Customer Reviews

Gregg Bissonette-Musical Drumming In Different Styles

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

 

 

This very entertaining 2 DVD set will motivate seasoned veteran drummers to get off their fanny to spend some time copping some of the deep grooves and hip fills that Gregg displays with solid authority while appealling to younger drum students with Gregg's casual,friendly,and enthusiastic explanations of how to play with a band,how to get different sounds out your kit,and in a roundabout way,introduce new players to more than just ROCK music by encouraging them to investigate drummers who played BIG BAND music such as Krupa,Buddy Rich,Sonny Payne,Mel Lewis,etc.
and to jazz masters' Tony Williams and Elvin Jones.Gregg also nods towards drummer/comic Charlie Callis for comic relief a few times.Drummers 40+ will get a kick out his decent impersonation of the one time Slingerland drum endorsing comedian.I did.
You need to know what came before you in order to go forward or to comprehend how some drumming styles evolved into what they are today.Gregg Bissonette knows that lesson well.
The lack of guest musicians appearing on screen didn't affect my enjoyment of this 4 hour long clinic.Gregg plays many examples along with pre-recorded music composed mostly by his bass playing brother,Matt.Guest guitarists include Frank Gambale(Vital Information,Chick Corea Elektrik Band),Steve Vai(Frank Zappa,David Lee Roth),Steve Stevens(Billy Idol,Michael Jackson),and Robben Ford(Miles Davis,Blue Line).You'll dig The Bissonette Brothers own compositions."Submarine",a modern pop-rock piece going back and forth from 3/4 to 4/4,should be being played on rock radio in my opinion.Watch that segment as Gregg completely nails the feel with ease.The rest of the songs are played with equal ease and command of the genre'.From swing to Texas shuffles to hard rock and fusion...Gregg plays'em all like he invented the form itself.
Highly recommended for all ages and playing levels.

Gregg Bissonette is one of my favorite players, so this might seem a little biased. That aside, this DVD is unique in a few ways. What Gregg has done is take a singular CD project (Submarine) where Gregg performed (just like his first release) a number of tracks where every track covers a different style of music and utlizes a different guitarist to accentuate that style. Following that format, this instructional DVD grabs each track and breaks down the stylistic approach to the track while taking "day trips" to other subjects along those same lines. For example...one chapter might be entitled "Blues". Gregg chooses the blues track off his CD, breaks down the groove, plays the track, does a brief solo, talks about blues approach, etc. Then, on to the next style. I have not seen a project done that way before and I thought it was very focused. Gregg is an exceptional player and performs every style chosen authentically. That is a rarity in our art. Gregg is also very passionate and a great communicator. Those two elements contribute to his being one of the most sought-after clinicians alive today. Get this disc for you and for your student. It is a lot of material, but it is well worth it.

This is a really good instructional DVD. The tips, routines and footage show a very easy way to learn to play drums in several different styles. Greg's outlook on playing the drums is very simple and the way he breaks the lessons and tips down is very understandable and easily replicated by any drummer from the beginner to the advaced player.

Watching the DVD really helped, for somebody trying to learn on his own. Gregg explains well, and makes the drumming styles easy to figure out and duplicate.

Gregg is a great drummer but he is not a teacher of the drums. He talks too much, saying the same thing repeatedly; then when he finally gets around to showing you what he is talking about, he usually blows it right by you. Talking is not teaching. Maybe I was spoiled because I got the Steve Smith DVD first -- that one is the one to get if you want to learn for the long term.

Gregg certainly shows his all round musical ability which I think explains why he is a musical drummer and why this DVD gets across some salient points of advice that can apply to non-drumming musicians aswell. Its not a chops-a-thon like some DVDs, its really about being a better musician through the drums. My only complaint is that the drumming tracks weren't with a real band a la the Steve Smith DVD, to show the interaction between the band members.

I have to say I warmed into this DVD. There is no doubt Gregg is an outstanding musician, with a great (somewhat corny) sense of humor. At first I agreed that he presents the material so fast, that it's hard to follow for anything but an advanced drummer. An advanced drummer probably wouldn't need this DVD. But, when you play it again, there is a lot of very useful conceptual info on this DVD. I consider it less a "hit this drum, then this one, using this rhythm and tempo", than a consider "this" when playing this sort of tune. At least for me, I had to watch this DVD several times before I realized how much useful info was really there. Imagine you won an afternoon private meeting with a famous drummer (Gregg). You get to listen to his approach to drum styles and some techniques for about 4 hours. This is that DVD. Not only did I grow to realize the useful info on this DVD, I even grew to like the music (most from an album he created with his brother). I think the other reviews are fairly accurate. This DVD is probably not for everyone, but I consider it very good.

ONCE AGAIN GREGG HAS COME THROUGH WITH A VERY INFORMATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO, AN INSPIRATION TO ALL DRUMMERS , AND THOSE WANTING TO TAKE THE RIGHT PATH TO SUCCESS AS A DRUMMER OF THE FUTURE. THIS DVD CONTAINS YEARS OF STUDY AND PRACTICE FOR THOSE WANTING TO GET INSIDE, AND EXCELL. THE MAIN THING ASIDE FROM THE DRUMMING IS GREGG'S TRADEMARK POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN LIFE AND MUSIC! BACK TO WORK I HAVE A LOT OF WOOD SHEDDING TO DO.

This DVD looks great and sounds great. Gregg give piles of great advice. This is a very good DVD for drummers without much real experience. Why only three stars? There are no "band" performences. There is only Gregg playing along to recordings of the other musicians who played on his second CD. In the Steve Smith DVD by the same company (Hudson Music), Steve plays live in the studio with other musicians. But that is not the case here. I have been playing drums for over 35 years, so there is not musch here for me.

This is a drum lesson. If You want to learn to play the drums it is good. If you want to lesson to drummers drum, ths is not for you.