Alfred's MAX™ Drumset: Drumset Book & DVD

This book cuts through the overwhelm of drumset basics by pairing clear instruction with live video demonstrations. Watching a professional drummer execute the exact exercises students are working through removes guesswork and builds confidence, especially during those critical first weeks when stick hold and grip can make or break a student's foundation.

Immediate and accessible. The progression moves from mechanical setup and grip to playing actual grooves, so students feel like real drummers faster. The rock and jazz repertoire speaks to what students hear on the radio, making the work feel contemporary rather than academic.

Drummers starting their first experiences on a full drumset, typically middle school through early high school. This book assumes students understand basic rhythm reading but not necessarily drumset-specific concepts like hand independence or cymbal technique.

• Start with the DVD. Seeing the proper setup, grip, and posture modeled by a live player establishes correct habits before students develop compensations.
• Have students practice the rock and jazz beats in isolation before combining them with fills. Lock the foundation first, then add texture.
• Use the improvisation and "time" sections as listening assignments. Students should hear fills and fills connecting ideas before attempting their own.

Pair this with your jazz ensemble or contemporary band rehearsals. New drummers can work through the method during their first semester while shadowing ensemble drummers, then transition into performance-ready grooves by midyear.

• Proper grip, hand position, and posture at the drumset
• Reading drum notation across multiple staves
• Hand independence between kick drum and snare
• Building rock and jazz beats with bass drum, snare, and cymbals
• Improvising fills and connecting musical ideas
• Maintaining steady time across different styles