Interested in learning drums with me?

I offer three different formats, and you can mix and match them to fit your needs:

• Asynchronous Drum Coaching
  The foundation of my teaching approach—flexible, effective, and especially powerful when combined with live lessons.
  
  

• In-Person Drum Lessons
  Held at my private studio in Kawasaki, near Motosumiyoshi Station.
  
  

• Online Drum Lessons
  Join from anywhere in the world—or even just from down the street...

My aim is to help you grow as a drummer in an effective, motivating, and fun way! 

Drawing on more than 25 years of international experience as a professional drummer and teacher, I offer personalized support and a wide range of tools and insights to guide your development and help you reach your musical goals. 

I’m a versatile musician and comfortable in many styles. Good music is good music, and I’m happy to work together on whatever you’re interested in or curious to explore—whether it’s rock, pop, funk, hip-hop, Latin, or something else.

That said, my deep love and main area of expertise is jazz and musical improvisation. This background shapes much of my teaching: I focus on listening, musical awareness, creativity, and playing with others—skills that matter in every style of music.

 
I also believe that a solid foundation in technique is essential, but it should always serve the music and your unique expression on the drums. Good technique not only helps prevent injury but also gives you great tone and touch on the instrument. 

Get in touch!

Everyone is different, and explaining all the details of my teaching here would make this page too long. 

Let’s connect in a short video call to talk about your goals and how I can support you. I’m happy to share my teaching philosophy, explain how I approach lessons, and walk you through asynchronous coaching — a game-changer for many, even if it’s still new to most.

frehsedrums@gmail.com

Why asynchronous coaching?

I’ve been teaching drums for over 25 years, and while I’ve always enjoyed working with my students in regular in-person lessons, one thing kept bothering me: the long gaps between sessions with no check-ins or feedback.

Students would go home and practice on their own, but they often forgot important details, got a bit lost, or practiced things incorrectly until the next lesson, which could be weeks away. Questions and challenges would come up during practice, but without the chance to ask, they often went unanswered or were forgotten. This slowed down the learning process, and I wanted to find a better way to support my students.

So I tried something new. I gave them a way to stay in touch between lessons, where they could ask questions, share practice videos, and get feedback anytime. What I found was simple: they improved faster, were more motivated, and felt better supported.

Over time, this evolved into what I now call asynchronous drum coaching—and it’s become the heart of my teaching.

This is How it works

The idea behind it is simple and straight forward:

• You send me your questions or videos of your practice or performance—anytime.
  
  

• I review them and reply with personalized feedback and guidance just like in regular drum lessons, but via video or text.
  
  

• You apply the feedback in your practice, then send updates and new questions as you go.
  
  

• You can check in with me regularly for support, motivation, or fresh ideas—whatever you need.
  
  

• You can revisit my feedback anytime, slow down video demos, reread comments, and learn comfortably at your own pace.
  
  

• It gives you the freedom to work entirely on your own schedule and fit naturally into your lifestyle.
  
  

Some students use only the asynchronous format and are very happy with it. Others combine it with live lessons to get the best of both worlds. Both approaches work—and together, we’ll find what suits you best.

About Me

I am a professional drummer, music educator, and dad of two from Germany, living in Japan since 2009.

I teach at the renowned Senzoku Gakuen College of Music (Jazz Course) and run my own private drum lesson studio based in Kawasaki, Japan. From my studio, I offer both on-location instruction and internet based guidance, including asynchronous coaching and live online lessons. 

With over 25 years of teaching experience, I've taught private lessons at various music schools and independently. I've also led workshops and ensemble classes on jazz and improvisation at middle and high schools in both Germany and Japan. 

I studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA (Class of 2004), and since then, I’ve performed across Europe, the USA, and Asia — from small jazz clubs to concert halls, arenas, and recording studios. I’ve also appeared on TV shows and commercials, including a feature on NHK’s 旅するためのドイツ語 (German for Travelers).

Throughout my career, I’ve had the chance to work with a wide range of artists, including Makoto Ozone, Sadao Watanabe, Seiko Matsuda, Lisa Ono, Akiko, Dan Nimmer, Yu Shirota, Sarah McKenzie, Tomonao Hara, Kengo Nakamura, Takana Miyamoto, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Jun Abe, Michel Reis, Martin Sasse, and Roman & Julian Wasserfuhr, among many others.

I'm a versatile drummer comfortable playing many musical styles. Good music is good music, and I love anything from rock, pop, funk to classical, soul, world music, and of course jazz, which is my passion and area of expertise.

I proudly play and endorse Canopus drums and Zildjian cymbals.  

Yuki O.
“I highly recommend Dennis as a drumset private instructor, I’ve been taking drum lessons from him for about 3 years now and I’m very happy with the progress i’ve made with him! Currently preparing to study jazz performance at a college level and Dennis has really helped me with that.”

Chris M.
“I’ve been studying with Dennis both in person and online since 2019. He is patient but persistent, always pushing me forward while encouraging and guiding me in my efforts to be a better musician. He has also helped me work on any type of music I have wished to. Taking online lessons with Dennis on forte has been quite smooth; he understands and uses the technology effectively. I recommend Dennis without hesitation.”

Sebastian S.
“Our son started drums lessons with Dennis about 3 years ago, at the beginning face to face lessons and later due to pandemic situation online. So we know Dennis very well and we strongly recommend Dennis not only as a very good teacher, but also as a very nice person. Our son enjoys a lot the lessons and he plays with fun and confidence because Dennis finds a good balance between challenging drums theory, relaxed communication and playing together drums. Dennis writes personalized music notes for the level and music interests of our son. Even if we live know in Germany, Dennis is very flexible in providing us a proper and reliable lesson schedule: he never forgets appointments, he is always punctually and in a good mood! We are very grateful for his engagement in teaching our son in a high quality and fun drum experience!”

Gary L.
“Dennis has been giving my son online lessons in English for two years. He is a kind and patient teacher and is always creating new ways to keep the lessons interesting and fun for my son. The online technology works great and makes it possible for us to attend lessons remotely from our home in Tokyo. I highly recommend Dennis for drum lessons!”