2 comments about Pop/Rock: Drum Play-Along Volume 1 (Hal Leonard Drum Play-Along).

1. I purchased the Pop Rock, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, and Funk volumes of this series. Funk has not yet been released, but this review applies equally to the three volumes I've received.
   
   I love play-along sets like this, but have never been happy with 'sound-alikes'. (Liberty DeVitto's book is excellent, because you get to play with Billy's band.) In this case, the musicianship is of such a high caliber that you can really settle into the grooves and feel like you're playing along with the original artists.
   
   You can't please everybody, but Hal Leonard has done a great job at choosing songs that feature good grooves and interesting drum parts. No Reply At All, Peg, and Rosanna just feel so good to play along with. I cannot wait for the Funk volume with James Brown and Tower of Power, among others.
   
   There are no vocals and no click except for a count-in, when warranted. Those are not negatives. The lack of a click threw me in 'Come Together', for example. With no vocals to fill those breaks, it took some concentration to nail the downbeat of the next section. That's excellent in my opinion, and can only help to improve my own internal click.
   
   I can see where this would be a useful addition to any drum instructor's repertoire. Some students find it easier to stay motivated when playing along with 'songs they know'. It's also a useful tool for practicing your engineering skills. Record yourself playing along and experiment with different drum tunings, micing, eq, effects, etc., to try and get the best recorded sound possible.
   
   I hope this series gets a strong reception in the drum community. That's very selfish of me, because I would like to see these sets just keep coming. Throw some more Police, Steely Dan, Rush (none yet), Zeppelin (none yet), etc., into the mix. Keep the same quality and strong selection of songs, and I will be a customer for as long as you keep releasin' em.



2. I have to agree with all that was said already. A good selection for the beginner (Hurts So Good) to intermediate (Rosanna). And well produced too.

5 comments about Beyond Bop Drumming.

1. This is a great follow up to his "bop drumming" book. It helps expand your versatility on the drums by adding more comping that utilizes the hi hat as part of your comping figures. The section on "implied time" is amazing. A must have for drummers who want to become a truley "musical" drummer.



2. I am just about finished with Riley's other book, "The Art of Bop Drumming." I wasn't sure whether to move on into this book, or continue working on mastering the material in the first book. I decided to order "Beyond Bop Drumming" and I'm glad that I did. It addresses a number of things in more detail such as uptempo playing, and begins to get you into comping with your hi-hat foot.



3. this book is a great learning tool from semi-pro to professional drummers that want to refine and improve their jazz and drumming skills. The audio cd that comes with the book offers great examples of the charts and exercises listed. It also lists other recommended listening and reading material. In my opinion, this is even better than the first book from John Riley. Anyone who buys this book will not be disappointed.



4. Very usefull in order to improve jazz style after be-bop.



5. I already had the last book by John Riley but this one is much better, every drummer should have and practice " Beyong Bop Drumming ", I am very happy and proud to get this book. This method is really made for the be-bop fans with many examples and songs you can practice, very interesting and complete, excellent !!!

4 comments about Funky Primer for the Rock Drummer.

1. one of the best books to learn drumset from! starts from basic sticking exercies and gets more complex as you progress; exercises incorporate snare, bass drum, open and closed hi-hat, and ride cymbal if you wish.
   
   if pursued properly, the method offers an increase in speed and endurance of a drummer's hands and feet, knowledge of rock-oriented rhythms, basic independence of the hands and feet, and the mastering of soul and jazz-rock beats of famous 20th century drummers.



2. This is a really good book not only for beginning drummers, but for those interested in independence. The book does a very good job of introducing independence between limbs by not throwing it all at you at once. So it lets you get the hands down in a pretty significant way before throwing in the feet. Also there are some hidden gems in here. I noticed only after the fact that some of the hand exercises were excellent introductions to latin playing. So when I began to get into latin music I already had much of the coordinations needed.



3. very good book to learn to play with. starts out easy enough for someone whos never sat in a drum kit. progresses at an easy, yet challenging pace. not alot of words, just alot of drumming. perfect for me.



4. When I started playing the drums back in 2001, I had a friend that had been playing for nearly 25 years at the time. He immediately turned me onto this book: A Funky Primer for the Rock Drummer. I took one look at it and basically "judged it by its cover", as the saying goes. It appeared old and I wondered how much it could really offer to improve my playing.
   
   I was wrong to judge it so quickly. After about 2 weeks of working out of this book I saw huge gains in my ability to play beats and my improvisation had increased significantly.
   
   I took the book a page at a time. I found a beat in the book that looked like it was within my level of ability. I set the metronome to 60 beats per minute (bpm) and played through the beat for 2 minutes straight. If it was too simple, I moved on to a more challenging beat. Once I found one I again set the metronome to 60 bpm and played for 2 minutes. If I had trouble, I remained at the tempo until I could play it flawlessly for 2 minutes straight before increasing the tempo further and further until arriving at well over 110 bpm. This little practice technique proved invaluable seeing as how there are literally hundreds of variations of the rock beat in this book.
   
