"The Commandments of R&B Drumming: A Comprehensive Guide to Soul, Funk and Hip Hop" by Zorro (Book and Play Along CD)

They say the best way to learn how to play drums is to play along and jam with your favourite music. Well having got this, book Zorro has taken me back to my soul boy roots and got me jamming with some of my favourite soul music of the 60's and I have to thank him very much for that.

The book is split into 3 main sections Soul, Funk and Hip Hop Zorro's approach in each section is three fold.

First he gives you a history and background of Soul, Funk and Hip Hop. This section could be generally a book in its own right as a journey through the drumming history of these styles.

Second, the technical parts are covered. The basic co-ordination that is needed for hands and feet in each of the sections. He covers the various feels in the style e.g. 8th note, 16th note, swung 8th notes.and includes lots of examples.

He includes a number of classic songs and explains how they are structured with an accompanying drum tab. For example Booker T and MG's song "Green Onion's". Lastly, Zorro gives his ten commandments of soul funk and hip hop which are his recommendations for what CD box set's to buy that best illustrate this style of music.

By this he means to listen to, to soak up the music, to feel it and to jam along to it and so learn that feel by playing it. As all drummers that produce drum tabs tend to say, tabs can only give you so much information.

He stresses that playing drums is a huge feel thing and that technical aspects are important but so is feeling the music that is being played and that can only come from listening to it and jamming/playing along to it. Also in this section he gives a listing of the top 50 classic songs that have been covered and the basic groove pattern for each.

On the note of jamming in the summer of 2003 I went to a week long drum school hosted by Steve White and Greg Bisonette (He is a summary of what the guys covered )

One of the main things I took away was that to play simply and musical is what it truly is to be about to be a drummer and by going back to jamming with the records noted by Zorro

I have begun to really enjoyed playing and practising more and redisovering some great soul music plus I have noticed a huge improvement in my timing and groove. Steve including a whole 2 hour session on the drummers of James Brown including Melvin Paker, Clyde Stubblefield and some of the most famous funk tracks recorded by these guys Cold Sweat, Funky Drummer and Pappa's Got a Grand New Pig Bag.

Also, soul and funk music of the 50's, 60's and 70's has very much influenced many bands of today in mainstream music today, and in particular in dance music with the huge amount of sampling of 60's soul and funk beats.

The Ten Commandments is all support by a CD which covers the majority of the examples in the book. Also, included are 3 play along tracks both with and without drums for you to play along with and to practice the 3 different styles.

The other great think about this book is you can't help but truly believing that Zorro is in love with this style of drumming and the music that it supports. His love is quite obvious and totally infectious and as I have said has rekindled my love of soul music. Thank You Zorro!!

Lastly the book sells for about £17 UK pounds which given the quantity and quality of the material coverd is just brillant value.

Click Here if you want to purchase this book from Musicroom.com.

Here is the description of Zorro's book from the Musicroom.com site:

A fantastic historical and in-depth study of R&B drumming from soul to funk to hip hop. Practical grooves from each era of R&B are studied and developed through specifically designed exercises.

Topics include: practice tips developing the funky bass drum and hi-hat creating and playing with loops and what is considered the Ten Commandments of Soul Funk and Hip Hop (the top ten recordings from each era). This book not only pays homage to the R&B drummers of the past, but gives the reader a fortune of invaluable information both in history and playing concerning drumming.