Order today! Out now on Dafnison Music!

Digital & Paperback
Pages: 153
Chapters: 9

NOTE: This book features 517 Audio Tracks and 517 Video Clips. You will receive a code with your physical copy of the book. In order to download these files, please refer back to this page once you receive the book.

The downloadable audio and video files are in a ZIP folder that is >50GB. Please ensure you have enough hard drive space before downloading. Depending on your internet speed, the ZIP folder may take approximately 30-45 minutes to download.

The digital book is not a downloadable file but is accessed via the Dafnison Music site using a code provided upon purchase.

INTRODUCTION

Dafnis Prieto’s new book WHAT ARE THE ODDS is the third book on his catalog, and it shows not only his passion for rhythm and drumming, but furthermore his commitment to music education at large. This one takes you to a fascinating journey of rhythms and meters. The book features 517 examples, and each of them comes with an audio track and a video clip.

ABOUT THE BOOK

This book gathers some of the rhythms I consider to be fundamental in “Latin Music” and beyond. This is a journey of rhythms and meters, and it is constructed over a collection of selected rhythms from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. 

Each chapter in the book focuses on the development of individual rhythms starting from the most basic variations, in their regular time signature (meter). This is followed by a fascinating trip of meters — expanding and contracting each of those rhythms’ shapes, challenging their own anatomies, creating a new rhythmic journey for each of them.

By the end of this book, you will have a deeper and broader knowledge of playing not only these specific rhythms in different meters, but you will also be able to apply these strategies to other kinds of rhythms. Optimally, you will be able to relate this information to your own music world of sounds and be creative with it. As you get deeper in these examples you can start embellishing them as you like, making your own variations, enriching and stimulating them, creating your own story — making it an uplifting and empowering experience altogether.

I’m aware of the challenges behind the rhythms presented, especially in the areas of “concentration & rhythmic-independence.” But I’m also very aware of its great potential “musically and technically.” After the experience of teaching this material to my students I can say that they have shown a significant level of control, finesse, and fluidity in their playing. A real workout to a greater outcome.

ODD METER NOTE: This book focuses on specific time signatures: 4/4, 12/8, 2/4, 6/8, 3/4, 9/8, 5/4, 15/8, 7/4, 21/8, 9/4, and 27/8, which are the building blocks to any other meter. Most of the examples will be organized by pulses. This way you will have a clear understanding on how these rhythms have been distributed inside the specific number of beats. For example, a 5/4 meter will be organized as: 3 beats + 2 beats, 2 + 3 beats, 2 ½ + 2 ½ beats, or even 4 + 1 beats.