The Paradiddler » DVD Review

DVD Review – “Unburying the Beater”

Omar — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:59:04 +0000

Resonance. Through it we hear what the tone of our drums sound like. Sure, at times we tend to mute certain drums in our kits to limit excessive ringing or overtones, but for the most part resonance is how we hear the tone, or note, of our drums.

To ensure we get the desired sounds, or tone, from each of our drums, we learn about dynamics, rebound, tuning, and the like. We don’t force the stick to stay on the head of the drum, but instead we learn how to work with the bounce of the stick off the drum head. We tune our drums a certain way, the snare and the toms, to get a particular sounding note, or a particular resonance. Then natural rebounding takes over, and the drums resonate and sound how we want.

But for some reason, these principles are not always applied to the bass drum. Many drummers, particularly in Rock, tend to ‘bury the beater’, as it were, and leave the beater pushed against the bass drum head between notes. As many of these drummers play the ‘heel up’ method (more on that method later), the bass drum is not allowed to resonate, but instead is limited to a quick ‘thud’, and then it gets ‘out of the way’. Quite the opposite of how we play the rest of the drums in the kit! In addition to the beater being pushed against the head, in many instances a pillow or other muffling device is placed inside the drum against the batter head to further impede resonance.

In previous articles, I’ve spoken about how I feel about the sound that I like from the bass drum. In “Great Snares of Rock” (ironically!), I talk about the sound of Simon Kirke’s bass drum sound on the song “All Right Now” by Free. Among other things, I mentioned the following: “You can hear the smack of the beater create the full, rich bass drum sound with fast decay. I like bass drums that are thick and fast, and get out of the way. But even though the bass drum here had a tinge of boominess, it fit the overall sound just right.” I tend not to like a bass drum that sounds too boomy. I do like a full, rich sound, a fast thud, and as I mention, then quickly gets out of the way.

However, my feeling on this is starting to change just a bit. A while back, I attended a drum clinic by Will Calhoun, where he stated that he doesn’t use muffling very much. There was not muffling on the bass drum except what little came standard with the Remo Powerstroke bass drum head. He mentioned that he likes the drums to resonate, without being impeded by muffling. This went against what I believed, to a certain extent, but his bass drum sound was excellent, so I didn’t question it. I stored that little tidbit of information in the back of my mind (we’ll get back to this ‘tidbit’ later).

Fast forward to the present. As drummers we’re always looking for ways to improve our technique. It’s a lifetime endeavor. Sometimes we stick with our habits, for good or ill. Other times we’re wowed by a great drummer, and try to imitate their chops. And yet other times, we come across a teacher or instructional video that later we identify as a turning point in our playing, or at minimum makes us question our technique enough to make significant adjustments. In this case, the latter has occurred. I came across an excellent DVD that describes a fresh approach to bass drum technique that, if applied, can positively affect our bass drum playing, and help us to really get that rich, deep bass drum sound that many drummers look for. The DVD is “Unburying the Beater”, by Matt Ritter.

Matt has an extensive bio, where you can read all about him. Here are some highlights:

Graduated from the University of Hartford, where he studied music in the university’s Hartt School of Music
Worked as a production assistant at DCI Music Video, where he was involved in the production of videos featuring Steve Gadd, Max Roach, Omar Hakim, Neil Peart, and others
Studied with the legendary author/teacher Jim Chapin
Extensive professional drumming experience in genres such as jazz, rock, and musical theatre
Honored in 2003 with an invitation to the Vic Firth educational team
Is one of the leading drumset instructors in New York City, where he has been teaching lessons since 1996

“Unburying the Beater” is more than just a limited amount of techniques that one particular drummer uses for bass drum play. It is more like a system, a philosophy, an approach, per se. It centers around the notion that the bass drum, just like the rest of the drums in the kit, should be allowed to resonate and achieve it’s full, rich-sounding resonant potential without being hindered by the beater being ‘buried’ into the head, hence the name “Unburying the Beater”. The methods taught here, when applied, allow the beater to naturally rebound off the head, like it wants to do anyway due to the laws of physics(!). It involves using the whole leg, not just the foot, to achieve a method of bass drum play that will exploit the natural resonance of the bass drum.

In the video, Matt explains that, as a young drummer, there was much material around regarding bass drum rhythms, but not so much as far as the physical movements required to execute those rhythms. After many years of investigation and trial and error, he has now developed the instructional DVD for bass drum playing that he wished he had when he started out. New drummers will have a strong foundation for learning to play the bass drum more effectively. Experienced drummers can enhance their current bass drum skills, and add new tools to their repertoire.

Questions Drummers Ask

It was a little entertaining when Matt went into what questions drummers would ask each other if they struck up a conversation. One question would be, “Do you play traditional or matched grip?” Well, I’ve gone into detail on that subject (you can read about it here). The second question, which is more germane to our topic at hand, is, “Do you play heel up or heel down?” This question relates to the position of the foot on the bass drum pedal. It is a critical question because it is directly related to the methods expounded on in “Unburying the Beater”. Matt then goes on to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

As you can see from the picture above, with this method, the heel is down, and the foot is resting on the drum pedal. The beater is about one or two inches away from the batter head of the bass drum. This is what the foot and pedal look like between notes. Here are some details about this method as presented by Matt:

Heel Down Method… Advantages

Easy to play softly and with control
Allows beater to rebound cleanly, allowing bass drum to resonate naturally

This method is used a lot in jazz when the drummer wants to ‘feather’ the bass drum, in that they just barely strike the drum. This type of control can be achieved by using the heel down method.

The second advantage listed above is what Matt really considers the main advantage of this method. The whole point of “Unburying the Beater” is to allow the bass drum to resonate. Since the weight of the foot on the pedal is minimal when the heel is down, the beater will more easily rebound, and stay off.

Heel Down Method… Disadvantages

Challenging to play really fast
Foot is not free to move around; in a fixed position, so adjustments are more difficult to make based on tempo
Can’t use different parts of foot to play the pedal: toes, ball of foot, or full surface
Too strenuous to make powerful sound; can’t use thigh muscles

Matt goes into extensive detail on these points, the bottom line being that if your foot is fixed, there’s very limited flexibility as far as adapting to the different styles and speeds of the songs you want to play. If you only play heel down, there isn’t going to be much room for improvement. In addition, if you want to play combinations, like double strokes and triplets, and faster tempos, it can’t be done for a sustained length of time – the limited muscles used with this method will give out.

