Customer Reviews

The Heart of the Circle: A Guide to Drumming

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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This book primarily deals with those of you who are interested in drumming for personal reasons rather than for an audience. Personally I drum in a band and also I drum to myself for relaxation. Holly Blue Hawkins explains her reasons for drumming and teaches how one goes about solving lifes problems and answering questions over a drum session. No matter how long you have had a drum or how often you play, this book will change the way you pick up your drum and the way you treat your drum and most importantly you will learn what drumming means to you.

This is a great book for those interested in using drumming in personal meditation or ritual type situations. It focuses on the more spiritual aspects of drumming, connecting with your drum, and has several examples of dedication and personal meditation rituals within the book. It includes a basic primer on drum types and rhythms but does not include much in the way of 'hands on' type information. The book also mainly focuses on Native American drum information and (unless this has been updated since the last publication) the retailer websites listed in the appendix are mostly out of date. However, this book would still be an excellent addition to a larger drum instruction library, particularly for those interested in developing a spiritual dialogue with drumming.

This is a nice little book,a quick, and easy read.However, I thought it would talk about drumming for health.I was a bit dissapointed that it didn't.The overall tone of this book is very spiritual,which surely is not a problem,but I had assumed that it would cover topics related to how using a drum for healing can benefit one's mind and body.....Not just their spirit. I have ordered something else, which I hope will deal mostly with the medical aspect of the drum.Again,if you are really looking for a great "spiritual" drum book, this one will work well for you!

This is a wonderful beginning drumming book on using your hands, sticks, selecting a drum and the spiritual aspects of drumming, performance, drumming alone and other aspects of drumming. My only criticism is that only hide drums are discussed in the chapter on selecting a drum. Remo type drums are not mentioned. I love hide drums, but dampness, dryness, etc. take its toll on the drum and your ability to drum. No, a synthetic drum may not have quite the same sound, but it sure can save your sanity if you're traveling to different locations with varying degrees of dampness. There is a nice little glossary in the back of the book and a list of resources some of which is dated. I would recommend this book to any beginning drummer.