Why Private Lessons Work
For students, private lessons mean:
Clear answers instead of guesswork
Faster improvement with less frustration
Technique issues corrected early (before they become habits)
A structured path instead of random practice
Honest feedback and encouragement when the road starts to get rough
For parents, private lessons provide:
Personalized instruction tailored to your child’s learning style
Efficient use of practice time
Accountability and professional guidance
Confidence that your student is developing correctly and safely
A personal coach in their corner who is there to support them on every step of the journey
Rather than applying one teaching approach to an entire group, private lessons allow us to focus on exactly what the student needs — nothing more, nothing less.
What We Work On
Each lesson is customized and personalized, but common focus areas include:
Snare/Tenor/Bass drum & overall marching percussion technique
Stick control, grip, technique, and motion efficiency
Rudimental clarity, vocabulary expansion, and consistency
CHOP BUILDING!!!
Reading, timing, and rhythmic accuracy
Audition preparation and performance readiness
Building confidence in both practice and performance through high levels of execution
Giving the students all the tools they need to teach themselves outside of lessons and drumline practice
Whether a student is just getting started, preparing for auditions, or trying to break through a plateau, lessons are tailored to meet them where they are.
About the Instruction
I’ve taught hundreds of students through:
High school percussion programs
Middle School Classroom Environments
Drum corps and marching ensembles
One-on-one private instruction (as young as 6 years old and even a few seniors)
My approach combines clear communication, high standards, and practical strategies that students can immediately apply in the practice room.
The goal isn’t just improvement — it’s understanding, confidence, and long-term growth.
Lesson Format & Availability
In-person lessons (South Bay / Los Angeles area)
Online lessons are available for students anywhere in the world 🌍
Lesson frequency, scheduling, and availability vary. We’ll determine the best setup based on the student’s goals, needs, and experience level.
What Students & Parents Say
"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.
