I've been taking drum lessons now with Eyal for maybe 4 months. I'm 45, have a full-time job, but always wanted to learn the drums as a hobby. Eyal is an absolute pleasure to work with. Skill level, he's definitely at the top of his game. So solid! Saying he has advanced skills both technically and by feel is an understatement. This guy knows the history, techniques, reading music, you name it. He is truly a student of percussions and can play the shit out of the Foo Fighters. Lol. What I enjoy most about his lessons is that as I started progressing he is looking to expand on the types of music and helping me develop the sounds and techniques that I enjoy, rather than having some cookie cutter/same program fits all, mindset. He's super chill and very much interested in not only helping you become a good drummer but also cares about people and takes a legitamite interest in your life/wellbeing. read more

I have been taught by many and never have I been more let down by a teacher in my life. If that Eyal Douche Bag even showed up to teach ( left me hanging thrice, unfortunately I prepaid) it wasn't worth the time or the money. Go somewhere else ... Anywhere else read more

I decidedly switched from singing to drumming late last year, and I wanted a teacher who could help me transition smoothly based on my unique blend of musical experience. Eyal helped me jump straight in, and I haven't looked back since! Every lesson I get to learn or try something new, and I'm left with just enough homework to manage between lessons. He's great to talk to not only about drumming, but about music and life in general - besides, all of it comes back to you and how it manifests in your ability to take to the beat. It can only get better from here. read more

This review is for Shawn Myers - I highly recommend him, he's awesome! I'm in my 30s and joined Oakland Drum School in late 2021 and, based on my interests and goals, was assigned to Shawn. Shawn's kind, welcoming demeanor and patience create a nonintimidating, fun environment. He took the time to understand and adapt to my skill level, interests, goals, and learning pace. The practicing techniques and accompanying tools/resources he recommended helped me learn better and faster. He is great at breaking down complex techniques into simpler components that can be learned individually and then built upon. Whether I wanted to learn pop rock, funk, or Latin rhythms, Shawn was well-versed in each style and open to helping me learn it regardless of what his preferred genres might be. My learning experience with Shawn has been nothing short of exceptional--he's set a pretty high bar. I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone seeking a top-tier drumset instructor. You can learn more about him at https://www.shawnmyersmusic.com/. With respect to Oakland Drum School, I sincerely appreciate that their practice rooms have two full acoustic drumsets and ample room so I don't feel cramped during the lesson. It makes the learning experience much more enjoyable and fruitful since A) it helps you learn dynamics better since you can hear yourself more easily than on an amateur-friendly electronic kit or a modified acoustic kit with low-volume cymbals and mesh heads, and B) it is a lot easier for the instructors to demonstrate techniques and rhythms to the students and play together during the lesson. I personally prefer at least 45 minutes for lessons but some kids might not be able to sit still for that long. read more

Excellent set of Drum teachers to choose from. Shawn Myers in particular is a talented drummer and an attentive and accommodating teacher. I look forward to taking more lessons here. read more

Eyal is a great drum teacher! He is patient and makes sure to connect with my 7 year old repeatedly during his lesson. His lessons are really fun AND my son has learned a lot about the drums and good technique. He also talks to my son about the songs he likes and uses those songs to help him learn new drum beats. Eyal is a talented drummer and a fantastic teacher. He's also easy to communicate/schedule lessons with and is friendly person. I highly recommend Eyal to anyone wanting to take drum lessons! read more

Oakland Drum School - Drum Lessons - Discussing cool stuff about drums. :) - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Oakland, California

Eyal is the best! I'm an experienced player, but I'm totally self-taught; Eyal introduced me to a whole new set of fundamentals and practice methods that have opened up a new galaxy of possibilities for my playing. I was seeing improvement within a week of my first lesson. He's an excellent listener, and was able to cater my lessons to the exact areas that I wanted to improve upon. He's also knowledgable about the area and places to find live music and musicians. Long story short: I got *exactly* what I wanted out of my lessons with Eyal. On top of all that, he's just about the nicest guy you'll ever meet. read more

