House of Drumming.com

I've been teaching for 15 years 13 at a School/Music School Factory.

There's all kinds of teachers,.. Some are killer players and teachers, Some are killer players and horrible teachers.. some are amazing teachers but not that great at playing at a high level even though they know everything.. It's weird I know some teachers that are encyclopedias of knowledge and teach it well, but can't execute consistently on a high level. I also have met some complete tools that can't play or teach but somehow they fake their way in. They usually move on fairy quickly..


I think Dom is a great ambassador for drumming. To me it doesn't mean he's the greatest example of a drummer. He's a first contact, introduction to kind of guy. An Ambassador... He would be a great guy to learn the fundamentals in all aspects of drumming.

For most drummers on this forum thy are past what Dom could offer from what we see from his clinics ect. I'm not into being a performance artist kinda thing so I'd wouldn't pick him to take lessons from.. However I would imagine he knows a ton of stuff in every field of drumming that we don't see.
He's been around for awhile... haha
I wouldn't even mention Dom in the same breath as MJ or Cobus Internet sensations aren't on the same level as someone who has busted his hump for decades.. Also the circles of other drummers Dom hangs with is a great indication of his pedigree..

Cobus... Yeechhhkkkk He's not a bad player... But the whole idea of I want to teach you how to play drums.. By not teaching you how to play drums.. Is stupid.... I you were going to learn by ear you wouldn't need his stupid DVD's.. It's so lame... That is the lowest of the low as far as just trying to make a buck....

MJ is selling all the stuff we as full time one on one teachers sometimes don't get to with students sometimes because they haven't gotten through the fundamentals... He's selling the MSG or Fancy Sauce that makes the meal pop. But very little information on how to cook a basic meal.
Which is smart if you want to make a buck,.. way easier to sell the MSG than toast... for sure...

The only thing all three have in common to me is I doubt I'll ever see them play in bands that match their level of profile.

I have sat with Dom, played with him and translated for him several times. And the most memorable time was a one hour clinic we did together. He basically told the audience, sticks in hand, practice pad in front of him, the story of how he learned free stroke and Moeller from Joe Morello and Jim Chapin. It was hilarious, entertaining, personal, touching and most of all, deeply educational. And all that through translation.
But then some other time he'll go for the whole motivational approach. The guy can motivate a goat to play drums. He also talked me into changing a few things in my playing and setup, which I did months later and my own way but just because it made sense. And I still apply those things, which are all fundament based.
Also, he does his thing all over the world, always looking for new places to visit. And his thing works; he motivates the crowd and his message comes through.
He's truly the drumming ambassador, as he has carried the message of drumming to places no one else had before. And he knows his stuff as an educator. Might not be your choice as your band's drummer, but that's a whole different story.

(Not even gonna talk about MJ or Cobus in the same message)

First we had the Jack DeJohnette series signature cymbals, then some Weckl ones, a few more in between including Vinnie's collaboration with Zildjian and his astonishing response to the Paiste range where the quality of the cymbal caused Vinnie to drop his stick...but luckily now Meinl have decided to get MJ on board to design some 'Transition' cymbals, hopefully bringing his years of musical experience to the table...

percusski wrote:First we had the Jack DeJohnette series signature cymbals, then some Weckl ones, a few more in between including Vinnie's collaboration with Zildjian and his astonishing response to the Paiste range where the quality of the cymbal caused Vinnie to drop his stick...but luckily now Meinl have decided to get MJ on board to design some 'Transition' cymbals, hopefully bringing his years of musical experience to the table...

Yeah because you really need the best gear to teach lessons and do clinics...are you kidding me? I always taught lessons on ZBT cymbals. lol Not to say I was great at it though...

Matus wrote: He also talked me into changing a few things in my playing and setup, which I did months later and my own way but just because it made sense. And I still apply those things, which are all fundament based.

Just for curiosity's sake and shits and giggles- what did he suggest you change?

Well, he talked me into "his" way of playing, which is open handed, matched grip with de-ordered toms (12", 10", 16", 14") but not exactly his approach, but to look for my own following the same train of thought, which was trying to avoid the usual fills, phrasings and making certain grooves sound different. Overtime, I've ended up playing with only the two rack toms switched and incorporating open handed playing into what I already had without totally dismissing cross-handed playing. And the experience of playing wit/against him was truly inspiring. Really got me to a place I hadn't experienced before, nothing ultra technical but expressing ourselves.
He also helped much with all the Moeller and free stroke stuff.