congaplace.com

Have noted the discussions in the forum and the several videos mentioned. There are quite a few out there. As JC mentions, not everyone is cut out to teach, and some video shows performance, but doesn't really teach. Also, some cover basics, and some go beyond only. For basics, including technique......which ones excel??
For instance, what of the LP videos as well as the personality ones? Can some of you illuminate this issue??

Hi, In my opinion, the best bang for your buck at really learning something you can use, is the Kalani video "Show me the Rhythms for Congas". Very easy to follow and if you learn all 10 rhythms you should be able to fake it in most situations including those that are non-latin (rock, funk, etc.). It is a very well produced learning tool with no artist ego trips. It is also inexpensive $19.95 US dollars. I keep hoping he will come out with an advanced fill and solo video, that would be something worth owning. Giovanni has two great videos, Mano a Mano, and In the Tradition, these are not easy but more like something to aspire to.

I would like to recommend "Evolution of the Tumbadoras" by José Luis Quintana Fuerte "Changuito". He goes over proper technique on the tumbadoras, technique excersices, plus he cover different playing styles from older tumbadores like,Tata Güines, "El Coloroa", Patato, etc. Very nice!

Saludos, Jorge Ginorio

Sorry, the Giovanni videos I mentioned should have been Mano a Mano and Virtuoso, not in the tradition.

I got the Essence of Congas by Jerry Steinhurst, it was good that is where I learned alot of patterns, then I got Bobby Sanabria's video Fundemento 2, should have gotten Fundemento 1 and his basics first. He is good, love the tape, but I have a hard time cause he doesn't break it down more and cause I should have gotten his first to tapes. I got Richie Garcia's 'Basic's and Beyond', and it is good also, but this is a CD. To tell you the truth, his is good but what I have seen on the Congaman's website for instructions is even better for technique. It would be great to get it in a book and cd. I have tried to print it but I got a crappy printer and it would take forever, so I have managed to get 2 or 3 pages to work on. I have a teacher but his technique is in memory and what he does sometimes I can't break down enough to repeat when I get home, so I wish he had 'written' music available. I feel pretty silly not being able to live without it written down. Not that I am into reading, just need the breakdown to reinforce my learning. There is so much to learn. I need to check out Kalani's video. It has been recommended before.

peace,
congabebe

There is a Lifetime of learning on the conga drum....so get on board and enjoy the ride! Welcome Drum Brother.....JC JOHNNY CONGA....AT YOUR SERVICE....

Congabebe,
Ask your instructor to let you video tape your lessons. Have him slow down certain patterns or licks that you are having trouble with. Thats what I did and it works, I know the feeling of walking out the door and forgeting everything you were just shown. Any other instrument you would leave your lesson with sheet music and home work.

Videotaping your lessons is a fantastic idea. It is impractical for me, so I have set up the following weekly practice:

I go to my lesson, I soak up whatever my teacher is going to show me and play along. At the end of the lesson, we play and record the pertinent parts. Sam talks as he plays and tries to put as much info into the 10-15minutes of recorded material as he can. I use a minidisc recorder and a stereo microphone to get the highest fidelity recording that I can. Sam plays everything slowly at first and somtimes exaggerates his sound so that I can pick it up.

During the week as I practice, I try to write out everything. I started out as a classical percussionist, so notation is a crutch for me. I have gotten better at learning things by ear, though. I find that writing it out serves two purposes. It tells me that I understand (or don't) what I've been taught and it cements it in my brain. I can recall riffs and patterns that I've written out better than stuff I haven't transcribed yet.

My $0.02,

Zach



Edited By 120decibels on Nov. 05 2002 at 12:41

A caveat to my post above:

Lately, my teacher and I have not been discussing patterns, rhythms and riffs as much as we used to. We have been listening together, playing together and discussing musicality, structure and other theoretical stuff. This stuff doesn't translate to a recording very well. I've yet to reconcile how to keep track of these ideas. Maybe I just need to take notes...

Zach

I taped one on my lessons, it did help, I don't have a video recorder. The last lesson we had I showed him how to read music on some stuff. I can count and clap any piece of written musice, I was a flute player, so I can apply myself faster with written music to look at and reinforce my memory. But I wish I could do like 'Simon Says' and follow the pattern and repeat it back. This is my impression of how traditional drumming was passed down. They didn't get out a pen and paper, did they???? If it is like Blues or Jazz started, it was a bunch of guys sitting around doing what they loved... playing and stealing 'licks' of things that they heard and wanted to play like, Imitation. They had a leader/teacher but not a conductor and no charts, just all from the heart. Is that how they used to learn patterns?


Thanks,
Congabebe

Dear Congabebe,
Regarding traditional ways of learning rhythms, I took African drumming classes and the way I learned the rhythms was through singing or saying the rhythms which is the traditional African way. Writing them down came later on.
When I learned to play the conga drums, I did a variant of the " sing and say " method by counting each stroke (1+2+3+4, 1-e+ah 2-e+ah,etc.) as I played them.
You also mentioned " guys sitting around and jamming ", those men were fairly well schooled in the fundamentals, whether through formal lessons with a music teacher or " learning from the guy next door ". That freed them up to explore new ways of playing and learning new licks.
The videos mentioned in the other posts are excellent, especially Giovanni's " Mano a Mano ( one on One ) ".

Dale

Hello all, where can I get the videos mentioned in this form? Kalani, and the Changuito video, I'm having a tough time reading the music. I need to see whats going on. I can play most of the rhythms but need to correct my tecnique and play them correct.
Thanks
Carlitos

Carlitos, I will loan you my Kalani video for a month, if you will loan me your Jerry Gonzales video for the same time. My e-mail is wlosh@aol.com.

Carlitos....your local music store drum department should have the Kalani and other instructional videos for hand drumming. Check out MarsMusic.com you might be able to order from them. They carry all the percussion videos....At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA..............

BTW -- A little off topic, but Mars Music is going out of business. Having gone into a number of thier stores and being very dissapointed with thier service, I won't shead a tear.

Zach