Customer Reviews

Getting Started On Drums-Setting Up - Start Playing DVD

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After a 20 year absence from drumming.. i bought a drum set.. put it together and started playing. I ordered this dvd a few weeks later. Well the first thing I did after watching him set up the drums was take apart my drums and fix what i had done wrong.

As far as playing.. Ive checked hundred of web sites, downloaded lessons, and purchased 4 other DVD's to learn.. This is the best BY FAR. Several good fills, grooves to jam to.. its great. I never write reviews on stuff I get from amazon.. but had to give praise.. Buy many, you can't learn to much, but if you are just getting 1, get this one.. if you're buying many.. this is a must have.

Great DVD.

Depending on the drum brand you may or may not receive instructions on how to set up the kit, much less how to get started. To an aspiring new drummer this DVD will not only lead you through how to set up the kit in an optimum configuration - it will also take you through the basics of selecting sticks, strike zones on your drums, and how to adjust and use each piece of a standard kit.

I like the format, which is divided into Setting Up and Start Playing. The Setting Up part is full of information and tips. My husband has been playing for over 40 years and he learned a few things from this section (incredible as that may seem).

Start Playing provides a little fun and a lot of encouragement. After tips on selecting and holding sticks, and a quick overview of drums and pedals, you get three grooves that even a new drummer can quickly master - building confidence - and some excellent instruction on fills and rolls. A nice feature is the three play-along pieces, which adds even more fun to this DVD.

Igoe is a masterful instructor and accomplished drummer. You feel as though he's in the room with you throughout this DVD, and the wealth of knowledge - presented in easy to grasp bits - that he imparts is amazing. I also recommend getting Igoe's "Groove Essentials" (ASIN B00064YTKM) for anyone who has progressed into intermediate or better playing. It will take you to the next step.

Very well done. This DVD teaches you everything from setting up your set to basic grooves that the pro's use. He also has some of his students come in and play but it's not what you think. I thought it would be some little 10 year old playing and sounding better than me. It's not, they make mistakes too. He goes over grip and how to hit the drum very well and to top it off you can download play along songs that they use in the video on the web site.

A perfect DVD for someone new to drums. Tommy first walks you through each piece of equipment, shows you how to arrange your drums, hold your sticks, and not make mistakes from the beginning.

But the best part is the 2nd half of the video where you get to learn to play. He teaches the basic rock groove, and then some variations - and throws in some fills to make it fun.

As a total beginner to the instrument, I was very surprised to see how quickly I could play along to basic songs after just watching the video.

Highly recommended.

This DVD takes you all the way from pulling drums out of the box to putting them together to holding the sticks to playing simple beats and grooves. The instruction is clear and includes some of Tommy Igoe's students, ending with some playing of his own. Perfect for the beginner with little or no drumming experience. Highly recommended.

BTW, a few extra tips for beginners:

1. Resist the urge to buy tons of drums and cymbals. You'll quickly feel overwhelmed. Start simple and add pieces as you get better.

2. Learn everything with both matched and traditional grips on the sticks.

3. Find a drumming instructor who is interested (my first one seemed bored), encouraging, and challenging (makes you count out loud when you don't feel like it, makes you play music you don't like, pushes you when you need it).

4. If you have trouble playing something, SLOW DOWN. There's an almost irresistible urge to play too fast when you start. Resist it.

5. Face the fact that learning drumming requires a lot of repetition, especially when you start practicing the 40 rudiments. Use this repetitive work as a contemplative practice, a kind of drumming meditation. That's what the shamans did in traditional cultures.

6. A long practice session that feels crappy or difficult does more for you than a short one that goes smoothly. Let your brain and body learn in their own time.

7. Have fun! As the film says, drumming is not a race, nor is it a competition or something you "should" do. Let it be a source of satisfaction. Use it creatively.

I ordered this dvd for my daughter along with her first drum kit. I dont have a point of reference because I haven't seen other dvd's on this subject but I don't believe they could make learning any more simplistic. Tommy has a laid back approach and many practice exercises encouraging you to work at your own pace. I now find myself playing the exercises on my daughter's drum kit along with her. Very informative for someone new to the drums.

Even with 25 years of playing experience, there is something to be learned about drumming. I wanted to go back over everything I've learned and see if I could find something in theory that supported what I have learned in practice. Although an introductory DVD aimed at beginners, this DVD was a nice refresher that reminded me of some of the things I had forgotten. It also showed me a thing or two that was new. It's a great place to start for beginners and Tommy Igoe's professional yet very approachable manner has me anticipating the availability of his new (as of this writing) "GROOVE ESSENTIALS" DVD. I've still got a lot to learn and I feel that Tommy Igoe is just the man I want to sit down and study/jam with. --- The best way to study is to listen and watch and learn. This DVD accomplishes just that. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the production value is sometimes a little bit off. By that I don't mean anything that affects your study or the watchability of the DVD, I just mean that, on occasion, you catch one of the cameramen or a camera lens in a shot. It is difficult to avoid in such a confined working space where you have a need for strange camera angles and a desire for crisp closeups but it just gives a bit of a sense that this DVD was shot and edited on a shoestring budget. (I hated putting this negative bit on the end. Please understand that it is indeed really a minor consideration that only pops up in one or two shots throughout the entire DVD and really won't cause you any concern.) In short, if you are looking for a starting point to drumming and a great teacher to show you the way, pick this up today.

My husband has been a drummer for 20 years.
I have always wanted to learn to play the drums,and have tried several times(with no luck).
My husband gave me The Getting Started DVD by Tommy Igoe.
I LOVE the DVD. Tommy is a great instructer. His DVD motivated me and gave me confidence to give it another try.
The DVD is very user friendly. It's also informative in a fun and relaxed way.
The DVD has also been helpful for my husband in teaching me.
I look forward to more drum DVD's by Tommy Igoe.

If you are into drums not professionally but a as a hobbie, this DVD is perfect to get you started. It gets right down to the point for start playing and at the same time it teaches you everything you need to know to setup your drums. I'm a married system engineer and between my wife and my job I hardly have time to practice drums, even so I have managed to master one of the grooves that Tommy demonstrate with only two one-hour sessions. I'm already workiing on the second groove and it is really easy, besides Tommy present the groove part by part making you add up each beat of the groove progressively which also help you to gain some basic coordination. The best of all, you do not need to read music (which is mandatory if you want to be a pro). After I write this review I'll buy Groove Essentials also by Igoe.
Have fun.

This DVD is excellent for the beginner drummer. Very clear and thorough explanation of drum set-up and a few basic grooves. Tommy Igoe is easy to understand and full of passion and energy. However, if you are a drummer with some experience, you might not get much out of this DVD. It truly is a beginner 101 video. So if you are a beginner, this is just what you need to get started!!