The Drum Set Crash Course, Tuning Edition by Russ Miller

Russ Miller's video tutorial contains a wealth of information, is encyclopedic in scope, and accessible in tone and pace. Miller gives step-by-step account of how to tune an entire kit, giving consideration to stylistic tuning, hardware, muffling, microphone placement, tuning to pitches, and relative tuning, among many other topics discussed.

This is a vital tool for beginner students to learn from one of the best contemporary drummers around, as well as an important reference for seasoned players.

This video, used in conjunction with its companion book, is the best system for developing the ability to play in multiple styles. It assumes basic knowledge of technique and familiarity with the set, so it is most helpful to an intermediate player. That is why Miller produced what he calls a "prequel" to this material, in the book "Transitions", which is a bridge from snare studies to the set covering the development of linear and two, three, and four-limb independence. This material, book and video, is intended to come after the material in Transitions has been mastered or equivalent skill developed. The video is intended to be used in conjunction with the book, which assumes that the user can read music. This makes the video much more fun to watch and less cumbersome because every part of every groove and exercise does not need exhaustively and meticulously to be demonstrated, since everything (and more!) is transcribed in the book. This makes the use of the video and entire learning experience less tedious and more fun, as well as more efficient. Yes, if you can't read music and don't want to be a musician and learn how, but just want to be a "drummer", then there are better videos that are more suitable for teaching every detail of what to play by rote.
The important thing is that students can see what is being done and how as they play and replay the disc, and that the quality of playing demonstrate not only what instruments to hit when, but the musical subtleties involved in virtuoso playing, such as phrasing, dynamic control, playing ahead of and behind the beat, etc., so that students know what to aim for and emulate in their development. On these counts this video succeeds spectacularly. Miller not only plays musically, but also has taken the time to understand the elements that go into truly musical playing, as well as the history, concepts, and "nuts and bolts" behind each style, explaining it all in a down-to-earth, understandable fashion. He gives enough information to understand how to play the various styles, but not too much (which is best reserved for a history text).