Product Details

• Actors: Aaron Spears
• Directors: Robert Wallis
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Hudson Music
• DVD Release Date: October 13, 2009
• Run Time: 187 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002Q0Z0PM
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #97,006 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Beyond The Chops: Groove, Musicality & Technique showcases the rising star s phenomenal drumming that critics, fans and even his peers have described as "beyond category". The 2-disc, 3-hour program offers amazing performances, enlightening educational segments and revealing interviews as Spears displays his natural talent, deliciously fat groove and incredibly deep skills in a set of spectacular performances with Gospel, R&B, Motown, rock, shuffle and odd-meter tracks. Furthermore, Beyond The Chops provides an inside, in-depth look at Aaron s exceptional ability to combine a wide range of musical genres and influences into a seamless, powerful, new style of drumming that has placed him among the first generation of elite and essential drummers to emerge in the 21st Century. Following his blazing performance segments, Aaron hosts a Q&A session in front of a master-class and then sits down with drumming icon Jojo Mayer for a candid interview covering everything from his Gospel roots to his recent work with Usher, the Backstreet Boys and the American Idol® Tour. Aaron also provides insight into the unique rhythmic vocabulary he has created with many of the grooves and fills transcribed in an accompanying 21-page printable eBook. For additional lesson support, the DVD also includes a special sub-menu that connects each notated exercise in the eBook directly to the video example it supports.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars SHHHH.... Its a secret hidden under cryptic analogies, like "Feel"., December 16, 2009

By 

Christopher P. Cunningham "Mescalito" (US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Aaron Spears Beyond the Chops: Groove, Musicality and Technique (DVD)

Aaron Spears is a bad-a$$ player! This dvd demonstrates his indisputable amazing talent and technical ability.
Other than that there are not really any significant insights, other than a "flash" drummer telling you not to be "Flashy".To me the entire dvd is an insult to any kind of instruction or analysis. Anytime any of the students/audience asks an intelligent articulate question, the answer was vague, or the ever present cryptic analogy, "FEEL" it.If they could "feel" it or begin to understand that approach, they wouldn't be there. I am sure that Aaron can't process everything he is doing, when he's letting it go, but he could have given some insight on how to develop the"feel" that produces those psycho-pated fills. Jojo Mayer, bless his soul, tries to get some kind of technical or insightful answer from Aaron, but to no avail.
I understand that his greatness has more emotional direction than cerebral, but he mentions how he analyzes himself and how hard he is on his technique. Yet does not dissect his technical approach at all or offer any true insight whatsoever. Of course he has developed and ingrained his approach to "gospel" fills, but he had to develop it and was not born with such attributes automatically. I think he should have "dissected" his approach on how to begin developing these syncopated fills with some kind of polyrhythmic "starter kit" for metric modulation or even explaining foot/hand technique more than "rebound" or "feel". This is a good dvd if you utilize the slow-mo and dismiss everything except his playing segments and realize, your on your own-kiddo!
Where is the instruction or insight into Aaron's playing or anything else, than someone who says do what I say not what I do........... and just feel it?
Thanks Aaron, I'm no better off, thanks for the obvious.
Thats just like my opinion, man...........

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY, May 27, 2010

By 

George Mora (Aguascalientes,Mexico) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Aaron Spears Beyond the Chops: Groove, Musicality and Technique (DVD)

I made the mistake in ordering this dvd thinking it was alot more then it really is. As an instructional dvd this does little more then show you the way Aaron lays down his chops. It does vertually nothing in the sense of providing you or explaining a certain technique or workout that you can use to be able to learn to play the chops that Aaron plays. His answers to the questions are vague and the best advice he can give is "learn from doing". Don't get me wrong,Aaron is an excellent drummer and his chops are something to strive for,but this dvd does lttle more then showcase those chops. If you really want an excellent series of dvds that will teach you great technique and give you a great, well explained workout to follow (both written and in play alongs),I reccomend the groove essentials series by Tommy Igoe. His Great Hands for a lifetime dvd is something that will provide you with a workout for the life of your playing and that you'l find yourself going back to time and time again.

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing DVD, October 22, 2011

By 

Mona Lee - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Aaron Spears Beyond the Chops: Groove, Musicality and Technique (DVD)

My son is the drummer for rock band, Children18:3. He has this DVD and says it's amazing! Watching and learning from DVDs like this is a way to improve drumming skills!