Phil Maturano Online lesson survey

Phil Maturano

DRUMMERWORLD PRO DRUMMER
So i finally got a new camera and all my online lessons are going to be with video now. I was just wondering if there is something in particular you guys would like to know about or see in Online lessons. I am shooting the first ones tomorrow.

Thanks for the input
PM
 
as long as you're asking, i'd wouldn't mind seeing different ways of playing samba rhythms on the drumset. i've been working on that lately and samba drumming on the drumset seems to open to a lot of interpretation. it's a little confusing.
 
OK Beautiful. Will do that:)
Thanks for the input.

Anyone else? All suggestions appreciated very much.
PM
 
Thanks for asking Phil. Hey if you could do an absolute beginners introduction to Latin styles I would be very interested in that.
 
Hey bro! on My DVD Afro cuban drumming you have from ground level to very advanced concepts for that style. Check it out on Hudson.

The Jazz stuff......I decided to recorded on video The Rhythmic pyramid in Jazz. Cycles in Jazz and how to create vocabulary through all tempos. How rhythm works in the genre and concepts for developing vocabulary.

Also Getting the Real Samba Feel! Achieving the right feel for Samba using RTS

And I also recorded...specialty phrasing.

So 3 video clips 1/2 hour long each

In a few days it should all be edited and ready. I hope many cats buy the stuff and dont pirate it. We'll see. Haha!

I want to thank you all for the input and there will be more if cats like them.

Let me ask you guys...what price do you consider fair for video lessons?
All the best
PM
 
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Thanks for asking Phil. Hey if you could do an absolute beginners introduction to Latin styles I would be very interested in that.

This.

I've seen numerous attempts at it, and they all (in my opinion) fail.

Every attempt I've seen says something to the effect:
"This is the clave, it's the heart and soul of the rhythm, ok, now here is an advance beat.." and then go on to show off their flashiest chops.
They all just goes from point 1 to point 100 without bothering to explain points 2, 3, 4, thru 99.

Even at PIT way back when, they hired a name player, who's concept of beggining latin was to demonstrate drum solos and polyrthyms to a room full of teens who'd barely figured out a basic 6/8 beat. (no, not Chuck Silverman, he wasn't there the year I was)

It would be great if someone would take the point of view a space alien landed on earth who's never heard any Earth music, and has asked you to teach him enough latin to get through the average casual, while resisting the urge to show off flashy fills and solo ideas in the lessons.
 
This.

I've seen numerous attempts at it, and they all (in my opinion) fail.

Every attempt I've seen says something to the effect:
"This is the clave, it's the heart and soul of the rhythm, ok, now here is an advance beat.." and then go on to show off their flashiest chops.
They all just goes from point 1 to point 100 without bothering to explain points 2, 3, 4, thru 99.

Even at PIT way back when, they hired a name player, who's concept of beggining latin was to demonstrate drum solos and polyrthyms to a room full of teens who'd barely figured out a basic 6/8 beat. (no, not Chuck Silverman, he wasn't there the year I was)

It would be great if someone would take the point of view a space alien landed on earth who's never heard any Earth music, and has asked you to teach him enough latin to get through the average casual, while resisting the urge to show off flashy fills and solo ideas in the lessons.

Hi DED: I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN- Im sorry that happened to you. It happened to me as well.
The topic of instruction in African Descent styles was one that frustrated the heck out of me!
When I was learning it was double fold...because we had no DVDs, no proper books, and most of the time the cats that played that stuff...almost had this concept of stringing you along and not reaaallyy showing you what you needed to know. Very secretive...very sparse information and almost always wrong!! They showed you what i call...."Tourist Latin" - To be honest this was to keep you from obtaining the knowledge and out of the competition for gigs!
There are many contradicting things to what the different cultures have to say about clave in particular as well...so the whole thing ...unless you speak spanish...can get very very confusing. The music itself went through a stage of "wash out" in America...it got watered down so that "consumers" could easily digest the music. That was a short sighted attempt by the music industry to try to package and sell this music to different cultures. ( Carmen Miranda etc) It was a major blow to musicians because what this did what pervert the beauty of the music and insult the people and culture it came from. The result...total confusion for non native musicians about the style. (Remember those organs on the 70's, with the first drum machines built in? Push the " Latin button" hahaha and out came this horrific wrong jive ridiculous noise. Who knows what guy programmed that)
ON top of that... The people involved in it themselves are always arguing about something or other haha! Cultures clash...So imagine me back then trying to learn vocabulary to solo over 2 -3 clave. Or even to do fills that fit and didnt sound like funk fills or jazz. As an adult...Once at a rehearsal I witnesses 2 knuckleheads get in a 1/2 hour argument about which way the clave sat in a Merengue groove. Thats how much confusion there is within the ranks of the average "Latin" musicians themselves sometimes!

