Customer Reviews

How To Develop Technique- DVD

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

 

 

If you would like to improve your drumming technique you will love this DVD. In it Dave explains in detail wrist and finger contol, double stroke rolls and moeller techniques. He also talks about drum positioning and bass drum control. Dave's system will allow you to play with less effort taking advantage of the natural
rebound of the sticks. Highly recomended.

Dave's approach to music is great, the way he managed to change his wrist/grip technique has helped me answer many of my questions. This DVD is a must have in terms of learning to play drums with less effort. He talks about seating position, drum set positioning, wrist and grip, match and traditional grips in detail, shows basic snare exercises, Moeller Technique, foot position and it has also a Freddie Gruber special appearance. Besides that, you can check out Dave's great performance with the song Tiempo de Festival which I really liked and other stage footages

In this instructional DVD, Weckl tells the drummer/viewer to NOT play what is known as French Grip (thumbs on top). He claims that the wrist does not move that way, and that he's known people that have ended up in the hospital from this grip. He states that the German grip (palm down) is the only matched grip. This is utter nonsense, and constitutes misinformation. First off, the wrist does naturally move in a up/down motion if you hold your hand so your palm is facing to the left. If you wrist doesn't move in that direction, you need to see a doctor right away because you have an abnormality. Second, the French Grip is not based on the wrist moving up and down, it's based on the fingers and the same motion you use to open a door (see JoJo Mayer's hand DVD). Moreover, Weckl states you should only switch to this grip when using your fingers. When exactly would that be Dave? Should I constantly switch grips on the fly as the music is happening? Sounds like a recipe for failure to me. Finally, it should be noted that there are drummers that use French Grip exclusively, Bill Stewart being the most notable. Stewart has phenomenal technique and (as far as I know) hasn't ended up in the hospital. If your hands/wrists/arms hurt, it's not likely that it's your choice of grip. It's more likely that you're holding the sticks too tight, or hitting way too hard.

Weckl should release an addendum to this DVD that corrects this blatant misinformation about a very commonly used grip.

Dave is a truly gifted drummer, but he never shows how he pulls off the complex rolls and grooves he plays, but only demonstrates how to hold and manipulate the sticks. He states that the traditional grip is better for soft delicate playing, which may be true for him, but the great Bill Stewart has no trouble playing soft delicate passages with the matched grip he always uses.

The music on this dvd and on his cd's is written and arranged to demonstrate his speed and chops with non stop cymbal accents. It lacks the feeling and emotional playing of drummers like Bill Stewart or Jack Dejohnette. Dave needs to strip his drum kit down to the essentials and get in touch with the music again. Adding more cymbals, hi hats, and drums does nothing to enhance the music or improve the writing.
The kit he plays now must be a nightmare for his drumtech/roadie.

One can learn to develop technique much better by watching the JoJo Mayer instructional dvd.