Drum Instruction DVD & Book Reviews

Iv'e been wanting to read music for drumming purposes for a while...what book/dvd would you guys recomend for me? I just want to learn for now the most basic of reading music. Thanks.
 
Syncopation for the modern drummer is what i started on. Don't know if its still in print though. Its supposed to be like the begginers bible in music.
 
Hi, Im looking for a DVD that focuses on hand and foot technique, e.g different grips, moeller technique etc. Could someone recommend me the best instructional dvd for this in their opinion? thanks in advance!
 
Pat Petrillo, "Hands, Grooves, & Fills" has great explanation on hand technique and exercises, with lots of groove with play alongs for foot technique

Jo Jo Mayer Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer focuses on Hands extensively as well. Both are great
 
Jojo Mayer DVD - absolutely the single best instructional video ever for hand technique. No joke. I have invested in many videos by top drummers and most lack real instructional value. Its great to watch them play, but of little value for education. They don't hold a stick to this one :)

Pat Petrillo Hands Grooves and Fills has exceptional content as well for the topic.

Tommy Igoe Groove Essentials DVD for styles
 
NAME:
Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer - by JoJo Mayer

STAR RATING:
# # # # # (#)

WORDED RATING:
I took a quick look and didn't find anyone who has reviewed this DVD, so I figured I would correct this. I give this DVD an optional 6th star simply because it blew me away!

TARGET AUDIENCE:
All playing levels - Anyone looking to improve their hand technique.

PUBLISHED BY:
Hudson Limited

DESCRIPTION:
In this DVD, Mayer covers pretty much every good hand technique there is. Although this DVD is more encyclopedic than most others, Jojo really has a great way of explaining the techniques crisply and accurately. Plus the grooves he throws in really show off what's capable when you bust out the "secret weapons". Personally, I am just learning Moeller strokes (correctly this time around) but I know that there is so much more to cover. I can't wait to get to the push-pull, and one handed roll! Jojo is a phenomenal drummer and I have gained much from his instruction with this DVD.
 
If anyone is thinking about getting Todd Sucherman's new DVD, don't think about it, just do it. Someone on here recommended it, then someone else on another drummer site did also, and I came back here and read even more good stuff about it.

Very entertaining and informative, and I haven't even made it to disc 2 yet :)
 
Books Stick Control
Ted Reeds syncopation
Joe Morellos Master studies

Dvds Anything By Steve Smith

JoJo MAYER
Tommy Igoe
and something new Jason Bittner

To me you need no other but a good Teacher
 
has anybody seen the Ed Shaughnessy DVD??
Taste, Time, Technique and Timbre??
i was thinking of getting it but dont know if it is any good......
if anyone has seen it a reply would be great!
 
NAME:
The Commandments Of Early Rhythm And Blues Drumming - Book and CD

Written by Zoro and Daniel Glass

STAR RATING:
##### 5 Stars out of 5

WORDED RATING:
All you ever wanted to know about Shuffles!

TARGET AUDIENCE:
All playing levels - Anyone looking to learn about the shuffle and its variations.

PUBLISHED BY:
Alfred Publishing

DESCRIPTION:
The book mainly concentrates on the early 40's and 50's Rhythm and Blues drumming styles which were all shuffles. These shuffle patterns are where Rock and Roll came from. I bought this book with the hope of improving my shuffles and have re-discovered my Rock and Roll roots. The book is full of history, great photos and written examples of each shuffle that corresponds to the CD so you can hear the groove. There are several full length charts with exampls on the cd both with and without drums allowing you to play along. The book also contains great listening recommendations pointing out the style of the shuffle and who made them famous. It's an awesome book that i now consider mandatory for any drummer.
 
Has anyone got ahold of Benny G's DVD yet?
Even if it's awful (very, VERY unlikely), I'll still pick up a copy; Benny's a frickin superhero man.
 
NAME:
Benny Greb: The Language of Drumming

STAR RATING:
# # # # # #

WORDED RATING:
The usefulness of the concepts in this DVD are amazing, it touches on aspects that many drummers sadly do not notice and the material in the DVD will help anyone.

TARGET AUDIENCE:
Everyone

PUBLISHED BY:
Hudson

DESCRIPTION:
Benny structures this DVD to start from the foundation right up to combining all aspects of playing. The system he has created is like a language in that drumming is made up of letters, then those letters can be put together to create words and then sentences. This may sound like some sort of typical analogy you may hear but this DVD is not typical.

