5 comments about The Jazz Drummer's Workshop: Advanced Concepts for Musical Development.

1. This book really hits some difficult yet essential topics like how to create and maintain happening swing within a band, how to integrate non-jazz influences in your playing and tips for uptempo comping. Definetely for the advanced jazzdrummer, but accessible for everyone because of the clear and analysing texts that are a joy to read! A must have for those seeking to improve towards professionality. Enjoy!
   Franc auf dem Brinke-Drummers Initiative Amsterdam- [...]



2. There are a lot of usefull advises.



3. The transcriptions are excellent, the commentary is well written, his insights are very informative. I have great respect for musicians who love their instruments and put a lot of love in their publications. John meets all the requirements and knows what he is talking about. Buy this book, woodshed the examples and your playing will improve!



4. Highly recommended, can't say much more. It's really well explained and doesn't leave you floundering under a dense mass of information, even
   though it gets into some advanced concepts. Riley always keeps your mind on the important issues about being a good musician and makes you never lose sight of the point of the excercises.



5. John Riley continues to amaze me with his books. He can put a lot of information down on paper that most people can't explain in person. A great thorough study of the great drummers with helpful tips on how to get better in your own playing.

5 comments about The Funkmasters-the Great James Brown Rhythm Sections.

1. Go no further, it's all broken down for you here: the history, the songs, individual tracks. This is a great learning tool and obviously a labor of love.



2. As a guitarist, this book rules for expanding your chord base and learning new rhythms. The CD tracks are great to play along with on repeat until you nail 'em, and the historical text is a nice bonus. Quit dorking and buy this book, whether you are just beginning or an expert guitarist. It is a NO BRAINER!



3. Really a great book. Has a bit of interesting history about James Brown.
   
   Really breaks down the interplay between drums, guitars, and bass on JB's band. Also provides some insight into the different bassists during JB's career. Finally, really provides a good description of the rhythmic interaction between the drummer and bassist.
   
   If you want the FUNK - start here.



4. I've always wanted to understand how James Brown got that Funk sound. This book breaks it down for drums, bass, and guitar. It isolates each part so you can focus on finding the groove. The transcriptions are accurate, although some recordings may have variations depending on the player. The book also gives a brief history of the players behind the Godfather of Soul. Bootsy is a monster, and this book has his lines laid out for you. Worth it!



5. Great book for any player. A good 101 of subdividing the funk riddim for both non solo players. These skills are adaptable to almost all other styles of music. Pick it up!

1 comments about Sound Ideas: Activities for the Percussion Circle.

1. This book was not what I expected from reading the synopsis. As a music teacher, I can only use about one third of the content. The two main problems are: 1. a majority of the activities are geared toward classroom teaching (creative writing, science, history, geography) which are remotely related to music; and 2. Several activities are too complex to be a practical use of the limited time a music teacher has with students.
   
   I wish this book had been marketed as what it was, instead of being played out as a "music" book. It had very little to do with music or percussion circles.

3 comments about The Dancing Cymbalist - How to play music with finger cymbals & dance at the same time.

1. The Dancing Cymbalist is a wonderful book! Its loaded with photographs that are very helpful in learning to play the zills. Jenna Woods is incredibly knowledgeable and she has included a lot of extras that would even aid to drummers as well as dancers! Some of the Chapters included are...Understanding musical time...Learning rhythms...How to practice music and dance at the same time...Coordinating movement with zillwork...Coordinating arm movement with zillwork...Improvisation and Zill choices (to name a few). She even includes a brief history of zills, which i found very interesting and fun.
   It truly is a beautiful book, and i would recommend this book to anyone serious about their dancing...and even those just interested in dance itself! :)
   ~Namaste



2. The Dancing Cymbalist is surely the most comprehensive book yet written on the art of playing finger cymbals and dancing. It ranges from profound details of musical rhythmic practice that any percussionist would find helpful, to a body-wise system to create healthy playing and moving, to inspirational words and ideas that spark the magic of the creative mind and motivate play and fun. After working with this book, I have already noticed a difference both in my playing and in my dancing, not just in the realm of finger cymbals and middle eastern dance, but in all the professional music and dance endevors that are my livelihood and passion. Thank you, Jenna! -Meagan



3. Jenna's book covers all the bases, including one that is close to my heart--zil playing for meditation. I recommend this wonderful book to a wide range of students: those who want a strong foundation, those who want to hone skills, and those who want to discover new ways to explore their playing. Excellent resource!

5 comments about Mel Bay The Bongo Book.

1. This is a very good book/CD set. Not great, but very good. The CD that accompanies it is extremely helpful in finding the tones and timing, but a little more instruction would have helped. Had the CD been a DVD/CD with a few instruction tracks on it, I doubt you could beat this set-up.

   There are a lot of good exercises in here, and the notation (which in the percussion world seems to be written in as many variations as there are players) is easy to follow. If you have to pick one starting instructinal book, you will not go wrong with this one!