The knowledge I gained in learning Afro Cuban music (just to be able to function in it) took 10 years to obtain!!! And that was busting down every door I could imagine! When Luis Conte got a hold of me and taught me what was up, thats when, for the first time...these doors started to breakdown. But it was an absolute nightmare trying to learn. The only thing that pulled me through was the love of the music. Not even the most bitter so called "teachers" could kill that joy for me. So it was a very personal labor of love all this.

Keeping all this in mind.... my DVD "Afro Cuban Drumming" ...was produced with the spirit of sharing this journey with a person who loves this music. Once you learn basic patterns..the next question is ...What you do with them! There is no other method that shows how all the percussion works together. This is another issue entirely. To function in a rhythm section...all the parts of the puzzle have to be clear. You have to know all the patterns that are played on other instruments in order to function on the drumset.

My suggestion is to check out my dvd...and then let me know how you feel.

If any one is interested ...I will breakdown the mechanics and major stages of learning these styles. it cannot be taught the same way we learn Funk or rock. So if enough people are interested maybe i will make a clip about it.. Its waayyy to much to type.

This is my first attempt at writing today...I hope it all made sense lol!
Peace
pm
 
Thank you very much for your efforts Phil!

Concerning the latin learning thing: I thought the Afro-Cuban Drumming book by Malabe and Weiner was a pretty good, well-structured and informative book. I learned quite a lot from that. Do you think so too? I for myself recommend it big time to interested fellow drummers.
 
Yes those book are great but they leave huge holes in what you need to know. They dont discuss vocabulary or show how all things work together, etc etc...These are things that in book format are impossible to achieve. They assume a ton of stuff and dont take into account that you actually have to play in a band with the material. I studied those books and got very limited results. Its very very hard to learn this style in particular out of a book. The dvd format has been a godsend for drummers. In general...what we have is a clash of cultures. Cultures of teaching and of musical concepts. So a person not born in those regions wanting to learn this stuff has to be approached from a different angle.

That said i recommend the book also, but I recommend most books! Get all material you can possibly get your hands on. But without really knowing what to do with all that stuff.....its all a collection of beats that are hard for the Western drummer to know what to do with. I haver seen this over and over and over and etc etc
 
Hey Phil, here in sunny (it is today honest!) Scotland the lack of proper afro cuban information/studies/teachers is amazingly bare.

Theres not a single Cajon teacher I can find....anywhere!

My only exposure to Latin music is listening to the music, groove essentials and Jimmy Branlys book. In the latter it assumes a lot and moves at a fairly rapid pace and although i could play all the grooves and that's fine it didn't explain what I really want to know about this style and that is.....why?

Why do i play this part over that. Where does it come from? Who else plays what in a percussion section and how do i fit into that.

I am going to get your dvd asap but I am also looking to head down to London in october for some intensive studies of this stuff to try and get some more insight.

I look forward to your videos and hopefully it will shed some light on the subject for me and many others.

Dave
 
Sounds like we need to get over to Scotland and have a Drummers Intensive day!
I would Love to go there. I hear its so beautiful. Anywhere people want to know about This music I am willing to go. Its so nice to be able to play it. The feeling is like no other when the band is cooking...the people are dancing and that bell...that Coro bell comes in on the chorus and paaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! Its like ....heaven:)

SABBOORRRRRR!!!!:)
 
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