The Commandments of R&B Drumming: A Comprehensive Guide to Soul, Funk and Hip Hop

The Commandments of R&B Drumming is a historical and in-depth study of R&B drumming, from soul to funk to hip-hop, written by world-renowned session & live drummer Zoro (Lenny Kravitz, Bobby Brown, Sean Lennon). Topics include practice tips, developing the funky bass drum and hi-hat, creating and playing with loops, and what are considered the Ten Commandments of Soul, Funk, and Hip-Hop (the top ten recordings from each era).

This book not only pays homage to the R&B drummers of the past, but gives the reader a fortune of invaluable information both in history and playing.

This newly revised 10th anniversary edition features updated information and loads of new photos and album artwork throughout. It includes a play-along CD featuring various styles of R&B, and also includes an R&B history tree. 160 pages covering every imaginable angle, nook, and cranny of R&B! The book was voted the #1 educational drum book in the world by Modern Drummer magazine's Readers Poll and also deemed "a must-have for the soulful drummer," by Traps Magazine.

"Zoro's book is a milestone achievement and the most comprehensive book on the subject of R&B drumming I have ever seen."
-Vinnie Colaiuta

"I consider Zoro's book an essential investment!"
-Dennis Chambers

If you want to learn about R&B drumming, or even R&B in general, Zoro is an excellent teacher. He takes the viewer through the history and evolution of the genre, introduces the notable artists, and demonstrates the key drumming styles. Interviewer Russ Miller does a good job in discussing the subject and engages Zoro in a relaxed, conversational style. The video is also a great companion to Zoro's excellent book of the same title.
Delivering a historical backdrop of R&B that rivals any previoulsy published, the book is perhaps a little short on performance exercises it more than makes up for it with an indepth look at stylistic differences that occured over time in the genre and gives a representaion of development and progress through the 20th and into the 21st century. Again more quantity of different grooves for comparison and practice purposes. Otherwise Z could have easily turned the book and accompanying DVD in as an ethnomusicological grad project and probably recieved an honorary doctorate.
Zoro has an incredible hold on R&B/Soul/Funk/Hip Hop drumming. This DVD is quite useful as it allows one to actually study his playing as opposed to short examples of a point.