As we can see from the above picture, the heel up method involves raising the heel, so that the ball of the foot and toes are set on the pedal. Because the weight of the whole leg is now in play, instead of just the foot as in the heel down method, the beater is pushed into the batter head. There it remains between notes. The following are some details regarding this method, as Matt describes them:

Heel Up Method… Advantages

Because the heel is not anchored, a more forceful stroke is possible
Freedom to alter the angle of the foot or pedal to use whatever part of the foot is suitable for what’s being played

The above is why this method is used mostly by rock drummers, where force is required (or expected!). Faster playing is possible as well, since the foot is free to move and accommodate the different speeds and patterns. However, there are also disadvantages.

Heel Up Method… Disadvantages

Bass drum sound is muted, less resonance, since beater is held against the batter head
The beater, due to physics, wants to rebound, so a flamish-type note is produced
Calf muscle is constantly engaged

Again, Matt goes into great detail regarding these issues, but the second point deserves a further mention. Many, many drum teachers instruct their students to let their sticks rebound off the drum head, because that’s what it naturally wants to do – why resist nature? Well, that’s what many drummers do with the bass drum! The poor guy also wants to resonate, like the rest of the shells, but we don’t let it! It may be acceptable to get a muted sound from the bass drum, if that’s specifically what we want. But the bass drum will probably sound best if we let the rebound occur.

So after many years of studying the different methods, mining information from many drummers, and tweaking his own approach to bass drum play, Matt came up with this formula:

As mentioned earlier, the “Unburying the Beater” method is a combination of the advantages of both the heel up and heel down method. It’s an entire methodology that, when applied, not only helps you play the bass drum better, but also improves your drumming in general.

The DVD goes into detail regarding how to implement the “Unburying the Beater” method. I would classify it as a three-step process:

Your posture and position behind the kit
The placement of all the components of the kit
The actual exercises of the “Unburying the Beater” method

The following are pictures that illustrate the above:

Matt explains how to position your foot relative to your knee. Allowing the knee to be slightly behind the foot allows for greater flexibility.

Seat height is also very important. Matt goes on to show why having your hip one to two inches above the knee is the optimal height for bass drum play.

Fundamental to good drumming is balance, and being completely centered. Sitting in somewhat of an equilateral tripod stance will allow you to have the utmost balance, as well as being centered. This is why most drum thrones and cymbal stands are made with three legs.

In addition, Matt explains how to determine what the sweet spot is for your particular pedal. This is a very important component of the “Unburying the Beater” method.

This is one of the topics that struck a chord with me. Drummers who use only one bass drum tend to face that drum straight to the audience, making that the center of the kit. What Matt teaches instead is, the drummer is what should be facing the center of the kit, with the bass drum to the side. If the bass drum is the center, then the drummer is automatically off center. This tends to lead to a little more contorting than necessary to reach the lower toms. Instead, as shown in the picture above, put the bass drum to the side, and the hi-hit to the other side. Then your snare and toms should be placed right in front of you, the toms being mounted on a stand (as you’ll see in his kit). This will allow you to still be completely centered and have the utmost flexibility.

Matt then goes on to fill in the rest of his kit; here’s his:

You’ll notice that Matt is facing towards the center of his kit, where his snare and toms are, and the bass drum is to the side. Matt goes into all the details as to why this is the optimum positioning of one’s self and your kit.

And of course, there are the actual “Unburying the Beater” exercises. For as much detail as we’ve discussed so far, the nuts and bolts start here. Matt goes on to explain the actual exercises that will with practice and time allow you to have more control over your bass drum play than ever. He demonstrates the actual motion involved, and then how that motion translates into single strokes, multiple strokes, double strokes, and more.

The different speeds at which the examples are explained are illustrated, as above, so you can see the method in motion, as it were. This way you can more easily reproduce the exercises. Various tempos are displayed, and you are encouraged to try faster speeds to develop control over the motions presented.

Some of the techniques that Matt goes into in great detail are:

Fast multiple strokes
Double strokes
“Bonham Triplets”
Toe/Ball double strokes
The Slide
and much more

After showing these specific exercises, Matt dedicates a good chunk of the instruction displaying these techniques in action. With multiple camera angles and a popular counting method, Matt shows the practical application of the “Unburying the Beater” principles that he teaches. So you not only get the exercises, you get to see how you can use them in the songs you like to play, and even incorporate them in your practice routine.

In addition to all the above, Matt also has a troubleshooting section where concerns are addressed regarding the application of this technique, and a frequently asked questions section where he answers some very common questions that have come up regarding the “Unburying the Beater” method.

This instructional DVD is very well done, a professional job. You can tell by everything Matt says that he was very studious in putting together all the material and presenting it in a way that is very understandable to the audience, without sounding dogmatic. His friendly manner is very inviting, and it seems that he is genuinely interested in your betterment as a drummer. You can tell that he absolutely practices what he preaches, and of every nuance of the method he’s teaching, he misses not one. I like his sincerity in admitting that he hasn’t necessarily invented this method, but has culled all the information from various teachers, and from his own experience, and now finally can present this method in a formal manner that hasn’t been done before. He gives credit to those before him that have helped him with his drumming, and this method of playing the bass drum (coincidentally, he also credits Will Calhoun, mentioned earlier).

As much as has been included here about the DVD, we’ve only scratched the surface. There’s so much content and instruction in the DVD that many viewings will be necessary to get the full benefit, and you will refer to it over and over for sure. It’s jam-packed with over two hours of instruction.

If there’s anything I would have liked to see that wasn’t included, is more coverage regarding how to implement this technique with double bass. In saying that, however, he does mention double bass players and briefly mentions (in the FAQ as well) how they can use the “Unburying the Beater” method for double bass play, but doesn’t delve into it as much as I would have liked. I have double bass pedals, always have had, so I would have liked to see more.

