lessons in Brentwood, TN

Instruments: Drums

I approach teaching by meeting my students where they are and addressing their goals. However, there are fundamental techniques that apply to any application and musical setting that we will cover extensively so that you are prepared to play anything. We will also work on reading and groove. I have played virtually all styles of music common in the USA and am prepared to teach my students how to play them well. Read More

Instruments: Drums

My methods vary depending on the level of the student. I heavily emphasize fundamentals with beginning students, and I try and make them understand the importance of the essectial rudiments and hand coordination before moving on to the drum set. With intermediate and advanced students I emphasize drum set, while still practicing the fundamentals. I hope to teach more advanced students to learn the confidence and skill to play with a band and learn how to approach songs from a musical, rather than simply technical, point of view. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Mallet Percussion Latin Percussion Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements. Once the student has started to grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. I do try to maintain a balance of classical music, modern music, and music theory. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

Many self taught drummers learn bad habits which become very difficult to break as they get older. We will break these habits if needed. For the beginner, we will spend the first two or three lessons working on proper grip and motion. Once that is mastered, we will use the Maroni book and use the first page of Stick Control. I would like to supplement that with a John Wooton play along book which takes the boredom out of Stick Control. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Djembe

Often times when it comes to music instruction some misleading statements come up. A popular misconception is that playing a instrument is all muscle memory. This is not a complete or true statement. Muscle memory is only a part, it is the recall mechanism of what we have practiced. If you learn something wrong you will recall it wrong. Having a fundamental understanding of how drumming works can make the experience of learning to play great for the student. Read More

Instruments: Drums

With beginners, I focus on the fundamentals like working out of George L. Stone's 'Stick Control' and introducing rudiments while focusing on overall technique. I also work out of a book called 'A Funky Primer', which is a drum set book that has hundreds of different beat combinations. Depending on how the student progresses and what their overall goals are, I eventually begin to introduce difference genres and styles and more complex and challenging approaches to the drum set. Read More