Drum Lessons in Phillips Ranch, CA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Accordion Ukulele Mallet Percussion Music Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

I've found that being flexible and adaptible is most important to me, as everyone learns in a different way. I place a lot of importance on following student interest and goals as well, since it doesn't matter how great your instruction is if you're bored and don't want to keep playing. I think every student should get as much out of their lesson experience as they want, whether that means a more casual experience where you're not practicing too much throughout the week, or holding my student more accountable if they express more ambitious goals. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Depending on where the student is on their development, and which instrument: Guitar - I typically try and start with fundamentals such as how to hold your instrument.. where in the fret to press and make it sing and sound correct. I usually give them a couple simple, one or two string ditties to practice. Then I usually go over some of the basic, commonly used chords and have the student practice on making sure that they can hear all the correct strings ring when they strike the chord. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar

I believe that motivation begins with excitement and there is no better way to help a student stick to a practice routine than teaching him or her to play their favorite songs. Of course, a knowledge of music theory is very important, but I always make sure that we don't get bogged down in minutia, and that each student is allowed to proceed at his or her own pace. A practical and usable knowledge of music's fundamentals is employed to get results and keep the student motivated and actively learning. Read More

Instruments: Drums

I always want the best for my students and want them to be able to go as far they want to go with drums. I like starting students off with reading since it helps with understandingrhythm and will make your practice time more well-spent. If you can read music you can get any drum book and just read through it,play like the stars. PRETTY COOL! I also teach hand technique which was taught to me from a direct student of JOE MORELLO. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion

I primarily use original material when I teach, but occasionally Ill work from standard method books such as Stick Control, Master Studies, and Syncopation, or assign pages from more recent books like John Rileys The Art of Bop Drumming. Ill also pull out books specifically for sight reading such as Anthony Cirones Portraits in Rhythm. For beginning and intermediate students I focus on fundamental technique, basic sight reading skills, and drum set playing (independence/coordination of the limbs, relaxation and balance, time and groove, fills and solos, introduction of musical styles, etc.) For advanced students I get into more conceptual and creative aspects of playing the drums, but I also introduce the Spivack/Wilson technique which I learned during my studies with Murray Spivack and Richard Wilson in the 1980s [check out the 4-part series featured in Modern Drummer magazine in 2011-2012]. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

I am a huge advocate of using differentiated instruction. Each student progresses at their own pace, and I completely cater my lesson plans to each students' wants and needs. I use a system of short term and long term goals, so you will see immediate results while simultaneously working towards a more difficult long term goal. One of my main goals as a teacher is to make the student excellent at practicing. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums

For piano I use a combination of the Bastien books, if you are a beginner. For more intermediate or advanced I use whatever music the student is interested in. It could be the Great American Songbook or classical music. For percussion, for beginners I use the Garwood Whaley book, Fundamentals for the Snare Drum. For drum set I use the Syncopation Book by Ted Reed and a variety of other books depending on the need. Read More