Customer Rating: 
Summary: Best Hand Technique Book out
Comment: This book literally revolutionized my playing. I tell people that the first 30 pages alone can do this. This is because it is a culmination of the great historic hand technicians (Moeller, Stone, Morello, Chapin) and much more -- More specifically, it is about the concepts (free stroke and moeller included) that can bring your playing to the level of utmost control, speed, power and control of your hands -- and goes into great depth in text about them, its benefits and also includes helpful pictures. Dom not only brings it altogether (hand technique) via the aforementioned, but adds to it by putting his own development for modern playing (half and full moeller). Years ago, Dom studied with both Morello and Chapin. Explanation of ergonomic concepts such as efficiency, economy of motion, effectiveness and relaxation are also very helpful. The text also includes practice tips and interesting history. I used this book as the basis for a state conference presentation on hand technique. For me, this is the bible of hand technique.
What's great is the same ideas in this book can be applied to, and are very useful for the feet. I look forward to using the rest of the book as the whole book contains concepts you can keep developing over and over for the basis of our playing.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Private lessons from an exceptional clinician
Comment: Dom Famularo is very serious about techniques development who has studied with Jim Chapin, Al Miller, Joe Morello, Colin Bailey and etc. Buying his book will give you a glimpse of how he teaches his students. It consists of more than 20 exercises Dom has come up since he first started teaching many years ago. It will not only help you with your chops but also develop your style, drum vocabulary, coordination, precision... in your own performance need. Dom's advice in the book: Seek out an instructor.
This book is separated into two sections: Technique--The Foundation and Performance Exercises.
In section 1, Dom shows you the 2 kinds of stroke that will revolutionalize your chops--the Free Stroke and the Moeller Stroke. It comes with exercises, detail explanation, many clear illustrations and a "flipbook box" in which you can "watch" the stroke in action by flipping the book quickly.
In section 2, Dom talks about the skills that are essential to drum set performance. Look at the table of content below to find out more.
Table of Content
Section 1: Technique--The Foundation
General Technique
The Free Stroke
Ex. for the Free Stroke
2 to 50 Warm-Up Ex.
Power Stroke
Moeller Stroke
Pumping Motion
Upstrokes and Downstrokes
Section 2: Performance Ex.
Drumset Key
Conbination Ex.
Drumistic Form
From Flam to Groove
Some Ruff Ex.
Flam Facility
Intervention of Flams
Time Test
Slight of Hand
The Weaker Side
Set Up the Single Stroke
Shiffle the Four-Stroke
Severn-Note Grouping Using 16th Notes
Odd Feelings
Precision Test
Shuffling the 16ths
The 4-stroke Ruff
Groove Facility
Also check out Dom's video lesson on VicFirth (Sorry, can't post URL according to guidelines)
