This course examines the infusion of traditional Afro-Latin and especially Afro-Cuban concepts into contemporary Western music. Upon completion of this book you will have mastered many new skills that will help you become a more accomplished percussionist and, more importantly, a more complete musician. By exploring the role of percussion in traditional Afro-Cuban music, you will understand the important contribution drums make towards a complete musical piece, and that a drum is not merely a rhythmic placeholder but truly a musical instrument worthy of recognition. While this book focuses primarily on hand percussion, its basic principals are also applied to the drum kit. There is no standard notation in this book; rather, the rhythms are illustrated with easily understood charts based on counting out subdivided beats. The companion audio offers examples of all major points.

Acknowledgements
Author's Notes
Course Objectives
Audio CD Directory
Introduction
    Section Objectives
    The Afro-Cuban Effect
    The Fusion
    What Make It Afro-Latin?
    A Little Rice and Beans
    Afro-Cuban musical complexes
    Afro-Cuban Ensembles
    Contemporary Counterparts
        Afro-Cuban Jazz
        Afro-Latin Rock
        Latin Pop
        Mambo
        Rumba
        Songo
    Don't forget the Salsa
    A Recipe for Contemporary Music in America
        The "Spanish tinge"
        She-bop, I-bop, Cubop!
The Dynamics of Rhythm
    Pulse or Downbeat
    Measure and Meter
    Subdividing the Meter
    Time Signature
    Tempo
    Rhythm
    Polyrhythm
Rhythmic concepts
    Mechanical Independence
    The Pulse, Up, & Down Beats
    Music With a Triplet Swing
        Independence Exercises
    Music with a Duple Swing
        Independence Exercises
    More Complex Independence Exercises
    The Clave Concepts
        Clave for Music with a Triplet Subdivision
        Clave for Music with a Duple Subdivision
        Forward (3-2) or Reverse (2-3) Clave
        Special Notes in Clave
    Clave Independence Exercises
        6/8 Clave Exercises
        Rumba Clave Exercises
        Son Clave Exercises
    The Bell Pattern
        Bell Pattern Exercises
    Palitos and Cascara
        Cascara Exercises
Melodic Concepts
    Pitch
    Drum Technique
        Positioning Your Body with the Drum
    Hand Drumming Subtleties
Matrix notation
    Conga and Bongo Drum Strokes
        Timbales Strokes
    Drum Kit Strokes
        Special Symbols
    Learning a New Rhythmic Part
    Subdividing the Matrix Further
    Exercises for Execution
        Single Stroke Exercises Using Progressions
        Single Stroke Exercises for Congo and Bongo
        Single Stroke Exercises for Timbales and Snare Drum
        Double Stroke Exercises Using Progressions
Putting the Pieces Together
    Congas
    Bongos
    Timbales
    Trap Drums or Drum Kit
    Different Rhythms,
        Son Exercises for Conga
        Son Exercises for Bongo
        6/8 Exercises for Conga
        Latin Funk Exercises for Conga
    Get into the Groove
    Improvisational Style
        The "Three-R's" of Soloing
    Stepping up to Solo
        Step One: Change Strokes
        Step Two: Change Hand Positions
        Step Three: Solo Around a Reference Point
        Step Four: Change the Meter
        Step Five: Everything But the Kitchen Sink!
The Meat and Potatoes
    Rule 1: Maintain the Groove
    Rule 2: Play the Arrangements
    Rule 3: Develop "Big Ears"
    More Terminology
        The Abanico
Kyra's Cha-Cha
    Conga Pattern One
    Conga Pattern Two
    Ensemble Break #1 for Congas
    Ensemble Break #2 and #3 for Congas
    Ensemble Break #4 for Congas
    Timbale Pattern 1
    Timbale Pattern 2
    Timbale Pattern 3
    Ensemble Break #1 for Timbales
    Timbales Break
    Ensemble Breaks #2 and 3 for Timbales
    Ensemble Break #4 for Timbales
    Drum Kit Pattern One
    Drum Kit Pattern Two
    Drum Kit Pattern Three
    Bongo Pattern One
    Ensemble Break #1 for Bongos
    Ensemble Breaks #2 and #3 for Bongos
    Ensemble Break #4 for Bongos
    Song Lyrics
Don't Mess with Love
    Conga Pattern One
    Conga Pattern Two
    Conga Pattern Three
    Conga Pattern Four
    Ensemble Break #1 for Congas
    Timbales Pattern One
    Timbales Pattern Two
    Timbales Pattern Three
    Ensemble Break #1 for Timbales
    Drum Kit Pattern One
    Drum Kit Pattern Two
    Ensemble Break #1 for Bongos
    Song Lyrics
Music and Love
    Conga Pattern One
    Conga Pattern Two
    Ensemble Break #1 for Congas
    Ensemble Break #2 for Congas
    Ensemble Break #3 for Congas
    Ensemble Break #4 for Congas
    Ensemble Break #5 for Congas
    Timbales Pattern One
    Timbales Pattern Two
    Ensemble Break #1 for Timbales
    Ensemble Break #2 for Timbales
    Ensemble Break #3 for Timbales
    Ensemble Break #4 for Timbales
    Ensemble Break #5 for Timbales
    Drum Kit Pattern One
    Drum Kit Pattern Two
    Song Lyrics