The Drummer's Bible: How to Play Every Drum Style from Afro-Cuban to Zydeco [Paperback]

Mick Berry (Author), Jason Gianni (Author)

Book Description

This guide to popular drum styles offers approximately 400 musical examples in standard drum notation showing grooves and practical variations, and provides overviews of the history and development of almost all popular music styles. Among the many styles and subsidiary styles covered are blues, rock, jazz, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, klezmer, zydeco, funk, bossa nova, polka, Dixieland, surf, and disco. While this resource and two-CD set can serve as a simple encyclopaedia for those who need to know how to play a particular style, suggestions on varying the beat patterns for those who want to explore further and create their own patterns are also included. In addition, the two CDs contain performances of the musical examples in the book, which is designed with a lay-flat binding for easy use.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Q]uite an undertaking, researched and written with care." -- Modern Drummer, May 2004

About the Author

Mick Berry has been playing drums for over 30 years, having studied with such legends as New Orleans drummers James Black and John Vidacovich, and Afro-Cuban drummer Walfredo Reyes, Sr. He has accompanied such renown artists/groups as Henry Butler, Eddie Henderson, Michael Wolff, E.C. Scott, The Spiral Starecase, The New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra, The San Francisco Mime Troupe and The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. He currently resides in San Francisco where he performs and records with numerous bands playing a wide range of styles: jazz, blues, Latin jazz, R&B, orchestra pit, rock, and country. Jason Gianni has been a session drummer, teacher and performer in the Bay Area for close to a decade. His work can be heard on a wide variety of TV and radio commercials, and most notably, the theme song for the popular children's cartoon, SpongeBob Squarepants. Jason is the featured drummer on the fall 2003 release of the progressive rock band Magellan's new recording entitled Impossible Figures on InsideOut records. As a writer, his work has appeared in Modern Drummer magazine as well as the West coast "Jazz" Steps newsletter.

Product Details

• Paperback: 181 pages
• Publisher: See Sharp Press (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884365329
• ISBN-13: 978-1884365324
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,041 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for students and gigging drummers alike!, January 20, 2004

By 

Garrett Sanborne (Abilene, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Drummer's Bible: How to Play Every Drum Style from Afro-Cuban to Zydeco (Paperback)

Since I started playing the drumset I've been waiting for someone to complete the monumental task of compiling every known style of set playing in one book. But Mick Berry and Jason Gianni have gone far beyond simply transcribing over 160 styles (about 400 including variations):

They have included historical perspectives, background information, recorded examples (with and without click tracks), and put together a listening list with suggested albums and artists for every style.

There is a very helpful chapter on types of fills and appropriate use of them in each style, including references to famous recordings. There is even a section explaining appropriate tuning and muffling for a drummer playing in a given style.

I really can't stress enough how much detail is contained in this book. I'm a junior high and high school percussion teacher and this is a great reference tool for understanding and explaining different grooves, and I'll be sure to keep it handy when gigging.

Highest recommendation!

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST HAVE for any serious drummer!, July 30, 2005

By 

Michael H. White "Michael White" (La Mesa, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Drummer's Bible: How to Play Every Drum Style from Afro-Cuban to Zydeco (Paperback)

This book is INCREDIBLE! Jason Gianni and Mick Berry have painstakingly researched and compiled a very thorough and complete work on all of the popular styles of drumming imaginable!!! I've been drumming for 30 years and I have yet to find a compilation of drumming styles so detailed and well explained. This is a teaching and learning tool that I now cherish. Each style is not only musically and rhythmically written for music readers, but it's also accompanied by expert insight and teaching from Jason and Mick on how to play each style appropriately. The icing on the cake is the accompanying CD with recorded demonstrations of each style so you get to HEAR what it's SUPPOSED to saound like!!! I love this book!!!

Mike White
San Diego, CA

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible of all Bibles!, July 29, 2005

By 

John Taylor (Sydney, NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Drummer's Bible: How to Play Every Drum Style from Afro-Cuban to Zydeco (Paperback)

Wow! I've been playing for 25 years, and although I've covered most styles - through playing on cruise ships, in rock bands, jazz combos, latin groups, big bands, theatrical productions, etc - I never realised there was so much more to learn! [...], whether you're a beginner or even as advanced and well-respected as Simon Phillips (who wrote the introduction to the book), you'll certainly be amazed at the amount of content within this virtual encyclopedia. I searched the web for a book covering Latin Rhythms, and although there are many that offer a limited range of styles, I was extremely pleased to discover this one. There are 35 pages alone covering Afro-Cuban grooves! [...] The amount of detail in relation to the history of all the grooves, plus the notated rhythms, combined with 2 professionally produced CDs, is what really sold it for me. Every style you can think of, including Blast Metal and Wedding Waltzes, is covered! They even include the tuning set-ups for each style, and a huge 'recommended listening' discography. I emailed the authors when I found this book, to express my gratitude on compiling such an excellent collection of essential drumming advice, and they both immediately returned my emails. Great writers, and friendly too! Anyway, enough said. It's a Bible, so just buy the book, and all your troubles will be over!