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Excerpted from MikeDolbear.com – DVD and Album reviews – May 2009

http://www.mikedolbear.com/story.asp?StoryID=1897

Benny Greb: “The Language Of Drumming” DVD

Before you jump straight in with this DVD, I’d implore you to sit on the remote control for a few minutes to avoid pressing on with the chapters. The title sequence (of over 12 minutes), is actually a great little movie. This mini-feature film is set in Benny’s kitchen as he wakes up. As he boils his coffee and makes his breakfast, he taps, bangs and plays on every surface there is. If you can wait for about 9 minutes 30 seconds into the title sequence (yes, 9 minutes thirty seconds) you’ll see some of the coolest, grooviest stuff ever. Good things come to those who wait after all. Right from the start, it sets the tone nicely.

Benny explains the title “The Language Of Drumming” early on as a desire to be able to play whatever he wanted at any dynamic and tempo. “It’s about getting your playing at a level of talking”, Benny explains. “Not having to think about how I have to shape my mouth or how to put the words together before saying it, but feeling something and saying it, without thinking about the technique.”

The crux of the idea is developing an alphabet and internalising it, then developing it until you can put together phrases and conversation. The first chapter is about understanding what he describes as ‘letters’ of the drumming language, which he uses to make the words, to make the sentences and so on…

Straight away you are aware that rather than a DVD on how to hold sticks, how to pull off licks, how to play particular styles of music, how to play fast, how to twirl sticks (or anything of that nature), it’s a study on concept and musicality. It’s about developing a creative system for complete creativity. It’s much deeper than most other DVD’s I have ever seen.

Then Benny moves on to demonstrate how these ‘letters’ work in groove settings with just as much aplomb. While showing examples of these on the kit, it becomes clear that whatever Benny plays, even in the exercises, it grooves. This is part of the idea Greb wants to relay, that not only are the exercises conducive to developing vocabulary and the use of this creative system, but they should be played in context and always whilst making the music feel good. There are fantastic portions of this chapter that include ghosting using the alphabet letters. This chapter alone could take months and years for some to master.

The next section of the DVD is ‘Words’. This takes the whole study to a different level. All longer phrases are made up of the alphabet we just learned, but feeling and thinking in longer phrases is essential and a completely different experience allowing you to see the bigger musical picture.”

This chapter starts with odd groupings. Phrases of three, five and seven don’t come as easily as those in even numbers. Benny uses words to substitute the “one-two-three-four-five” to make it more understandable and easier to relate to. He uses ‘university’ as his subdivision of five, as it has five syllables. Again, all this is masterfully demonstrated on a pad and on the drumset.

The next chapter is on rhythm Syntax. This is far more complex stuff, and beginner and intermediate level players should probably wait to have achieved a reasonable amount of study on the other chapters before tackling it. The Syntax is all about taking combinations of the numbers and the ‘words’ we have used in previous chapters, putting them together in rhythmic context and making them flow.

Some of the most interesting things are contained on the second disc in the chapter ‘Talking’. Greb opens the chapter saying, “To learn and understand something we have to listen first. It’s a very, if not the most important aspect that defines the quality of a good conversation, or making and experiencing good music.” He goes on to talk about ways of listening to music, how to break it down and really experience it. Another part of this chapter is being aware of what you are playing, and offering constructive words and examples of how to become better at improvising. Time awareness is also covered, and really well I might add. Benny talks about the value of being able to use the voice to keep time awareness whilst playing anything you can, covering quarter note, eighth note and offbeat sixteenth notes. He also covers various exercises with the click including offbeat pulses, and how to develop great time without relying on a click. Very useful chapter this one…

Some of the best stuff on the whole DVD is in the chapter on creativity. Some of the ideas are fantastic and really musical. They are a combination of funny things you can do with and without drum gear, kitchen utensils, gaffa and a whole range of other stuff. I’m not going to spoil the ideas for Benny, so you’ll have to buy the DVD to see exactly what they are. This, for me, is worth the price of the discs alone. It really made me want to experiment and play for myself.

All of the ideas are put over fantastically, eloquently, and with great musical insight. Using worded examples as well as drumming ones, Greb communicates everything perfectly, leaving you in no doubt as to the importance of his messages.

It’s also really worth mentioning that the package is delivered with great doses of humour throughout. There are several introductions to exercises and chapters with rousing Germanic chorus, complete with an accordion player and singers dressed in total lederhosen getup (some of the best to watch out for are the ‘Rudiments’, ‘Flams’ and ‘Diddles’ songs).

Production-wise, it seems that educational DVD’s are getting better and better. It’s filmed in the most beautiful location near Hamburg in Germany. The sound is superb; drums and music are well mixed and sound really beautiful. I hope everyone gets a copy of this DVD, the world could do with more drummers like Greb.

Hudson Music
£24.95
Words: Mark Pusey

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