Even though he presented many practical examples of this method, I would have liked to have seen him play a song like Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times”, which Matt references and is a classic example of this method in action. Multiple camera angles, on the whole kit (maybe from behind), and on the bass pedal, would have been a good example in action.

As much as resonance is important, I actually didn’t like Matt’s bass drum sound too much! It was a little boomy for me, more like a big floor tom. But as I mentioned earlier, I’m starting to re-think my own bass drum sound, all because of this DVD.

Beforehand, and still to this point really, I like a thick, fast bass drum sound. I don’t like it to ‘boom’ too long after it is struck. But after seeing Matt’s “Unburying the Beater” method, I think the problem may not be the bass drum, but me! I think I may have been exposed as being a little lazy. This DVD has not only made me rethink the sound of my bass drum, but of every drum in my kit. Particularly for the bass drum, now I have to analyze if the sound I’m not liking from it is a result of poor tuning, and not enough experimentation. Am I putting the pillow inside the drum because I can’t tune it optimally, or rather, don’t want to spend the time tuning it correctly?

That may be the case, but then again, it can also be that I’ve tried tuning the bass drum and never got the sound I wanted (still too boomy), so in the pillow went. Even with the pillow inside, with the “Unburying the Beater” method, I might be able to have the best of both worlds: a thick, fast thud with a rich, resonating tone that only the bass drum can produce. Well, I have some work to do!

To me, this DVD is somewhat of a revelation, an approach to the bass drum that I never thought of before. It’s absolutely a fresh take that is worth the price: only $24.95. For less than the cost of one drum lesson, you can fundamentally change your bass drum play, for the better. A very strong nine out of ten paradiddles for “Unburying the Beater”. A must for every drummer’s catalog.

For more information regarding Matt Ritter, and ordering the “Unburying the Beater” DVD, click here.
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DVD Review – Mike Michalkow’s “Drumming System”

Omar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:36:13 +0000

In deciding how we want to learn our instrument of choice, we are faced with mainly two options. One, we can take lessons from a live person, one on one. One major advantage to this method is that you get instant feedback. Whatever wrong you're doing, it can be corrected right away. Bad habits can be nipped at the bud; good habits can be engrained in our subconscious early on. A disadvantage is price. If we're talking, say, $35.00 per ½ hr per week, that adds up to a little over $150.00 per month, or $1,820.00 per year! That's just an estimate. Some charge less, some charge more. It also doesn't mean that you'd be taking lessons forever. But it does add up.

And two, you could buy instructional media, be it books, CDs, or videos. Although previously I reviewed an excellent book, "Stick Technique" by Jim McCarthy, we'll limit our discussion to videos this time, specifically DVDs. One advantage to the DVD training method is that you always have it - at anytime you want a lesson, just pop it in the player, and there you go! There are several DVDs geared to all sorts of drumming levels, from absolute beginner to intermediate, and even for those advanced drummers who just want to touch up on technique. Yet another advantage is price. Say you buy an instructional DVD for $49.95. If that's all you want, you pay nothing else! If you wanted to be fully self-taught, there are many instructional DVDs out there, and you could pick and choose which ones you want. It most likely won't add up to $1,820.00! The biggest disadvantage to instructional DVDs is the advantage a live person has - immediate feedback. You can't get that from a DVD, but you most certainly will get that from your teacher!

For many, taking lessons from a teacher might be cost prohibitive. I myself have been searching for an instructional DVD that would be all-encompassing, from drum setup, to how to practice properly, to teaching specific hand and foot techniques, drum rudiment instruction, etc. This might be too much to ask from this type of instruction, but I believe I've found what many have been looking for. It is Railroad Media's "Drumming System", by Mike Michalkow.

Now when it says "Drumming System", that's exactly what it is. This is not just a few drum lessons strung together and put on a DVD. It's a step-by-step manual geared to help anyone start playing drums. It's somewhat of an encyclopedia of drum lessons, organized by topic. You get 20 DVDs, 15 audio CDs, and five workbooks (even more details about the contents of the package in the video at the end of this review).

Many topics are covered, including:

How to practice efficiently
Drum theory and notation
Hand techniques
Foot techniques
Dynamic Drumming
How to build speed
Drum setup and tuning
and many more

The above list is very helpful especially for newbies, just starting off. Some topics that some more advanced users might appreciate are:

Live gig and studio drumming
Drum soloing

Of course, more advanced users will also benefit from another's point of view on dynamic drumming, hand and foot techniques, and how to build speed. But for the most part these drummers will already have a set way of doing things that is comfortable to them.

One thing I like about this system (among other things!) is that you can pick and choose what you want to start with. An absolute beginner might start at the first CD and just go straight through. Others (like myself) may have specific things they want to work on or get more information on, and start there. In my case, I was more interested in topics such as how to practice efficiently, hand and foot techniques, drum theory and notation, dynamic drumming, and drum setup and tuning. There's a DVD dedicated to all those subjects by themselves. And although you have a DVD dedicated to drum rudiments, I decided to watch that later rather than sooner.

In addition to the fundamentals, some of the DVDs are dedicated to specific genres of drumming. These DVDs teach about the following:

Heavy rock
Mixed rock
Grove rock
Jazz & Latin

Within those DVDs there are subsections. For example, the Groove Rock DVD teaches Blues, Funk, Reggae, and Shuffles. And within those sections, you have an introduction, and beginner, intermediate, and advanced sections. Some sections are more specific, such as the Shuffles, which are divided into the Half-Time, Jump, Texas, Purdie, and Kansas shuffles.

As I was perusing throughout the 'system' ('cause there's a lot to peruse!), I found that possibly the most useful DVD of the bunch is number 4: "Hand Techniques". Even though it's important to keep a beat with the bass drum, and we keep the hi-hat closed most of the time, it's mostly about the hands, right? What's the proper way to hold the sticks? Should I learn traditional or matched grip? How can I develop 'finger speed'? All of those issues are addressed on this DVD. I don't think we can get enough of this type of instruction. This is the foundation of drumming, along with the rudiments and drum notation. Although you could get away with not knowing rudiments and drum notation and still play well, getting the grip wrong might be painful in the long run. Mike goes into a fair amount of detail as to the proper holding of the sticks, how to determine the fulcrum, and the like. Very well done here.

