Advanced Funk Studies: Drumset DVD

Latham's DVD brings the landmark funk patterns from his iconic book off the page and into motion, letting drummers see hand and foot placement in real time rather than decoding notation alone. The four full-band performances anchor every concept in actual groove context, which is how funk drumming truly lives. A Runner-Up for the 2014 Drummies! Best Drumming DVD, this is essential viewing for any drummer serious about the pocket and precision that defines professional funk drumming.

Watching Latham play is witnessing precision married to swing; every ghost note sits exactly where it belongs, and his hi-hat control creates the kind of pocket that makes bass players lock in without thinking. The full-band tracks pulse with the energy of session work, where every hit serves the song rather than the ego. You'll hear how funk grammar actually breathes when played by someone who has lived it.

Drummers who have mastered basic funk grooves and are ready to deepen their command of hi-hat patterns, ghost notes, and syncopation in a professional context. Players preparing for studio work, touring situations, or elevated teaching responsibilities will find Latham's approach both immediately applicable and career-shaping.

• Watch the full-band performances multiple times before isolating the drum parts; funk syntax lives in the conversation between drums, bass, and guitars, not in the drums alone.
• Pause frequently and mirror Latham's hand and foot mechanics in slow motion, focusing especially on hi-hat control and the separation between bass drum and snare timing.
• Practice each pattern to a click at multiple tempos, starting well below the video's demonstration speed and building endurance before matching the recorded groove.
• Use the transcriptions in the companion book alongside the video; seeing notation and motion together cements both the written form and the physical feel.

Pair this video with one-on-one drum study for students whose aspiration is session or touring work, or use select performances as listening examples in ensemble rehearsals to sharpen the entire rhythm section's awareness of groove precision. Drummers moving from percussion studies into the professional world benefit from watching this repeatedly over several months as their own chops develop.

• Hi-hat control and placement across straight eighths and shuffle feels
• Ghost note independence between snare and bass drum
• Syncopated kick drum phrasing and pocket anchoring
• Listening and responding to band dynamics in real-time grooves
• Translating notation into physical execution at performance tempo