Robonzo.com

I recently previewed the how-to DVD published by Guerilla DrumMaking. As an owner of vintage drum kit, I was immediately drawn to the idea of customizing a single drum or even designing my own custom kit. The tools required are nowhere near the expense that I would have guessed. A basic workshop can probably be put together for about $150-200. Drum shells and hardware would be your biggest expenditure, but learning the art of custom drum making for your artistic vision or business is priceless.

The instructional DVD, currently available for $41.99 at GuerrillaDrumMaking.com, provides easy-to-follow instructions, invaluable tips and resource suggestions. I was truly fascinated the first time I watched it. Guerrilla did such a good job with the DVD, that I have little doubt that anyone can begin learning the craft and artistry of custom drum making.

GuerrillaDrumMaking.com provides just about everything that you’ll need to get started, including resource links for buying drums and hardware. The website also has the list of tools you’ll need, a great blog and building forum links. One thing I didn’t find, which I’ll be asking for, is an RSS feed link.

If you’ve ever given thought to custom drum making, this DVD is a must have. If you’re an established drum shop, you’ll probably find some great ideas.

~r

Our deepest sympathies go out to for former Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker and DJ AM, both of whom lost close friends in a tragic plane crash this weekend. Our thoughts are also with the families and many other friends of Chris Baker, 29, of Studio City; Charles Still, 25, of Los Angeles; pilot Sarah Lemmon, 31, of Anaheim Hills and co-pilot James Bland, 52, of Carlsbad, Calif. all of whom lost their lives in this tragic accident.

Initial reports from the the NTSB indicate that the crash, which occurred just before midnight on Friday, may have been caused by a tire blowout. Travis Barker and DJ AM are being treated at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia for second and third degree burns. Both are expected to make full recoveries.

Barker and AM had just performed at a free show in the Five Points area of South Carolina, along with Perry Farrell and Gavin DeGraw. The best in-depth coverage that we’ve found on the accident was on mtv.ca News. Barker is most widely known for his drumming in Blink-182, but he also played with +44, Box Car Racer, Transplants and Expensive Taste.

~r

Since my recent write up on drum lesson sites, two have jumped out as my favorites. My personal number one is Mike Johnston’s, MikesLessons.com. I was hooked after watching a couple of his free lessons on The Drum Lab (YouTube).

MikesLessons.com is a very cool site that offers iPod lesson downloads for 0.99 or monthly lesson packages for $19.99. In my preview of Mike’s site, I’d say he’s a great go-to for intermediate and advanced players looking to sharpen their skills. His practical approach to teaching will appeal to most drummers, and his playing is fantastic. If you like what you hear and see on The Drum Lab or MikesLessons.com, also check out Mike’s band Simon Says, live in Germany.

Second on my personal favorites list is DrumLessons.com with Jared Falk. This and other sites market The Complete Rock Drumming System DVD set, featuring Jared Falk. For drummers not particularly into the iPod download or YouTube format, this DVD set offers excellent instruction on beginner, intermediate and advanced technique. The DVD goes for $131, with a few lower cost individual DVD options. All come with a money-back guarantee. I checked out part of the free 7-day trial lessons, which looked great for beginners. The quality of Falk’s videos sold me as being a program worth considering. He too is an excellent player.

The advantages of using one of these highly recommended offerings is that they both offer the ultimate in flexibility for drummers who may not want the schedule and time commitment of in-person lessons. The cost comparison to in-person lessons ($30/lesson) is also a consideration. The other obvious benefit to the online lesson approach, is that you can review lessons several times. On the downside, there’s little one-on-one personal interaction with the instructor, which some drummers will want or need. Although, with many online solutions, your video-instructor is available for feedback and critique. MikesLessons.com for instance, will provide feedback based on videos that you record of your practice sessions.

Having taken a closer look at these site, you’ll likely see more feedback on other sites soon.
~r

I spent the afternoon scouring the web for learning drum sites today. It wasn’t as easy to find ten good one’s as I thought it might be. My goal was to put together a top 10 list. In order to do so, I found it necessary to include content from video channels and MySpace.

Here’s the primary criteria used in compiling the list.

• Site offers high or good quality videos
• Site is easy to navigate
• Free instructional content available

In no particular order, here are my top 10 picks.

RudimentalDrumming.com – Focusing on technique, this site is rich in free video content. The site itself is relatively simple, but the instruction is high quality. Great for beginners and intermediate players.

DrumBum.com – Rich in video content, DrumBum.com offers instruction and tips for various styles. While I didn’t count, they boast having links to hundreds of lessons. Includes tab links.

BoomBoomTV on YouTube -  Coming from BoomBoom Percussion, this instructional resource gets Robonzo bonus points for featuring Jen Lowe. Offers various playing tips for drum kit and hand drumming.

OnLineDrumer.com – Offers quality lessons and tips from great player, period.

KickAssDrumLesson.com – We’re friends with Wally Allred, and find him deserving of mention. Wally’s site is simple, but to the point. He’s a great player, and boasts having a laidback approach to drum instruction. Not a great deal of free instructional content on this site, but does feature a nice forum.

DrumLessons.com – One of many sites, offering instructional DVDs featuring Jared Falk. Not sure what the deal is with the apparant distributorship of the DVD’s, but the Free 7 Day Lesson trial looks pretty cool.

The Drum Lab on YouTube – Features Mike Johnston, a great instructor who mixes good technique and best practices. His unique website offers lesson downloads for your iPod.

DjembeDrummingLessons.com – This site features a fantastic introductory video and subscription based lessons.

VanzDrumming.com – Features Randy Van Patten, a high caliber player, who sells his own line of instructional DVDs. Check out YouTube for some great clips of Randy.

Thomas Sienko on MySpace – Thomas appears to have only one lesson video, but he’s quite good. Worth checking out! (single lesson – new!)

DrummerWorld Drum Clinic – Little needs to be said about DrummerWorld, probably the best single source for celebrity video clinic and solo videos.

I expect to discover more learning sites in the coming days as I continue to explore these, but this top 10 will definitely keep me entertained for some time.
~r

Billy Cobham is a name I hadn’t heard in years, until recently. Working with a UK drum shop in my search for a vintage Premier part, I discovered that the shop owner recently took some time off to drum tech for Cobham at the recent WOMAD show. Mike, the owner of DM Drums modestly told me, when I asked for his story, that there wasn’t much to tell. As it turns out, he was asked to play on stage with Cobham at a masterclass session. Mike told me that he was expecting at best maybe 30 people, but was surprised by an audience of about 1000. He went on to say that he and Cobham, “played four improvised dual drum pieces, the crowd loved it and he finished off with a blistering solo.” Here’s a vid that Mike was kind enough to share.

~r