drum lessons in san diego for all ages & levels
professional learning environments
Inspiring, Fun, & Supportive Drum Lessons
At San Diego Drum Academy our expert instructors help you build solid fundamentals, master techniques, and explore various drum styles in a relaxed, engaging environment. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your skills, we've got you covered!
We are located in Kearny Mesa at 8280 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste 112 San Diego, CA 92111
Rates are:
$60.00/half hour lesson - or $240.00 a month
$90.00/45 minute lesson - or $360.00 a month
$120.00/hour lesson - or $480.00 a month
Not just a drum lesson
San Diego Drum Academy isn’t just a place to take a drum lesson, we’re geared towards drummer development, and drumming mastery. Our instructors are hard to come by, as they each bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our students. Here at SDDA, we go the extra mile in providing students the support and guidance they need to really excel at playing the drums. Whether you’re a young aspiring drumming professional, a 5 year old picking up sticks for the first time, or an adult looking to pursue a creative hobby, we’ve got you covered. When working with us, all of these additional services are included as a bonus, free of charge. We sincerely want to make the most of this with you.
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We want you to succeed at what you love playing, not just learn to play some basic beats. We work with our students to make sure they’re fully aware of the “what’s and why’s” and are equipped with the knowledge and tools they’ll need to proceed as they want.
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With over a decade of professional audio recording and engineering experience, we’re able to show drummers new and exciting ways to record and mix their drums, on top of the industry standard techniques.
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Finding the right school or college is challenging. Many big-name universities don’t really hold the same level of praise as they used to, and are now more just networking opportunities for their students. Other places have the whole package and we’d highly recommend them. Our teachers at the San Diego Drum Academy are educated professionals that can help steer you in the right direction when making those tough decisions.
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Real working professionals, not hobbyists in a room. Each one of our instructors pays their bills from drumming professionally, we’re not just drum teachers. The amount of dedication we have to our craft is second to none. Each instructor at the San Diego Drum Academy has a lifetime of experience in the industry from audio production, music publishing, international touring, booking etc. We love teaching our students how the industry really works, and how they can carve out their own profession if that’s something they want to do.
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Live events including drum clinics, jam sessions, private events, and backstage access to some of our shows are all things we make available to our students. We want to go the extra mile in giving students the opportunity to meet other music professionals that are doing great things.
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Each student gets their own personalized video guidance after lessons. This is a time consuming process for our instructors but after years of teaching we’ve discovered that this really makes the difference as students are able to essentially get another personalized online lesson with them at home.
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Maybe not really 24/7, we do sleep. But we’re available! Our students are always free to call or text us with any questions regarding what they’re working on or advice they might need regarding drumming. We’re here to help.
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For our students working towards being professionals, navigating the music industry can be a challenging time. We guide our students through, and out of those challenges. Having lived many of them ourselves, we understand how to advise students to make the right decisions. Whether it’s conflict with a bandmate, rejection from a university, or maybe you got a gig across the country (or world), or you’re wanting to cut a record. We are here to help guide you in that right direction.
FREE drum lessons?!
90 day summer challenge
Yes, we’re serious. Learn to play a song on the drum kit in 90 days, or your money back! We’re so confident in our ability to take you from 0 to 100 that we’re willing to put it all on the line. So here’s how it works…
Drummers who want to accept the challenge and push themselves to succeed in a short amount of time have the opportunity to pay up front for 12 drum lessons, and if after these 12 lessons you can’t play the drums to a song, you’re getting your money back. There are some stipulations of course, as this puts our business at risk of being taken advantage of. So here’s the deal; you’ll have to practice consistently every day, for at least two hours a day (we have accountability logs for you), you’ll have to commit to taking your instructors advice, you’ll also have to show up for all 12 scheduled lessons, on time. Your drum instructor will select the song you’ll be working on based on your skill level, students won’t all get the same generic tune. On your 12th lesson, it’s test time. Your instructor will grade you on your performance and you’ll pass with flying colors! We hope…
So why take part in this challenge you might ask? Well in short, we think it’d be great for your growth. This process helps students take accountability, keeps them consistently logging hours behind their instrument, and gets them working efficiently under pressure. But that’s not all… If you decide to take the challenge and pay for all 12 lessons up front, we’re offering students two free lessons. So instead of $1,440.00 you’ll pay $1,200.00 for 12 lessons with the best drummers in San Diego.
This is a limited time offer to only 10 new students and will only run until June 30th, unless the spots get filled sooner. Please reach out for more details and any questions you might have about our summer challenge, we look forward to drumming with you!
Why learn at the San diego drum academy?
San Diego Drum Academy is San Diego’s first and only all-drum music school. Our focus is Drum Mastery.
passion
San Diego Drum Academy is the first and only all-drum music school in San Diego. We’re a boutique, San Diego based business set on providing top-notch quality drum lessons above all else. We live and breathe drumming, and love sharing our passion with others. The academy is operated by working professional drummers, not some guy teaching in a garage or some generic, chain music lesson company. You’re not here for cookie-cutter lessons from a generic music school, you’re here for drumming mastery, and that’s what we can offer you. With drum lessons specifically tailored to your level and goals, we put together a curriculum and development program that gets you actually achieving those goals. San Diego Drum Academy is leading the trend of personalized, passion driven drum lessons focused on personal growth, developing your craft, and even just the enjoyment of learning a new creative hobby. Built for drummers who want more than YouTube tutorials. Real mentors. Real Community. Real Results.
