Big Time is Billy Ward’s first Drum instructional dvd and really redefined what a drum instructional could be. It’s not as out there as Brain’s drum instructional videos, but within 20 seconds of viewing you know that this is definitely something very different from the rest. Big Time mostly takes place in Billy’s studio in Long Island City where you look in on him giving a clinic to a few of his private students. I’ll say right off the bat that because he’s teaching actual students and not just explaining stuff to a camera in an empty studio; you don’t get that impersonal air that some dvds have. It makes for a more pleasurable viewing experience that, I think, makes the learning process easier. The movie cuts in and out, moving from lesson to lesson in a manner that keeps you off balance enough to keep the viewing experience interesting, but not to the point where you feel like a schizoid.

The lessons themselves are what make the dvd gold because the topics are honestly things that haven’t been covered by other drummers, or at least not in such detail. Topics such as what Billy calls mechanisms, which are little techniques that you can use to improve your time and groove. You read me right. there are things that you can do to improve your time, no metronome required (this is not an excuse to throw away your metronome.) Rather then hammering in patterns till you can do them in your sleep, Mechanisms enable you to establish grids of rhythm so you play brand new stuff in time. It’s like the equivalent of being able to sight read music but for your internal time.

Another one worth mentioning is big time, the concept that is also the dvd’s namesake. The concept is to look at time for a more global perspective when things get too fast to count normally. For example in a really fast swing tempo, instead of counting every note, you’d start counting entire bars like they were quarter notes. You can then layer mechanisms over the big time to hold that tempo and be able to know that it’s not your fault if the band drifts because you can tell you haven’t moved. Being secure in that knowledge helps to eliminate fear, and fear is the enemy of creativity.

Another thing that’s definitely worth a look into is Billy’s set up philosophy. The ideal setup is one that minimizes the time between a musical thought and its expression on the kit, without causing harm. I’ll say that allot of this stuff is just brilliant. For example, he places all his pedals where his feet are in a natural position. This means his hi-hat is further away from him then most, however this too is advantageous. Instead of having his right hand cross directly over his left, he goes out and around to reach the hi-hat. This opens up all the space above the left hand so your vertical range of motion isn’t impeded at any time. In case you are wondering, yes you can play open handed this way as well. In terms of drumming health this section is just invaluable. I encourage everyone to make a concerted effort to adapt some or all of his setup ideas into the way you set up your drums. I promise it’ll be a change for the better.

Some drum vids simply don’t contain enough musical performances. It’s a shame, really. When you consider that you buy these things so you can one day apply the information to music, doesn’t it makes sense that you’d want to see how the artist uses it in a musical setting? Well fear not because that ain’t a problem here. The movie contains lots of duets between Billy and Andy Hess (bassist for Government Mule) that really allow you to see the seeds of Billy’s lessons bear fruit. All the duets are really good, as in, “I’d pay money for an album containing this kind of stuff,” good. Billy really keeps it fresh by using colors and sounds that the vast majority of drummers wouldn’t think of using. Like playing the drums with your hands or with a shaker in one hand and a hot rod in the other. Just getting a glimpse of how Billy orchestrates musical colors on the drums is worth the price of admission. Not kidding. It’s very horizon broadening stuff.

Special features? We got those. Tons of bonus footage, extra lessons, an entire section dedicated to Billy & Andy’s jam session(s), and a full length commentary track that doesn’t suck. It costs less than most top tier drum instructionals, and, you’ll watch it over and over and over again. Just buy it. You’re not going to find most of this stuff covered anywhere else so go ahead and buy it.

We have drum books that are classics and this dvd will become a classic some day.

This one earns 5 stars out of 5 stars and the top spot in my list of favorite drum videos.

Buy it, watch it, and grow better.