Which teacher would you like?

[Julio de Ipanema]

Hi amigos,

If you could have a lesson with any percusion-teacher over the world..which one would be?
And what will you ask for?

Mine: Luis Conte
Technique of recording (he has recorded over 1500 albums!!)
Yours?

[JohnnyConga]

Paulinho da Costa he's on over 5,ooo albums and counting....."JC" Johnny Conga.

.PS>>>>I'm on over 200 myself, and another 200 unreleased albums....

[zaragenca]

It is amazing since recording does'nt necesarily translate into all the skills to articulate percutive structures,and I never have seen any article of him giving some knowledge in relation to recording percussion,or knowledge in relation of equalization,nose/gate,software to use for recording,ways to do the mixings, microphones placement,environmetal preparation of the studio,ambient,etc.etc.etc..Dr. Zaragemca

[bongosnotbombs]

Miguel Anga Diaz, his style especially on later recordings
represents everything I would like to be as a conguero.
Particularly his melodic percussive style, so beautiful.

It is so sad he has already left us.



Edited By bongosnotbombs on 1184461123

[vinnieL]

Well mine choice has left us as well unfortunately. Mongo!

[jorge]

La marcha of Tata Guines. I have never heard anyone else play a straight tumbao with such swing. I have been trying to get it for over 30 years, I'm 99% there but that last 1%... Tata enseñame ese afinque.



Edited By jorge on 1192335266

[ralph]

Mario "Aspirina"....el quinto mayor de Cuba...pa enseñarme los secretos del bata, y del quinto...for bata y quinto...and of course rumba...



Edited By ralph on 1192457881

[yambu321]

THERE ARE MANY GREATS. BUT, IF I COULD ONLY CHOOSE ONE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE
(DAVID "LA MOLE" ORTIZ). MASTER, OF MASTER CONGEROS



Edited By yambu321 on 1192497121

[RayPaganJr]

I won't be picky. I would like anyone who has the knowledge to teach me and is good and is in the area of Fort Lauderdale/Miami. I can't believe it is this difficult to find someone, and of course especially in the South Florida area where it's a melting pot of Latinos. What a pain in the ass this is. It would be great to have a choice and pick one that one would feel comfortable with.

[JohnnyConga]

Sorry your going thru that Ray...but I reiterate and i quote "because a guy can play, does not make him a Teacher!"....and in Miami yea a lot of good players, but not necessarily a "Conga Sensei".....hang in there Bro until you get here to Seattle... I will take care of you....tu pana..Johnny Conga...

[pavloconga]

JC is exactly right. A good player does not necessarily make a good teacher. A good teacher has to not only love playing but also have a love for teaching. A good teacher recognises the responsibility of his role of passing on the tradition.

Anyway, to answer the question, it would have to be Giovanni for me.

[TONE74]

I think I'm giving up on the finding a teacher part. I guess conga playing is not that popular in my area since there are not a lot of teachers around. They are either too far or too expensive.

Question: How much can I get out of a teacher in just a one hour lesson?



Edited By TONE74 on 1195220830

[vinnieL]

I think I'm giving up on the finding a teacher part. I guess conga playing is not that popular in my area since there are not a lot of teachers around. They are either too far or too expensive.

Question: How much can I get out of a teacher in just a one hour lesson?

Well i guess that depends on the teacher and the student if the teacher is not milking you but actually teaching at an appropriate pace for each individual student. There are many milkers out there. The student in my opinion must also take notes record the lessons preferably on video if allowed to. I find that if i don't record i forget about 20% of what we go over. it's the small things i forget that are important.

[windhorse]

There are people who go to Cuba for a week, and come back with knowledge and technique improvements that equal probably 5 years of playing once per week with a rumba study group. The same evolution is probably equivalent to about 10 or 15 years of in-the-states training at one time events or occasional meetings with other teachers and players.
Then, there's standard lessons where you go to somebody and pay them. If you really focus and record the sessions you will progress, but veryy slowly, compared to playing weekly with a study group.
If you train yourself by using internet sources and the occasional lesson from "somebody" then you're at the mercy of the whoever you run into.

Others will train for years under one person, but you are then going to come out VERY similar to your teacher. I've seen guys that did this who are awesome powerful players,, but they're one-dimensional, like never sing while they play, or only play a stick version of certain songs, etc..
To me, the best scenario is spreading out and having the largest amount of exposier to the great players as possible.
Get started ASAP and spend the money. If you want to get better, you have to get out and make connections.

[TONE74]

Thanks windhorse everything you wrote on there makes a lot of sense. I'm thinking of getting some notes together as far as what I want to work on and just giving it a try with a teacher. Maybe just go every once in a while and keep working on my own at the same time.
I've been traveling to Cuba since 97 but wasn't into playing until this year. The funny thing is that I have family in Marianao and in Matanzas two places where I'm sure I would find a good teacher and could do a Rudy Quesada type thing with the videos. Maybe next time.