Do we need a drum kit at home to start?

No. A practice pad and a pair of sticks are enough for the first several months, and pad work is where hand technique actually improves. Many families add an electronic kit later.

Will drums bother the neighbors?

Acoustic kits are loud, which is why we assign pad and electronic-kit routines for students in apartments or shared walls. All the hard technique work happens quietly anyway.

My child plays percussion in school band. Can lessons help?

Yes. We work snare rudiments, mallet reading, and audition excerpts alongside kit playing, and we will coordinate with what the band director assigned.

How soon can a beginner play along with real songs?

Most students play along with a simple rock song within four to six weeks. Getting the fills clean and the tempo steady takes longer, and that is the real work.

Is drumming good for kids with a lot of energy?

It is one of the best fits we see. Drums reward focus and physical effort at the same time, and steady practice tends to sharpen attention rather than scatter it.

Can I join a band once I can hold a beat?

Yes. Our rock band session places drummers with guitarists, bassists, and singers, and it is the fastest way to learn to listen while you play.

Kit, hand technique, and groove

Drum Lessons in Ormond Beach & Daytona Beach

Rudiments, limb independence, and the pocket that makes a band sound good. Private drum lessons on a full kit for beginners, school percussionists, and gigging players.

Enroll now Call (386) 256-5847

A drum kit set up in the Elite Academy rehearsal room

What you'll learn

Drummers are hired for time, not for fills. Every lesson starts with the click and works outward, so students build a groove that other musicians want to play with. School percussionists also get mallet and snare reading work alongside kit playing.

Beginner

Time and the basic beat

Matched grip, stroke height, and relaxed hands
Single strokes, doubles, and the first rudiments
Basic rock beat with hi-hat, snare, and kick together
Counting quarter, eighth, and sixteenth subdivisions out loud
Playing along to a full song without losing the pulse

Intermediate

Independence and vocabulary

Limb independence exercises and ghost notes
Grooves across rock, funk, shuffle, and half-time feel
Fills that resolve on beat one instead of running long
Reading drum notation and chart symbols
Dynamics, brushes, and playing quietly on purpose

Advanced

Playing with a band

Odd time signatures and polyrhythmic phrasing
Jazz ride patterns, comping, and trading fours
Latin and Afro-Cuban grooves, clave and cascara
Tuning, muffling, and getting a usable live and studio sound
Rehearsal leadership and locking in with a bass player

Who drum lessons are for

We start drummers around age six or seven, when a student can reach the pedals on an adjusted kit. School band percussionists often come in for snare and mallet help and stay for kit playing.

Adults who have wanted a kit their whole life are welcome, and so are players who have gigged for years and want to clean up their time.

Ages 6 through adult on a full studio kit
School band percussionists needing snare and mallet reading
Self-taught drummers with shaky time or one-handed technique
Players preparing to join our rock band session
Apartment dwellers practicing on a pad, we will build a pad routine

Your instructors

James Sinex, our owner and director, is a drummer first and teaches with a focus on time and musicality. Sam Steinberg is a versatile rhythm-section player who keeps practice fun and progress visible, and covers guitar, bass, and piano when a drummer wants to expand.

James Sinex

Owner, Director · Drums

Founded Elite Academy to give every student a place to grow as a musician and a person.

Sam Steinberg

Drums · Percussion · Guitar · Bass · Ukulele · Piano

Versatile rhythm-section musician who keeps practice fun and progress visible.

Meet the full teaching team

Lesson format and tuition

Drum lessons are private and weekly on a full kit, so you never learn a beat you cannot play on the real instrument. At home, a practice pad and a metronome cover most of what we assign, an electronic kit is a bonus.

30 minutes

Best for younger beginners and anyone building a first practice habit. Enough time for warm-ups, one concept, and a piece.

45 minutes

Our most popular length. Room for technique, theory, repertoire, and a few minutes to work through whatever came up during the week.

60 minutes

For advancing students, audition and recital prep, and adults who want to go deep in a single sitting.

Lessons are weekly, one-on-one, and scheduled at the same time each week. For current tuition rates and open times, call (386) 256-5847 or send us an enrollment request.

Our Ormond Beach studio on South Nova Road draws drummers from Holly Hill, Daytona Beach, and Port Orange, most of them under fifteen minutes out. If you are starting your search from the south end, our music lessons in Daytona Beach page lays out programs, ages, and lesson times for each surrounding community.

Frequently asked questions

Get behind the kit

Send us the student's age and experience level, and we will find a drum lesson time that works for your week.

Enroll now