Tomas Cruz Conga Method Vol 3 Timba - Anyone familiar with this book/DVD set?

[tamboricua]

Are you familiar with volume I? would you suggest it for the drills?
PC

Yes! Volume I is intended for persons with very little or no previous playing experience on the tumbadoras. Great series of technique exercises.

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio



Edited By tamboricua on 1148477118

[JohnnyConga]

vOLUME One is where u start ...but it will surely try your patience, beleive me...these exercises are not meant to be done once, but a 1,000 times the way he learned them in Cuba...it will take years to put all of the information into use that is on these 3 DVD,s...that's right I said years...so get ready to sit for a LONG time and do what he shows u very methodically step by step by step....I can say I saw things on it that I had never seen before done on congas...I recommend it and also recommend, MY NEW DVD,s also...not as "comprehensive" as his, but it is still good enough, for beginners, and hopefully you'll see some things also u may not have seen before....those interested please email me at johnnyconga@hotmail.com ...Tks..."JC" Johnny Conga...

[OLSONGO]

For those who want to purchase the 3 dvds.
First go to Amazon for the vol 1 = $16
Next go to Steve Weiss music for vols 2 & 3 = $45
you save some $ 20 because Descarga and others have them for $24 and some change each vol.

La berraquera!!!

Olsongo

[rhumbatumba]

Yeah I have Volume 3. Its really a very nice little book/DVD. The patterns are funky, I like them. Especially the longer phrases. Most can be picked up and memorized in 5 minutes or so. There are of couse an odd few that have a strange feel and take some time to fully grasp. All in all its good stuff. I plan to buy Volume 2 justs a refresher course to some of the more traditional stuff that I play but havent actively studied in a couple of years. I'm sure there are things in Vol 2 that I have never learned. If anything it will be good to have for students.

Just last week I sat in with a band that was doing a Wayne Shorter tune... I asked the bass player what the Clave was... he said 3/2 rhumba, he expected me to play a rhumba but just for fun I took one of Thomas' more odd sounding timba patterns... and played it from the 3 side and added some improvised but slight variations. Sounded great.

[JohnnyConga]

Memorized in 5 minutes ..U GOT TO BE KIDDING ME....!!....i DOUBT IT VERY SERIOUSLY ....TOO MUCH INFORMATION FOR ONE SITTING TO MEMORIZE.....Your talking 3 DVD,s with a TON of rhythmic patterns it took him YEARS to memorize and you say 5 minutes........that Id like to see..."JC" Johnny Conga... .....when u get up the next day ...just go to ur drums and try to replay anything u learned from him and tell me u got it down, without looking at it again ....

[trickyricky]

I have all three, working on 1 and 2. I agree with JC, book/dvd #1 can be difficult to wade through, but very much worth the effort in my opinion. As many of the family here has said many times, and with what Giovanni Hidalgo said on "Traveling Through Time". Rudiments, rudiments, rudiments....practice, practice, practice. I don't plan to get out of book/dvd #1 for a long time....except to study JC's new dvd's
Peace,
rick

[Jongo]

I only have the first book but after hearing all the feedback and my own experiences with Vol 3 I may have to invest in the other volumes. I mean to me that is an investment that is totally worth it

[rhumbatumba]

Memorized in 5 minutes ..U GOT TO BE KIDDING ME....!!....i DOUBT IT VERY SERIOUSLY ....TOO MUCH INFORMATION FOR ONE SITTING TO MEMORIZE.....Your talking 3 DVD,s with a TON of rhythmic patterns it took him YEARS to memorize and you say 5 minutes........that Id like to see..."JC" Johnny Conga... .....when u get up the next day ...just go to ur drums and try to replay anything u learned from him and tell me u got it down, without looking at it again ....

You must have misunderstood me... I am not saying that I learned all the books in 5 minutes. You must think me a fool to say something like that... Maybe my post was not clear?

I was simply stating that the patterns, though creative and funky, can be played after only a few minutes of study... that is to say... 1 pattern can be picked up in just a few minutes.