team
Yes, we’re a new business. Founded at the beginning of 2025, our focus has been to close the gap between people wanting to learn to play the drums, the right way, and the lack of businesses willing to pay for the level of experience that requires. San Diego Drum Academy was created by professional drummers, for drummers. We pay our teachers better than anyone else in San Diego and that's how we’re able to provide the very best teachers. Our team genuinely cares about our students and their progress on the instrument. This isn’t a day job for us, it’s our lives. If you’re serious about learning to drum in San Diego, this is your place, and we’re excited to meet you. Every student gets a customized path to mastery, guided by our expert teachers with professional backgrounds and diverse styles. We’ve assembled a boutique team of highly experienced professionals to facilitate the needs of the growing demand of authentic, in-person mentorship in a digital world. The SDDA is for drummers of all ages who want to level up with purpose, technique, and pro-level insight. Because you deserve more than just ‘good enough’ you deserve to be great.
Other places:
Less than ideal lessons. Group classes only, generic lesson structure, old material that isn’t relevant today, not fun.
Sub-par teachers that haven’t been professionally educated and have never played outside of a bar.
Just a drum lesson. Clock in, clock out. “Here’s what to do, go do it, see ya next week.”
No experience outside of basic drumming. No industry knowledge, no recording knowledge, no guidance, just a lesson.
goals
Our accomplished teachers can help you achieve that next-level of drumming mastery. Not just drum lessons, but drummer development. We specialize in pop, jazz, latin/afro cuban, funk, soul, rock, metal, drumline/drum corps, fusion, and more (including mentorship on higher education, concert/symphonic bands, recording arts, real-world gigging, auditions, touring, etc). Here at the San Diego Drum Academy we offer one-on-one, in-person lessons. We’ll cover technique, rudiments, feel, and creatively transferring everything on the pad to the drum kit, and then learn how to listen, chart, transcribe and play songs. We put a heavy focus on understanding what you’re doing on the drumset and using that information to eventually play whatever you want. We have plenty of deep studies to dive into for our more advanced students too, learning is a lifelong journey. We tailor our lessons and student development to each student and their specific goals. We sincerely care about sharing our passion for drumming and helping you achieve whatever your drumming goals are.
San diego drum academy:
The best private drum lesson structure in San Diego. Individual, one on one, in-person lessons. Using material from the classic players as well as some of the leading modern drummers of our time. All in a supportive, fun environment.
We have the best drum teachers in San Diego. It’s part of our business model. Our team has worked with some of the greats, and we’re here to teach you the right way.
We actually care about our students success. Not just because we want you to be one of the greatest (we do) but because your success is our success. We want you to do great, and we’re available to help outside of normal lesson times.
Our instructors are industry professionals who have held many industry jobs outside of drumming. Being a full time musician takes a lot of work, and we’re all about it. We’ve got the right experience, and we can help.
“Garet’s drumming techniques and teaching are top notch- truly high quality. Learning from Garet, you can feel there is a universe of drum knowledge and experience within his expertise. Even one 30 minute lesson is game changing. I am always excited to practice/improve! I can tell that the lessons pay off as time goes on. Couldn’t recommend him enough. I am super lucky I found out about him!
Mallory
“Garet has a diverse background- in addition to being a fantastic drummer and musician, his experience in live sound and in music business inform his view of a holistic working musician. Take lessons from him!”
Fletcher
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"I love my lessons with David. He's such a great drummer and is really patient in teaching me new concepts. The hour flys by every week. thanks Daivd!"
Sophie
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“Garet is an excellent musician with great passion for sharing the gift of music. Highly recommend!”
Xandra
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"My daughter takes lessons with Dylan. His encouraging, patient, focused teaching style and genuinely kind personality really helps her to feel safe, comfortable, and appreciated."
Corina
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"Dylan is a great guy and amazing with teaching younger kids. My son, Thomas is loving his lessons with him"
Josh
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"Matt is terrific!! He is a great fit for my daughter. Thus far my daughter is doing great and seems to be progressing nicely. I think working with Matt has given her the confidence to challenge another drummer at school to play the drum set during band practice. so cool."
Michelle
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"Lessons with Matt are going really well. We've been keeping it fast paced and learning a lot. He's been great with setting up lessons based on my level of drumming and given me some good things to work out at home."
Hugo
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"I had been taking drum lessons from school of rock for several years and felt as though I had reached the limit of what they could offer. I'm so thankful I found Garet. I'm getting ready to apply for music schools now and I feel so confident in my playing because of working with him. I know I'll get into the school I'm after!"
Anna
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"Dylan is a beast. I'm in a metal band in town and was having trouble with my double bass technique. He's got me crushing it now, I'm so stoked. Dylan is the one!"
Daniel
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"I'm going to SDSU for jazz and my professor recommended taking private lessons. I found SDDA and it turns out my professor knows David personally and said he'd be a great fit. I've been taking lessons with David for a couple months now and my playing has already improved greatly."
Scott
We’re hiring!
Lead drum instructor
We’re looking for experienced drum instructors to join the team. Applicants should have at least 10 years of professional drumming experience and preferably a BA in jazz studies, percussive arts, or a similar field of study. Current, professional, industry-specific experience is required. You will be asked to provide a detailed resume along with professional references.
Executive/Administrative assistant
We’re looking for an experienced EA or AA to join the team.
This is not an entry level position. This person should have a minimum of 3 years experience in scheduling, communications, media support, marketing support, operations, & admin.
If you’re interested please reach out via our contact page and include which position you’re after. We’ll promptly respond with the full job listing. Thanks!