The book that influenced you the most.

[BattleArmor]

Hello all,

I will be finishing school in 2 months, and since I will have more time on my hands, I have been recomended a few books, but would like to see what you all think.

My most influential that I finished, would have to be Jim Chapin's Advanced Technique for the Modern Drummer. That book shaped all aspects of my playing, from rock to latin, to jazz.

What about all of you? Which book has had the greatest influence on your playing.

Thanks,

Danny

[Wavelength]

Syncopation. ...and its twenty thousand interpretations.

[Guz2]

Hmmm...Probably 1984 by George Orwell

[ilanten]

Hmmm...Probably 1984 by George Orwell

That IS a good one! ;)


Syncopation

[jangus]

Hmmm...Probably 1984 by George Orwell

Oh yeah I like that one too.

For me it's Developing Dexterity for Mitchell Peters. It's basically a substitute for Stick Control. With this book I built a solid foundation, not for my house but for my wrists.

[BattleArmor]

Syncopation. ...and its twenty thousand interpretations.


That is a pretty good book. One of my first, along with Drumsense Volume 1 and 2.

[FunkyJazzer]

My most influential that I finished, would have to be Jim Chapin's Advanced Technique for the Modern Drummer. That book shaped all aspects of my playing, from rock to latin, to jazz.


That book is terrible...

JOKING.

I finished it about a year ago and it shaped my playing completely too. So probably that. I'll no doubt be saying the same thing about The New Breed when I finish that in a year or two though. Stick Control is a bit of a bible for me, but you couldn't really call it "influential".

Lloyd.

[sciomako]

That is a pretty good book. One of my first, along with Drumsense Volume 1 and 2.

Sinsyk,

What does Drumsense Vol.2 cover? I can't find it in my local store. I have Drumsense Vol.1.

[BattleArmor]

It is only available in London. I picked it up with my drum teacher when I went to study there a few years ago. It covers basic jazz, and progresses to more complicated forms of what is in the first one. If I remember, it gets into alot of Triplets, and things. Overall good book.

[jay norem]

Probably "Tropic of Cancer" by Henry Miller. Read it when I was a kid and it rather changed my life. Sorry, did you mean drum instruction books?

[h3r3tic]

Well for now I'd say Marco Minnemann's Extreme Interdependence
And I finally got my copy from Ydna's Murd EXCELLENT BOOK Breakbeat Guide (A MUST for applying electronic (jungle, drum n bass) music into the acoustic drumkit!)
and Hi-hat Master (also by Ydna Murd)

[Toby_Jackson]

"New Breed" - pushed my playing to a whole new level!

Previous to that, I really dug on both "Syncopation" (still find new stuff to do every time I use it) and "The Art of Bop Drumming" (really laid out the swinging, comping and soloing for me with a good musical sense).

[gusty]

Hmm...I spose it would be Art of Bop Drumming for me.

[crlujan]

'Art Of Bop Drumming' for me too.

Or Charles Mingus' 'Beneath the Underdog'.

[MikeyOdrums]

That book is great the quotes alone are worth a million dollars. Great book really helped my jazz coordination.
mike


'Art Of Bop Drumming' for me too.

Or Charles Mingus' 'Beneath the Underdog'.

[Jeff Almeyda]

The New Breed Gary Chester
Rhythm Knowledge Vol I and II Mike Mangini
Master Studies Joe Morello

[oops]

Advanced Techniques got me into Jazz Drumming, but without Art of Bop I wouldn't have progressed, because I didn't know how to apply the patterns i'd rehearsed.

So I guess both of them.

[Toby_Jackson]

Just thinking about your original post Danny, and you say you're finishing school and have already been through fundamental texts like the Chapin book. We all seem to be recommending more fundamental studies to you, but are you looking for books that push the outer limits?

