Drum Lessons in Half Moon Bay, CA

Instruments: Drums Latin Percussion Keyboard

For beginning learners I will focus on drum stick hand placement, grip, and control. This will fundamentally give the student more comfort in rhythm later on in the lessons. A proper hand grip and finding a comfortable position is key to starting the foundation of being a great drummer. We will also focus on the nomenclature of the drum kit. We don't just want to hit the drum kit, but we want to learn what it is we are hitting. Read More

Instruments: Drums

I take each student's personal goal and gear their lessons toward this goal. By giving each student a realistic short term goal that feeds into their ultimate aspiration on the drums, they will get to see the progress they are making and are encouraged to keep practicing and improving. I use a mix of different instructional texts depending on what we are working on, and will sometimesprovide custom made exercises for a student if needed. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Flute Drums Ukulele Recorder Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

I learn by doing and I believe that my students should play what inspires them! If it's classical, let's study Bach and Mozart together - if it's Latin, let's study Dave Valentin and Johnny Pacheco. I have always had a broad taste in music and I think it's wonderful when students bring me songs that inspire them. Let's work the chords out together and study the greats! I believe that the engaged student will be the successful student. Read More

Instruments: Drums

Technique: grip, stroke methods, posture, symmetry, breathing, set up. Rudiments: with and without metronome, increasing tempo by 5 bpm, great way to warm up for any lesson. Beats/Rhythms/Styles: rock, pop, jazz, funk, hip hop, reggae, Arab, African + more. Genre/style identifiers and characteristics. Independence: hands and feet exercises for fluidity and freedom of expression. Orchestration and Arrangement: utilizing the variety of percussion instruments available at the studio to demonstrate rhythms and sounds. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Ukulele Mandolin Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I always say that rhythm is more important than the notes. Play the right rhythm and the notes will come instead of playing every right note while sacrificing rhythm. I encourage students to make their mistakes loud, proud, and in rhythm so everyone has a better idea of what needs to be worked on most. I also emphasize isolating parts to practice and working backwards. Example: play the last two bars of the song until comfortable with it, now play the last 4 bars, last 6, last 8...etc., whole song. Read More

Instruments: Drums Ukulele

Im an experienced drummer of 23 years and have competed at a world class level. But I truly love to teach and watch students reach their full potential. I went to school at Pasadena City College and studied music and got two associates degrees from that College. Went on to teach both middle school and high school drumlines and got them competing and achieving State Championship titles. Ive also worked with bands from Church and did many gigs with my former Tahitian dance troupe in Southern California. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I like to "cross-train" my students. By this, I mean that it is important to work all of our musical muscles in order to become well-rounded musicians. Lessons could include anything from ear training, solfege, sight reading, song learning, and much more. Through this exploration, I can find what excites the student and work that into the lesson, and the student can find what inspires them while exploring it more and working on it with me. Read More