Typically I will learn a pattern and its variations and then groove on them for quite a while untill I feel comfortable with them, and of course, sometimes I have to go back and look at the notation the next day inorder to remember how I was doing it. Actually, even if I think I memorized them and I dont play them for a few days I may forget and have to refresh.

The thing about these books is that they should not be looked at simply a collection of patterns. They are examples of application of some great concepts. If you can absorb the patterns as a whole and have your own style be influenced by the ideas that they represent. Then I think this book will be doing its job... the patterns are just the tip if the iceberg, getting beyond that and absorbing the concepts into the subconscious will of course take many years.

Anyway, dont be so quick to jump down someone's throat. I know I am fairly new here and dont even post that often, but, what I said was not offensive... I don't understand your reaction.



Edited By rhumbatumba on 1149524852

[rhumbatumba]

Now that I am done defending myself, I will post what I came in here to post.

Last week I got Volume 2 in the mail. Truly a great book for any student or seasoned player. I am enjoying his interpretations of Mozambique especially.

What I am most interested in is the fact that some of the ideas presented in the book actually contradict some of the most basic things that I have been taught... most notably the fact that he teaches the basic Guaguanco with the bass note on the 3 side. He says that in modern Cuba this is being done more often... To me this is a very strange concept. Playing the traditional quinto concept over a 2-3 clave creates a strange effect that is almost uncomfortable.

The Recursos at the end are very similar to some that I was taught by my greatest teacher... I would love to get a Book with nothing but amazing recursos to build new chops



Edited By rhumbatumba on 1149525794

[JohnnyConga]

SORRY IF I misunderstood you....I too like his Mozambique versions, now if they would only 'stick" in my head...some of these patterns are like 4 bars long, if i remember correctly....I have to go over it again...it's been awhile since I watched it...I kinda have to go back to it ..play along and then put it down.....and then watch it again ....too much info to absorb....at one sitting....Now Giovanni is coming out with his new DVD on his "secret methods".....ummmm now what could that be??????......get ready...hahahaha...."JC" Johnny Conga...

[rhumbatumba]

SORRY IF I misunderstood you....I too like his Mozambique versions, now if they would only 'stick" in my head...some of these patterns are like 4 bars long, if i remember correctly....I have to go over it again...it's been awhile since I watched it...I kinda have to go back to it ..play along and then put it down.....and then watch it again ....too much info to absorb....at one sitting....Now Giovanni is coming out with his new DVD on his "secret methods".....ummmm now what could that be??????......get ready...hahahaha...."JC" Johnny Conga...

I didnt know that Gio was coming out with a secret methods DVD... I am already prepared to be frustrated and enlightened at the same time.

[JohnnyConga]

Trust me ..u are not Alone!.....hahahahaha....."JC" Johnny Conga...

[Thomas]

Just ordered Volume 1 at amazon, thanks for the recomendations!!
Tom!

[afrocubarico]

I have all three volumes but after about 2 1/2 months, I'm still at vol. one. I particularly like the excerises that teach you how to play (mostly tumbaos) with both hands. Also, the excercise on page 50 has become my warm-up right before I start to practice.

I'll be sinking my teeth into volume two soon, although I did learn the guanguanco from that volume and absolutely love the way it feels/sounds. I think this is a great course to study. I'm combining the techniques from this book/dvd along with what my instructor is teaching me. I personally recommend this to all congueros. I'm also looking forward to JC's DVD!

afrocubarico

[Jongo]

I have been able to incoporate a lot of what I am learning from the Tomas Cruz book that I have into what I have been playing with this jazz group I am in. The first time I played some Timba the band leaders ears kind of perked up and he looked over at me. Then he kind of bobbed his head and started feeling it so it was all good. I kind of sprung it on him so I thought he might say something but he was cool. The bass player was into it as well so we were all groovin. It's cool to be able to incorporate some Timba into these jazz tunes and inject some funk into them.