4 comments about The Way of Taiko.

1. This is a small 7x7inch high quality gloss paper bound survey of Taiko. It presents a nice forward by Sensei Seiichi Tanaka, a brief history and sections on the culture and "way" of taiko.
   
   There are many high quality color photos that convey what cannot be conveyed in writing. Taiko is EXCITING!!
   
   I liked the sections on the connections with the spirit and nature, as an artistic community I think we need to emphasized these elements more in practice and performance.
   
   The Taiko Glossary filled in some data gaps for me - however, I would think that any practicer with more than 2 or 3 years experience would or should know these terms.
   
   I think there should have been more on the "songs" how they are taught and the culture or practice of what groups get to perform what songs. - there is no copyright per se but there is an informal (read no lawyers - yet) means of giving permission to perform certain songs to groups.
   
   All in all this is a good book for beginers and novices or anyone interested in an introduction to taiko. There is so much more that I hope to see in the follow on book to this one.
   
   It's curious that while Sensei Tiffany Tamaribuchi is acknowledged that her group the Sacramento Taiko Dan is not mentioned either in the book it self or the list of "Senior Taiko Ensembles" - hopefully this omission will be corrected in later editions.



2. The Way Of Taiko by Heidi Varian is the translation of information that will enable American readers to understand and enjoy (even participate in) the sacred art and practice of ethnic Japanese drum music known as "Taiko". Providing a wealth of general information documenting "Taiko", The Way Of Taiko engagingly informs the reader of many of the great intricacies in this specialized music, and is inclusive of many expressive and artistic pictures to give the reader an accurate idea of what "Taiko" truly is. The Way Of Taiko is very highly recommended to all enthusiasts of the eastern philosophies and arts, especially those musically inclined, as well as students of Japanese culture.



3. I only had this paperback book for a couple of days when pages began falling out as I read it. The information, pictures and writing were great, but even with very careful handling, the binding was not adequate to hold the pages intact. This was disconcerting, of course, and my attempts to contact the publisher - Stone Bridge Press - to complain of the problem failed. They never responded.
   
   I returned the book to Amazon, who refunded the cost of the book minus shipping. This is one of the very few returns I have ever had to make to Amazon.
   
   I would never buy another book from Stone Bridge Press without seeing it and handling it before hand.



4. This book is an essential read for anyone interested in the art of taiko...a lovely little gem of a book.

1 comments about Metallica's Lars Ulrich - Drum Book/CD Pack.

1. As a drummer, and a metallica fan(especially of Ulrich), I enjoyed this book. The only negative thing about this book is that one of the beats is wrong on the CD. This Dino guy also talks a lot, but that is another issue.

   This book has beats in different sections(like Double Bass, Ensemble Figures, Drum Fills, etc.) from the songs of "...And Justice for all." The songs are: One, Eye of the Beholder, Blackened, and many others.

   My favorite sections were Double Bass, Odd Time Signatures, and Ensemble Figures. They can be hard, but are fun.

   This book is short but was good. I learned a lot more about metallica, and how to play some of their stuff with this book.
   I recommend this to any drummer out there.

3 comments about The New Breed II.

1. This book is definitely not for beginners or amateurs.It is an in depth study of independance by one of the great studio legends.gary Chester has taught well known drummers such as Dave Weckl, Kenny Aronoff and Danny Gottlieb.This is definitely a challenge for any drummer regardless of their experience.The exercises contained in this book are designed to open the players imagination. It is an excellent challenge and it is a must buy for anyone with professional drumming aspirations.Be forewarned it is not an easy book to master !



2. The greatest book for developing your four limb independance and improvisational skills.This is a useful and challenging book for players of all skill levels.Gary Chester is the master of drum education and he has taught drummers such as Kenny Aronoff and Dave Weckl.This book is a must read for any drummer that has professional aspirations.



3. If independence and reading chops are your goal, which they should be at some time in your drumming training, then this is an excellent book! Like a Ted Reed Syncopation this book is open ended and you can take these exercises, which are basically playing patters with the hands and reading the melodies with the bass drum, and turn them around dozens, if not hundreds of ways. The very challenging part is singing what he refers to as the melodies while playing the patterns. Gary gives a set number of ostinatos for the right and left hand to play while reading the melodies but you can substitute ones of your own and still accomplish a lot. In all honesty this one book could challenge you for a lifetime if you apply it in different ways.

No comments about The Drum Book: A History of the Rock Drum Kit - Updated Edition.

5 comments about Metallica - Ride the Lightning: For Drums.

1. If you love Metallica this is one of the best books you can get. Unless you're simply amazing you're going to need this to learn all the solos.



2. The Ride tab book is definitely a must-buy for not only the avid Metallica muso-fan, but for those wishing to upskill themselves in various guitar techniques.

   The solos are an absolute note-by-note transcription and each riff is intricately tabbed to include even the most subtle of variations.

   Includes a very well-written introduction, outlining some very important and helpful tips to assist you in your mastery of one of Metllica's finest albums.

   In a one-line verdict: A definite must-have, even as a collector's item!




3. I got this because I really wanted to learn the songs on Ride the Lightning that I couldn't figure out myself and the solos as well; I was surprised by how accurate the tab was for the main body of each song and on Kirk's main parts. However, there are a few problems with this book. First, for a lot of the solos you are expected to play up on the 20th fret even if you're not on one of the top two strings; this is a problem for me because I only have an acoustic guitar, I can play it fine on my friend's electric. Also, the fingerings are harder than they ought to be in places of "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "Fade to Black", and a few other songs. Last, this book is not for the average guitar player. It takes a lot of skill and speed-picking to nail those solos, all of which I haven't gotten quite yet. However, overall I definetely recommend this tab book because Metallica kicks ass!



