Songo is the seventh in the series: Essential Latin Beats for Drum Set. Over the years I have collected a bunch of books that talk about playing various Latin styles and patterns on drum set. I kept going from one book to another searching for answers and ideas. Here are simple, stylistically accurate and essential Latin rhythms and patterns to play Songo on drum set.
Bembe is the eighth in the series: Essential Latin Beats for Drum Set. Over the years I have collected a bunch of books that talk about playing various Latin styles and patterns on drum set. I kept going from one book to another searching for answers and ideas. Here are simple, stylistically accurate and essential Latin rhythms and patterns to play the Bembe style on drum set.
Conga and Mozambique is the ninth in the series: Essential Latin Beats for Drum Set. Over the years I have collected a bunch of books that talk about playing various Latin styles and patterns on drum set. I kept going from one book to another searching for answers and ideas. Here are simple, stylistically accurate and essential Latin rhythms and patterns to play Conga and Mozambique on drum set.
Other Afro-Cuban Essentials is the tenth (final) in the series: Essential Latin Beats for Drum Set. Over the years I have collected a bunch of books that talk about playing various Latin styles and patterns on drum set. I kept going from one book to another searching for answers and ideas. Here are simple, stylistically accurate and essential Latin rhythms and patterns to play Beguine, Bomba, Cuban Bolero, Guaguanco, Merengue and Rumba styles on drum set.
Over the years I have collected a bunch of books that talk about playing various Caribbean styles on drum set. I decided to synthesize all this information. Here are simple, stylistically accurate and essential rhythms and patterns to play Calypso, Soca, Reggae and Ska styles on drum set.
There is no rule that you have to play the Stone Stick Control exercises (pages 5 – 7) in numerical order. Why didn’t I think of that earlier? When my metronome speed was the same for all 72 exercises, I could only play them as fast as the most difficult exercises would allow.
Here is a list of the cymbals I am currently using for “general” or “multipurpose” drum set applications. They are all Zildjian. I have nothing against other cymbal manufacturers. It’s just that the first cymbals I bought were Zildjian and usually keep going back to them. I frequently change cymbal configurations (just like I do drum sets) for various gigs. But these are my current “go-to” cymbals.
Most of us have a “Love – Hate” relationship with the metronome. I had a conversation this weekend with a fellow percussionist about working on the Stone “Stick Control” exercises with a metronome. She said that she was ready to throw the metronome out the window. We’ve all been there haven’t we? But there are several good reasons to almost always practice with a metronome.
When I started practicing Chapin Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer my teacher told me NOT to use any bass drum until Section IV Hands and Feet. Now what I will do for Section I is add the bass drum WITH the snare drum on the ACCENTS.
If you can’t sing it or count it you probably can’t play it correctly. So for developing rhythmic accuracy sing it or count it before or while you play it. Vocal quality doesn’t matter. Rhythmic accuracy does.