Book Information

Book ID Asin: 0786670819
Book Title: The Tomás Cruz Conga Method, Vol. I: Conga Technique As Taught In Cuba
Book Author: Tomas Cruz,Kevin Moore,Mike Gerald,Orlando Fiol
Book Format and Price:
Book Format Name: Paperback
Book Format Price: $28.51
Book Price: unknown
Book Category: Books, Arts & Photography, Music and unknown
Book Rating: 36 ratings

Book Product Detail

• Best Sellers Rank: #3,278,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14,775 in Music Instruction & Study (Books)

• Customer Reviews:
  4.2 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

Book Review

Name: ken
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good but slow, get Volume II also
Date: Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2008
Review: This book/DVD is very slow moving but it is also very clear. There are only a few actual rhythms in this first volume. The good part is this approaches conga technique very clearly and if you do the exercises you will improve greatly. It is very important to get the proper technique FIRST because relearning rhythms after you have bad technique is counterproductive and slower in the end. You can also hurt your hands as I did at first. However, as another reviewer mentions this IS rather boring and slow. I think the best solution is to integrate this volume with volume II slowly. That is, start with this and go through it a few times. Maybe don't even order Volume II for a couple weeks. Then return to these exercises OVER and OVER and OVER as warm ups while slowly learning the marchas and rhythms from volume II. That will be less boring but if you simply ignore all the lessons in volume I it seems like you will suffer from some deficiencies. All in all a great series, but if you just get Volume I you won't have very much to play.

Name: Alejandro Rodriguez
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The best conga teaching method ever
Date: Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2007
Review: As a conga newbie, I really appreciate the way this book and DVD were laid out. Yes, it's slow, but thanks to that I have been able to learn and learn well. So, don't pay attention to Naoise O'hannain's review.

Before Tomasito's method, I tried countless of other books and vidoes and none of them taught me a thing...

Once again, if you're a beginner on congas and you're a smart person, buy this book and DVD package and you won't be disappointed. Otherwise, if you're like Naoise O'hannain, go buy something else and you'll regret it.

Good luck and peace!

Name: MovingForward
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great Investment to any age Conga Player !! Highly Recommended--A+ 5 STARS***** All the way!!!!
Date: Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2014
Review: This is a Great Book and DVD. I have learned so much in just few days that I am 100% comfortable recommending this book to any one from youngsters to the not so young any more; but young at heart. I am 50 and never play congas before; just learned some basics with what I like to call an online friend/teacher Mr. M,M. Via Youtube . but I knew I needed some structured Regimen if I really wanted to develop myself as a New Congero and Mr. Tomas Cruz in Colaboration with Kevin Moore, Mike Gerald, Orlando Fiol and of Course MELBAY CO. facilitated that with this great book. I have also purchased Volume 2 . Which I have it on Stand by so when I feel ready and have Completely " assimilated" the book and DVD to the point of Mastering it, then I will move to Volume 2 and of course number 3 will follow right after that. Today , I got my Brand New LP Conga Tumbao and it came at the perfect time to practice 1 and 2 congas Tumbao Marcha and Chachacha as well.

Name: Scott Parr
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: There are Better DVDs for Beginners
Date: Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2010
Review: Tomás Cruz Conga Method Volume I.

This book/DVD combo has exercises and rhythms for the absolute beginner up to an early intermediate level.

On the DVD there is no instruction, there is no discussion of proper technique, or for that matter (and perhaps more importantly for beginners) on improper technique. Chapter 1 of the DVD shows Tomás's right hand playing 40 perfectly executed open tones, followed by his left hand doing the same. There is no explanation of how to hold your arms or wrists, no indication of what part of your hands strike the drum (although this is covered to some extent in the accompanying book), no discussion of what a badly executed open tone sounds like; just an example that you're supposed to copy. Next he does the same thing with the other basic strokes and then there are another 50 or so video clips of very fundamental exercises, all on a single drum.

The second half of the DVD uses two drums and the patterns get more interesting but remain pretty simple. At this point, if you have mastered the strokes and basic rhythms you'll really develop quickly in your drumming.

In the videos we never once see Tomás's face or hear him say anything other than the name of the exercise. We get no sense of his personality and no feeling that we are getting a lesson from a conga virtuoso. There is one stationary camera recording all the videos from the same angle showing drumheads and hands and that's all. The production is a bit amateurish too, which is a minor distraction.

So my perception is that a real beginner will benefit from and enjoy this set, but he or she really needs some other learning tools as well, because this package falls way short on what I would consider to be the fundamentals of instruction that a beginner needs. Someone who already has good fundamentals though will appreciate the more advanced exercises, and there's an appendix in the book with one of the better discussions of clave that I've seen.

I wouldn't recommend it as a first package or as an only package, but it does have a place in a collection of book/video conga learning materials.

-Scott

Name: Ricky Barksdale
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: EZ for those who can't read music.
Date: Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2015
Review: The book dvd combo is good. As a beginner it was easy to follow. I was able to go back to make sure I have the correct patterns. I even started playing to my own music. The Congas remind me of being back in the Bronx.

Name: G. Kim
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Conga Instruction
Date: Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2014
Review: I like the method in that one can read the book and watch the DVD. The exercises start slowly and build up in speed. One of the best instructional books I've seen.

Name: Tita
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good Lessons
Date: Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2007
Review: I am using Volume I and think these are very helpful lessons. They are to-the-point and organized and they very clearly show the correct hand positions and methods of playing onscreen. It is easy to do my practice sessions while watching the lessons. I plan to purchase Vol. II and Vol. III as well, since Vol. I is working so well for me.

Name: EDDIE
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Excellent book
Date: Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2014
Review: Excellent. This book has helped me increase the techniques on congas. Increase and learn more in the same development. Thank you.

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