The System also includes three DVDs of play-along songs. This is just to get you playing! I don't think it matters if you play them well or not, so as long as you have fun playing them. They're a way for you to practice what you're learning in the context of a song. In addition, there are 15 audio CDs that include the play-alongs with and without the metronome, and a CD just with metronome click tracks.

Workbook five of the System includes what's called the "Practice Generator". It's used in conjunction with the second DVD that talks about practicing efficiently. It is a guide on what to practice, depending on how much time each day you have for practicing. It's divided into three schedules:

Casual Practice Schedule (20 minutes)
Motivated Practice Schedule (40 minutes)
Dedicated Practice Schedule (60 minutes)

Now the above are just names. You might only have 20 minutes a day, be motivated, and practice with dedication every single day. Those are just the names for the time schedules they came up with. Call them what you like!

I do have a few gripes about this System, though. The first DVD, which is called "How to Play Drums by Ear", might be misnamed. Mike doesn't talk very much about how to play drums by ear, but more about very general, basic stuff, like how he got started, drum grips, drum positioning, simple drum beats, and the like. It should be called "Getting Started", "Getting Started on Drums", "A Primer to the Drumming System", etc. This is all fine, though - that's what the first DVD (out of 20!) should talk about, but it could have been named more specifically.

Also, the camera angle changes when Mike was speaking drove me nuts. It may have been more bearable if Mike spoke a little faster. But between camera angle switches, he took too long to get started on what he was going to say next. It made his explanations sound too scripted at times, instead of sounding naturally. I'm not talking about the multiple angles while he was playing, though. This aspect was handled exceptionally well. Many examples he gave included multiple angles of his hands, his feet, the whole kit - all when necessary.

Some may question the value of an instructional DVD because mostly you're either watching or playing the drums, not both. Although not a novel idea, the simple solution is to have a TV and DVD player (with remote control) in your line of site, in front of the drums. If either the TV or the player have a headphone jack, you can connect your headphones there which will make following along with the exercises more practical. You can get extension cords for the headphones depending how far your kit is from the TV. This suggestion will allow the student to get more of an immediate result from the DVDs.

I like the fact that as you watch Mike teach, he may expose things in your playing that you may not have noticed before. Some of your weaknesses may be exposed, or you may become privy to a habit (a bad one, usually) that you were not aware of, and now you're able to correct it. If you're a shy one, the only one who'll know will be you! I felt like Mike was genuinely interested in your playing, never talking down to you. Even though, obviously, this product was made to make a profit, I think it was done tactfully, not in your face, and there is a sincere interest in helping the student.

Sometimes we need another point of view, or a different type or style of instruction, to make us better players. Sometimes it takes an objective observer to look at our playing and show us where we can improve. It may not be someone better than us necessarily. It can be a peer, or even someone of lesser experience, but since we may not see it, it will help. Steve Smith and Neil Peart are great examples of this. Both of them sought the help of Freddie Gruber to look at their playing and show them where they could improve. Was Freddie necessarily a better player than either of them? Not really. But did he help them? Immeasurably!

Ok, I'm not saying that Mike Mikalchow is at the level of a Freddie Gruber (I'm sure he'd admit that readily!). All I'm saying is that there's value in different methods of teaching, that anyone who views these DVDs will find something they can use. In my opinion, this 'drumming system' is best suited for absolute beginners to intermediate drummers. For the former, it's a solid foundation to build on, which teaches the very basics, with the advantage that you have a library of topics to choose from, be it what you want to focus on, or just what interests you more. For the latter, it allows you to build on what you know and actually will make you an even better drummer. You will learn new drumming styles and how to execute them, and they may be easier for you since you have the basics down.

Does the course cover everything for you to be a better drummer? No. But then no course does. It is impossible for one course to cover everything a drummer needs as far as education goes. Even within the Drumming System course, at times Mike makes reference to other courses that talk more specifically about the topic at hand. For example, when talking about hand technique, he references another DVD he produced called "Moeller Method Secrets" that further discusses how to increase hand speed. Is it his own product? Yes. But he's already created a video that addresses this specific topic, so why not mention it?

Obviously, he's not the only one who talks about stick control and technique. I recommend Jim McCarthy's "Stick Technique" (referenced above) as an excellent book for learning how to better control the drumsticks for better all-around drumming. This book goes into much greater detail on this one topic than does the Drumming System. So it's good to have several educational sources and see what works best for you.

If you take the Drumming System for what it is, it is a great product. It's a complete drumming system for a complete beginner to play drums at a respectable level, with practical practice suggestions that will allow them to grow in their art. It is also for the intermediate player who can have a reference to go by, brush up on current skills, and learn new styles of play with plenty of examples. In my opinion, it's not so much for the advanced drummer except for grasping new ideas from a peer. But that's never a bad thing, so even the advanced drummer can benefit.

The regular price for the "Drumming System" is $247.00, which, compared to a year of lessons, is a bargain. Now available also is the "Drumming System Lite", which is $197.00 if you opt for the digital pdf workbooks in lieu of the spiral bound printed workbooks. All in all, you get a lot for your money. And payment plans are available as well. If you're considering, for yourself or a gift to an aspiring drummer, a teaching system that can provide a solid foundation and years of fun drumming, this just might be the place to start. A strong eight out of ten paradiddles for Mike Michalkow's "Drumming System"!

For even more information on this fantastic product, watch Mike Michalkow himself and Jared Falk of Railroad Media go into the details of the "Drumming System" package. Then click on the banner below to order.

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DVD Review – Drum Gear Buyers Guide

Omar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:13:50 +0000

In this edition of The Paradiddler we're going to review a drumming resource published by Railroad Media. It's the DVD titled "Drum Gear Buyers Guide", and it's hosted by Mike Michalkow & Dean "Schroeder" Reimer. It's purpose is to give practical tips on what to look for when buying drum gear, specifically drums and accessories, drumsticks, drum heads, and cymbals.

