The Art of Playing Timbales Vol. 1
Victor Rendon has done the improbable: He has made it possible for a wide range of drummer/percussionists to approach the art of timbales without fear of failure. Rendon breaks down the daunting clave structure so that we all can relate, and demonstrates how the instruments of the Afro-Cuban percussion section (timbales, congas, bongos, and sometimes drumset) function as a unit. Learning to play timbales (or to emulate their rhythms on drumset) makes any drummer more valuable on the bandstand, and Rendon's instructional method is as clear as it's going to get. The author's clarity in presentation is further enriched by his discussion of the evolution of Latin rhythms and instruments, and by his richly detailed interviews with master timbaleros. Victor Rendon has worked with giants like Mongo Santamaria and Patato Valdes, and has taught music for years within the New York community, and now he's authored the most authoritative book on the "original" Latin drumkit. Viva timbales! --Modern Drummer Magazine