   Additionally you will find a hefty rudiment section to improve your sticking ability. There are enough variations here to challenge even seasoned drummers who want to improve their hand dexerity, coordination and speed.
   
   This book can be as helpful as you make it. The key to using this book and getting the most out of it are to practice with discipline. Work on areas of the book a section at a time. There are practically no instructional paragraphs in this book, its up to you to be able to read drum notation (you can find it on the internet if you don't already read it) and to apply the beats and rudiments found here to the drumkit.
   
   This book changed my drumming forever and gave me a solid foundation from which to build on. I have used many other drum books since this one and always come back to A Funky Primer. I recommend this book to beginners just starting out, intermediate players who want hone their skills and tighten up their playing, and for professional drummer who are perhaps teaching students. This is a great book. Highly recommended!

4 comments about Mel Bay Studio: Jazz Drum Cookbook.

1. An easy to follow progression of fundamentals leading to solos, this is a great book for staring your jazz studies. It does follow the one primary basic ride sound, but by the end I would think one would be able to improvise fairly well around that pattern.



2. I recently received this book and I've been working on it for more than a week. It's somehow surprising that this book is not widely known in the drumming community (at least here in Italy).
   I find this book excellent. It contains many coordination exercises on 1, 2 and 3 voices (all combinations of snare drum, bass drum and hi-hat), both on swung eighths and triplets, against the jazz ride pattern. The exercises are of gradually increasing difficulty so the book would be perfect both for the beginner or the advanced jazz drummer. The review solos at the end of each chapter are musically pleasant.



3. I absolutely love this book, it's a fantastic resource if you're looking to get into jazz drumming. Every percussion instructor I've ever had has recommended this book to me, and for good reason.
   One of my friends actually learned jazz drumming over the summer just by spending hours and hours with this book.



4. I really like this book.
   It broke down jazz drumming so perfectly by the time anyone finishes they'll be havin' jazz drummin' fever.
   Seriously.
   No Joke.
   It was also recommended by my drum teacher Larz.
   So that's how you know it's good.

5 comments about Together in Rhythm: A Facilitator's Guide to Drum Circle Music (Book & DVD).

1. If you are in music, education and rhythm. And how to share with others. You need to read this book.



2. Together in Rhythm is an incredible resource that I use on a regular basis. Kalani's ideas and explanations are truly inspiring. The DVD brings everything to life, and offers excellent footage. This book is a must have!



3. This book is the best guide on learning drum circle facilitation techniques. Kalani is a master recreational music facilitator, and provides straight forward information on how you too can learn to facilitate a drum circle.



4. The book outlines specifics well, but I think it is important to see from beginning to end, how a drum circle excercise/rhythm is followed through. The video just shows excerpts. Also, no syncopated rhythms were broken down visually or in the book. You have order the next installment to get the drum circle rhythms! The instructor's method is great, but I was left feeling that some crucial beginner elements were missing from this video.



5. I have really enjoyed this book and video. Kalani explains various methods in the book, but it's very helpful to watch him execute them on the DVD. I even like the section of the DVD where he plays various instruments to demonstrate them. Being a very amateur percussionist, I had never thought of some of the techniques he demonstrates.

2 comments about Portraits in Rhythm: 50 Studies for Snare Drum.

1. Any percussionist looking to improve their sight reading skills should own this book. The notation is clear and printed nicely, the paper is of a high quality overall a wonderful method book. There some challenging parts of course but thats to be expected with a Cirone book. Portraits in Rhythm should be in any serious drummers inventory.Larry Salzman [...]



2. This book contains 50 solos that each work a different aspect of playing. One must pay special attention to note length and placement. It works timing and different feels of classical music. This pieces are meant to be played as orchestral pieces, not marching. Make sure all rolls are buzz and pay attention to if they are tied to a downbeat or not. It is an excellent book to work on every aspect of snare playing. Try to play the pieces for someone with musical knowledge so they can tell you if your interpretation of the solos are correct.

3 comments about The Drumset Musician.

1. I've bought a bunch of 'get started drumming' books, but I stopped after I got this one because it's just what I was looking for. It teaches you how to read drum music, then introduces you to hundreds and hundreds of beats.
   
   Each chapter teaches you a variety of beats and also introduces several new songs for you to play along with. The chapters get progressively more complicated, but the authors explain the role of the drummer in these more complex songs.
   
   If you master the instruction in this book, you can probably start playing with a band with a good measure of confidence.
   