4. Again, like the Master of Puppets and Kill'em All folios, the notations are fairly accurate and there aren't any noticeably major errors in this book. Note position choice is sometimes a little odd, but the notes are correct. This is an excellent book to learn a lot of the early Metallica guitar techniques, as long as you down-pick most of the rhythm parts (Creeping Death won't sound the same without it).



5. If you are learning to play drums (or play drums already) and are a big metallica fan, then you should play like Lars himself. And this is a great way for you to learn his drumming. And as many Metallica fans know this is one there best CDs so learn to play your favorite songs and have fun. I really recommend this book to any Metallica fan who wants to play the drums like Lars.

1 comments about FastTrack Drum Songbook 1 - Level 1 (Fasttrack Series).

1. When I first got this book I wasn't sure what to think. It was cheap, easy to read, and it came with a CD. I thought it was to good to be true. I took it home and started using it. The book covers everthing you could want to know. Like reading sheet music, getting ryhtm, playing fast, and even how to write your own music. On top of that they make jokes that are funny. Even if you don't have drums you can learn because they have a section for teaching air drummers. This is a really great book. No drummer should be without it.

No comments about Drums (Book & CD; Big Phat Band Play-Along Series).

5 comments about Drum, Chavi, Drum!/¡Toca, Chavi, toca!.

1. Mayra Dole's character, Chavi, is a touching, vibrant, young female character you will want to introduce to your children. In fact, Chavi is so "touching" that she can't keep her hands from tap-tap-tapping everything that she comes in contact with. Chavi is a drummer in a culture where girls are not supposed to drum. Despite the strong forces trying to stop her, Chavi perseveres and lives out her dream. This book will give you a taste of Miami and its unique blends of cultures. Beautifully illustrated and written in both Spanish and English, this is a story that will most certainly...touch you.



2. Finally, a book about two dynamic Latino girl characters. The determination of Chavi, against all odds, to play the congas in the Little Havana Calle Ocho Festival will have you rooting for her. You can practically feel, smell and touch everything in her barrio; this is due to the vibrant, lively writing and the wild colorful artwork. Your kids will love Chavi and view her as a little barrio heroine.



3. A wildly creative/artistic romp through Cuban Miami's Calle Ocho festival in Little Havana. Feisty, strong Cubanita tumbadora player's drum sounds leap off the pages. Your children (and you)will fall in love with Chavi and want to start speaking Spanish, drumming, and dancing merengue! Tender, heart-felt bilingual story (written in Spanish and English) about a drummer girl who shows the world that unlike what her teacher, family and barrio friends think, Cuban girls CAN and SHOULD be able to play tumbadoras!

   A must buy for kids who love fun stories that inspires them to think critically, create, and perform. For Latino/Cuban book collectors, parents who want to teach their children Spanish or English, libraries, teachers of ESL, music teachers, performance art teachers, and for anyone interested in Latino cultures, particularly the Miami Cuban working-class culture.

   FUNTASTIC!




4. Cuban-American Chavi has such character and spunk. Your children will fall in love with her conga sounds/passion for perseverance/spunky attitude/and the cartoon-like, wild illustrations. A must buy for anyone interested in exposing children to ethnic cultures set in US communities/barrios and Spanish & English language.



5. Rhythmic as a conga beat. Highly entertaining, motivates critical thinking, strong/fun girl characters, jam-packed with Cuban culture, and my 2nd grade class loves it! 10 stars! A++

3 comments about Jimi Hendrix Experience: Smash Hits: Drum Play-Along Series (Drum Play-Along).

1. All the Hal Leonard Drum Play-Along Series are well done. This one is especially poignant to the point that we should all know how to play to these songs. After all, this was one of your first albums ever! I promise you, you learn these songs and you will definitely be called up to play one night at a party with some great guitar player and you tell him you know any Jimi song and you'll rock the house down.
   Seriously, the book is straightforwardly laid out. The recordings, both with the drums and with out sound great and are mixed well. The music charts are clear and easy to follow too on bright white paper.
   The Slow-down feature on the CD is fantastic and worth it alone. You can bring the song down to incredible slow speeds with out losing the tone of the song to hear exactly how the parts are played. Getting the entire series, you'll then be able to cover any rock, funk or jazz tune!



2. It took a long time to arrive but once received it was in very good condition and well worth the extra wait.
   
   Will do more business with you.
   THanks



3. Like Hal Leonards other drum playalongs, this book is a fine value for $13.
   
   As I said in the other review, you probably want to buy the Amazing Slow Downer software full package for $40, as the limited version included on this CD will only play from the CD directly, and you'll certainly want to rip the CD and use ASD to open the MP3s from the laptop or PC harddisk, instead of waiting for the CD to reposition all the time.
   
   Plus to slow down and catch the notes as first performed by Mitch Mitchells flying hands, you'll want the full ASD package, which has like 5 ASD slow down modes (the included CD only has one mode), which really improve the quality as you slow down to 50% of the correct BPM.
   
   I think the guitar lead, while not at all Hendrix style, was still fun to play along to.
   
   Highly recommended if you want to learn Mitchell style of drumming. You could DIY by ear, but this will save you alot of time. Transcription quality seems high, as usual with Hal's books.

1 comments about Berklee Practice Method: Drum Set (Berklee Practice Method).

1. Just a quick note about this book: It it NOT for the advanced player, but rather the basic player that has a basic grasp on how to read music. The book is clear and takes you through basic concepts step-by-step in order to accompany the charts in the book and the tracks on the enclosed CD. If you already have experience reading in a band situation, this book will not help you. It seems to be designed more for the "drums as a second instrument" crowd.