I have been studying drumming with "Lenny Gee" Giachello at Drumville Studios for exactly one year, now, and his lessons are truly the highlight of my week. Before meeting Lenny, I had no formal training on the drums. I tried (and quit) in middle school, but it wasn't until my late 30s that I could buy my first drum set. I practiced a couple of times a month, playing along to my favorite songs on headphones. I was able to keep a steady beat and play some basic patterns, but I realized that my skills had hit a wall; my speed was limited, my accuracy was poor, I couldn't play a decent fill consistently, and I couldn't decipher the more complex drum parts I was hearing. I just didn't have a good understanding of what I was doing, on a basic level. So, at the age of 45, I was finally ready to admit that I could benefit from formal training. I also knew that I would fizzle out quickly doing self-study from books and online courses. I needed guidance and feedback from a real, live, in-person, human teacher. I found the website of Drumville Studios, submitted my contact info, and got a call back from Lenny the next day. He shared his background and his approach to teaching the drums, and asked about my experience level and what I was looking to accomplish. I asked him to treat me like I had no prior knowledge of the drums, and start from scratch. That's exactly how we started when I showed up for my first lesson the following week. It was a revelation from minute one, when I learned I had been holding my sticks incorrectly this whole time! Then we began going over note durations and the division of notes--the very foundations of learning to read and interpret drum notation--with Lenny conveying the importance of reading notation, something I had willfully ignored. One year in, I've gone from being mystified by drum notation, to playing along while sight-reading simple to intermediate rock songs. What I've come to learn about Lenny over the past year is that this dude LIVES and BREATHES drumming. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the history, techniques, and personalities involved in drumming, and he's enthusiastic about sharing that knowledge with his students. We'll often spend the first few minutes of a lesson just talking about a cool drum part one of us heard in a song recently, or an interesting practice technique he gleaned from an old tutorial video he just re-watched. He's passionate about my individual progress as a drummer; he cheers me on when I finally nail a technique that has challenged me for weeks, and he reminds me to be patient with myself--and, quite literally, SLOW DOWN--when I get frustrated with a song and keep making the same mistakes over and over. I'm also amazed by how observant and perceptive Lenny is. There are so many sounds and movements occurring simultaneously when you're rockin' on the drums, but he's always able to give me useful feedback: "You're lifting your foot too high off of the kick pedal." "Your right pinky keeps peeling away from the stick." "That hi-hat splash came in a sixteenth too late." It never feels like criticism; it feels like I'm in good hands with someone who knows their craft and cares enough to help me elevate my technique. The value of the lessons I get at Drumville is simply unmatched by anything I'd find at a music store or music lesson academy. If there isn't a student coming in right after me, Lenny will often let my lesson go long. Sometimes he's just excited at the progress I'm making, and sees an opportunity to get me started on the next rudiment, or the next song, that will push my skills even further. He's unbelievably generous with his time. You will not get that benefit at a music school that operates in 30-minute increments. Lastly, I'll comment on the learning environment. Drumville Studios is in Lenny's home, which is clean, organized, and smoke-free. Lenny's sweet wife, Sue, is often home and greets me when I come in. There's a cozy living room "waiting area" in front. You'll breeze through the kitchen to get to Drumville--the den where Lenny has a full drum kit and multiple practice pads and stools set up. This practice room is spacious, with natural light coming in through the windows, and fresh air coming in through the screen door. A gentle, old dog named Elvin is often snoozing on a rug while we practice. In other words, I've found this to be a safe, welcoming, comfortable place to take private music lessons. Plenty of on-street parking, too! As I said before, I really look forward to attending my lesson with Lenny at Drumville Studios every week. To me, learning the drums is a fun challenge, a relaxing reprieve from the world and all its problems, and surprisingly good physical exercise. Whether you're a beginner playing drums on your pillows at home, or a self-taught musician wanting to improve your skills, Drumville Studios gets my heartfelt recommendation as one of the best places to learn drumming in and around Long Beach. read more

