Updated 16 January 1999
Welcome to my Lessons Page. I sincerely hope you find some interesting and challenging grooves and ideas here.
I've placed a Previous Lessons archive here. Enjoy!
As an addition to my lessons here, I also offer:Virtual Lessons
The lessons are on disk and feature written grooves and Real Audio files. You can open them up in your browser, and provided you have Real Audio on your hard disk, you can listen and learn the grooves. Each lesson, with up to 10 grooves and exercises, costs US$10 plus $3 postage.
Although not yet on my order form, you can email me with credit card information and I will process it for you then send the lessons to you. If you like, you can also send a check to my address at the bottom of this page.
NEW Bongo Lessons by VideoVideo Lessons
are also available. I really enjoy teaching by video tape. I can take my time, when I've got the time!, and focus on the grooves that you want. Please email me for info about this and audio lessons by cassette.
My good friend, David Romero, who has played bongo with many top "Latin" artists and is now percussionist with Earth, Wind, and Fire, is happy to teach video lessons to those who are interested. From beginners to advanced players, this is something I may be doing soon! Just drop me an email and I'll get you all the information.
Audio Lessons
I've had some good success teaching drummers by audio cassette. Once again, if I can be of any help, please write.
Private Lessons
I live in Southern California and am very happy to be able to teach here at my home studio. My students and I are a nice family, the atmosphere's cool, and we play and learn together. See you here if possible!
Application of Samba do Angola from
Northern Brasil
This lesson focuses on a very common rhythm and one of its variations. This first rhythm is found all over the planet. From New Orleans to Helsinki, from Amsterdam to Sao Paolo, from Los Angeles to Johannesburg, you can hear this rhythm being played. It¼s found in the Carnaval of Santiago, Cuba and in the Carnaval of Recife, Brasil. And you¼ll hear it on radio and TV. Very popular.
This next rhythm is a slight variation of the first, the variation coming in beats 3 and 4 of each measure. I first heard this rhythm on some CDs by the wonderful Brasilian singer Daniela Mercury. I¼ve heard it called Samba do Angola. It¼s a wonderful variation, accomplished by shifting one sixteenth note from the original rhythm.
Here is a relatively easy application of this rhythm. Eighth notes in the hihat, 2 and 4 on the snare, with the bass drum playing the rhythm. This would be a great exercise to develop the balance necessary to play the bass drum opposite the hi hat hand. It really can groove.
What I¼ve done here is to counterpose the rhythm between the bass drum and hi hat, with the snare still playing backbeats. When the bass drum is playing the rhythm, the hi hat plays the opposite part. This certainly requires that you feel the rhythm and also that you develop interdependence (or „independence¾).
Finally, here¼s a hand pattern that will keep you playing sixteenth notes without altering the groove. Right hand would be on the hi hat, with left hand playing snare. Ghost notes are played with only beats 2 and 4 being accented. Add the bass drum pattern to this and strive for the best feel possible!!
Thanks once again for visiting my lessons page, and for checking out the website. If I can be of any help to you, please drop me an email.
If you enjoy these lessons, and develop your own grooves, please share them with us! You can mail me your applications of these lessons to:
Previous Lessons
This page updated 27 December 1998.