Contemporary Drumset Techniques: Drumset DVD

Rick Latham demonstrates rather than just describes, which fundamentally changes how drummers absorb linear concepts and foot substitutions. The addition of five full-band performances grounds abstract technique in real musical contexts, showing exactly how these exercises translate when the groove matters. Drummers watch a master player solve problems in the moment, then apply those same solutions to their own playing.

Watching Rick Latham teach feels like having an exceptionally patient master drummer sit beside you at the kit, breaking down complex sequences into digestible components while performing them with effortless authority. The video balances intellectual rigor with the pure joy of hearing these techniques breathe within a band, making technical growth feel musical rather than mechanical.

This DVD serves drummers who have moved beyond basic groove vocabulary and are ready to develop independence through linear thinking. Advanced students and working drummers will find both refinement of their existing techniques and entirely new approaches to foot coordination and hand patterns.

• Study the full-band performances first to hear how each technique functions within an actual musical arrangement, then isolate the specific exercises that support that sound.
• Work through the foot substitution sections methodically by filming yourself from above; visual feedback reveals asymmetries between your dominant and non-dominant foot that your ears might miss.
• Apply the triplet exercises to grooves you already play fluently before introducing them to new material, anchoring unfamiliar stickings within grooves you trust.
• Return to the hip-hop patterns section repeatedly across different tempos and feels; the same linear concept shifts dramatically depending on swing, straight-eighths, and half-time contexts.

Assign specific sections to advanced students working toward jazz combos or contemporary ensemble participation, where linear playing and foot independence become essential. The video also serves drum teachers as a demonstration tool, helping students understand concepts their instructor may have already introduced but showing how Latham's interpretation differs.

• Linear drumming patterns and stickings
• Foot substitution and left-foot independence
• Triplet-based exercises and syncopation
• Hip-hop and contemporary groove vocabularies
• Rudiment application within modern contexts
• Interpretation of written patterns and personal variation