drum set lessons at Boise Drum Studio
Every student I’ve ever had wants to learn how to play the drum set, and that enthusiasm makes lessons especially rewarding. The drum set is expressive, physical, and immediately fun, but it also rewards careful, structured study.
While my background is rooted in orchestral performance, I began playing drum set in school groups and bands in high school. Since then, I’ve performed in rock and jazz bands as well as musical theater productions. During my time with the Boise Philharmonic, I served as the drum set specialist, performing on pops concerts and contemporary chamber music programs.
So what do all of these styles have in common?
They’re all built on the same fundamentals: time, groove, technique, relaxation, and musical literacy. Whether you’re playing a rock backbeat, a jazz ride pattern, or a musical theater book, those core skills are what make the music feel good and sound convincing.
What to expect in a drum set lesson
At Boise Drum Studio, drum set lessons are structured but flexible, adapting to each student’s goals and experience level.
We typically begin by developing snare drum technique, which gives us a foundation for:
- efficient, relaxed movement
- sound quality and control
- consistency and endurance
These skills transfer directly to the drum set.
From there, students move to the full kit, where we work on:
- reading and interpretation
- coordination between all four limbs
- timekeeping and groove
Early exercises are designed to build fluency step by step—so that playing the drum set feels natural rather than overwhelming. As a student progresses, we will move to studying drum set styles, starting with basic patterns and then studying more authentic patterns.
Depending on your interests, we may explore:
- rock and pop styles
- jazz and swing
- funk and contemporary grooves
- musical theater and reading-based performance
Throughout this process, the goal is not just to “play the notes,” but to develop a strong internal sense of time and feel. And, as much of drum set playing is an aural tradition, we will spend time listening to various recordings in order to transcribe the exact drum parts and learn about musical form.
Drum set rentals for students
We understand that purchasing a drum set can be expensive (and complicated), which is why we're pleased to offer drum set rentals at a nominal cost to currently enrolled students. We have a variety of sets to choose from, including shell banks from DW, Gretsch, Ludwig, and Yamaha. Student drum set rentals also include all drum hardware and cymbals.