Beginning Steel Drum

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing at best
Review: Having bought a steel drum, I was all ready to learn how to play it. I have to agree with the other reviewer that it's very disappointing - I know how to read music and know a little about chords, etc., but this book was still just about worthless. It had some info about playing chords that would be found in any music book, and the info on techniques was next to worthless - just a sentence or two, as the other reviewer said. The clips are songs you probably wouldn't want to play and just short little parts of them. The author, who really is a great steel drum player, should've given us at least a tiny example of what really can be done with a steel drum. Also the other types of drums - double seconds, basses, etc. are not even mentioned. There is no info on sources of supplies, music, drums, etc., which really is needed for such a relatively rare instrument. Save yourself the money and try to find an instructor!!

Rating:
Summary: Begining Steel Drum
Review: This is a wonderful book for learning how to play steel drums. Since there is not alot of infromation out in the world about this beautiful instrament, it is a pleasure to see such a work. I whole-heartedly recomend this book to anyone wishing to learn the art of steel drum, and I hope everyone finds what they are looking for in this this book. I know I have!

Rating:
Summary: Novice Beware!
Review: Unless you already know how to play a musical instrument (or at least know how to read music) this book will be of little value to you. Actually, it's not so much a book as it is a pamphlet. The only thing it accomplishes is that it shows you where the notes are on the pan.

After a few introductory words, here is the 6th sentence in the "book":

"The tuning consists of a circle of 5ths or 4ths, there are two circles of a complete octave and one circle of five notes. The range of the drum is from middle C up two octaves and a major third to E."

If that quote doesn't mean anything to you, don't expect to really understand it after reading the pamphlet. Admittedly, the words are, in fact, followed by two diagrams that show what "up a 4th" and "down a 5th" mean. But add that to all the following discussion about scales, and you still have no idea why any of it matters.

The section entitled "Technique" consists of a picture of a hand holding a drum stick and the words: "The stick has to be able to bounce off the notes. There is a slightly tighter grip employed when sticking the higher notes..." Add to that the handy note to play the left side of the drum with the left hand and the right side with the right hand and...well...I guess you're ready to start practicing sticking, because there's not much more info on the subject.

Finally, the CD consists of 30-second clips, not complete songs. Oh yeh, unless you know how to read music, there's no clue as to where even the first note is in any of the "songs".