All About Hand Percussion: Drum Book & Online Audio

Kalani writes from the perspective of someone who has taught hand percussion to thousands of students across every skill level and musical context. The breadth here is remarkable: history and tuning sit alongside technique and maintenance, and the enhanced CD means students can hear exactly what they're trying to achieve before they try it. This is the kind of reference teachers and serious percussionists return to year after year.

Opening this book feels like sitting down for a master class with someone who genuinely loves the instruments he teaches. The writing is clear and unhurried, the exercises build logically, and the multimedia CD brings the techniques to life in a way that words alone cannot.

Percussionists at any stage looking for reliable, comprehensive coverage of hand percussion fundamentals. Teachers building curriculum around world percussion will find this an authoritative reference that covers both the cultural and technical dimensions of the instruments. Players who own multiple percussion instruments but want organized instruction on care and technique will appreciate the practical maintenance and tuning guidance.

• Study the video demonstrations on the enhanced CD before attempting a new rhythm or technique; watching Kalani's hand position and stroke quality will accelerate your learning far more than reading alone.
• Practice each exercise slowly and deliberately, focusing on the specific technique being taught rather than rushing to tempo.
• Explore the ensemble sections to understand how hand percussion functions in group settings; this knowledge transfers directly to your confidence in rehearsals.

Assign this as a core text in a world percussion ensemble or hand percussion elective; students can work through it at their own pace while using the CD to verify their technique in rehearsal. For directors programming world music concerts, the history and context sections deepen student understanding of the pieces they're performing. Individual percussion students benefit from keeping this on their shelf as a lifelong reference for maintenance and technique refinement.

• Grip, stroke, and muting techniques across multiple hand percussion instruments
• Reading and executing hand percussion notation
• Tuning and maintenance procedures specific to drums, shakers, and frame percussion
• Historical and cultural context for hand percussion traditions
• Ensemble playing and rhythmic interlock in group settings