I've been working with Eyal for a few months and I have only positive things to say. He is really talented, not only as a drummer but also as a teacher. He's patient and serious and can adapt to my needs as a learner. He also is flexible and works to find a time to meet that works for both of you. Highly recommended! read more

I've been going to Eyal for drum lessons for ~4 months now and I can't say enough good things about this guy. As a little background, I started lessons with Eyal already having a couple years of experience. This was nice in the sense that we didn't need to start from scratch, but with time I've also built a lot of bad habits. Eyal has been instrumental in breaking down those bad habits for the past few months and I'm on a path to replacing them with good technique. I'm already playing more freely and confidently around the kit. Eyal has a serious passion for drumming, and a holistic method of teaching that addresses not only technical skill, but also the mental barriers that come up naturally for all aspiring musicians. If you want to improve your skills and, most importantly, have more fun playing drums, I would highly recommend Eyal as an instructor. read more

Eyal is a fantastic instructor. He is great at breaking down a song and helping you understand how to play it. He has a passion for drums and it definitely shows. His patience and knowledge will only make you a great drummer! read more

We are so grateful to have found Eyal. He teaches in a fun, engaging way, always keeping in mind his student's individual interests, asking what songs they want to learn next, alongside teaching the fundamentals. Our son's favorite is when they jam together, each on their own drum set with only their creative energy soaring, producing awesome beats! Not only is he a phenomenal drum teacher, he has taught our 6 year old son so much about patience, perserverance, mindfulness, introspection, thoughtfulness, and creative expression. A true mentor. read more

I started taking lessons with Eyal about 7 months ago. As part of my mid-life crisis I decided to do something I always wanted to do: play drums. I had zero previous knowledge of drums and music in general, plus I was very self-conscious as I'm old enough to be Eyal's mother. Eyal had to start with the basics, such as teaching me the name of the drums, how to hold the drumsticks, and even how to sit. I thoroughly enjoy every class! He pays attention to little details always keeping in mind the big picture. He explains to me the music theory necessary to be a good musician balancing it with practicing basic techniques and learning the songs I love. A few months ago I showed a friend of mine who is a drummer, the things that I have learned. My friend was surprised of how much I learned, considering the few months that I have been playing drums! I hadn't realize how much we cover in every class and how fast I have improved until someone else pointed it out. I recommend Eyal for drumming lessons because I know he transmits his passion for drumming! read more

Oakland Drum School - Drum Lessons - Just after a few sessions I was already playing along! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Oakland, California

Eyal is an awesome drum teacher. My 7-year old one day decided he'd like to learn drums, and we tried Eyal. It has been a year now with weekly drum lessons, and my kid has learned a LOT. Eyal is super patient with kids, and always is looking for ways to make the class (even) more engaging and fun. read more

I don't know how I got so lucky to find the perfect drum teacher. Eyal has helped me set goals for myself as a drummer and pushed me to achieve them. He's an amazing person and I look forward to seeing him every week. read more

I've been taking drum lessons with Eyal for about 7 months, and I've enjoyed every one! I had no experience with the drums, so I really appreciate Eyal's patience, understanding, and encouragement. His feedback and suggestions have helped me a lot, and his passion for drums makes me want to work on my own skills as a drummer. His candidness, thoughtfulness, and sense of humor make talking to him really fun and enlightening. He's been a wonderful friend and teacher, and I highly highly recommend him! read more

I highly recommend Eyal for drum lessons. He's a wonderful teacher who tailors his approach to the needs and styles of his students. He's been working with my son who is 7 for about a year. He finds creative ways to keep my son engaged in the 1 hour lessons, by connecting to my son's interests and musical tastes. As a teacher myself, with a Masters degree in education, I know great teaching when I see it, and Eyal is a great teacher. read more

