Hip Grooves for Hand Drums: How to Play Funk, Rock & World-Beat Patterns on Any Drum

Rating:
Summary: One of the more useful books in this genre (4.5 stars)
Review: "Hip Grooves" is a good beginning to intermediate book for developing drumming rhythms and timing. Although there are some instructions and illustrations for how-to obtain basic sounds for large handdrums, this book is not recommended for the raw recruit. However, if you know your way around your drumhead, you'll find this book rewarding in both style and variety of rhythms. What I like best is the drum tablature which is easy to learn and follow along with the CD. Each section (ranging from a tumbao to hip-hop to funk) begins with an explanation of the rhythmic style and a layered approach involving several steps culminating in an intricate rhythmic pattern. By building on patterns already presented the authors managed to keep the pace of learning both a challenge and a pleasure. The CD follows the steps of each rhythmic example at a comfortable tempo for learning. The rhythms can be played alone (with touch/"ghost" tones included) or can be incorporated in a group setting. If you are looking for a book to help you sharpen your drumming chops, give this book a try. Although the book is promoted as useful for "any" handdrum, I would not suggest it for those who play doumbeks or frame drums which require finger technique. This book is best suited for djembe, conga, or other large hand drums.

Rating:
Summary: Not as helpful as you might think from the title
Review: My title summarizes my main disappointment with this book. It sounds great but when you get it, it seems to give relatively little in all those pages. Lots of filler, not enough content.

I was especially disappointed with the notation. Although conga players use this chessboard notation, it's not standard in music generally, which means you can't show it to a drummer or the songwriter in your band and expect them to know what it means. Music notation exists for very good reasons -- it communicates rhythms with great accuracy. Letters in little boxes just don't.