Ultimate Realistic Rock: Book & 2 CDs

This book is outstandingly well-compiled, and is especially excellent for the beginning drummer. Even for an intermediate player, these beats are worthy to know.
The page formats are inviting to the reader, and are easy to follow, to boot. The excersizes methodically become more difficult, and their layouts are set in a way that encourages rapid development. Included are two audio disks, that are very useful for the audio for drummers that learn by the ear. Hearing the music really helps a drummer get a feel for how a piece is supposed to go. This book will have you master, there's no other way to say it, COOL rhythms in no time, and with no hassle at all (impress your friends!)! I'm teaching myself, am making quick progress, and have had no problems. Feel free to ask me about this product!
Not to mention, this book was rated the 11th best drum book according to the Modern Drummer magazine of '93. ^_^

Mr. Appice's book has certainly been around for a long time has been used by many teachers (including myself). The biggest drawback of this book is the choice to layout the exercises in a format where each instrument has it's own line rather than using a traditional five line staff. The probelems are these:

1) While the initial exercises are fairly easy to read, later in the book when the toms begin to be incorporated it actually becomes more confusing than traditional notation would be.

2) The use of a non standard staff reinforces the notion that percussion instruments are not to be taken seriously, and that drummers don't really need to learn to read.

3) Someone who begins in this book with no prior experience will have a hard time moving to other texts which do use traditional notation.

4) Someone with previous experience and with properly taught reading skills tend to find the non-standard format annoying if not confusing.

This course will keep me busy for a long time! There's lots of great matereal, and the exercises are awesome! Really a great way to tune up drumming skills! I also recommend the companion video for the book, it helps clear up some of the hardest rhythms... This book isn't for those seeking higher wisdom of drum theory, but if you are ready to pick up your drum sticks and rock the house, this course will show you how.

I began this book when I first began to play drums almost 20 years ago. Now, I use this book to teach all of my students. It presents drumming in an easy to read format, including explanations of rhythms, how each note divides into another, a 3 line staff - one each for HiHat/Cymbal, Snare drum and Bass drum, and CD's so that the student can either play along or always have a model in which to listen.

I highly recommend this book for any drum teacher looking to give their student a good workbook that will strengthen not only their reading ability but their dexterity as well.

A new section that wasn't included when I learned out of the book is a section for odd time signatures and how they can be creatively manipulated. Very helpful.

Honestly, if you want to rock- you buy this book.
This is the greatest drum book I own, I go to it all the time- it has everything here! I remember when I first bought it, I ran to my room and learned how to drum with it. Hours and hours. It taught me 8th notes, 16th notes, syncopation, shuffles, different time signatures, polyrhythms...This book was my teacher. If I got really stuck on something I would talk to someone. By learning from this book it puts you way ahead of the game. This book is absolutely
a MUST have. One thing I have come to realize is how valuable it is at getting your foot stronger. There are some really hard and challenging grooves to coordinate. This book breaks things down and simplifies them. You will rock with this book! Thank you Carmine! I consider you my teacher!

I figured this book was perfect for me to expand on my very basic drum ability. However, after recieving it and reading the first exercise I can't understand how this book could possbily be good for beginners. It appears that you at least must have a basic working knowledge of music terminology and know how to read music. There are no basic explanations of what the terminology means and most of the book is tablature which requires one to be able to read music. The CD's are kind of cool and I could see where one could practice along to them and pick up a few basics, but apart from the first few exercises I dont understand most of what is being played. I could see where this book could be good for people who are close to the intermediate range or have some knowledge of how to read music, but the book offers people like me very little help.

I am primarily a jazz/latin-style drummer. I've been playing and teaching for 40+ years. I recently started to practice open technique (LH ride on hi-hat). The Chapin, Riley, et.al books were a little too complicated to get started. I did all the Stone Stick Control variations, but that only went so far. So I ordered this book and have been delighted. Not only did it provide me with graduated patterns but presented me with some new ideas and technique challenges. The CD included does provide a modicum of assistance. Not all exercises are recorded and the sound quality is lacking. This is a method book every serious drummer (regardless of level) should have in their library and spent some time going through.

For teaching drumset, this is the method I love. The book teaches reading and counting by way of many different beats/grooves in simple 1 and 2 measure phrases. If you do the different variations for each beat as described in the front of the book your coordination will go through the roof!

I still like to use Haskell Harr for rudimental teaching. Using them both together gives students the best of both worlds.

I highly recommend this book. (And for the younger students, get the one written for younger kids).

The only negative thing about this book is that they didn't make each exercise a seperate CD track so some of them are hard to locate. If they did that, it would be perfect!

This book is great for beginner and intermediate drummers. My husband, who's also a drummer, bought this book for me when i started playing. I found it very hard at first, but moved back to it after playing through MelBay's "teach yourself drums" which was much more user friendly for the raw beginner, especially in the fills section. This book has so much material and covers all the essentials like the James Brown beat and cool variations. There are 16 bar longer practices after the one line exercises, I think it's a cool format and the longer sections. This book helped me to advance a lot and I only completed a portion.

This book is not the way to go if you've never played drums before or know little about how to make your way around a kit, don't read drum music or don't know how to count beats/understand time signatures. If you are an absolute beginner, I would highly recommend you start out with a real life lesson or at least find a place (website or book) to learn some basic rock beats using 4/4 time and learn how it all looks written out properly.

For a more intermediate player, this book is a great tool to use to brush up on some troublesome areas of your playing. I found that it was a great supplement to those times when I was just hitting a wall with my creativity. The book offers some good lessons in odd time signatures, fills and double bass playing. Each lesson gives a few bars of examples which increase in complexity until it ultimately leads to big, multi-bar exercise at the end of each unit which ties it all nicely together.

For beginners - try elsewhere first and come back to this one later.

For intermediate and experienced players - go for it! It's a good one.