In my article "Brute Force Learning", I mentioned that one of the instructional tools I'm using to better myself as a drummer is "The Drumming System" by Mike Michalkow. I will be reviewing that course sometime in the future, but suffice it to say that it is a plethora of drumming knowledge, not easily digested quickly. It is also produced by Railroad Media, just as this DVD we'll be discussing here. I'm starting to grow great respect for Railroad Media, since from what I've seen, they produce high-quality content, easy to understand, and reasonably priced. This DVD is no exception.

A little bit about the speakers of this presentation. Mike Michalkow is a world reknown drum instructor from the Vancouver area (that's Canada, eh?). He has several instructional DVDs under his belt, such as "Moeller Method Secrets", "Jazz Drumming System", and the above-referenced "Drumming System". He is also a huge Rush fan, which, as you may know, is very fine by me! Dean "Schroeder" Reimer is the 'gear specialist' at the Long & McQuade music store in Langley, British Columbia. As you'll see, Dean knows his stuff.

The video is more of a conversational piece between the two, where Mike basically walks into the store and starts blasting away questions, with Dean fielding them with aplomb. The subjects touched upon are questions that some of us may have wanted to ask, but not know quite how to ask them. The topics covered include:

Drums & Accessories
Drumsticks
Drum Heads
Cymbals

The subject matter is not so much price, but tips on what to look for when buying these items, so we don't go into the buying process blindly. For example, the guys recommend not buying the cheapest brand of drums. This is due to the fact that they may not be built to a high enough standard to prevent early breakage, or if part of the kit needs to be replaced, it may be difficult due to the lack of market presence of the brand. One of the brands recommended was the Forum line from Pearl. Pearl is a great brand of drums to start off with, with great support. It may be more expensive (a little) than the cheapest brand, but oh so worth it! Very valuable advice.

Mike and Dean go on to talk about drumsticks, which even to me is a slightly confusing topic, since, well, there are so many brands and so many sizes! Dean goes on to explain the similarities between the same size among the different brands. Mike boils it down to, basically, what feels right in your hands. There are extremes, of course, and they mention small sticks that are used primarily in Latin playing, all the way to the other extreme of big and beefy size sticks which are made to pulverize your drum heads (well, they're to play heavy rock, but that's the price to pay for loudness!).

The drum heads section is very educational, and there's no way I'm going into all the detail here ('cause this is just a teaser!). Dean explains the differences between the different thicknesses of the heads, between brands and within the brands themselves. The brands focused on were Remo and Evans, which are the more popular brands. It's amazing the variations within the brands and the uses for each head, be it for snares, toms, bass drums, batter side, resonant side - sheesh! The guys break it down nicely, and it serves as a very good reference for purchasing decisions.

The last section focuses on the cymbals, and there are a lot of factors that determine the quality and sound they produce. The main factors as discussed by Dean are the thinness (or thickness) of the cymbal, and if the cymbal is cut from a sheet, or cast individually. Different types of cymbals are sampled, such as crashes, rides, splashes, chinas, whether the cymbals are hammered or not, lathing, etc. This might be the most educational portion of the DVD, even though every section is worth reviewing.

There are many tidbits in the DVD that come up in conversation that we may not have known about. One of the more important ones, aside from the accessories mentioned, is that it would be a good idea to actually befriend some of the folks at the local music store (if there's one nearby) and ask questions - that's what they're there for! Play some of the equipment, test out those ride cymbals, see what sounds good to you. Also, you can use your favorite drummers as a guide. Find out what brands they use, and since you like them already, you can inquire about equipment specifically in those lines, and start from there. You already like their sound, so why not go from there?

Armed with this information, you are better equipped to make sound decisions as far as what equipment to buy. What the DVD doesn't delve into is how to get the best price for equipment you decide to buy. Although the local music store is a great place to get information and buy great gear, it may not always be the best price. I'll be addressing that issue specifically soon, so stay tuned to that.

At $27.00, I believe this DVD is a great value. It is a great resource to have in our libraries to help us make better purchasing decisions. A strong seven out of ten paradiddles!

For more information on the DVD, including promotions and payment options, click here.

Bonus! "Drum Gear Buyers Guide" is now included as a free bonus in the Mike Michalkow "Drumming System"! Click here to read the review and watch the video at the end for more bonus details.
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DVD Review – Rush: Snakes and Arrows Live

Omar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:42:37 +0000

Rush's new live DVD "Snakes and Arrows Live" was released last Monday, November 24^th, a very much anticipated DVD (also available in the Blu-Ray format). The Snakes and Arrows tour was a huge success and many, including myself, were very anxious for this release. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

Rush is my favorite rock band (actually, they're my favorite band, period). I was introduced to them by a friend of my brother's way back before I was even a teenager. My musical taste was never the same. They became something like my ‘reference band' (much in the vein of a ‘reference drummer', which if you haven't read just click on the link and you'll know what I mean). Every fourth album or so they'd release a live record, which was good for Rush fans: we love their musicianship, above all. We love to hear them, but we really love to watch them. So when they released live videos (VHS then), it was a huge treat.

Things changed for the better in 2003, when the Rush in Rio DVD was released. This was their first live concert released on the format. Not only that, much to the delight of Rush fans, Rush decided seemingly to release a live DVD after every tour! Now all fans, whether they could get to the show or no, could have a memento, a memory, of great performances.

As good as all the other live releases were, methinks, however, that this may be the best one of all. I continue to be amazed at how polished their performances are, all three of them, and how easy they make it all look. Not only are they playing their main instruments, but Alex Lifeson is making all sorts of sound changes and playing foot pedals, Geddy Lee also plays the pedals while playing bass, and the keyboards, and singing(!), and now Neil Peart has a multitude of triggers all over the place that can go off with either the sticks or his feet. They've always been known to sound like many more than just three members, and this show is no different.

The band plays nine songs from their Snakes and Arrows CD, more new songs than most bands play from their latest release. But that's what makes Rush special: they'll play what they think they'll enjoy playing, and hope the audience likes it too. And as always, they do. With 18 studio albums with original material, they have a hard enough time picking a set list, and there are always a few little surprises.

"Entre Nous" from Permanent Waves (1980) was never played live before. "Circumstances" has always been a favorite of mine, and had to be played down a key to accommodate Geddy's more mature voice (but he still nailed it!)

