Who has the best DVD on developing a very solid groove?

[hunterde]

There are so many DVD’s that talk about developing a solid groove. Who’s do you feel is the best?

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

Tommy Igoe's 'Groove Essentials' is one that comes highly reccommended by many on these forums. I don't actually own it yet, but it will find it's way under my xmas tree this year so I'm told.

Unfortunately, this is one scenario where I can't offer you my own opinion as I've never veiwed it. But I've seen enough good things written by knowledgeable people here to prompt me to get it.

It's one option that you may want to investigate further. I'm told it comes as a book/CD/DVD package.

[donv]

There are so many DVD’s that talk about developing a solid groove. Who’s do you feel is the best?

Steve Jordan's video is great. It's more about how to approach playing a groove then it is an at the drums instructional video.

[hunterde]

Thank you Pocket & Donv,
I ordered Tommy Igoe's 'Groove Essentials' I'm still finding out more about Steve Jordan I do remember him playing on Letterman

[DSCRAPRE]

Groove essentials is more focused on playing a wide variety of different grooves than just playing solidly. But the whole package is just great. DVD, Drumless tracks MP3 CD, The Groove Poster, and a book with all of the notation. I bought it recently and if I wasn't so ADD, I would be a much more diverse drummer by now.

[hunterde]

Hello Dscapre,
You know of any DVD's that are focused on just playing solidly?

[TTNW]

Steve Jordan's "The Groove is Here"

Tommy Igoe's "Groove Essentials"

Pick up some Collective Soul or any other music that grooves and just keeps going. I have a dozen or so songs that are part of my regular practice regimen so that my groove is always solid. It has rescued me from reckless jam nights many times.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

Speaking of Tommy Igoes Groove Essentials, I have a copy DVD that I will be glad to send to anyone for the price of the postage. PM me if interested. The first one to get 5 bucks to me can have it.

[larryace]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, after you've pored through all the info on the DVD's and books, record yourself and listen back so you can hear what you're doing right, and what needs to be done better, or rethought, or tossed out. "Knowing" the info is necessary, but it is much different than being able to actually put it into practice effectively.

[jasonrhcp]

Steve Jordan's is great to show "how" to develop feel. Pat Petrillo's "Hands, Grooves, & Fills" gives plenty of original grooves ,and the tracks are great to play with. Igoe's is more broad stylistically, but good as well.. HGF has more actual "groove" varieties as opposed to "styles"..

[hunterde]

I'm interested in anything on keeping solid time and groove.

[Malti]

I ordered Tommy Igoe's "Groove Essentials" work book and DVD and have been working on it for a few weeks now. I don't have anything to compare it to but I love it! (BTW, I did alot of research before deciding what to purchase).

[jasonrhcp]

Hunterde

Hands Grooves & Fills will help you with solid time and give you bunches of grooves...

[dairyairman]

I ordered Tommy Igoe's "Groove Essentials" work book and DVD and have been working on it for a few weeks now. I don't have anything to compare it to but I love it! (BTW, I did alot of research before deciding what to purchase).

sweet! i was wondering how that was working out for you. i think it's a ton of fun myself, and very challenging in some sections.

[hunterde]

I had purchased Hands Grooves & Fills used on Amazon and it showed up today but it didn’t include the accompanying book and CD only the DVD. Any one know where I could buy just the book and CD?

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, after you've pored through all the info on the DVD's and books, record yourself and listen back so you can hear what you're doing right, and what needs to be done better, or rethought, or tossed out. "Knowing" the info is necessary, but it is much different than being able to actually put it into practice effectively.

That is really all you need to do. best advice in the world!!! Just for the record, Igoe says that, literally 5 times in a row, in GE...but Larrys advice is free......no, get Groove essentials for sure, but play nothing without recording it!!
C

[percusmann]

sweet! i was wondering how that was working out for you. i think it's a ton of fun myself, and very challenging in some sections.

Groove Essentials changed everything for me and I'm now on the 2.0 book. Holy crap it's very very challenging material. But fun!!!

