Search - Kalani's Ultimate Hand Percussion: Ultimate Bongo Jam on DVD

A workmanlike Professional Instructional DVD

Naoise O'hannain | Dublin, Ireland - Europa | 07/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Suitable for beginners to intermediate level. It covers Martillo basics and variation/improvisations (2), Guiro 6/8, Songo, Funk, Calypso, Reggae, Samba & Motown.
The pattern is shown in tiempo, than at 80 beats per minute (for approx. 2 mins) and play along in tiempo (for approx. 2 mins.) Professional, clear and precise with adequate time to get good practice in . Excellent.
It also covers warm-up exercises, tuning, care and maintenance.
Bongo Tuning (A-La/G-Sol or F-Fa) with an octave difference Macho to Hembra (lower).

Tip:
Kalani, also provides good advice on putting vaseline on the tightening lugs and rim edges where the skin is stretched over. Also if dry/new put skin loating cream on new skins.

Word of advice if your set is new and of real skin, soak them first and then tighten, else you might get a split/tear developing along fault lines.
Why not 5* ? - it is not multi-regional, has no dots//notes (but does have it own notation on the bottom of the screen), it does provide a legend/index to Kalani's notation (hidden in the intro section) but does not have repeat loops to the various patterns.

I would also recommend for intro, 'The Bongo Book' by T. Salloum [Mel Bay] ISBN:0786620714 and 'Beyond the Basics' by T. Salloum [Mel Bay] ISBN:0786643846.
For the advanced player - 'Drum Solos Revisited' DVD (Congas, Bongos and Timbales) [WB]0757923615.
"

Top notch bongo instruction

Michael Alexander | Long Island, NY | 07/23/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most of the bongo instructional videos I've seen are ridiculously limited. You'd think that the only pattern for this instrument is basic Martillo. Kalani instead offers several variations on the Martillo and a wealth of other patterns to practice and use in a variety of grooves. The maintenance and head replacement sections were a welcome surprise as I broke a head the day this video arrived!

I can read music but the notation used on the DVD is as easy as it gets for anyone who can't, and is actually better suited to playing hand drums. This is the video I was looking for.
Ok, gotta go jam!
"