New Breed is one that did it for me and for many people, but I've also dug a ton out of Dawson's "Complete Vocabulary", Riley's "Jazz Drummer's Workshop", Stanton Moore's "Take It To The Street", Wilcoxon's "Rudimental Swing Solos" (Philly Joe's bible) and the classic hand technique builder "Master Studies" by Joe Morello.

Also, don't forget the linear classic "Advanced Funk Studies" by Rick Latham or the brilliant four-book Patterns set by Gary Chaffee.

Any of these books could prove to be highly influential if you're looking to push your playing to a new level.

[Drumsword]

When I first started out, "Realistic Rock" By carmine appice was quite influential.

Later on "Stick Control" and "Syncopation" probably made the biggest difference in my playing.

But deserving honorable mention would be "One surface Learning" A book applying rudiments into rhythms.

[diosdude]

Stick control. Back full circle, twenty eight years later to read and practice it again.

[kitplayer]

My tutor (well he was at uni. not had a lesson in ages but still regard him as), Dave Hassell, has four books out:

Graded Course For Drum Kit Books 1 & 2
and
Latin Grooves.

Hes also got a 400+ page binding of his teachings which Im finding gems in all the time. think you have to know him/student to get hold of these

Graded Course books have accompanying CDs (tracks minus drums) of all (most) popular styles that you'll ever need to session with. great for learning song form and various genres. good for reading skills and interpreting figures written outside the bars. theyre also just great to jam to. Its perfect for beginner to advanced and I use it with all my students- Even Drumsense and Trinity Grade 3/4 Book uses his tracks!

Latin Grooves book is great for breaking into the afro-cuban-L.A.-South Am rhythms and then used under his instruction to create grooves/rhythms that I can only describe as advanced :) the book comes with CD of all LA styles in the book to practice your grooves with.
You can be sure youre learning authentic rhythms in this book- Dave is an 'authority' on LatAm styles- and he leads Apitos, the UK's best LatAm/Afro-Cuban etc band

My next, and equally favorite books are:

Jim Blackley's Syncopated Rolls for the Modern Drummer + systems Dave showed me
Ted Reed's Syncopation + the numerous systems Dave taught me
Louis Bellson's Modern Reading Text in 4/4 + the numerous...Dave...
John Riley's Art of Bop Drumming + .....

all of which are on Dave's comprehensive reading list.

I have so much appreciation for Dave as he has shaped my attitudes and proficiency towards drumming.

From a longtime (6years it took!) SalUni Ba Mus student:
Thanks Dave!

[BENANEB]

Not really a drumming book, but i found "The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal" in barnes and noble one day, and i read it pretty much cover to cover. it covered a lot of bands i liked, and i found new drummers with different styles from it.

[Ian Ballard]

To me, instruction books are tools. Only artists influence me.

[Toza]

New Breed .

[Knowbuddy]

Chapin for Jazz

New Breed for everything else.

Great thread.

~B

[caddywumpus]

Art of Bop Drumming and Beyond Bop Drumming were great! I also enjoyed playing through Future Sounds and Afro-Cuban Rhythms for Drumset...

[Fresh_Dinosaur]

Syncopation for sure.

[Dedworx]

Syncopation.
Future Sounds
Art Of & Beyond Bop Drumming
Commandments of R&B.

[Drumjack]

The following two. I started with Buddy Rich and added David garibaldi. I am not through yet and I don't know when this will happen.

[michael drums]

Well...

First and foremost...


The Bible. I'm kinda surprised I'm the 1st to mention it. :-|

"The Road Less Traveled", by M. Scott Peck.

"Ghost Rider", by Neil Peart.

"Buddy Rich's Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments", by Buddy Rich and Henry Adler.

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

There are so many. These days, I am obsessed with this one:
http://www.foreverdrumming.com/book_scans/4%20WAY%20COORDINATION-Dahlgren.JPG. Took a long time to get into it, but now I can hardly stop practicing it. The exercises are built in an unusual way and don't look like "normal" independence books I have come across.