2. I bought this book shortly after I started playing bongos about 6 years ago, and it is still a great source of rhythm patterns and overall inspiration. You can find rhythms in this book that will apply to any style of music. It is true that there is not much on technique. But I suggest to anyone who is frustrated to just keep trying! Read this section over and over, LISTEN closely to the CD, get your hands on those drums and eventually it will click. (If you still need help, get on the usnet group rec.music.makers.percussion.hand-drum or do a Google search in this group. Any question you can think of has been asked and answered already :-)

   There is even a section on re-skinning a bongo head. You do-it-yourself'ers and drum tinkerers will LOVE this. It's easy and fun to put on a new head -- especially if you put goatskin on the macho (small bongo head).

   If you have some bongos, thinking of buying some, or know an aspiring bongocero, this book is a MUST.




3. I'm a guitar player. Recently someone I respect suggested that if I studied a precussion instrument it would improve my guitar playing. Initially I wanted to study congo drums but realized quickly that they were not only very expensive, but a little intense for the condo in which I live. I settled on bongos both for their portablility and for their less intrusive tone. Now the challenge was how to learn them. I've had a lot of pleasure learning guitar from DVD and video tape so my first thought was to find a DVD that taught bongo drumming. Unfortunately the two offered on Amazon had fairly poor customer comments. I always go by the customer reviews because customers have no axe to grind. I find the truth generally come out in these reviews. Finally I hit on Trevor Salloum's The Bongo Book which had rave reviews. I was so enthusiastic I bought the 'better together' deal and also got Beyond Basics. Let me tell you, it's going to be months if not years before I need that second book. I've never worked with a more comprehensive music book than The Bongo Book. The Martillo and its variations are challenging and also so much fun to play. I go into another world while I'm hammering these tattoos. I just love it. I'm currently on page 15 of 37 musical pages and I already feel like I'm a bongoseros. I've really become obsessed with these things! I've never been attracted to drums before. I'm doing this entirely as an educational adjunct, and it's absolutely changed my image of myself. I'd recommend that anyone learn these little drums before they take up any other instrument. Rhythm is the foundation of all music and once you've got this you can apply it to everything, be it music, dancing, loving or fighting. It's really infectious. There are a couple of suggestions I'd make for future editions: The included CD was among the reasons I initially opted to buy the book but I found this CD not to be very useful or even necessary. I expected it to be a CD I could play along with, but it isn't really. It amounts to a demonstration of how each of the drummed measures is supposed to sound. If you know how to count a musical measure, you really don't need these demonstrations. And if you don't know how to count a measure, these demonstrations are not going to help you to play them. More useful would be a two-page explaination of how to count 4/4 time, 1 and 2 etc, and-a, e-and-a, trip-pel-let etc. I already knew this from studying guitar so had no trouble adapting, but a complete musical beginner would find this kind of explaination useful and essential. This way, the CD could contain play-along rhythms which would be more fun and interesting. I'm buying Jack Costanzo and Armando Peraza CDs to play with and as an example of how the bongos sound in context and this would not be as imperative if the CD contained more of that type of information. Another wonderful thing about this book are the interviews at the end with famous bongoseros, a great opportunity to learn about the significance of this instrument in jazz and popular music as well as the great recordings of bongos that have been made during the 20th Century. I recommend this book without reservations. Learning to count musically is not a great challenge. You can learn the entire concept in under an hour if you don't know how to do it. Salloum's stroke notation is brilliant and easy to memorize and use. For me, I couldn't be happier with a learning tool than I am with The Bongo Book.



4. The item description doesn't say that this book is for beginners. But based on the reviews I read it seemed like a good book for beginners. That was a horrific assumption. I don't blame the publisher for this, I blame other reviewers who lead readers to believe this is a good book for beginners.
   
   From the beginning this book uses all kinds of terminology that I've never heard of before (and I have played some keyboard, drums and guitar). Which leads me to wonder who this book is for because, in my opinion, anyone who can understand the terminology probably has no use for such a book.
   
   I do fault the publisher for the terribly exposed, grainy photographs. I also fault the publisher for allowing several interviews with bongo players which, in my opinion, do not belong in a book like this. The whole book just feels cheap as if it was quickly thrown together.
   
   As an absolute beginner what I would have liked to see is a more detailed explanation of technique along with photos (this book has a few photos, but most of them look the same, and the photos do not correlate with the techniques described in the text). I would also have liked to see more description of how to read the notation used in the book. And while I understand musical timing due to my previous experience an absolute beginner will have no clue as to what tempo the notes should be played, this is not described anywhere in the book.
   
   This is a very poorly executed and frustrating book about bongos. It borders on useless for a true beginner. If you are a beginning bongo player do not buy this book it will not help you learn to play the bongos and will give you nothing but frustration.
   
   I have no idea how a book like this ever made it to print.



5. Serves its purpose well. It is the thinnist book I've ever seen, but hey it's about music. WHat more can you say. It isn't really worth the money. Get the CDs over this I recommend videos over both.

5 comments about The Drummer's Complete Vocabulary As Taught by Alan Dawson.

1. This is a book for drummers already experienced,that know about the author.You will find a world of knowledge that you can use NOW,if you dedicate yourself to the hardwork required.But don't be afraid.The book will open your mind to new possibilities,and all of them are very musical.So ,if making music on the drumset is your business, go ahead.I loved it,only two weeks using it in my daily routine made a real difference.