This isn't a DVD that throws a few patterns at you or licks for you to learn. The exercises are EXTREMELY flexible and can be made as easy or as complex as you want on the kit. It is hard to explain but the amount of useful content you can get from this DVD is amazing.

Benny demonstrates almost all of the exercises he mentions. He also talks about timing, exploring different sound sources and other essential aspects to improve your musicality.

The visual quality of the DVD deserves a mention as it definitely makes the footage more interesting to look at.

Benny has performances in between some sections with a fantastic solo at the end. There is also a PDF file on one disc that has some of the exercises explained or written out. There is also some bonus material on the second DVD with tour footage and other miscellaneous videos.

I have only seen this DVD once and so I can't think of everything I just saw right now, but I can truly say that it was worth my $80 that it cost me to get.
 
Double Trouble Drums by Chris "Whipper" Leyton.

This DVD covers his style of playing blues shuffle beats.
The lessons (exercises) are 18 and are shown fast, slow and with a band.
If you like the drumming on Stevie Ray Vaughan's records this one is for you!

Steve Smith - Drum Legacy

This DVD is the shit for all jazzdrummers. 100% jazz and awesome lessons.

I found them on internet so i got it for free, but it is well worth the money if you buy it.
 
Last edited:
A book many seem to overlook is Ed Soph's "Musical Time, A Source Book for Jazz Drumming." It's the only book I've seen that addresses playing jazz ride rhythms as they are played by jazz drummers like Tony Williams, Louis Hayes, Jimmy Cobb, etc.

I read one review of Soph's book that dismissed it as "too basic." Wrong! The exercises start with simple rhythms, but soon progress. Sure, you'll not find the complicated independence gyrations you'll find in "Coordinated Independence For the Jazz Drummer," but you'll perhaps find something even more valuable--the ability to play swinging, breathing jazz time that your fellow musicians will prefer to the locked-in limitations imposed by the standard ride pattern found in most drumming tutorials. And when the later chapters of the book are played at faster tempos, you'll unlock the secret of the Cobb/Williams/Klook type ride rhythms that made the sound of those drummers sound so expansive and open-ended.

I sent a letter to Soph, complimenting him on his book, and encouraged him to write a second book that expands on the knowledge found in the first. He said he's working on a second book that will deal with broken cymbal rhythms and various time signatures.

I have worked as a professional jazz drummer for over 30 years. And I have purchased, and studied from, many drum books. For an introduction to playing swinging jazz time, I find "Musical Time" to be among the best introductory methods of playing jazz time on a drum set.
 
Author: John Riley

Name: The Master Drummer

Rating: *****

Target Audience: This DVD is a great asset to novices, seasoned players and educators.

Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co.

Description:

John Riley’s new DVD release The Master Drummer is an in-depth look at characteristic of great drumming. John brings over forty years of teaching and performing experience with Jazz notables including: Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Milt Jackson and John Scofield, into a unique discussion of four aspects that drummers need to possess for success: technique, groove, creativity and musicianship. The video includes the basics of hand and foot technique. Its main features are the many phrasing exercises and fill ideas for the beginning students as well as the more advanced learner from some of the greatest drummer including Roy Haynes, Philly Jo Jones and Max Roach. These are also included on a PDF file, which can be printed for easy accessibility. The video includes many ideas about practicing, talent, and an analysis of recordings where he discusses how technique and coordination are used to serve the musical needs of the ensemble. . As such this is a great asset for rock, funk, jazz and Latin drummers alike and offers a superb addition to his groundbreaking books The Art of Bop Drumming and Beyond Bop Drumming.
 
I had a review up here from Benny Grebs DVD that wasn't that good. Apparantly, I've showed the DVD to many of my students and they all love it. Not only that - basically everybody who watches it is so impressed with the picture quality and Bennys way of explaining stuff that they all think it's one of the best DVDs ever shot about drumming. So I decided to remove my review because for the target audience this DVD seems to deserve a much better rating that I had given it.

Sorry about that.

On the other hand: It's never too late to change your mind about something.
 
Last edited:
I just saw this Benny Grebb DVD at Drum Depot in Toledo. The alphabet, word thing was done by Phil Perkins in the 70's. Nothing new here.
 
Back
Top