Demo Video: Learn More About Jazz Drumming!

Watch the exciting video below to learn more about Jazz! You'll hear from drumming pro Mike Michalkow, and get a chance to listen to a sample track from the Jazz Drumming System play-along CD/DVD combo. Click the "Windows Media" or "Quicktime" video links below to start playback.

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Letter from Jared Falk

--

Dear Friend,

I think deep inside all drummers is an understanding that musicianship is an integral part of being a drummer, and that improving any one aspect of your playing will have benefits in other areas. Unfortunately, most of us don't act on that knowledge, and thus we don't use our full potential. That was my experience early on in my drumming career.

When I was first learning to play in the early 90s - all I really wanted to play was Rock music. I didn't understand why my drum instructor always talked about Jazz, Latin, and other genres of music. If it wasn't the latest hit on the radio - I wasn't interested.

Over the years I began to realize that my earlier immature decisions had really slowed down my playing. I decided to give Jazz a try - to see what all the hype was about. What followed was a complete transformation of how I play the drums!

Yes, learning to play Jazz gave me a new and creative approach to beats, fills, and solo ideas. I'm not just talking about a change in how I played certain styles of music, but a complete overhaul of my playing, including: rock, jazz, latin, funk, and much more!

You see - by beginning to play Jazz - I began developing many advanced skills that contributed to my overall drumming abilities. The skills were completely transferable from one style to the next, and learning these abilities within a musical context really boosted the growth!

Years later I really began to love playing Jazz, and have since played in several Jazz bands that gig around town. In fact, if I were to pick my ideal playing situation today - it would be in a jazz style group (never saw that coming, aha).

I guess what I'm really trying to say is...
DON'T Make the same mistake I made!

Learning Jazz was an incredibly rewarding experience for me, and I highly recommend it to drummers of all skill levels. You will reap HUGE rewards in technique and skill development, and have a great time in the process. Even if you never plan on playing in a Jazz band - it will certainly be of great value to you!

You can wait years and years like I mistakenly did, OR you can
make the decision to boost your drum skills starting TODAY!

"...he is one of the most energetic and positive educators I have worked with to date...Mikes approach is dynamic and easily understood by beginners and pros..."

Mike Michalkow has worked as a clinician with Yamaha for the past 5 years. I am pleased to say he is one of the most energetic and positive educators I have worked with to date. When called upon Mike steps up and performs his clinics as though it was his first. Mikes approach is dynamic and easily understood by beginners and pros. What never seizes to amaze me is each of Mike’s clinics are new and if this can be possible - better than the last.

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Mike perform in one of his many bands you are also missing something very special. He has a great understanding for all styles of music and continually looks for new ways to improve on his art. It’s easy to see why he is so successful as a music instructor and why he is well respected in the professional community.

Mike is truly a student of His craft with a sincere desire to improve as an educator and a professional drummer. 

We at Yamaha are very proud to have Mike on our team. 

"...he has captured great values to pass on for our drumming community."

I am so impressed with Mike as not only a player, but also as a teacher. I respect both talents immensely. As a player he wants to continue to  learn and as a teacher he wants to continue to share. I have seen Mike in both situations and believe he has captured great values to pass on for our drumming
community. Mike, keep the spirit going!

"His teaching and performance techniques are innovative and inspiring..."

 
Mike Michalkow is a great musician who understands the needs of today's drummers. His teaching and performance techniques are innovative and inspiring. He is a true professional.
 

"...hearing them perform, Mike definitely knows the How and What of teaching."

I'm proud to have Mike as a friend. It's been a pleasure being able to share our love for drumming and music together. As a drummer and percussionist, I've enjoyed Mike's playing ever since we met. As a teacher, comments from his students, and hearing them perform, tell me that Mike definitely knows the How and What of teaching.

"...A fine drummer - a well respected teacher"

Mike Michalkow: A fine drummer - a well
respected teacher

"Mike has made the trek to where most drummers wish to be..."

Mike has made the trek to where most drummers wish to be, always riding the peak! He has pushed himself, with humility, to contribute a level of greatness to our drumming community. I beam when he says to me that I've contributed something to his learning.

"Canadian drummer/educator Mike Michalkow heads the drum department in the US for the National Guitar Workshop..."

Canadian drummer/educator Mike Michalkow heads the drum department in the US for the National Guitar Workshop, and appeared at the Vancouver International Drum Festival every year from 2001 through 2005.