I could go on and on about the set list, but this release is all about the visual aspect. Here are some highlights that you could not glean from the CD release of the same show:

Neil seemed to be playing "younger"; he seemed to have more fun this time around, even though he still played with seriousness and focus (one thing he's famous [or infamous] for); his playing was noticeably tighter than Rush in Rio and R30
You could see Neil (at times - look fast!) switching the snares off and on during the "The Main Monkey Business" instrumental (arguably Rush's best instrumental of all)
Many detailed views of each player
- Geddy's intricate bass fingering
- Alex's precise chording to lead changes
- All sorts of angles of Neil's playing (even foot close-ups)
Neil really grooving on "The Larger Bowl"
The puffs of fire during the bells at the beginning of "Witch Hunt"
Possibly Neil's best drum solo ever - it has it all
Neil only using his V-Drums for triggering and during the solo

There is much, much more, but I could go on forever. There was a lot of comedy as well - which is good that they don't always take themselves seriously. "What's That Smell?" and the South Park intro to "Tom Sawyer" is just hilarious. The guys themselves were in on the comedy as well. Neil and Geddy were going at it at the end of "Secret Touch". There was a chicken guy that was "basting" the chickens during "The Spirit of Radio", and Neil couldn't help laughing. Geddy took a quick glance back and continued singing, trying not to laugh. Alex is really funny during "Tom Sawyer" - you'll just have to see for yourself.

All in all, an incredible DVD full of fantastic musicianship, killer lights show, comic relief, from three of the most down-to-earth guys in the music business. But for me, there was something more...

Oh, Atlanta! The Authorized Bootlegs

I was absolutely beside myself when I found out that some of the Atlanta show was going to be included in the release of this DVD. Now we're talking about the Atlanta show that was scheduled to be the last show of the second leg of the tour (July 22^nd, 2008), but due to a scheduling conflict Indianapolis got the last show a couple of days later. No matter, because Rush performed like if it was their last show ever. How do I know this? I was there!

That was a very special day for The Paradiddler because he got to take his son to his first concert. What better than to have Rush be a kid's first concert? Now the bar is really set high. It was going to be an incredible show, right? Well, it didn't start off that way.

While we were waiting for the show, a major thunderstorm rumbled through, and we had lawn seats! The show had to be delayed a little to let the rain subside, which thankfully for the most part it did (but it was still wet and uncomfortably cool after that, on what was supposed to be a hot and sticky July night). My son was furious with the weather! He was saying things like "this better be worth it!" "I hate getting wet!" "Do we have to stay?"

Of course, when Rush came out and started the show with "Limelight", my son's favorite Rush song, he said (or yelled, actually) about 30 seconds into the song "this was so worth it!" It was the time of his life.

The songs in this selection replace some of the songs from the first leg of the tour (for "The Trees", Neil uses his V-Drums for the whole song), and they, as the rest of the show, were performed wondrously. I've been to (only!) four Rush concerts, and each time they get better and better. I really thought they had peaked out for the R30 tour - they're getting "up in age", how could they play better? But on that night, they did. In their mid-50's, and still going strong. It's a tribute to the dedication to their craft, their passion to play their best every night as if it was their last, and I have a great deal of respect for that.

Well that's my take. There's so much more to say about this DVD, so many other aspects, but this should be enough to wet your appetite if you haven't seen it yet. On a scale of one to ten paradiddles, ten being the best, I give this DVD, well, a 50! Sorry, it's that good. Go get it and enjoy!

To purchase this DVD, click here.
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Not Just About the Drums

Omar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:05:09 +0000

As many of you may do, I often go through some videos in my stash to view some of the drumming performances again. I may have missed some nuance that I didn't notice before, or maybe I might want to see how the song was, well, drummed, so I might play it and put my little spin on it.

I ran into a couple of performances, however, that the more I saw them, the more I realized it's not just about the drums. It's about the whole musical experience. The music may take you somewhere you've been before (or thought you've been before), or it takes you somewhere where you'd like to be.

Journey: Revelation

A few months back Journey appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show. My wife is a fan of the show, and when Journey played "Separate Ways," she remembered how much she likes the song and others by them. This was much to my liking, since I liked Journey very much when I was growing up. Some time later, they came out with their Revelation CD/DVD, which contained a CD with new songs, one with remakes of some of their classics, and a DVD with a concert they performed in Las Vegas. So I bought it for my wife, which she loved. But I was very interested in their DVD performance.

Journey has a little spot in my heart in that they were the first concert I ever went to, during their Frontiers tour in 1982. I was a very impressionable little lad then, so you can imagine how blown away I was by the experience. We sat way in the back of the arena way at the top, so they weren't the best seats. But that didn't matter to me. Bryan Adams was the opening act, and when he came out for an encore I thought it was Journey (well, I couldn't really see them!). I liked Steve Smith's drumming very much, but I was blinded by Neil Peart at the time so I didn't notice Steve as much as I should have (that would come later).

Back to the present. So I slip the DVD into the player to watch the concert. The band was excellent. I didn't know their new tunes very well but they sounded very good. The ‘oldies' were spot on. If any of you were Journey fans at one point and maybe lost interest over the years, I strongly recommend you watch this DVD. If you close your eyes, you might not tell that Steve Perry was not the singer - their current singer (Arnel Pineda) sang brilliantly. I've always thought that Neal Schon was an underrated guitarist, but to me he is a complete guitarist, rhythm and lead.

But of course, The Paradiddler is going to observe the drumming most intently, and that is being handled these days by Deen Castronovo. I never heard of him until he started playing for Journey, but from what I see he's very, very good! But not only for his drumming.

This guy can sing! I was in for a surprise, because the song he sang was "Mother, Father", from they're Escape release. Coincidentally, this is my favorite Journey song of all, drumming and everything. Not only did he play the song masterfully, he sounded very much like Steve Perry! The performance brought me back to my younger years in a way I did not expect. It transcended the drumming performance - it was a grand musical experience that moved me. I would recommend the DVD just for this song, but I know they perform songs that are more recognizable in the mainstream, which were also great performances as well.

