Tommy Igoe’s Great Hands for a Lifetime

This is quite possibly my favorite drum education product, and I use it both in my teaching practice and as a life-long student of drumming myself. It’s essentially a guided sequence of snare drum rudiments all seamlessly connected by a double-stroke roll. It makes for a great warmup and is fun to play.

The product contains notation, guided mp3 play-alongs, and an instructional DVD. The DVD is very helpful for developing proper hand technique and to see and hear how the various rudiments should be played. I play along to the Advanced mp3 every day, which I still find challenging. There are 3 versions of the exercise, called Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. To be honest, the “Basic” version is too difficult for most beginners. It presumes the ability to play a double-stroke roll at 130 BPM. Beginners can, however, still learn the rudiments and play through the piece at their own metronome setting; they just won’t be able to play along to the guided mp3 until they’ve reached a higher level of proficiency.

The Intermediate and Advanced versions are progressively more difficult, as additional rudiments and combinations are added, and the BPM is increased.

I highly recommend Great Hands for a Lifetime. It’s my go-to daily warmup.