GETTING STARTED Instructional

View or download your free excerpt from the Advanced DVD
  

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Here is a List of Items Covered in this DVD

• An overview of the drum legend/key for drum notation so you can easily follow along with the on-screen sheet music, and all notation in the companion workbook.
• A guide to drum gear selection for Jazz to help you pick the right drums, cymbals, and other gear for use with this style of music.
• How to tune your drums for Jazz music in order to have your kit sound authentic for the style. This includes snare, bass drum, and tom-tom tunings.
• An overview of traditional and match grips that shows you how to play both methods. All beats and fills in this training pack can be played with either grip, but all are demonstrated using the traditional grip.
• How to count triplet note values out loud to simplify the process of practicing Jazz beats and fills.
• Tips for counting in a swing tune with a band, so everyone is on the same page for the note values that are being used. This is a little different than counting in most rock tunes.
• A look at the differences between straight eighth notes and swing eighth notes to better understand how to count within swing and other forms of Jazz music.
• An overview of correct bass drum technique used while playing various Jazz music styles. This is very important for drummers that are new to Jazz, Latin, or World music styles.
• An overview of hi-hat techniques that related to Jazz music.
• A complete and detailed guide to to developing a Jazz groove around the basic ride cymbal pattern. Each component of the kit is implemented individually to progressively build the groove. Mike does a superb job of demystifying these foundational concepts.
• An overview of the key differences between playing with a big band vs playing with a combo band.
• An introduction to the shuffle groove that includes detailed training and numerous exercises to introduce this important concept.
• An overview of playing 4/4 Jazz with a 2 feel to change the pattern of your groove without actually changing the time signature of a song.
• Introduction to drum set comping that details how to implement it into your playing, why you need to learn it, and when to make use of it in a musical setting.
• 62 snare drum comping exercises to develop your snare drum hand for improved independence within Jazz drumming grooves.
• 62 bass drum comping exercises to build independence with the bass drum, and to further develop and challenge your Jazz grooves.
• 56 hi-hat comping exercises to push the limits of your Jazz independence to all new heights. These exercises are also extremely valuable for drummers that use double pedals as they build control and independence for your left foot.
• 63 snare and bass drum comping exercises that combine two distinct elements to give you full and complete independence between all four limbs. These are the most challenging of the comping exercises, and thus will set you apart from other drummers.

The Getting Started DVD includes 2 hours and 40 minutes of video!

JAZZ EXERCISES DVD

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Here is a List of Items Covered in this DVD

• 33 unique Jazz fills that are played within context several times so you can hear and see exactly how to play these patterns.
• 5 fills based around the triple stroke roll to make use of a drum rudiment to play fills with a Jazz feel.
• 14 Jazz fills using the double paradiddle rudiment to add spice and creativity to your fill options. This rudiment can also be applied within other musical styles like Rock, Latin, and Funk.
• 12 exercises for setups and hits that show you how to play proper accents within the right part of each beat. Each exercise is played four times without setups and then four times with setups.
• 9 exercises based on 3 note independence between the bass and snare drums. These build on the comping exercises from the first DVD, but are much more challenging.
• 14 broken ride patterns to give you simple and unique ways to spice up your Jazz groove.
• An introduction to trading twos, fours, and eights within a band context. This is a great way to spice up a live show with each band member getting a chance to solo for a set number of measures.
• A introduction on how to hold brushes for both matched and traditional grips. Mike discusses the pros and cons for each.
• A detailed look at brush technique to guide you on a correct path to implement brushes into your drumming.
• 10 brush exercises within 4/4 to give you an opportunity to use the brushes within Jazz beats. The overhead camera is extremely useful in this section of the DVD.
• Mike performs a drum solo using brushes to give some ideas for you to use when coming up with your own brush-solos.
• 12 exercises for 3/4 swing that you can use when playing various Jazz Waltz songs.
• 29 exercises for 3/4 swing comping to help you build confidence when playing within a 3/4 time signature.
• 14 beats that incorporate 3/4 Jazz Waltz with a "1" feel.
• 30 Jazz fills played in a 3/4 feel that are played starting with a beat, into the fill, and back into the beat. The multi-angle training is a must for some of these complex patterns.
• 7 beats that incorporate brushes in a 3/4 feel to make use of your brush technique within this time signature.
• 15 beats to use within a 5/4 swing feel to further extend your Jazz drumming abilities. This feel isn't extremely popular, but is incredibly fun to play.
• 36 exercises for 5/4 comping to develop your Jazz drumming independence even further.
• 28 fills for use within 5/4 swing that teach various stickings that you will want to use within this time signature.
• 6 beats incorporating brushes within 5/4 to wrap up the 5/4 exercises in a way that makes use of all the skills you've developed thus far.

The Jazz Exercises DVD includes 3 hours and 35 minutes of video!

