My first solo attempt - audio only clip

[ABAKUA]

Hi!
Abakua, is the book you are refering to called "stick control for the snare drummer" by George Lawrence Stone?

Thats the one!

Looks like this:



or

[bongoron]

Ah..very good. The muffled tone is a little different than what I thought...I will work on it immediately (doing it on the compouter desk right now LOL)! Thanks so much for the great info Abakua...I know how busy your schedule is, and really appreciate the time! I will apply the concepts in your post immediately as well. This is so cool...I feel like there is this giant bridge to cross that is clearly leading to a great new land!

God bless!

-Ron

[verticalgil]

I JUST FIGURE IT OUT, BEING POETIC :laugh:



Edited By verticalgil on 1160072369

[bongoron]

Wasn't trying to...if it was, so much the better.

God bless!

-Ron

[afrocubarico]

Bongoron,
Very nice! I just heard the second link you posted, the first link was asking me for a password to log in.

I've only been playing congas for 8 months now and like you, I got a late start (I'm 37 yrs young) in comparison to many other congueros but, listening to your audio clip has certainly inspired me to perhaps try the same thing as a way of monitoring my progress.

Keep up the good work my friend and I'm sure you'll reap it's rewards.

afrocubarico

[bongoron]

Thank you. I'm not sure why the first clip askes for a password...I'll try to re-paste it... ???

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v398/ronboskz650sr/?action=view¤t=conga.flv]http://smg.photobucket.com/albums....nga.flv[/url]

There you go.


God bless!
-Ron



Edited By bongoron on 1160166618

[pavloconga]

This link still asks for your password.
cheers

[bongoron]

Well, I don't know what else to try...At least the shorter one works.

God bless!

-Ron

[Smejmoon]

Well, I don't know what else to try...At least the shorter one works.

Here is the working link:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums....nga.flv
did some hacking on it

[verticalgil]

what kind of instrument is that batas? :ghostface:



Edited By verticalgil on 1161372368

[JohnnyConga]

It sounds like a Jimbe to me..but where are the slaps and palms?..."JC" Johnny Conga...

[franc]

Abakua,
my dear rumbero friend, hope all is well!! your accerted advice you gave ''bongoron'' on conga solo like introduction, mid section, and outer/finale!! what did you meant by that. i know what you meant by composing a piece of music, since i read my percussion part. i play bongo in our band, mostly classic salsa. can you please explain a little further on the solo explanation?? does the book ''stick control'' explains it?? thank you, my friend Abakua. always follow your post very inreresting

[franc]

abakua,
sorry for not closing the post correctly,ok wish you my best allways. mucho ache y exito en tu vida. tu amigo, franc

[ABAKUA]

Vaya Franc! Espero que te encuentres muy bien.

Stick Control book, first 4 pages goes through the basic drum rudiments, (doubles, flams etc) its great for developing drills and once you have that all down, you adapt those drills and rudiments to make your own chops and language. It should give you ideas to open up your playing all together, combine the excercises with slaps, mutes, opens, heel+tip etc etc.. Helps develop the excercises and speed section of your playing.

With what I said regarding the 'imagine its a musical composition' , its a formula Anga explains in his video, and also one in which he personally took time with me to explain and go through..

Example, if in the band, I imagine its salsa/son montuno you are playing, and there is a bongo/timbal/conga etc solo for you in the arrangement, you take the solo, now here is what he (Anga) and what I mean,

You dont just go all out throwing down random chops etc, Anga's theory and one which many percussionists follow is that you begin your solo introducing your instrument with a series of calls or licks, you then lead that into another series of chops, like you are speaking. That chop introduces the next one, you then have the build up and main section of your solo, where you throw in the longer and more heavy chops, and then you need to be able to come out of the solo and back into the music.

Its like a language, conversation. You dont just come out screaming jibberish, you begin with a brief introduction, have a main section of dialogue then have your good bye..
Same goes if you are doing a complete solo ie. the band stops all together and its just you.
Intro, Body, Outro.

Does this make sense?

A solo (as Anga says) 'is the coming together of all that you have learnt, and how you express yourself on the instrument, it is a language, not just random hits or rudiments'

Others may diagree, and thats what diversifies our percussion world, no one theory has all the answers or is THE way, good technique, sabor and afinque is what matters to me.

As Anga said one night we were hanging and talking tumbas, you can have all the speed, chops and rudiments in the world, but if you cant hold the groove solidly and have afinque, you aint nothing. Some have one or the other, then theres those with both. All comes down to what you put into the drum, the more you give, the more it will give you back.

Hope this has helped



Edited By ABAKUA on 1161580860

[bongoron]

Very good! I may need to get in another band before I can go that far with it...our music doesn't lend itself well to solos. Maybe I can try it on some cds I have where the guitar is soloing by taking out the center track...hmmm! Thanks for the additional info, kindof thought that was what you were getting at with leading into the solo and back into the original music...need different music , so I'll find some so I don't have to just sit down and play a cold solo. Cool advice, thanks again.

God bless1

-Ron