BENNY GREB
THE LANGUAGE
OF DRUMMING
The Language of Drumming provides a fascinating look into Benny Greb’s unique approach
to making music on the drums—a complete and practical approach that is based on a
concept familiar to everyone: learning a language. This system begins with basic rhythmic
“letters” and “words,” and progresses to include a wide variety of topics, including grooving, interdependence, improvisation, rudimental vocabulary, time awareness, and a Western form
of the Indian phrasing system, all explained in a comprehensive, easily understandable system
that is suitable for beginning to advanced level drummers.
From the overture and opening credits to the movie-within-a-movie menu, viewers of The
Language Of Drumming will immediately sense that even though they’re watching a drumming
DVD they may well be seeing the beginning of a new era in music education.
Beyond its amazingly clever concepts, beautiful sets and Academy-award worthy production
values, this groundbreaking two-disc set also presents extraordinary European drummer Benny
Greb and his advanced approach to making music that raises the art of drumming to an
entirely new level.
As Greb explains in his initial on-camera comments, learning to play the drums is like learning
to speak a language. Greb makes the point that knowing a few basic drum beats and fills is like
knowing only a few standard phrases in a language; they won’t allow you to communicate
clearly or have a full, interactive conversation in practical situations.
Greb’s carefully thought-through solution— and a quantum leap in drum education— is to
learn the “language of drumming” by starting with its smallest components: the individual “letters”
of the rhythmic alphabet. Greb then introduces his revolutionary 24-character system and shows
how to use the basic binary and ternary rhythms to develop timing, technique, dynamic control
and speed… even the traditional drum rudiments.
Covering hands and feet, with and without a practice pad, he quickly progresses from simple
alphabetical exercises to more intricate examples of “words” (rhythmic phrases) and “syntax”
(sentences and vocabulary) on the full drumset.
The second disc goes on to include a vast amount of additional information, from practical
discussions about the importance of listening, building fills and solos using standard improvisational
forms, and developing better time and expanding rhythmic “comfort zones” through creative
use of a metronome to somewhat more esoteric examples of finding new and alternative
sounds on the drumset.
Throughout the entire presentation, Greb flawlessly performs exercises and patterns that illustrate
his theories while referring to the comprehensive archive of printable PDF charts and exercises
that are included on the discs.
The double-DVD also features several drum solos as well as Greb’s performances with master
percussionist Pete Lockett and the Benny Greb Brass Band.
Disc 1 Screen-shots:
Disc 2 Screens-shots:
Length: 192 minutes (2 DVD)
Released: February 17, 2009
Studio: Hudson Music