San Francisco, Orinda, online, worldwide

Drum Lessons

Jake is currently offering private drum lessons in San Francisco, Orinda, and online. Jake has taught privately for the last 10 years and has also been on staff at the Blue Bear Rock & Roll Summer Camps.

About Drum Lessons

Lessons revolve around multiple mediums, including Jake’s book: Oscillator: An Intelligent Person’s Guide To Beginning Drum Set, learning songs, and jamming along to actual instruments including bass and guitar.

Focus of lessons covers all areas including:

    • Technique
    • Dynamics
    • Feel
    • Rudiments
    • Reading
    • Theory
    • Independence
    • Ear Training

Styles include: Rock, Funk, Punk, Jazz, Swing, Ska, Reggae, Metal, & Afro-Cuban.

Lessons typically progress through a reading-based program that quickly incorporates songs of the student’s selection.

Oscillator

An Intelligent Person's Guide to Beginning Drum Set

Examples of students at their lessons

About the Teacher

Patience and enthusiasm are Jake’s cornerstones. He sets tangible goals for students and is always bringing in new concepts to keep the lessons fresh and interesting. He asks a lot from his students, but in return gives them the tools necessary to push forward. Due to his difficult start in drumming, Jake has a very clear concept of common problems in early musical development and how to work through them. His philosophy; Anybody Can Drum!

Studios

2 Locations! Currently serving Orinda and San Francisco.

People like me.

Jake is literally the best teacher I've ever worked with. Not just the best music instructor, but the best teacher, of any subject, in my life. He's extraordinarily talented but never makes you feel inadequate. He helps you make music, not just play notes, from the first day you show up. He's intellectual when he needs to be, can instruct with metaphor or by example, keeps the lessons fresh and interesting, and genuinely cares about his students. Jake is amazing.
MARK J.
San Francisco, CA
"Jake Wood is AWESOME. I had long nursed a nagging desire to learn how to play the drums. A search of various drum teachers in the Bay Area, and Jake Wood quickly stood out among them, a rightly so! Jake's lessons were always, structured, well-planned, and above all, tuned to the individual student. I found learning with him intuitive, informative, and most importantly, fun! So if you're searching for an excellent drum instructor, you've found your man!"
BRYAN C.
Oakland, CA
"We've had the pleasure of having Jake teach our two boys drums over the years. He is patient, creative, thorough, encouraging and knowledgeable. Never once did our 7 and 10 year olds (at the time) even complain about going to drum lessons, which as a parent, you know is nearly impossible whenever kids have to go to a lesson of any sort. Each lesson was a chance to connect with Jake improved their drum playing. We could not be more happy with our experience with Jake Wood."
BRENT B.
Walnut Grove, CA
My son started taking lessons with Jake when he was about age 11. Jake is an excellent teacher and performer, one of the best I have seen and a great person to know as well. Especially as a teacher with his incredible talent and fun personality he really influenced my son to know that he has to put in the practice time to be a great drummer and also a professional musician in a casual not pushy sort of way. My son is about to go off to university next year as a music major and I think Jake had a lot to do with this education and career choice. Thank you Jake, we really appreciate you!
ELLEN E.
American Canyon, CA