PLAYALONG DVD & Audio CD

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Here is a List of Items Covered in this DVD/CD Set

• Ten fun Jazz play-along tracks performed by world-famous musicians, including: Mike Michalkow, Jody Fisher, Baba Elefante, and Tilden Webb. Each song has a unique feel that will challenge you to play a wide variety of beats and fills that you learn with the training part of the Jazz Drumming System!
• A video guide to playing drum solos with plenty of tips and information to inform and inspire you to play solos of your own!
• Four complete drum solos performed by Mike Michalkow to show you some ideas on how to incorporate Jazz elements into your own solos. They are entertaining and educational!
• Special DVD-bonus items that include behind-the-scenes studio interviews and a special restaurant interview with the band members discussing various topics relating to Jazz music.
• Audio CD featuring all 10 play-along tracks minus drums, so you can perform as the drummer at your kit! Best of all, because this audio is on a regular CD - you don't have to have a DVD player, computer, or TV close to your drum set in order to play along with it. Any CD or MP3 player will do!

The Play-Along DVD includes an hour of video training!

Complete & Detailed Workbook

• Over 70 pages of detailed training material that works in companion with the DVD training videos to teach you all the various Jazz drum beats, fills, and patterns to develop this fun an exciting style of music.
• The book includes sheet music, articles, tips n' tricks, and much more to guide you along the way

Getting Started DVD

The "getting started" DVD contains everything you will ever need to master important fundamental Jazz drumming concepts, including: reading the drum legend/key, selecting gear, tuning your drums for jazz, pros and cons of both traditional and matched grip, how to count triplet note values, tips for counting in a swing tune, differences between straight eighth notes and swing eighth notes, overview of correct bass drum technique, a look at hi-hat techniques for Jazz, a complete and detailed look at developing a basic Jazz groove, differences between a big band and combo band, an introduction to the shuffle groove, an overview of playing 4/4 Jazz with a 2 feel, an introduction to drum set comping, 62 snare drum comping exercises, 62 bass drum comping exercises, 56 hi-hat comping exercises, and 63 snare/bass drum comping exercises that combine multiple elements to give you four-limb independence.

This DVD features two hours and 40 minutes of video that will guide you through all the basic elements of Jazz. Everything is covered, and no stone is left unturned!

Jazz Exercises DVD

The "Jazz Exercises" DVD includes challenging beats, fills, and solo-building patterns that will take your drumming to the next level. The lessons cover all sorts of vital topics, including: 33 unique Jazz fills, 5 fills based around the triplet stroke roll, 14 Jazz fills using the double paradiddle rudiment, 12 exercises for setups and hits, 9 exercises based on 3 note independence, 14 broken ride patterns, a guide to trading twos/fours/eights, introduction to holding brushes, detailed look at brush technique, 10 brush exercises within 4/4, a brush drum solo, 12 exercises for 3/4 swing, 29 exercises for 3/4 swing comping, 14 beats for 3/4 Jazz Waltz, 30 Jazz fills played in 3/4, 7 brush beats in 3/4, 15 beats with a 5/4 swing feel, 36 exercises for 5/4 comping, 28 fills for 5/4 swing, and 6 unique brush beats in 5/4 swing.

This DVD features three hours and 35 minutes of video that guides you through each and every beat, fill, and pattern. You can watch any lesson an unlimited number of times to see exactly how everything is played!

Play-Along DVD & CD

The "Play-Along" DVD and CD set include fun and interactive content, including: ten Jazz play-along tracks performed on video, a video guide to playing a Jazz drum solo, four complete drum solos played by Mike Michalkow, special DVD-bonus material including studio and restaurant interviews, and an Audio CD to use at your kit to play-along with.

The DVD includes an hour of video content, and the companion audio CD features audio versions of all play-alongs minus drums. This unique play-along package is truly one-of-a-kind as you can watch the original artists performing the tracks, and then sub in for the drummer with the CD!

Complete & Detailed Workbook

The Jazz Drumming System workbook includes over 70 pages of detailed training material. It was designed as a companion to the DVD training videos to teach you all the various Jazz drum beats, fills, and patterns to develop this fun an exciting style of music.

The book includes sheet music, articles, tips n' tricks, and much more to guide you along the way.

BONUS #1: Finger Control Video

Learn to play the blazing fast finger control technique with Rick Kettner's detailed training video. This method was used to set the world record for fastest single stroke roll, and is also used to play fast patterns on the hi-hats and ride cymbal.

Note: This free bonus is immediately downloadable after purchase. You can use it to get started while the Jazz Drumming System is being shipped to your door!

BONUS #2: Ultimate Customer Support

The entire team here at Railroad Media want you to be completely satisfied with the Jazz Drumming System package. With that in mind, we are including unlimited customer support at no cost! This way you can call or e-mail us if you have any questions, comments or concerns. We're always here to help!

BONUS #3: Special Affiliate Opportunities

As an owner of the Jazz Drumming System, you will have the option to become an affiliate of this amazing package. That's right, you simply use a special link we give you to recommend our site to other drummers - and you get 25% of their order! Refer just four drummers, and your JDS pack is essentially free!