Alfred's Beginners Drumset Method

This review is for the kindle version of the book - and the review I wish I'd read before I purchased this book. This is a facsimile edition, and none of the pages are dynamic or interactive. Even the table of contents is just a picture of the text from the book. There are no links, there are no sound files for listening to the sound examples, and very little instruction in the text of the book or explanations of the concepts. You need a teacher to know what to do, because the book does not explain things beyond a sentence or two. This book is NOT for a self-learner trying to learn how to play a drum set. This same book thru iBooks is dynamic and at least has has all of the sound files, and costs $7.99 from iTunes. I wish I'd known that earlier, because I don't want to buy this lame instruction book twice, or pay $10.99 for the CD only thru Amazon in order to hear the sound examples of the lessons. This kindle version is a hack job, and when did they write this and take the photos -- 1982? Skip this book and get The Complete Idiots Guide which I am ordering soon.

as a struggling midlife crisis drumming student, it has been difficult finding "THE" one book from which to learn and reinforce "the basics" of drumming. After about a dozen purchases (or two), I found the Alfred Drumset Method Book.There are a LOT of methods for teaching drumming, and many methods for learning.I started drumming about 18 mos ago - about a year after my 10 year old son started snare drum classes in school - with a 90 year old semi-retired jazz drummer (father of a friend of mine - he still had 32 students up to July 2005 - retired due to a stroke but he still helps me out occasionally when I visit) and his methods were great, but the books he used were upwards of 60 years old (Roy Burns' Elementary Drum Method, Joel Rothman's Rolls Rolls Rolls, Ted Reed's Progressive Steps to Syncopation, Stone's Stick control), heavy on rudiments, marching rhythms, and he'd play vibes while I and my son took turns playing rock, shuffle and jazz grooves w/ him. I've heard his students over the years and his methods worked, but as an adult, physician, post-post graduate I was looking for another method outside of the way he was presenting it to me.What works about the Alfred book for me is this: simple 4/4 rock grooves, introductions of simple progressive bass,snare, tom changes around the set which reinforces independence and fills, a visual and kinesthetic introduction to fills and 4 bar riffs and a similar treatment of jazz rhythms. It's done in a way that builds rapidly to a finished product where learning the components separately wasn't giving me the satisfaction I was looking for. Kind of like learning how to drive by being given a five minute review of the controls and then driving around a parking lot versus taking an auto mechanics course for six months before seeing what a finished car looks and feels like.Somehow this makes sense to me where "Drumming for the Complete Idiot" and similar books didn't work. Or maybe it was torturing myself with those other books for so long that now with the Alfred Method, it all comes together. My son and I are playing together across the basement (he has his set, I have mine) and learning from each other. When he needs books, I've got them, and he uses the Alfred book too, but it's time to find another teacher for one on one.The Alfred Drumset Method, a good investment. But unless you're a real self-starter, find a teacher who will work with you with it.

I'm a new learner, my instructor told me to get this book. It has lots of great exercises, definitely a great way to learn. This book is incorporated with a CD, but it doesn't come with it. I truly think everyone should not only get the book but also the CD, specially when learning the drum fills, timely is everything, the CD really really helps.

My son plays the drums and this was recommended from his drum teacher for getting into kit. No complaints from my son so good enough for me!

I decided I wanted to learn the drums so I sought out an instructor and this is the book he ask me to purchase. As the middle age student I found the book to be easy to read and follow. The DVD is helpful for the different views and listening to how the beat is supposed to sound. This book combined with a good instructor has been a great teaching tool.

I use Alfred's Drumset Books as the textbooks in the drumset courses I teach at our local music school. The books are well written, and the accompanying CDs (which can be ordered separately) contain clearly-recorded examples of every chart in the book. These books and CDs are a MUST for any aspiring student of drumset percussion!

Just learning to play drums at age 72. This book is easy to follow and actually has me making more time to practice.

good book

I have been teaching private drum lessons for many years. I have settled on this one for almost all of my beginner drum students, and here is why:-Excellent pics of how to hold the drum sticks, how to play heel-up or heel-down on the bass drum and hi-hat;-Clear description with pictures of the parts of a drum set;-Excelllent, clear isntructions throughout the book above and below the drum grooves and exercises;-Great songs to play along with, after learning the techniques needed to achieve this goal;-Book comes with CD if desired, which makes learning the grooves even faster for students without a private teacher;-Logical layout and sequence of techniques. *******This is my favourite and most important part of this book. It lays out the grooves and fills in an excellent sequence from simple to intermediate, to advanced level material.Many, many drum books that I have and have used or taught from are lacking in placing the information in a logical sequence.I recommend this book very highly for all drummers starting out, and for intermediate drummers looking to fill in the gaps before they move to an advanced level.

20 yrs teaching. This is one of the best intro to drumming books I've found. Does a great job building on each skill as it is learned. Mostly beats; the few fills it has are 'meh'...but great for learning rock/pop beats.

My son is using this as a beginning drummer, and it's really working well!

A must have for learning the drums