Make your own music

thedailychannel.com — recommended books

Make your own music

People who visit this webpage tend to be music creators rather than music consumers. In fact at the moment, two of the all-time top selling books on this entire thedailychannel.com website are Trevor Salloum's Bongo Book, and Flute and Guitar Duets by Peter Draper

The Bongo Book (with CD) by Trevor Salloum

At last, get to know your bongos! This slim volume is an incredible value. It has many variations of the classic Martillo rhythm, the foundation rhythm of bongo improvisation, and they are all given on the CD in the back of the book.

That's right, an audio CD with each pattern from the book. A tour de force of hand-drum education. Do you know which is the macho and which is the hembra drum? You will after you read this book (bongo drums not included).

And Trevor has a follow-up book now, too. Better beat a path to amazon.com and a check out what Trevor has been up to

Didgeridoo : Ritual Origins and Playing Techniques by Dirk Schellberg is short, readable, and complete. It tells how to play, buy, and make a didgeridoo.

The following short sections make this book a real keeper:

the role of the didgeridou in the Dreamtime,
the story of the didge in contemporary Australian rock music
the aboriginal origins of the didgeridou and its contemporary aboriginal context
use of the didgeridou as a therapeutic instrument
how to acheive "the infinite sound" through continuous circular breathing

"There is no other sound which evokes so many images from the primeval days of mankind. The mood is wild, voluptuous, vital, powerful, mighty and archaic and occasionaly even rough and brutish. It refers to nature and the links with the earth, deeper instincts, sexuality and physical feelings, self-esteem and aggression, but also to the joy of life and vitality."

Some other musical possibilities on the web... Learn to play the bagpipes.
Get into African rhythms

Build a goblet drum for yourself
Or, amazingly enough, build a steel drum!

If you want to get into the bongos, or the didgeridou, "The Bongo Book", or "Didgeridou, Ritual Origins" are the books are for you.

If you like what you read, click here to sign up for our mailing list.and we'll notify you when we post new book reviews