Private Instruction
I teach privately during the week, day or evening. Weekends are
possible, though usually more difficult to schedule. Contact me to set up
a time.
Lessons are 1 hour and 15 minutes long. I like to space them out
by two to three weeks. I find this beneficial over the more
typical half-hour once-a-week lesson format done at most music
stores. I prefer more instruction time per lesson to cover a
wider variety of subjects, and more time between lessons for the
student to work on the material. You may also choose, as some do,
to do a full two-hour lesson roughly once a month. My lessons are
also typically geared towards intermediate to advanced students.
Pricing
1hr 15 min: $65
2 hr: $90
I cover a broad range of technical and musical ideas in my lessons
drawing upon professional experience. My aim is to help you break
through barriers and build healthy, time-tested habits that I know have
been successful for me. For more information on this, go to my practice ideas page.
When starting out with a new student, I usually tend to cover technique
somewhat heavily at first, focusing on principles of using the body in
its most natural and efficient way. Most students, when they
first come to me, tend to use far too much physical energy to play to
play the instrument and it comes out sounding (and looking) strained
and tense. As a result, focusing on a more relaxed approach to
the instrument is a good way to start.
Although it's difficult to fully demonstrate the art of ensemble
playing in a one-on-one lesson, my teaching studio is set up complete
with microphones on the drumkit along with high-quality isolation headphones,
a click track and play-along materials.
The materials I use in my instruction (i.e. books, recordings) are
materials I use currently or have worked out of extensively in my own
playing. Some of those are listed and annotated below. The
first and most fundamental is a two-page Percussive Arts Society
rudiment sheet, which can be found online here and printed
out. You can also purchase a PAS booklet with those two pages
plus variations and permutations on many rudiments at most music stores.
Instruction books
Stick Control for
the Snare Drummer, George
Lawrence Stone (Technique) First published in
1935. Long considered the bible of drumming technique, "Stick
Control" is an absolute killer. I swear by it (and often AT it)
as the most effective method, bar none, to gain greater control and
fluidity with my hands. Plus, although it's generally a
"hands-only" book, over the years I've found many ways to incorporate
the feet in certain sections.
Advanced
Techniques for the Modern Drummer,
Jim Chapin (Jazz
independence/coordination) Like "Stick Control", I never seem to
outgrow this and am still working to master the material within (I
still own my copy I purchased around 1980!). Considered
"unplayable" when it was first written in 1948. Basically a long
set of one-bar exercises and short melody lines to play underneath the
jazz ride cymbal pattern. I spotlight the idea of doing all
exercises not only with the left hand on the snare drum, but also right
foot bass drum and left foot hihat. This helps the player gain
greater levels of coordination that are expected of drummers today.
Progressive Steps
to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer, Ted Reed
(Technique, reading, coordination) Seamlessly blends reading
exercises
with basic-to-advanced technical sections. I have extensively
applied many of the sections in "Syncopation" to other methods and
other books such as "The New Breed". Can be used with a very
open-ended approach.
The New Breed, Gary
Chester
(Drum set independence/coordination, time/groove playing,
reading) An
extremely versatile and open-ended book comprised of what the author
calls "systems", which consist of three-limb time patterns and
extensive reading exercises that are played with the fourth limb.
Systems range in difficulty from very basic to infinitely complex, and
reading can be done from pretty much any text (like
"Syncopation").
The student is also encouraged to devise their own systems and use the
opportunity to take the approach presented here in their own
direction. There's also The New
Breed 2 which contains more systems, reading, and other
ideas. I use them both in conjunction with each other in my own
practice.
Modern Rudimental
Swing Solos for the Advanced Drummer, Charles Wilcoxon
(Jazz-oriented snare drum solos) A very challenging collection of
solos (instead of exercises only) that work on not just technique and
chops but also reading and concentration. Rudiments are applied
heavily in the solos.
Future Sounds, David Garibaldi (Funk
drumming, time patterns, permutations) This is a fun and
interesting book that applies a few different principles to basic time
playing, such as the single paradiddle. Garibaldi introduces what
he calls the "Two sound-level concept" and offers multiple rhythmic
permutations of many interesting grooves he's devised over the
years. CD included of the author playing many exercises.
Beyond Bop Drumming, John
Riley (Jazz independence/coordination and jazz
concept) This is the follow-up to Riley's highly successful first
book, The Art of Bop Drumming.
It introduces advanced jazz ideas and concepts put forth by great jazz
artists in the 1960s and beyond such as Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Roy
Haynes, Jack DeJohnette and others. Many exercises are contained
as well as annotations of examples from classic recordings. CD
included with listening and play-alongs.
Afro-Cuban
Coordination for Drumset; Brazilian Coordination for Drumset,
Maria Martinez (Latin-jazz time playing and
coordination) Two wonderful texts with plainly presented
time playing exercises. What makes these books really worth their weight, however,
is the vast collection of recorded examples that accompanies each
volume. Three-to-four minute play-alongs are preceded by short
examples of the author playing the passage.
Other books I like and use occasionally are:
Drumset
Essentials, Vol. 2, Peter Erskine (Jazz and
contemporary music concept and chart reading)
The Drum
Perspective, Peter Erskine (Musical
and mental concepts of drumming)
The Art of Modern
Jazz Drumming, Jack
DeJohnette/Charlie Perry (Modern jazz concept, solo ideas,
coordination exercises)
Studio and Big
Band Drumming, Steve Houghton
(Studio, big band chart reading)
Four-Way
Coordination, Marvin
Dalhgren/Elliot Fine (Advanced four-limb independence)
This is by no means a comprehensive list; just a few examples of some
materials that have worked well for me and my students. If you
have specific areas in which you want to work, odds are there's
something that will fit the bill, if it's not among the above
listed. Likewise, if there's something else you're working out of
that you would like to continue, by all means bring it in.
Other materials
Spiral-bound notebook for me to write instructions in
Pair of sticks that is thicker and heavier than you typically use on
the kit; a Vic Firth 5B or 2B works well for me. This is for
snare drum rudiments, Stick Control,
and other "hands only" practice.
Practice pad for personal practice; a Real
Feel works great (though you wouldn't necessarily bring this to
lessons)
Practicing
Daily, regular practice (along with plenty of listening) is simply the
best way to assure your improvement as a player. It's like
anything else: the more repetition you get, the more comfortable you
become at it. I won't get into too many of these concepts here;
that, once again, is covered in my Practice Ideas
page. You must bring your own motivation and discipline to the
table. I won't bug you about it. I know how hard it can be
to find time (and space) to practice, but I also know it's not
impossible if you make it a priority.
My feeling is that if you want to improve badly enough you will find
the time necessary to put in.
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Upcoming Dates