Some of the patterns are extremely challenging. I am working through this with Dom, and he instructed me to splash the hihat when the book says left foot. Well, it was a serious task to even begin to control swung 8th notes at any kind of tempo. Man, I got so frustrated....

Anyway, I have a few videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcyt6V7qcLY)on my site showing examples of how the exercises work. Take a look and please post a comment.
Casper

[Jeremy Bender]

Accents and rebounds by G.L. Stone - Heck...I'm still working out of it !

[Dan Lane]

Coltrane: Story of a Sound

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

Accents and rebounds by G.L. Stone - Heck...I'm still working out of it !

I agree, fantastic book! Some of those exercises are a real thrill when you get them going. I mean, they all are, but some are a real challenge...

Casper

[Charlieopera]

Syncopation for the Modern Drummer ... I picked up the sticks again not very long ago and I had practiced with that 40+ years ago when I first learned to play.

Then there's Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, Joe Morello's Masters II (i think--could be I) and Cheapskates (Charlie Stella)

[zephead19]

[QUOTE=Drumsword;509828]When I first started out, "Realistic Rock" By carmine appice was quite influential.

I am a beginning to intermediate drumming and this book has really helped alot! It is as implied by the title good for coming up with interesting rock beats

[MNdrummer21]

To me, instruction books are tools. Only artists influence me.

I think you really hit on something here. Books are great for building technique and getting some ideas percolating, but I think the real influence for application can only be spawned through example.

[jwildman]

The most influential book that I have ever read, other than the Bible, has got to be Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck Dictionary Volumes 1, 2 and 3

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

I think you really hit on something here. Books are great for building technique and getting some ideas percolating, but I think the real influence for application can only be spawned through example.

Yeah, like the example of you playing, right? If a novel can influence me, then why not a drum book? I know they influence me...

Casper

[Muckster]

Joe Morello's "Master Studies".

[Xalky]

I think you really hit on something here. Books are great for building technique and getting some ideas percolating, but I think the real influence for application can only be spawned through example.

I find it almost impossible to get the feel of a groove that's written on paper. That's why I watch DVDs to watch other drummers play. A picture is worth a thousand words.... and a moving picture....many more.

[fromyesterday]

New Breed has benefited me the most by far.

Applying the same systems to other books like Syncopation as well.

[wormtownpaul]

Larry Finn: Beyond the Backbeat

Andre Comte-Sponville: A Small Treatise on the Great Virtues.

[FunkyJazzer]

There are so many. These days, I am obsessed with this one:
http://www.foreverdrumming.com/book_scans/4%20WAY%20COORDINATION-Dahlgren.JPG. Took a long time to get into it, but now I can hardly stop practicing it. The exercises are built in an unusual way and don't look like "normal" independence books I have come across.

Some of the patterns are extremely challenging. I am working through this with Dom, and he instructed me to splash the hihat when the book says left foot. Well, it was a serious task to even begin to control swung 8th notes at any kind of tempo. Man, I got so frustrated....

Anyway, I have a few videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcyt6V7qcLY)on my site showing examples of how the exercises work. Take a look and please post a comment.
Casper


Just ordered it :D

I've also ordered Beyond Bop Drumming. Should be a laugh like.

I still maintain that Chapin's book changed my playing more than anything in the world. Now I think what's influencing me are my Jack DeJohnette transcriptions :D

"The Drummer's Complete Vocabulary As Taught By Alan Dawson" is hitting me pretty hard too.

[chocorion]

Gary Chester's New Breed, it will always be influential.

[wy yung]

I have to say Stick control because it was the first book I studied. There have been many since including master studies I and II, Tomas Cruz congas books, syncopation, advanced studies, the Dave Garibaldi books, new breed and so many more. I also use many in my teaching beginning with Joel Rothman's Basic drumming, the drummers cookbook, some of Peter Erskine's books, Jim Riley etc etc. I stay broke buying drumming and percussion books!