The Brush Secret: Drum PAL 2 DVDs & Poster

Alexandru-Zorn refuses to treat brush playing as a separate specialty locked away from your actual musical practice. Instead, he systematically teaches how 17 different genres (jazz, funk, reggae, and more) translate directly to the brushes, so drummers at any level can expand their vocabulary without abandoning the styles they already care about. The breadth here is genuinely rare: 192 minutes of bilingual instruction, guest artists like Benny Greb and Stanton Moore, plus 17 play-along bass loops make this both a deep technical resource and a practical toolkit.

Liberating. The core idea is that brush technique isn't some mysterious language separate from your drumming identity; it's a vehicle for every style you already love. Working through these concepts feels less like studying a specialized technique and more like discovering a new way to express what you've always wanted to play.

Any drummer who wants to move beyond memorizing brush patterns and develop real stylistic command across multiple genres. Whether you're picking up brushes for the first time or you've been playing them for years but feel limited to jazz contexts, this resource meets you where you are and expands what you thought was possible at your level.

• Study the genre-specific approaches in sequence rather than jumping to styles that sound advanced. Each concept builds on foundational sweeping mechanics, so starting with the fundamentals makes the advanced applications make sense.
• Use the included bass-loop play-alongs to internalize the relationship between your brush work and the harmonic and rhythmic grid. Playing over actual bass lines (rather than practicing in isolation) trains your ear and your hands to work together.
• Record yourself working through the same pattern across different genre interpretations. Hearing how the same sweeping concept shifts when you apply jazz sensibility versus funk or reggae phrasing reveals subtle control differences your hands might otherwise miss.
• Reference the guest artist segments when you feel stuck on a particular style. Watching how Benny Greb or Mike Johnston approach a genre often unlocks an understanding that transcends the technical explanation alone.

Assign segments to students preparing brush-heavy solos in jazz combos, funk bands, or world music ensembles. Directors can also use the genre breakdowns and guest artist lessons as reference material when coaching drummers on style authenticity during sectional rehearsals, especially when a piece calls for brushwork in an unfamiliar idiom.

• Brush sweeping mechanics across multiple grip positions and motion types
• Genre-specific brush interpretation (jazz, funk, reggae, samba, and 13 others)
• Translating drumming concepts from sticks to brushes without losing musical intention
• Developing personal style and voice on brushes rather than mimicking patterns
• Listening and responding to bass lines and harmonic context while playing brushes
• Studio recording techniques specific to brush sounds and microphone placement