   
   Jim



2. has a TON of beats and patterns to play, and also has some cool play along grooves without the drums. Lots of cool quarter note, eithght note and sixteenth note patterns to learn and at the end of the chapter you incoporate what you learned into one of the play along grooves. All styles are nicely represented in a very easy and fun way to read. Great book for the drummer looking to take his skill to the next level.



3. An excellent beginner's drumset book. I've bought many books since I started playing last year, and this is by far my favorite. If you are a beginner drumset player, this books is highly recommended.
   
   It contains lots of basic information regarding how to read drum notation and how drum parts are played. It contains tons of beats, fills, grooves and ideas for playing different feels and tempos. Many of the beats are recorded on CD with a no-nonsense approach and high quality for you to follow along and play with. There are also a number of basic song structures for you to play with, or hear Rod playing drums on.
   
   The area where this book does something beyond what other books do is how it treats drumset playing as a part of a band in a very musical setting. It explains song and music structure and helps you get ready to play with other musicians.
   
   And lastly, its written by the great Rod Morgenstein. What more can I say!

5 comments about Master Studies.

1. When one looks for educational material regarding the art of drumming, a lot of options is available nowadays. Videos, cd's and books covering all kinds of stuff you can possibly imagine are available for purchase in 4 or 5 mouse clicks. But, when it comes to drum books, there is a particular kind of book that I don't like, concept-wise, it's what I call the "drum lick oriented book". "Master Studies" is a book that runs away from that category, it's a book about hand technique, pure and simple. This is a book that will put you through YEARS of worthfull training, it's a lifetime investiment towards the mastering of hand technique. So, if you want a drum book where you can find a Steve Gadd lick or some ticky-tacky linear groove to impress your band mates or your friends, don't buy Morello's book. But, if you have the commitment, the discipline and take drumming seriously(may it be professionally or a serious hobby), "Master Studies" by Joe Morello is a MUST...In a couple of years, you'll notice serious improvement that will help you to become a better musician. Technique is a something you acquire, something that will assure that you'll be able to play what your hear in your mind and in your heart. So, up to a certain point, it's an invaluable tool.



2. Master Studies is exellent,if you've been playing for awhile you could find this usefull. it's not rudiments,it's exersizes.watch some videos' of mr. morello first, if you see how great he is you'll know how great this book is.



3. This book covers singles, buzz, flams, etc. Even a chapter packed with various fill-in exercises.
   
   I worked a lot with the old classic book "Stick Control" for a long time and made progress with my chops. But after I got "Master Studies" my progress took huge steps forward! It's a super-book in my opinion.
   
   It's perfect for drummers of all styles I guess. I'm an allround drummer myself playing plenty of both jazz and rock. "Master Studies" has helped me very much with the fine touch and all the buzz-effects, etc. for the jazz-playing. But also it has helped a lot with the power and stamina needed for the rock-side of things.
   
   I highly recommend "Master Studies" for any drummer trying to get faster, more endurant, more able to control changing from singles to buzz to doubles etc.
   
   And last but not least - It's actually fun to use!
   
   Great job Joe Morello!! To all drummers out there: GET THIS BOOK IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE IT!! It will help you! No matter what style you play.



4. This book is full of exercises which are not extremely difficult to play but whose objective it is to be played correctly and well. These are two subjective terms ('correctly' & 'well'). The emphasis is on how relaxed one can be while playing them. The more relaxed you are, the more evenly and precisely you can play them. These exercises are not designed to be memorized so you can play them at your next band gig or rehearsal. They are there for your practice and conditioning so that you can get in the habit of playing without tension in your arms and wrists. The more relaxed you are when you play, the faster and more even your playing will be. By the way, my most favorite result from practicing this book is the increased fun I have when I play with my improved technique. It does work if you work it. I recommend practicing from this book at the beginning of each practice session for twenty to thirty minutes. That way you are loosened up and ready to practice your other aspects of drumming with a relaxed approach which can only benefit your progress.



5. There is no question in my mind being a second gen student of Morello that this book is the key to success in subdividing your motor skills down and obtaining strong independent stick control. I've been using this book more for refreshers and exercises, but it is definitely an excellent book. That said, you can't learn percussion from a book alone, so I would highly suggest taking some courses in jazz drumset or classical percussion along side any study materials like this.

4 comments about 260 Drum Machine Patterns.

1. This is a drum pattern book. If you are looking for a book on how to play drums then this isn't it. I also doubt it would be of any use to an advanced drummer. If on the other hand you are a beginner and / or trying to program a drum machine then this book is very useful. I haven't had time to try out many of the patterns but it looks like most of the basic stuff is there.



2. Well, I just got a Roland tr-808. It a lot of antiquated features I wish
   newer ones had. This book provides ideas for fills, intros, and basic patterns. Good stuff!!!