I gotta say Eyal absolutely gets 5 stars. My 9 year old son started lessons and I wasn't sure how it would go, as my son is sometimes easily frustrated. One of the first things Eyal said was "My number one rule is I want you to make mistakes. The best drummers have discovered their greatest breakthroughs through mistakes." My son was immediately at ease and he has been super excited about his lessons. Today he told me "Daddy, sometime I'll probably be super famous because I'll be a great drummer." Eyal does a wonderful job of showing kids how music should be a joy and most of all fun. I rarely write Yelp reviews, but I am truly impressed with his teaching. I'm sure he's great with adults, too, but I'm really glad we found him. read more

Best drummer in the Bay Area! I worked with him on a few of my songs and he is amazing! He is very calm and patient, really well priced and will give you results! I could not recommend Eyal enough! read more

It's hard to imagine a better drum teacher for our 11-year-old son. Eyal's humor, patience, and step-by-step approach has helped our son move from fear/ambivalence about the drums to greater confidence and even inspiration. He is a very emotionally intelligent teacher and always seems to know just what a student needs to hear in order to move past roadblocks and get to the next level -- not just as a drummer, but as a human being. I sometimes think Eyal would make a great therapist! On top of all of that, he is very fun to talk to, and my son and I always look forward to our weekly sessions with him. I can't recommend him enough. Eyal rocks! read more

Eyal is great! He really knows his drums. I wish I have his ears, he can listen to a song and pick up all the fills and write it out on the fly while when I did it I had to see it on youtube, slow motion again and again for hours for just one measure of fills. I love that his class can have so much variety. Sometimes we go over theories, technique and rudiments, other times, we work on a song together and he shows me the beats and fills. Sometimes we work on speeding things up, some other times we talk about how to use the different combinations of drums create the best sound. Overall a great experience and he is a great, patience teacher. read more

Eyal is a unique teacher in that he gets to know his students first before teaching them. He takes the time to learn what songs or genre of songs I like so he comes prepared with suggestions of what songs we should study next, but also emphasizes basic exercises. On top of all that, he is a genuinely nice guy and has excellent drum skills. read more

Eyal is AMAZING! My 10 year old son had been drumming for a few years. When we decided to "step it up," we found Eyal and haven't looked back! My son really enjoys learning with Eyal AND he has made obvious improvement! Eyal does a great mix of core fundamentals and fun enjoyment playing - keeps my son wanting more! I highly recommend him. read more

Fabulous instructor!! I have been taking weekly one-hour lessons with Eyal for the past 4 months. I am a recent retiree and learning to play drums is something I've wanted to do for a very long time. I made a great decision in choosing Eyal as my drum teacher! He crafts each lesson to meet my needs as an individual drum student and he is very patient with me. He is a skilled drummer, an experienced teacher, and has an engaging personality that makes each lesson lots of fun so I really look forward to it. But he can also be firm when he needs to be such as correcting me when I'm not keeping time properly. In addition to working on my drumming and form, a lesson might also include us discussing music theory, equipment, drumming styles, reading music, counting and keeping time. There is a second drum kit in his studio and sometimes we play together. At the end of each lesson he sends me an email with a lesson summary and homework for me to prepare for the next lesson. I have been thoroughly enjoying my lessons with Eyal, and learning to play drums has been great brain exercise, too! I absolutely recommend taking lessons with Eyal, for drum students of all ages! read more

Eyal is a very professional drum instructor who will tailor the lessons in a way that is enjoyable and challenging at the same time. I have been taking lessons from Eyal for a couple of months, without any prior experience with drums. He has made it very affordable and easy to understand for a beginner like myself. I would recommend Eyal to anyone that is interested in 1-on-1 lessons, beginner or advanced, there's always something to take away from each lesson. read more

Eyal does a great job of combining serious study with the fun of playing music, emphasizing practice, listening skills, improvisation, but most of all, enjoyment. Eyal provides a low pressure environment and encourages individuality and personal expression. In addition to teaching drum techniques, Eyal integrates breathing and mindfulness exercises. My son has benefited immensely from his instruction. read more

I've been taking drum lessons from Eyal since 2016. He is so talented and a great teacher. He is very patient and enthusiastic. My drum play's been improving much with his teaching. I had a few different drum teachers before but he is the best so far now. If you need a drum lesson I highly recommend Eyal. read more