[Malti]

sweet! i was wondering how that was working out for you. i think it's a ton of fun myself, and very challenging in some sections.


That's the beauty of this program. You can really tailor it to your skill level. He presents each groove both slow and fast. And then he subdivides each of those into two variations. Sometimes I can only handle the slow version or variation A of the slow. I've only been playing a few months. I can always come back to the more difficult presentation later on.

Interestingly, my teacher told me to bring anything I had been working on to my first lesson and I brought the workbook. He was kinda like "Uh, that's pretty difficult stuff" but I find some of it quite easy - at least in the beginning. I can't locate the poster that came with it though and I really want to put it up. Anyway, I work on fundamentals with my instructor and sneak this stuff in when I get bored. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?

[TTNW]

Anyway, I work on fundamentals with my instructor and sneak this stuff in when I get bored. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?

Does your instructor work with you on drumset or just snare and pad?

[Toby_Jackson]

You don't need a DVD to develop a solid groove. At any rate, no one can teach you to groove - in the long run, you HAVE to feel it out yourself. My recommendation:

You'll need a way to record yourself, a set of headphones, and some records with the feel you're trying to evoke. Ideally, pick a variety of different grooves/styles (hip-hop, blues, funk, latin...) or a variety of drummers (Steve Jordan, questlove, Bernard Purdie, Levon Helm, the JB guys...) to mimic.

Turn on the recorder, queue up a track and throw on the phones. Play through a tune or three - NO fills, ONLY grooving - then go back and listen to the recording. Compare to the groove on the record (are you ahead or behind the beat of the drummer, did you tend to speed up/slow down at particular sections or transitions, how closely did you nail the dynamics). The backbeat is the first thing you really want to lock in. Then the feel of the subdivisons (16ths, triplets, in between, tight, loose...). Then try to zero in on the dynamics (how loud is the hi-hat versus the backbeat, etc.).

Rinse and repeat until you're happy that the feel on your recordings matches the feel of the grooves on the records you picked out. This process can take several practice sessions before you really start to feel the groove, but it has to be a natural process - you can't force or overthink your FEEL. With some guys, it may take months or years before you can really dig it (Bernard Purdie on Babylon Sisters - that's some SERIOUS groove, if you know what I mean).

[dairyairman]

Interestingly, my teacher told me to bring anything I had been working on to my first lesson and I brought the workbook. He was kinda like "Uh, that's pretty difficult stuff" but I find some of it quite easy - at least in the beginning. I can't locate the poster that came with it though and I really want to put it up. Anyway, I work on fundamentals with my instructor and sneak this stuff in when I get bored. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?


some of it is pretty difficult, like those world grooves. i've never been able to properly play that "naningo" groove, for example. but the basic rock grooves are suitable for anyone above absolute beginner level. and this stuff *is* fundamental, so it's not like you're wasting your time by working on it. it king of blows my mind that you feel like you have to keep it a secret from your teacher. wtf? to me, this is the essence of drumming.

[Malti]

Does your instructor work with you on drumset or just snare and pad?

Actually it's an electronic drum set. Curious why you asked because I walked into my first lesson assuming I would be using an ordinary acoustic kit.

[Malti]

it king of blows my mind that you feel like you have to keep it a secret from your teacher. wtf? to me, this is the essence of drumming.
Actually I was not totally serious with that remark. He knows I am doing more than he is presenting. He is of the mind set that it is important to develop stick control, consistancy, timing etc. before just bangin' away. At least that is the impression I get.

[dairyairman]

Actually I was not totally serious with that remark. He knows I am doing more than he is presenting. He is of the mind set that it is important to develop stick control, consistancy, timing etc. before just bangin' away. At least that is the impression I get.

oh ok! he's right about the need to develop stick control and that other stuff, but you gotta have some fun too, right? i like those tommy igoe grooves because they're a fun way to learn. i hope he ends up helping you with them, even if he thinks you're not quite ready to play them.

[JoeLackey]

Two words: Steve Jordan