Customer Reviews

Drumstick Spinology (Book)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was surprised to see this book, since I had done an extensive search for a book on this subject a year ago. Actually, I had searched for ANY book on twirling, drumstick OR baton. I found exactly one on baton twirling but it wasn't very good.

This book is good. It lists 15 basic twirls and then goes thru various combinations to get your imagination fueled. There are many good quality photos, tho some photos are missing. There is a handy digest at the end that concisely presents the content of the book again. The book is kind of on the thin side, but that's largely a good thing, easier to digest and work thru. I recommend this book.

On the bad side, the book seems to be a "version 1" that was rushed out the door before it was as good as it should have been. Some photos are missing. There is an 11 page chapter on humor that adds nothing of value and should be cut out. The digest at the end also seems to be fluff, but it's actually handy, but it would be better if it were condensed to just one or two pages, rather than 11 pages.

All in all, especially since to my knowledge it's the only book out there on the subject, it's worth having.

Where did this book come from? From the amount of information and the overall content of the book, it must have come from years of thought on the subject and a lot of dropped sticks. There's just no other way to cover that many spins unless you've tried them all - many, many times. Believe me, for I've been kind-of-spinning drumsticks for several years, and I've dropped my share. After a few weeks of diligent study, I've found myself spinning my drumsticks now without thought. I can be scrolling through pages on the internet with one hand and with the other practice my "stick set" as I call it; a series of spins and figures that allow me to develop many different hand movements.

By approaching the Spinology book as a text book, and testing myself on all the spins including the newest one I'm learning, I've worked my way through the book twice, and I'm on the third time. Each time, I start with the first spin ("Grip Spin"), practice it for two minutes to my Yamaha DD-8 drum machine's beat, then go on to the second for two minutes, and so on. As I work through the book, I incorporate each of the previous spins into the current one, so that by the end of the book I'm doing a rapid-fire succession of spins that would have a chameleon's eyes crossed if he tried to watch me.

My hand strength has already increased, as have my overall dexterity and finger individuality. I'm impressed with the coverage of the topic, and I'm glad someone took the time to write a thorough book on a fun, invigorating subject.

Having bought this book, I really came to understand how to spin my drumsticks. I have alwasy admired fellow drummers throughout the drumming history, throwing a few spins here and there and finally one person, Steve Stockmal, figured out a system and gave us this absolutely fantastic book. Thank you.

The Book - Leave out chapter 5 (10 pages dedicated to humor) saving the trees needed to print this section. Author needs to "stick" to the subject. Some of the pictures are hard to follow. On the + side the the large print in the "at a glance" chapter and the hand map are very usefull.

The DVD - VERY WELL DONE! - makes up for any shortcomings in the book - work great together.

I really wanted to see if what I had learned long ago could be easily explained. To my surprise this book was right on target. Easy to follow, excellently demonstrated, and made quite simple. As in anything that looks easy...practice divides the can from the can't.

i got this book and studied a spin called the forward spin and tried it. it was shaky at first, then i had mastered the spin within 5 minutes. i think if your interested in spinning drumsticks, you should buy this book.

Great book.. even better DVD that comes with it! But be warned, the techniques are deceptively simple but hard to do and harder to master.;. but there's no book around like it so he's got a monopoly on the subject right now...

This has got to be some of the craziest drumming action I've ever seen. The DVD that is included is aweinspiring even for a non drummer. I bought this product for my dad and he's loved it. The whole family has!

We even joked that it would be hillarious to see some of this spinning action on Harry Potter. They could do with some more wand flourishing. Even if it only made it into the blooper reels.

This book was a gift for my son, who wanted to learn "spinology." It is one of maybe two books on the subject. The fact that it comes with a cd is a big plus.

I gladly recommend this book.And it,s up to you, to get the results.

Best regards

Leif Fredriksson

Drummer from Sweden