Lenny is a great drumming instructor! My son has been attending his classes for 3-4 years now so I can confidently leave this review. Lenny's patience and passion for teaching percussion is evident during and after every lesson. My son and I always leave Drumville energized! At home my son never feels pressured to practice for a set amount of time due to Lenny's pragmatic philosophy of practicing in chunks when time is available. Totally fits in with my child's hectic schedule. I have seen my son at age 6, go from a shy uncertain child, to a confident, positive, more social child. The confidence he gained from learning drumming and Lenny's constant wisdom when things get challenging has helped my son grow as a musician and also as a leader at school! My son's concentration and focus has also increased, which shows in his school work and teacher reviews. I attribute it all to Lenny@Drumville! Climbing the proverbial drum ladder has taught my son that hard work pays off. Lenny@Drumville constantly reiterates this concept with positivity and kindness and patience. Which is much appreciated from a parenting standpoint. If you want to increase your child's focus/concentration, improve their behavior / performance at home and school, and overall confidence, I truly believe that spending time with Lenny@Drumville can help your child learn a multi-dimensional instrument while learning lifelong social / behavioral skills to be successful in life! Also, Lenny's song library that he puts in front of my kids spans the full range of rock which I appreciate. Lenny exposes my kids to Rock history (which most kids these days lack) like the Beatles, Stones, thru Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, and Green Day...and everything else in-between! Give Drumville a chance! There's no upsell and no filler here! Lenny is always completely transparent on if he thinks drumming would work for you or your kids and that's why we love Drumville! Rock On! read more

Drumville Studios - Drumville studio - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Long Beach, California

Lenny " Gee " Giachello is DRUMVILLE. The lesson studio is fantastic. Lots of equipment - but the most important factor is Lenny himself. He has over 50 years of experience yet remains incredibly patient. My grandson is about a year into his lessons - loves it. I had tried being a drummer back in the mid-late 60's - music store lessons that where ok but NOT even close to the level of experience-knowledge-expertise to be gained from Lenny - considering a restart. Positively T H E place to learn drumming read more

I cannot stress how grateful I am for finding Lenny! He is extremely generous with his time, has a tried and true lesson plan that I get the feeling that he could teach it in his sleep at this point (but it always feels like it is tailored to the student's strengths). He is extremely encouraging and patient, and really stresses the importance of building up a good foundation of drumming, rather than rushing to play to songs.... Don't get me wrong, as he goes through the fundamentals he gives countless examples of songs that they are used in, but the goal is always to get the student comfortable with a drum stick and work towards great technique. If you are interested in becoming a great drummer Lenny is the guy to see! read more

My son Nicholas is still a student of Lenny Giachello's after many years. Lenny has been able to keep my son interested in the drums and on the road like very few music instructors are able to do. He even is incorporating sight singing into his lessons. The art of reading music is alive at Drumville Studios thanks to Lenny. Great with kids and his Grandson told me he is his favor baseball player of all time. Quite a complement coming from a 4 year old. Thank you Lenny and Susan Giachello. read more

Drumville Studios - Nicholas Dalrymple with a new set of sticks! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Long Beach, California

If you want to play drums, and play them correctly, then Lenny Giachello is the man for you. I learned from the Double Ratamacue to the Moeller Technique, and even played a few Beatles and Stones. Thanks to Mr. G, I learned to read and coordinate my playing. His price is beyond reasonable, and what I like the most from his lessons is the patience he has with me. Oh, and the stories he tells are fascinating. So if you decide to learn to play drums, Lenny is your man. He will not only make you a better drummer, he will make you a better person. read more

Drumming is a passion to Lenny and it comes across when he teaches. He brings a wealth of knowledge having studied under some of the most accomplished master teachers in the world; Joe Porcaro (Father of Jeff Porcaro from Toto), Elvin Jones (John Coltranes drummer) and Sonny Igoe. I have enjoyed a lifelong pursuit of music and percussion learning as much as I can along the way, 10 years ago I found Lenny and my technique has never been better. I have advanced my hand skills, my site reading and broadened my abilities across Jazz, Rock and the musicality of my drum style when playing with other musicians. Lenny is exceptional at teaching the fundamentals, music theory, site reading and advanced techniques. I highly recommend Lenny Giachello as one of the best drum instructors in the South Bay, actually, he is one of the best anywhere! read more