Soundstage: Fleetwood Mac

Now this is not going to be an endorsement for HDTV per se, but if you don't have it, get it. Not only is the picture better, but the sound is also. Stereo sounds great, but it sounds even better hooked up to a 5.1 Dolby receiver. Anyway, the reason I mention this is because the high definition music channel Palladia has the Soundstage series where they feature various artists. If you have Comcast, it is listed on their On Demand channel, so you can watch whenever you like. While I was perusing, I noticed they had Fleetwood Mac listed, so I checked it out.

This was a show that was performed in Boston in 2003 and later presented on PBS, and later released to DVD. But no matter, ‘cause I hadn't seen it! I have to confess that I am not a huge Fleetwood Mac fan, but there are several of their songs that I like a lot. But I am a huge fan of live music. You could say that I'd watch anything if it was live. But this performance was far from "anything".

I wasn't looking so much for the drumming experience, but for the live experience. I didn't watch the show expecting Mick Fleetwood to wow me with his drumming prowess. This group is not about the individual performances (well, at least that's my opinion), but the whole musical experience. And this was a wondrous experience.

They played a mix of some of their older songs, some new ones at the time, and songs from their solo projects (Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham). I hadn't heard some of the songs they played (actually, a lot of them), but the experience just brought me somewhere that I couldn't exactly define or describe. I found myself compelled to keep watching, to keep listening - I felt part of the crowd. The relationship Lindsey and Stevie shared (at least the good times - I'm not privy too much to their history) was implied throughout the performance. It was genuine. I particularly felt somewhere else when they played "Gypsy" from their Mirage release. I was a kid when it came out. It's not so much what the song says, but the mood it puts me in when I remember how I was when it was released. All in all, a very good time, a very good show.

So as I mentioned before, it's not all about the drums. Both shows had very good drumming, both drummers served their songs more than they served themselves, each within the context of the type of music they were playing. Sure myself, and maybe many of you, will notice a band for the great drumming. But in the end, it's all about the music, and how it moves you.
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DVD Review: Snare Drum Basics

Omar — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:50:14 +0000

Greetings! Today we’ll be reviewing the instructional DVD called “Snare Drum Basics,” published by Hudson Music.

Now before I begin, I just want to mention that I’m sure (or pretty sure) that this DVD, and subsequently others that I review afterwards, may have already been reviewed at some time or other in one or more of the various drumming publications that exist. My intention is not to rehash what has already been said. My goal is to give you my point of view and maybe present some details that my not have been written before. Everyone has an opinion, right? Well, this one’s mine! Enjoy, and I hope you find it beneficial.

Back to the lecture at hand! “Snare Drum Basics” is narrated by Bob Breithaupt. As of the production of the DVD, he was the “Professor of Music, Chairman of Jazz Studies/Music Industry and director of the noted percussion program at Capital University in Columbus, OH.” Put simply, this guy knows his stuff! His knowledge was on display throughout the 30 minutes or so of playing time.

Bob emphasized that the techniques learned from snare drum basics can be carried over to the rest of the drum kit, making the snare drum the foundation of the kit. I totally agree with this statement, as I’m sure most if not all in the industry do. And that’s the beauty of the DVD. This is a great beginning DVD because you’re started off on what you need to start on: the snare drum.

As far as practicing goes, the host does not get into detail as far as how to practice, but presents the topics to the viewer, and lets the viewer decide what to dedicate most of their time to. This is a reasonable approach since the DVD is to appeal to all audiences – everyone’s different, at a different developmental stage, and each drummer individually can glean whatever they need, and go from there.

Various topics are covered relevant to snare drum basics, including:

Grips
Basic strokes
Dynamics
Rudiments

The host goes on to demonstrate various aspects of the above, as well as the right and wrong ways to go about them. Some points of interest that the host mentions:

Holding the sticks in a natural way, regardless of grip
Even hand development
Employing accents
The Moeller System
Phrasing
Rudiment examples
Specialty sounds

There’s more of course, but the instruction given is well explained and easy to understand. Practicing the suggestions should make us better players by reminding us of the basics, and how we can expand those basics to cover the rest of the kit. Now about the host’s delivery…

I was waiting for the host to smile, to have a little fun in his presentation, but there was none to be had! I’m sure he likes drumming, and I would listen to anything he has to say in regards to drumming, but the presentation was a little bit stiff and academic, bordering on a little boring. Don’t get me wrong! This is a must-have DVD, especially for the beginner and intermediate drummer. I always advocate having fun, even if you don’t know what you’re doing, but it didn’t look like the host was having fun. I was looking for the smile, and looking, and oh yes, I found it! On the back cover of the DVD (nice picture)!

Minor point there. I give this DVD seven out of ten paradiddles, since it covers a most important aspect of drumming. Get the snare right, and the rest will follow. I’d give it more paradiddles but for a little more enthusiasm.

That's my take. If you’ve seen it, tell us what you think!

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Taken to School, Reprise

Omar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:47:35 +0000

Hello again!

In my previous post I spoke about the most excellent DVD by Hudson Music “Modern Drummer Festival 2006”. So many videos to watch, so little time! I really wanted to digest all of the performances and mention my favorites and why. I’d like to continue on that vein with some other observations of drummers that I didn’t mention previously, plus some new observations of ones I’ve mentioned.

I found Stewart Copeland’s interview very interesting. I did learn some things about him that I didn’t know, although I have to admit that I’m not a die-hard The Police fan. But I am a fan of his drumming. The interviewer mentioned Stewart’s extraordinary hi-hat play, which is something I also noticed when listening to him. Definitely a style I want to incorporate in my playing. What was interesting though was that he said more or less that it was by accident! He didn’t really concentrate on hi-hats per se, it just turned out that the music called for it. Whatever the case, his hi-hat play is truly amazing.

His take on traditional vs. matched grip I found intriguing. I’ve always been of the mind that you typically get more power playing matched grip vs. traditional grip, whereas with traditional grip you may be more inclined to be ‘technical’. Neil Peart spent a couple of years bettering his traditional grip playing, among other adjustments, which resulted in a complete album played that way (Rush, Test for Echo, 1997). His drum tech later mentioned that he went back to playing matched grip because he tended to lose some power playing traditional grip, although after all that training he’s the better for it! For him, traditional grip is more a tool than a “way of life” playing. But Stewart explained that he gets more power playing traditional grip vs. matched, and he gave a small demonstration. It looked convincing! That little display has made me want to practice my traditional grip more, and add it to my toolbox as well. Thomas Lang (among many others, of course) seems to get lots of power from his traditional grip, and he does switch to matched when necessary (which I will study why when I watch his videos!).

