Watch this video first!
Ok, you might be thinking...
"Why do I need private lessons from you? I can get good on my own and find educational resources online so that I can train myself?"
Fair question. But let me ask you this:
Sure, you could find educational resources online and teach yourself, but when you get that information, do you know how to apply that information in order to fully take advantage of it?
Can you accurately analyze your technique and playing so that you know what you are doing wrong, why you are doing it and exactly how to efficiently correct those errors?
Are you fully aware of your greatest strengths and weaknesses so you can ruthlessly attack the aspects of your drumming that need the most work?
"Well, I have an Instructor at School and that's sufficient..."
That's great and I'm sure you have an excellent Instructor at your School Program. But consider this:
Is it in your best interest to have just one person giving you information and knowledge as you grow within the marching arts activity?
Can your instructor see all of your mistakes and give you timely feedback without being distracted by the other members of your band program?
Is your instructor able to give you a list of action items that are specific to your needs, so that you can have a personalized game plan for your development?
"I'm happy where I'm at and I can get good at my own pace"
I actually like that philosophy, but tell me this:
Do you mean to tell me that you have never wondered what it would be like to have an 'unfair' advantage of having an experienced instructor personally guiding you right by your side?
Would you say you've never asked yourself what might have been if you got on your dream instrument a little sooner, or if you were considered one of the best drummers at your school or that you could've had an even bigger impact in the success of your Drumline?
When you see your instructors, your peers and tons of people online display crazy speeds on licks, exercises and rudiments...are you OK with NOT knowing how they are able to do that and why you can't achieve something similar?
If you answered 'YES' to all of those questions, then yes, you don't need lessons whatsoever!!!
But if you answered 'NO' to ONE those questions, then don't you think you should take a look at how private instruction can drastically improve your drumming game?
My friends, my name is Karl Arrieta, aka karldrumtech and with a teaching career spanning almost 2 decades, I've taught hundreds upon hundreds of students while teaching High School Percussion Ensembles, Drum Corps and Private Students. Over the last two years, you can add the thousands upon thousands of students I currently have via all my Social Media Channels.
Check it out:
I clearly had a lot of Students over my teaching career, so I'm sure you can imagine that I've seen all the common mistakes, understand the psychology of why they make those mistakes and I know exactly why they might have hit a plateau.
I have taught beginners and turned them into World Class performers for some of the best Independent Ensembles in the world.
I took intermediate Students and painstakingly refined them so they can reach that next level.
I even worked with a few pros and gave them some different ideas just so they can expand their knowledge base and skillset EVEN FURTHER than they already have!
But hey, don't take my word for it:
"It encouraged me to tryout for high school Drumline and it helped me improve my skills not only on Tom Drums but also Bass Drums. I REALLY enjoyed taking lessons from Karl. He REALLY knows his stuff."
- Jaymie T.
"The way Karl teaches in his private lessons are super intuitive. What I mean by that is he will quickly find your problem in your drumming and bring about an exercise to solve it in a short period of time. Yes of course, he will teach you cool stuff, but what I found the most valuable from Karl's private lessons is that he taught me how to teach myself. Because you can't be with your teacher all the time, rather, you're with yourself all the time, so if you can teach yourself the right way on your own, you know what I'm talking about."
- Shoki H.
"Karl shows me different strategies to perfect my technique. I look forward to drumming every week and I feel I have improved "drumatically" in a very short time!"
- Evie M.
"Before I marched Drum Corps, I took private lessons from Karl. Those private lessons helped me prepare tremendously for the upcoming season. He is very easy going guy which makes him easy to work with, very educated in the topic and definitely makes the lessons fun by cracking jokes along the way, but is still serious about his lessons. I grew a lot as a drummer and gained new skills during the lessons I took with Karl, and I would recommend to anyone that he is the guy to go to for lessons."
- Owen S.
"I love the lessons! I really like how Karl tries to iron the problems out before we start improving on the strengths which is a great way to teach. With me playing quads, I find it fun to learn them and just to have an hour where I can learn more and more of what I need is what I really enjoy. The thought of going to a lesson and being excited is a thing that is really hard to do and he manages to achieve it. I have fun learning with Karl because I can joke around a little and still get a million things done and I'm glad I chose him for my teacher over everybody else."
- Thor P.
