I am currently accepting private students for drum set, percussion, jazz improvisation, beginning piano, and general music concepts including theory and ear training. We can meet in-person at my home studio in Denton, TX or worldwide via Zoom/Skype/Google Meet.  Please email christopherteal(at)gmail(dot)com or fill out the contact form below to schedule a lesson day and time. You can read more detailed information on my teaching philosophy and curriculum for drum set and jazz lessons below the scheduling form and more on my performance and teaching history through my bio. Feel free to email me with questions as well.

Lesson tuition for 2022-23 (minimum of 1 month enrollment):

I offer weekly or bi-weekly lesson options in increments of: 

30-minute lesson: $35 (paid monthly)

60-minute lesson: $60 (paid monthly)

 *Different rates apply for students under the age of 10.

Rescheduling and anticipated absences: I will do my best to offer an alternate time/day for lessons cancelled with sufficient notice (24-hours) or a valid excuse. 

Thank you for investing in music!

The 21st century drum set is a vehicle for artistic expression in a variety of settings (solo, small group, large ensemble) and a number of continually evolving styles (pop, rock, jazz, hip hop.)  Gaining a functional sense of a balanced sound, technical coordination and control, and the ability to play musically with other musicians is achievable through listening and building a solid foundation of vocabulary. Being able to have big ears, a strong sense of time, and the ability to play cleanly and confidently in all situations is paramount.

In the vast majority of playing contexts in the professional world, drum set players are most likely to perform a set of semi-improvised conventional patterns that are not notated in standard Western-musical notation. Since drummers are more likely to perform from sketch charts, form charts, lead sheets, or no written material at all, it is more useful for students of drum set to learn their craft aurally and kinesthetically. Therefore, the focus of this curriculum will be learning through visual and aural observation (not reading out of books*).  Reading and interpreting drum grooves, fills, and solos will be acquired as the final step in the learning process (writing down what is already known). Sight-reading is easier once the student knows the instrument and its role physically and sonically.

 (*I am happy to work on sight-reading, and written material that students are interested in and have extensive experience working in this format in college and professional big bands, as a freelance musician working for cruise lines, and more. Don’t hesitate to ask if you have a project or goal that involves reading!)

Students will learn to play drum set vocabulary in the following sequential order:

1. Observing in-person and video demonstrations of the material.

2. Listening to audio recordings of the drum set in context with other instruments (i.e. a band or ensemble).

3. Practicing with the instructor and receiving in-person feedback on technique and accuracy.

4. Practicing the vocabulary with and without a play-along or metronome

5. Video recording themselves and assessing their progress with the instructor and independently.

6. Reading notated vocabulary (transcriptions) and interpretive drum charts (lead sheets/form charts).

7. Writing transcriptions and lead sheets/form charts.

You can watch and play along with some example video lessons through this playlist below:

I’ve had the fortune to learn and teach jazz songs, style, and improvisation with world-class performers and educators and focus on teaching these skills in a similar manor to the way I teach drum set: learning sound before sight before theory. This means that instrumentalists and vocalists of all types and experience can learn a strategy for “sounding like jazz” by emulating classic recordings and performers. As the Co-Director of the Institute for Creative Music and an IfCM Teaching Artist I utilize the following strategies:

How does the IfCM teach?

• The IfCM Teaching Artists teach using the “whole-part-whole” learning sequence with a focus on “sound before sight before theory.” This means that students are exposed to complete versions of songs, the songs are then broken into parts and patterns, the patterns are rearranged through improvisation, and then the complete song is put back together again.  Students learn initially by ear by copying teacher demonstration before applying symbols like scale degrees, chord symbols, and other spoken or written theory. 

What kinds of music can I learn with the IfCM?

• The IfCM focuses on learning jazz repertoire including tunes written by artists like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, American Songbook standards, improvised music and original compositions by our Teaching Artists, and pop songs by artists like Radiohead, Björk, and Prince. 

Why does the IfCM take this approach?

• By following the aural/oral traditions rooted in Black American music we pay tribute to the history and culture of swing, bebop, and the community learning practices of the great musicians who created this music. Our goal is to have a process for learning to internalize and understand jazz and improvisation through playing first and then labeling what we do through vocabulary and notated music later. This also follows the learning and teaching practices Music Learning Theory developed by Drs. Edwin Gordon, Christopher Azzara, and Robert Grunow.

I utilize classic jazz recordings and apply them through the “Creative Jazz Fundamentals” video curriculum for lessons and student practice. You can learn the beginner jazz tune “Liza Jane” through the playlist below and check out our catalog of dozens of jazz standards at www.creativejazzfundamentals.com

Clinics and Workshops

Chris is available to present clinics and workshops as a Teaching Artist for the Institute for Creative Music for the following topics (and more):

• Drum set styles and techniques

• Improvisation

• Composition

• Aural skills/Song learning by ear

• Music business

• Ensemble rehearsal strategies

• Practicing techniques and tips

• How to listen to music

Please email christopherteal(at)gmail(dot)com for pricing and scheduling.