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Hironori Momoi behind the drum kit under warm stage light.
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Lessons / レッスン

Hironori Momoi Drum School

Private music lessons in Tokyo, from your first beat to professional development.

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Philosophy

Share, not simply teach

TeachShare

What Hironori learned in New York was that jazz education is, at heart, about handing a tradition on to the people who come next. The best teachers there were not lecturing at anyone. They were letting you stand close to what they knew.

So these lessons are not one-directional instruction. They are a musician sharing the actual experience of playing — what it feels like, what it asks of you, and what to listen for — with someone who wants it.

Who the lessons are for

Beginner

Start from nothing at all

No prior musical experience is required, and you do not need to read notation to begin.

  • For people playing for the first time, for self-taught players coming back after years away, and for children.
  • Drums are often described as needing four independent limbs, and that description scares people away.
  • In practice, only certain parts of the body need a conscious instruction at any one moment. Once those instructions are organised in the right order, the instrument turns out to be far more approachable than it looked.
  • Coordination is built gradually, connecting the body and the mind rather than drilling one against the other.
Intermediate

The thing you cannot teach yourself

The centre of this stage is rebound — controlling how the stick returns from the head.

  • Rebound control is the single most important physical element in professional playing.
  • It is what lets a drummer produce a powerful, clean sound without tiring, and play fast without unnecessary tension.
  • It is also the hardest thing to acquire alone, because it is felt before it is seen.
  • Establishing that foundation properly tends to accelerate everything that comes after it.
Advanced / professional

Becoming a musician, not only a drummer

Professional-level material, worked through with the methods and texts he uses himself.

  • Rudiments and stick control.
  • Four-way independence.
  • Drum solos and sight reading.
  • Musical interpretation — moving past keeping time and towards saying something.
  • Materials and methods drawn from his years of study in New York.

Musical styles

  • Rock
  • Pop
  • Jazz
  • Latin
  • Funk
  • R&B
  • Other styles by consultation

Not only for drummers

Players of other instruments can book one-to-one rhythm and ensemble sessions and simply play with a drummer — which is a very different exercise from playing to a click.

  • Time feel, and where it actually lives.
  • Ensemble communication — listening and answering in real time.
  • Focused work on one selected piece or one specific musical problem.
  • Band-format sessions are also possible, with a two-hour baseline.

Theory and composition for drummers

A drummer can play a whole career without theory. But theory changes what you hear, and what you hear changes what you play.

Understanding harmony and form tends to give phrasing more conviction — you stop guessing where the music is going. For those who want to write, there is guidance in composition and arranging as well.

Support is available from foundational theory upward, at whatever level you are starting from.

Studying music abroad

For students considering music study in the United States, Hironori can share what the process actually looked like from the inside — he completed both an undergraduate and a graduate music programme there.

That includes help understanding applications and auditions, and support with the English you actually need in a music setting.

This is guidance drawn from personal experience. It is not an admissions service, and no outcome can be promised.

Location and frequency

Lessons take place at a studio in the Shirokane area of Minato, Tokyo. The exact address is shared when a lesson is arranged.

  • Typically twice a month.
  • Once a month, by consultation.
  • Weekly, by consultation.
  • Two-hour intensive sessions for students travelling from further away, or for concentrated study.
  • Frequency is flexible and set around what you need.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need any experience to start?
No. Complete beginners are welcome, and you do not need to read notation. Children, and self-taught players returning after a break, are all welcome too.
Where are the lessons held?
At a studio in the Shirokane area of Minato, Tokyo. The exact address is shared once a lesson is arranged.
How often would I have lessons?
Twice a month is the usual rhythm. Monthly, weekly, or longer two-hour intensive sessions can all be arranged by consultation.
Which styles can I learn?
Rock, pop, jazz, Latin, funk and R&B, with other styles available by consultation.
I don't play drums — can I still take a lesson?
Yes. Other instrumentalists can book one-to-one rhythm and ensemble sessions and play directly with a drummer, working on time feel and ensemble communication. Band-format sessions run from two hours.
Do you teach music theory and composition?
Yes — theory and composition for drummers who want a deeper musical understanding, supported from the foundations upward.
Can you help with studying music abroad?
Hironori studied at both undergraduate and graduate music programmes in the United States and can share that experience, including help with the English you need in a music setting. It is personal guidance, not an admissions service, and no outcome is promised.
What languages are lessons taught in?
Japanese and English.
Hironori Momoi behind the drum kit under warm stage light.

Your instructor

Hironori Momoi

Drummer, singer, composer, arranger, producer and educator. Born in Tokyo, formed in New York, and now writing songs under the name Potomelli — this is the long way round to the front of the stage.

Start a conversation about lessons

Tell Hironori where you are with the instrument and what you would like to play. There is no fixed template — the lessons are built around you.

Start a conversation about lessons