"I studied with Karl 2005-2006 and am so thankful I did. I had been practicing taiko for about 10 years at that point but wanted input on my fundamentals: strike, grip, rudiments. Karl was able to see areas that needed improvement (balance of hands, weakness in L flams, if I remember correctly), and gave me drills that were fun and helped me improve. I'm now a professional taiko player and I feel so appreciative that Karl set me on the right path. I can only imagine what a great teacher he must be now... with another decade of teaching experience!"
- Kris B.
"I've been only taking lesson with Karl for 5 weeks now, but I can almost definitely say that my timing, comfortability and learning speed of drumming has improved greatly. I came from being a Saxophone player with the worst practice ethic you can ever imagine to being a Drummer who practices everyday because of Karl. He taught me the absolute basics of drumming and not only taught me how to drum but musically break down and sit through making every little thing perfect instead of skimming through and being okay with okay. Overall, Karl is a great teacher and person who wil get you to where you want to be drumming wise and teach you good habits that you can take in band rehearsals and in life!"
- Ian P.
"I decided to have a private lesson with Karl after I've seen all his videos about Snare drumming. He helps me a lot to understand the hand technique, how to use rebound and how to think in order to get more quality on the Snare Drum. He can understand very well your weakness and offer you the best solution because he has a very big knowledge about Snare drumming. Furthermore, his explanations are very clear and precise. He's a very enthusiastic teacher and thanks to this quality, he can involve and motivate the Students to gain excellence. Karl is definitely a great master, mentor and a fantastic person!"
- Mauro M.
"Karl knows his stuff! I'd like to say that taking drum lessons not only checked off an item off my bucket list, it was so much fun. I can relate to my Daughter's Drumline activities. If any one has an interest they should try it. Life is too short to stand by watching others. Try it for yourself. Take lessons with your child and we really enjoyed taking lessons together."
- Shelley T.
"My first and far from last lesson with Karl was very beneficial. As a new tenor player, he was very patient and took the time to explain his techniques with me to help me learn quickly! He genuinely cared for my drum progress, and also pushed me out of my comfort zone. If you are looking to take your drumming to another level and need top quality expertise...Karl is your guy!"
- Thomas F.
"As one of Karl's previous students, I can guarantee that his lessons are dope AF! You will get to a completely different level by taking his lessons!!!!"
- David. R.
Now, I promise you that all my past and current students will agree with me what my Live Lesson Program IS NOT:
A Magic Pill
You've probably heard of the phrase, "you gotta pay your dues."
If that phrase is true, then you know that you can only truly get good at Drums by investing your time and your effort into it.
Just because you pay for private lessons, it doesn't automatically mean you are going to get good unless you apply knowledge and put in practice time in between lessons.
Can you make improvements just by showing up to the private lessons? Of course you can. But it won't nearly be as effective as putting in practice time in between sessions and showing up ready to learn the next lesson.
But if you think that this program automatically will make you a better Percussionist, then again, this program is probably not for you.
As a product of private lessons myself, I knew that if I didn't apply the insights and knowledge my Private Drum Teachers provided for me, then it doesn't matter how good they were as Teachers; I'm never going to be the best player I can be without practicing what my Teachers taught me.
Once I did apply the skills I learned from my Instructors and "paid my dues," I decided to pass down everything I've ever learned from them, so that the next generation of Percussionists could benefit from the extremely valuable knowledge that was given to me.
While I may not be offering a "Magic Pill," I am certainly offering a ton of knowledge and strategies that can drastically cut a Students learning curve.
It's so amazing to note that once my Students receive the kind of confidence and proficiency they are able to aquire after just a few sessions, the personal development can literally be LIFE CHANGING!
With all of that being said, here's the kicker:
I actually have very limited scheduling and can't accommodate a lot of new students.
While yes, I do have some open spots now, that might not be the case for much longer, so reach out to me today to see if we can schedule something ASAP.
Otherwise, all my slots might fill up and I won't be able to get new students in without having to drastically raise prices.
Do yourself a favor and don't wait on this!
So my final question to you is:
Are you ready to get the Drumming part of your life handled, take advantage of this opportunity and get the individualized instruction you need to reach your fullest potential?
If so, let's begin...
If you are truly ready to take your drumming game to the next level, then one-on-one instruction with personalized, detailed feedback is clearly one of the best ways to go. I will take a look at your strengths, your weaknesses and your goals so I can create a program specific to your needs. If you live in the Southbay/Los Angeles area and would like to have the ability to learn from me one on one, fill out the form below and enter "Private lessons" in the subject line for current rates, availability and scheduling. If you are interested in remote Skype lessons, please enter "Skype lessons" in the Subject field.