2. I have been drumming over 20 years and this book has taught me many great things and has catapulted my skills to a new level.
   
   Mitchell



3. This book is essential to every serious drummer and all aspiring drummer's. This book teaches the necessary fundamentals of drumming for beginners and is a fine tuning tool or even a wakeup call for advanced drummers. It's a definite must buy.



4. I studied with two drummers who studied with Alan Dawson (who taught, among other giants, Tony Williams). Not surprisingly, they taught me what Alan taught them. But not until now (as far as I'm aware) has any of Alan's students documented and published his methods. Now it is here, under a single cover.
   
   Between the covers of this book is a huge amount of challenging exercises that will broaden your musical vocabulary.
   
   It's not a long book. But the methods and exercises in it will keep you busy for months, and even years. It contains the very stuff (secrets?) that has made many good drummers great drummers. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, it is the holy grail of drumming.
   
   Be prepared to purchase two books to go with it, if you don't already own them: George Lawrence Stone's "Stick Control", and Ted Reed's "Syncopation". You will need these two books to complete most of the exercises in this book. (Maybe Amazon will bundle them one of these days.)



5. This book was recommended to me by my jazz drumming teacher. It contains a way of using Ted Reed's Syncopation book that is very interesting.
   
   It is an inspiring book, which really comprises a total concept for teaching and learning drums. Every drummer should have this book, I think. It is probably the one and only really essential drum exercise book I've seen. And yes, that is even including G L Stone's books.

5 comments about Funk Drumming: Innovative Grooves and Advanced Concepts (Book & CD).

1. There are over 150 examples of funk beats in this book, and 89 of them are included on the cd, played by Mike Clark. The beats in this book are so addictive that I spent three days just playing the first 3 grooves in this book, just trying to get the groove and feel right and coming up with my own variations. Each example beat uses accents and ghost notes very tastefully which makes them very interesting to play for a long time, and sort of forces you to come up with your own variations. I haven't found a drum book this enjoyable since Steve Gadd's "up close".



2. as above,it's a great book for any serious funk drummer,the book show you many styles of funk drumming!also a lot of practice sources for training techniques and groove.get it,let's get funk!



3. Great book! Lots of really cool grooves, including "open" style. Not recommended for beginners - this is a compendium of advanced grooves that require mastering hand-foot coordination with exact timing before one attempts them.



4. This is one of my favorite books. If you want to get inside Mike Clark's head, this book is definitely it.
   
   The book showcases his drumming style and how he developed and improvised them, which also encourages one to develop his/her own funky grooves and playing off of them.
   
   I've been always a fan of funk, and I am happy with what I have added in my library of funk "bibles".



5. Like many drummers, I have marveled at Mike Clark's amazing rhythms on albums such as "Thrust", and have been left scratching my head wondering "how does he do that?"
   
   This book really broke down Mike's brand of highly syncopated, 16th-note funk for me, increased my understanding, and opened up a lot of doors for my drumming. It's full of practical examples, that you can actually use in a musical situation.
   
   If you take the time to work through all of these exercises, you will be surprised at just how funky you can sound! I personally found this book is the real deal.

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.

5 comments about The Essence of Afro-Cuban Percussion and Drum Set: Includes the Rhythm Section Parts for Bass, Piano, Guitar Horns & Strings.

1. Lots of pictures. Historical backgrounds on the instruments and their usages in different cultures and styles. Descriptions on the technical aspects of playing the instruments. Plenty of written rhythmic examples backed up by audio examples. Highly reccommended.



2. This book and CD provide the aspiring conga/drumkit player with the historical and technical abilities to begin an exploration of Afro-Cuban techniques. If you spend a year or two going through the exercises in this book, you'll come out the other end with technical skills (especially independence related) that will amaze you. More importantly, it is very likely that your groove will be much deeper when your done and that will produce benefits in whatever style you happen to be playing in.



3. An absolute wealth of information on Afro-Cuban percussion, this book is encyclopedic in its content and very effective in delivering examples of rhythms, grooves and variations. A must have for any serious student of Afro-Cuban percussion, buy this book.



4. If you're looking for reference or study books for afro-cuban percussion, Ed's book is very good. It contains rhythm scores for several important instruments such as congas, timables, bells, bombo, guiro, clave and pailitos, as well as scores for many different song styles for these instruments. Styles include son, son montuno, bolero, yambu, guaguanco, columbia, guiro, abakua, mozambique, songo, bombo, and calypso. Ed also includes many hand exercises that are worthwhile, I'm a guitarist of many years, and learning hand independence and percussion rhythms and rudiments has been invaluable for me. I practice on congas, cowbells, claves, drum sticks (pailitos) and bass drum several times a week, and regulary use this book as reference for different songstyles. There is of course much more to the book (and of course no one can include everything) but for what I use it for I consider it a great reference book from a very talented teacher.



5. Really a masterpiece! It learns you everything about afro cuban drumming/percussion. I like especially the background information and it pays a lot of attention to playing together. Most afro cuban methods don't learn you anything about playing together, this method really does. It will give you lesson material for years!

3 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.