Stewart’s dislike for the studio (at least for playing drums, not so for composing, which he showed he loves) prompted him to record his parts on The Police albums in very few takes, or even one, which he says after hearing them back he could have recorded them better. Heck, they were really good already! All the more reason to see him live, where he can make up for it.

As good a drummer as Stewart is, he seems to not like drumming very much! At least as a profession. When he plays for fun, he’s loving it. But if it’s work, then he’s not so enthused. His passion is composing, which goes to show how talented he is. Well Stewart, whenever you play, we’ll be watching!

Glen Kotche proved to be a masterful multi-percussionist with his solo “Monkey Chant”. It’s amazing how he was able to maintain fluid motion and independence and actually paint a story with all the percussion tools at his disposal. That ‘prepared snare’ as he called it was down-right scary-looking! But I would never have thought of using a snare that way unless I saw it with my own eyes. Excellent presentation.

Some other highlights:

I don’t think I’ll ever play lefty, a la Phil Collins, but Mike Mangini pulled it off beautifully. And he showed that you don’t have to be perfect to play a particular style, you can just be good enough. I translate that as, “have fun!”

I’m not into heavy metal or death metal or whatever it’s called these days, but I really liked Brann Dailor’s presentation. I’m accustomed to seeing huge-o drum sets for this style of music, but Brann showed you don’t need that many drums to play in this style. Again, very fluid and precise.

I found Dave DiCenso’s solo to be a bit drawn out, but regardless he showed awesome technique and speed. I want to be able to fly around my kit someday, and if I can do it half as good as Dave showed, I’ll be very happy.

The best for last! My favorite performance was from one of my all-time favorite drummers, Steve Smith. It seems like he’s a totally different drummer from his days with Journey. From watching him play, to his interview with Thomas Lang (which I couldn’t take my eyes off of, it was that interesting), I’ve seen Steve transform himself from a powerful rock drummer to one of the great jazz drummers of our time. He’s not only incredibly fast, but spot on and you can hear ever strike of the sticks. (And yes, he dropped his stick right at the beginning – he’s human too!) My favorite drummer is Neil Peart, but Steve’s gotta be my 1b.

And he won’t stop there. In his interview he showed how he started to dabble with Indian rhythms (from India), and already his vocabulary in Indian beats and time signatures was stunning. Like learning a different language. Sort of like the Indian version of the 40 Rudiments. That’s too hard for me. I’ll just watch and enjoy! His desire to not rest on his laurels and continue to grow as a drummer is most admirable.

That was in 2006. It’s now 2008, and in fact as I write this Modern Drummer just finished with their 2008 Festival, of which again Hudson Music had a huge part. The drummers mentioned in this post and the past have gone on with other projects since then of course, and there were new participants this time around, as is the case yearly. Time to check out what happened! Time to be mesmerized. Time to go to school (again).

To purchase the DVD, click here.

Part 1

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Taken to School

Omar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:42:51 +0000

While I'm embarking on my quest to build the perfect kit (well, ok, one I can afford!), I decided to catch up on some DVD's that I've been meaning to watch. As we all know, there are dozens upon dozens of drumming videos, most of which I'm sure are very good, and you can learn something from any of them. I personally had not seen yet the Modern Drummer Festival 2006 DVD from Hudson Music. Boy was I in for a treat.

First of all, I must commend Hudson Music for making such fantastic DVD's as this one. This is not the first DVD I've viewed from them, but I was just blown away by the quality of video, sound, camera angles, and overall production. Watching this DVD (there's actually 4 DVD's with about 13 hours of footage) makes you proud to be involved with what I think are the most fun instruments on the planet - the drums!

Part of what attracted me to watch these videos was the fact that two of my favorite drummers were involved, Thomas Lang and Steve Smith (Stewart Copeland is an honorable mention). I like them both for different reasons, but they are just phenomenal beyond compare. However, there were many fantastic performances, so I won't go over all of them here, 'cause I'd be writing till tomorrow!

I started watching the DVD with the intention of being entertained, but the more I watched, the more I got taken to school. BIG time. It would take me a very, very, VERY long time to come anywhere near the level that these cats play. But that's ok! It just gives us something to aspire to, to expand our vocabularies and toolboxes, and the like.

Before I get to my absolute favorites parts, I'd like to start with some honorable mentions that were quite surprising. I really liked Ronald Bruner Jr.'s performance. His non-orthodox arrangement of his kit was intriguing, but he still made the set sing. He did drop his sticks a couple of times, but you know what? I love that. Not because I want to see mistakes made for the sake of a spectacle (far from it!), but it just makes the performance more organic and sincere. Of course, if you're only listening and not watching, you'd never know. That's the sign of a pro.

Aaron Spears also turned in an impressive performance. He was a madman! The drumming quartet of Teddy Campbell, Gerald Hayward, Martin McQuitty and Aaron performed a drumming symphony that made my jaw drop. I find it hard to keep a beat in time, and here you have alternating between keeping time and soloing! Great chops all over the place.

If you don't have your own set ready, have someone bring it to you one piece at a time! This is how Jason McGerr started off. First the snare, then the bass drum, hi-hat, ride, tom, and lastly the floor tom (oh yeah, cymbals too). Jason didn't display all the flashy chops that the other drummers displayed, but it wasn't necessary. It was simply brilliant. He emphasized that what should be most worked on is keeping time, which makes a lot of sense. His rudiments lesson was an excellent class for an admiring crowd (me included). It was an excellent presentation.

And then there was Thomas Lang. He has such an incredible amount of dexterity and speed, and he just doesn't miss. His solo, as usual, was mesmerizing. He is a master of control and coordination (a tribute to his DVD's), and independence. Well, I really don't know what else to say - his performance leaves you speechless.

There's so much to say about these two days of videos that I'll leave it for another post. There's just way too much great drumming. Time to go back to school.

To purchase the DVD, click here.

Part 2

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