Frequently Asked Questions
for drum & beat making lessons
Where do you teach lessons?
I teach out of Revival Drum Shop and Trade Up Music on Alberta & 19th in Portland, Oregon. I also teach online via Zoom and will occasionally offer house calls for an additional fee.
Is there an age limit for lessons?
No age limit! I teach students of all ages, from motivated young beginners (typically ages 7 and up) to adults starting fresh. Whether you're learning drum set coordination or diving into digital music production, lessons are tailored to your pace, skill level, and musical goals.
What is your booking and cancellation policy?
Lessons are booked in recurring weekly slots or one at a time. If you need to reschedule, I request at least 24 hours' notice so we can find an alternative time or credit the lesson. Cancellations made with less than 24 hours' notice are subject to the standard lesson fee.
Drum Lessons
Do I need to own a full drum set to start taking lessons?
No, you don’t need a complete drum kit to get started. For your first few weeks, all you need is a pair of drumsticks and a simple rubber practice pad (which is inexpensive and quiet) to learn basic stick control, hand technique, and rhythm rudiments. As you progress, we can discuss the best acoustic or electronic drum options to fit your budget and living space.
I live in an apartment. Are acoustic drums going to be too loud?
This is a very common concern! If noise or space is an issue, an electronic drum kit is an excellent solution—you can play with headphones on, and the physical footprint is much smaller than a traditional acoustic kit. We can also look into low-volume drum heads and cymbals for acoustic kits so you can practice without disturbing your neighbors. Another option is renting a practice room at Revival Drum Shop where you can practice on one of their drum kits.
Do I need to know how to read sheet music before my first lesson?
Not at all. We will start by building your natural sense of timing, coordination, and groove. When we do introduce drum notation, you'll find it is highly visual and much easier to grasp than traditional melodic sheet music. Our goal is to get you playing along to real music and finding the "pocket" as quickly as possible.
What is your teaching style and what genres do we cover?
My lessons are tailored to each student's personal goals, focusing heavily on solid timekeeping, hand-to-foot coordination, and developing a deep groove. We cover a diverse range of styles, including rock, funk, jazz, and pop, as well as the acoustic foundations that drive modern electronic music and hip-hop beats.
Beat Making & Production Lessons
Do I need a fancy studio or expensive hardware to learn beat making?
Not at all. Modern music production is amazingly accessible, and all you truly need to get started is a computer, a decent pair of headphones, and a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) like Ableton Live or one of the many free online DAWs like Soundtrap or Beatlab. While hardware instruments, MIDI controllers, and analog synths are great tools, you can produce professional-quality beats entirely "in the box."
Which software (DAW) do you teach, and do I need to buy it before my first lesson?
I primarily specialize in teaching Ableton Live, which is the industry standard for modern beat making, sound design, and live performance. You don't need to purchase software right away—Ableton offers a free, fully functional trial period, which gives us plenty of time to explore the platform during your initial lessons before you make any investment. I also work with Garageband, Bandlab, Soundtrap, FL Studio, Audacity and many others!
I already play an instrument. How will that help me with electronic production?
Your background on a musical instrument (especially drums or piano) is a massive head start! We will leverage your existing sense of rhythm, timing, and song structure to make the software feel like a natural extension of your musical expression, rather than just a technical computer program.
I have no prior musical background. Can I still learn how to produce beats?
Absolutely. Beat making is a fantastic entry point into music because digital production visualizes rhythm, arrangement, and harmony in intuitive ways. We will cover fundamental music theory, groove concepts, and sound design step-by-step as you build your very first tracks.
What specific skills will we cover in beat making lessons?
Lessons are tailored to your musical tastes, but core topics typically include building drum racks, chopping and manipulating samples, programming synth sounds, arranging full tracks, basic mixing techniques (like EQ and compression), and setting up hardware controllers like the Ableton Push.
Can we work on my existing project files or finishing my unreleased tracks?
Yes! Bringing in your own song drafts, loop ideas, or half-finished projects is one of the best ways to learn. We can analyze your sessions, fix technical roadblocks in your arrangement or mix, and work together to get your tracks polished and ready for release.