3. I am not very musically inclined, but I love making it. I use only a computer, no drums, so these beat patterns have been wonderful. I would never be original enough to come up interesting beats on my own. It's also helped me learn about rhythm.



4. I bought this book years (decades?) ago. The copyright year says 1987; I probably bought it a couple of years later back when I had an Alesis HR-16 drum machine.
   
   I remember programming in a few drum patterns from the book and being pleased with the results, it's just that back then I didn't have the recording equipment, synthesizers and so on to suplement the drums (plus, I wasn't as good of a musican as I am now, at least I like to think I've improved a lot since then). So I put the book on the shelf and forgot about it.
   
   I remembered this book tonight, and on a whim I took it down off of the shelf, dusted it off, and began programming some of the "R&B" patterns into Sonar. Unlike those days in the late 80s, I have the means now to do the drum patterns justice. The advent of today's DAWs make it easy for "bedroom" musicans like me to realize their musical dreams.
   
   Anyway, I've found that these patterns to be really good (so far). I'm hearing them in a way I couldn't originally. I'm looking forward to programming in many of the other patterns, especially the Rock and Funk patterns.
   
   Some tips:
   
   1) When programming in the drum parts, be sure to play around with the dynamics (MIDI note velocity). The book has accent marks for some of the notes, but really to get more realistic results you need to go farther. As a general rule, try emphasizing the downbeats. But let your ears be your guide.
   
   2) The drum patterns use a small subset of the drums found in today's General MIDI drum map. Back then your typical drum machine didn't have a large set of drum samples to choose from. So be sure to take advantage of the GM drum map to add realism to the patterns. For example, if a drum pattern calls for a cymbal crash two notes in a row, use the first cymbal crash (note 49) for the first crash and the second cymbal crash (note 57) for the second crash. That way you're not hearing the same crash sample so close together. Even better if you have a drum machine (something like EZDrummer) that has some kind of humanizing algorithm for mixing up the samples.
   
   3) You may want to play around with the note placements to change the characteristic of the beats. For example, moving the snare drum on beat 2 and 4 slightly ahead of the beat for a more driven feel.
   
   4) Instead of using the same pattern over and over again, alternate between two patterns that complement each other. The book's introduction talks about this. Also, when repeating the same pattern, go in and make a small change so that it has some variation. This will add to the realism of the performance.
   
   That's about it. I'm glad I've rediscovered this book. There are tons of prefab drum MIDI files out there (Groove Monkee comes to mind). These are great, but I gotta say, it's fun traveling a bit back in time and doing things the old fashion way. For one thing you really get inside a pattern by entering it by hand one note at a time. If you have the patience, it's very rewarding.

5 comments about Robert Johnson: The New Transcriptions.

1. This book delivers exactly what it says on the tin, Its all here, and with a bit of effort you'll be playing it like the record. As a help I also purchased Eric Claptons DVD Sessions so that if i wasn't dead sure I could look at Erics Hand Positions. I would call myself a beginer at playing guitar but was playing all my fav Robert songs in under a month.
   Down side to this is that Robert plays in different tunings and I got so fed up breaking strings I went out and bought 3 new guitars........£2000 ouch!!!
   So the book is quite brilliant but be prepared to fork out for an extra guitar or two
   
   Mark Hellhound May.



2. FYI: The picture on the cover (taken from a stmap) was altered by United State Postal Service, when Robert Johnson was recently put on a postage stamp. They removed the cigarette, not the author/publishers of this book.



3. Excellent service. The book arrived within 10 days to my home in Spain, and in perfect condition thanks to the excellent packaging.



4. !Quédate en casa trabajándote este libro y olvídate de ir a las 12 al Cruce de Caminos!, saldrás ganando. , August 8, 2008
   By Javier Maria Perez Albert "Xavier Tijuana" (Valencia, Spain) - See all my reviews
   
   
   Olvídate de frecuentar los cementerios a partir de las 12 de la noche, para emular a Bob Johnson. Déjate de acudir a los cruces de caminos para intercambiar riffs con los espíritus de Son House o Charlie Patton, o su amigo Willie Brown. La verdad está en este volumen. Con una precisión impresionante,(hay que tener un oido sobrenatural para escuchar ciertos timbres que aun apareciendo transcritos resultan imposibles de oir en las grabaciones de Robert Johnson) y una minuciosidad asombrosa, se transcriben nota-a-nota por orden cronológica de grabación los legendarios temas del más enigmático personaje de la historia del Blues. Las afinaciones empleadas por Johnson incluso la extraña afinación Add9 (La con 9ª añadida) que usó en un par de cortes.
   Extraordinaria obra para estudiar a Robert Johnson. No hay nada mejor.



5. Whew! What an extensive work! I have only just made it through Kind Hearted woman.
   
   If you purchase this you better be ready to woodshed a LOT!