The Art of Bop Drumming: Book & Online Audio (Manhattan Music Publications)

It almost seems like this book is based on what so many other drum books seem to lack. Not only does it have great exercises that never feel redundant, but the explanations are stellar. The analogies used to convey ideas across are superb. I also really enjoy quotes from the masters peppered in throughout. The whole thing really gives you a light at the end of the tunnel to strive for and conveys a humble musical discipline that any musician would benefit from. The audio cd covers loads of ground and it helped me learn how to sight read better by combining what I saw on paper with what I heard on the cd. While this covers some similar ground to the Chapin book, this seems to move along at a quicker pace and the notation is much easier to read. One thing that I must point out is how admirable of a job John does on handing out amazing wisdom that will guide you towards understanding your role as a musician. A role that should move beyond your own personal ego and should instead strive to be a component of what makes the music sound best. So few drum books ever really even bother with this topic, but it's so essential, as all the chops and licks you can play are worthless if you execute them in an undisciplined manner that keeps the other musicians from wanting to play music with you. It's the one thing that I don't think can be taught, but John does such a stellar job of explaining it in ways that anyone can understand if they choose to. I firmly believe that if you can learn how to play jazz well, it can make you better at playing any other style. The only other jazz books that really hold their own with Art of Bop are unsurprisingly also written by John Riley. Art of Bop is intended to be the first one. His other two "Beyond Bop" and "Jazz Workshop" carry on with the assumption that you can handle yourself with Art of Bop first. So in summary, what I am trying to say is, I have found no other book that maximizes technical skill, musicianship, humble discipline as a human being and inspiration from the masters in a single volume.

Forget John for a moment. This book CAN take you from a late beginner stage to an intermediate stage, and opens the door to whatever limits you want. It's an incredibly compact collection of not just exercises but information that helps formulate the jazz approach. If you want to learn/develop Jazz from a book, this would be my first recommendation, and really an essential part of the process. John brings you along at a pace that's reasonable. He doesn't dive too quickly into elements that are difficult and potentially frustrating. I think this book is best for someone with at least a little experience is straight-eighth note basic rhythms.....not the novice beginner. This book really has a subtle emphasis not on exercises but on the "feel" to music. John is asking the student to use exercises as a means to a different end. Technique and facility give way to feel. He's an incredible musician, but a fabulous teacher. One of the best. HIs emphasis is always on musicianship, for which drums are the selected medium for some. John is one of the gems of the percussion world. He's largely unknown outside the drumming or jazz world, but that's because he's so humble and soft spoken. Eventually he will be recognized for having left a legacy of perspective and instruction that will rival any of the well-known greats. I recommend all of his instructional material.

I have been playing rock and pop for over forty years and I wanted to expand my vocabulary. This book offers plenty of exercises, as well as advice, on how to become a jazz/bop drummer - or should I say a jazz performer who has chosen drums as his means of musical expression. I find it all challenging as I must fight against muscle memory and instinct at times, but I have found that after working through sections my general playing has indeed improved in all aspects. The hardest part (for me) is forcing myself to start slow, and not speed up until I have mastered an exercise at a slow tempo, usually 80 bpm, but sometimes even slower. After spending about 40 hours with this book I can say it was a great investment in both time and money and I can see myself referencing it for years to come. It is a pity this form of music is no longer as popular as it once was. As a drummer, I find it to be the most expressive form of music I have ever played. The feel, dynamics, technical ability and musical sensibilities required make it both challenging and rewarding. It really is music for grownups with a degree of sophistication and freedom you just don't find in other forms of music.

This rather thin-in-size book packs a tremendous amount of practical instruction. It is intended as a thorough course in bop drumming for serious students, and will realistically take many months simply to work through at a basic level (and, as with any high-level skill, many years to actually master). It is suitable for beginning drummers who at least know the rudiments and basic technique (and who have familiarity with jazz in general), but would also be appropriate for experienced drummers wanting to learn the specifics of bop drumming. The book begins with basic time-keeping on the ride cymbal and progresses through comping and tailoring accompaniments. There is a detailed section on brushwork. While the focus naturally is on rhythm, there are also many useful pointers on tone, dynamics, composition and such. The accompanying CD is well put together and, in addition to including examples, also includes "music minus one" type tracks to play along with. The writing style is lucid and the explanations are clear. The author understands that playing drums is a lot of fun, and he seems to aim to provide a highly disciplined approach that manages to avoid taking the fun out of things -- no mean feat. This book is the next best thing to actual lessons with a great teacher.

I purchase a lot of instructional books on drumming. When I bought this book I put it away and forgot about it. A few months later I learned of a weekly jazz workshop in town where they have jam sessions. On the night I went, I ended up playing for a hour and a half with jazz musicians that I have never met. I did ok, but I obviously needed to hit my drum cave and practice more jazz. That's when I first started to look at this book. The section on "comping" is great and the rest of the book provides training that's very helpful to any drummer that wants to play jazz. There's even a section on brushes and the CD rounds out the package. The ability to read music and understand drum notation would be helpful in working through this book. There is no question that this book has influenced by ability to play jazz and provided lessons that I can apply at those weekly jam sessions. Learning to play jazz well is a lifetime endeavor but having good books that provide relevant training along the way is critical. This is a good book.

A good book for drum learners!

this is an excellent book for people interested in beginning to explore jazz drumming. it contains examples of samba and merengue (i think thats what its called) as well. Buy this! and the other 2 books too. you will not regret it. This series is no joke. It will be useful for the rest of your life as a drummer. Its not one of those DVDs that you master in 4 months and throw out the window because you were able to skip working on half of its content. Buy this and the other 2 books! take advantage of the audio CD!

I used this book myself and now with my students, it is thorough and tasteful, not everything here is given with a spoon as you have to figure the coordination between the left hand patterns and the accompanying parts yourself- some students find it difficult but I think it is a valuable challenge. Mr. Riley knows exactly what he talks about, it is a pleasure to have this important book.