Jojo Mayer: Secret Weapons Part 2

newoldie

Silver Member
Apparently, this is a new DVD just being released, focusing on foot technique.
Anyone get this yet?

I'm looking forward to getting this new DVD and checking out Jojo's instructions. I found Secret Weapons I to be very enlightening and useful overall with some practical techniques I've used since. And something to refer back to as those skills need to be refreshed/refined on an ongoing basis.
My feet definitely could use a few secret weapons as well...

Trailer:
http://youtu.be/NtP98HZ6RAc
 
Apparently, this is a new DVD just being released, focusing on foot technique.
Anyone get this yet?

I'm looking forward to getting this new DVD and checking out Jojo's instructions. I found Secret Weapons I to be very enlightening and useful overall with some practical techniques I've used since. And something to refer back to as those skills need to be refreshed/refined on an ongoing basis.
My feet definitely could use a few secret weapons as well...

Trailer:
http://youtu.be/NtP98HZ6RAc

Pre-ordered it and can't wait!

D
 
I've already pre-ordered my copy. I'll end up with it a week after a lot of people (free shipping), but to have it over the course of a month to work on it will really help me out.

I'm going to take this, and literally re-work my technique from the ground up. If I make sure to have a good foundation down there, I'll have a MUCH easier time playing up top.
 
I don't know about pre-ordering, but this DVD is available now at Guitar Centers.
Saw a whole bunch yesterday at my local GC in Orange County, CA.
 
I just had it 2 weeks ago.
Jojo Mayer had a show here and the DVD was available to buy.
I got it without any hesitation.
There're 3 disks inside.
I've finished 2 of them.
It's definitely worthy to have it!!
 
I just got mine today and watched all 3 dvds in one sitting.. It was either that or do some work ;-)

I thought it was great and went into a large amount of detail regarding various techniques, and different approaches such as burying the beater and not burying the beater (he favours the latter but dutifully outlines the pros and cons of both).

Basically, DVD 1 covers bass drum technique, DVD 2 talks a lot about the history of the pedal and how it evolved, and DVD 3 talks about the hi hat - and finally balance and control when performing techniques with both feet at the same time. He also talks about the pedal he designed with Sonor, which looks pretty cool, from the smooth surface to the quick release mechanism.

It is all interspersed with some interesting performances with fellow musicians.

JoJo has done a very good job I think, though he's possibly been working too hard, he looks a bit tired at times!

Anyway, I highly recommend it.

Oh, and I had to check the garage as it looked like he nicked my drum kit to do it!
 
No, very few exercises. Much like Part 1. Lots of explanation and demonstration, very clear, well done, but very few exercises.
 
JoJo has done a very good job I think, though he's possibly been working too hard, he looks a bit tired at times!

I honestly am concerned by how much older he looks now than when I saw him 5 years ago. I hope the rapid aging appearance isn't an indicator of other problems.
 
I honestly am concerned by how much older he looks now than when I saw him 5 years ago. I hope the rapid aging appearance isn't an indicator of other problems.

There was some stuff a while back that was implied about him that may have to do with his aging, but it does infringe on his own personal life, and someone on that forum (or a forum in general) made a clear point that it was infringing on his privacy to be wondering such things. In any case, if he was doing any of that, it's stopped.

Also, in an interview with "Give The Drummer Some," he said that he was, in part due to the extensive touring he did for clinics around that time, experiencing around 150+ hours of jet lag on average for that year, even saying that it's "like a chronic illness" at that point. BUT despite that, he looks better now.

Also, he smokes cigarettes, and has for quite some time. But that's enough off-topic gibber.

I've watched this DVD set over and over, at least 5-6 times. I've bounced around on it for a while, mostly to try to get the necessities down in the little time I have at the moment. Come this summer, like I stated previously, I'm going all-out foundation building, for sure.

This DVD is very much worth the money, but the one part that I will most definitely take away from this DVD set is his epilogue. So much of what he said was true, and is humbling as well as eye-opening. I won't spoil what he says: it's well worth the price of the entire set to hear what he says there, so adding all the info on foot technique and hi-hat technique as well is a major bonus.

That's the vague stuff that I'm typing about this. Here's what I did, and I believe really helped me to get going on this faster than most.

Go to the chapters about set up first, and go from there. And that's not just about the kick pedal: hi-hat pedal and seat set up as well, so that you're primed for the best. Currently, I'm now on what I guess you could call the next step: developing the basic techniques and working them with the foot-coordination chapter to acquire good balance.

Basically, in short, your money will not be wasted on this.
 
Regarding DVD 1, the one with all the bass drum techniques, here's a question.

Does anyone use a technique for double strokes that they did not see on the DVD?

I was surprised that the method I use was not on there.....unless I missed it somehow......and I think the method is common....it's what Weckl shows for doubles in his video "Back to Basics"

I'm not criticizing....just curious.....its a wonderful DVD, full of amazing and very clearly communicated information on how to play the bass drum pedal. Definitely the best document out there.

If I missed something, I want to know.
 
Regarding DVD 1, the one with all the bass drum techniques, here's a question.

Does anyone use a technique for double strokes that they did not see on the DVD?

I was surprised that the method I use was not on there.....unless I missed it somehow......and I think the method is common....it's what Weckl shows for doubles in his video "Back to Basics"

I'm not criticizing....just curious.....its a wonderful DVD, full of amazing and very clearly communicated information on how to play the bass drum pedal. Definitely the best document out there.

If I missed something, I want to know.

A lot of these techniques that Jojo developed, used, and demonstrated were a result of his research into what the past greats used, as well as how pedals developed. All of this is in the second DVD.

The bottom line is this: if what you use gets the sound you want without tension and injury, there's nothing wrong with that.
 
Back
Top