Gray Level Syllabus

Gray Level Syllabus

The Big Calypso and Existence:  

• What do hand drumming lessons and finding more faith have in common? The table. For the most part, we’ll play and study both on the table. 
• Hand drumming & finding faith: then and now. Start subscribing to your YouTube “favorites.”
• Playing position on a tabletop surface. 
• Hand care.
• Bass, open and touch: notation and strokes.
• Learn the Rhythm: Calypso high drum part. (YouTube G1: The Big Calypso and Existence.)
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM:  Du Du...Du Du...Du Du...Du Du...Du Du...Du Du...Du Du
• Time for the Table: Why are we here? 
• When playing patterns - work both hands; start with your dominant hand then switch hands.
• Sound Check: Topic A1 - Why We Are Able to Believe: Existence. 
• YOU Practice Lesson G1.
• Table Task: Remember. 
• Basic Notation (1) handout: study it.

Middle Calypso and Middle Earth

• Review, bass, open, and touch stroke.
• Closed slap and heel-toe: notation and strokes.
• Learn to “speak” the strokes first.
• Learn the Rhythm: Calypso middle drum part. (YouTube G2: Middle Calypso and Middle Earth.)
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM: Du te re Du Du te re te...Du te re Du Du te re te...
• Time for the Table: Why did God create us? 
• Work both hands. 
• Chew on It.  Topic A1: Why We Are Able to Believe: Existence. 
• Tradition and Word.  Topic A1: Why We Are Able to Believe: Existence. 
• YOU Practice Lesson G2.
• Table Task: Surrender. 
• Basic Notation (1) handout: study it.
• Counting (1) handout: study it.

My First Son Clave:

• Review speaking the strokes.
• Learn the Rhythm: Son clave. 
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM: Du Ge re Du Ge re Du re te re Du Ge re Du Ge re... 
• Time for the Table: Why do we seek God? (YouTube G3: My First Son Clave.) 
• Work both hands. 
• Sound Check: Topic A2 - Man Is Receptive to God: Cravings, Desires, and Lattes. 
• YOU Practice Lesson G3.
• Table Task: Notice.  
• Basic Notation (1) handout: study it.
• Counting (1) handout: study it.

The Two-Slap Tumbao:

• Forming or joining a YOUCAT study group at YOUCAT.org.
• Finding the “one” and counting, counting when you play.
• Clap on "one" exercise.
• Whole, half, and quarter notes and rest.
• Learn the Rhythm: Tumbao. (YouTube G4: The Two-Slap Tumbao.) 
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM: te re Pa Pa te re Du Du...te re Pa Pa te re Du Du
• Time for the Table: Why do we yearn for happiness? 
• Work both hands. 
• Chew on It.  Topic A2 - Man Is Receptive to God: Cravings, Desires, and Lattes
• Assignment 1.
• YOU Practice Lesson G4.
• Table Task: Thank. 
• Basic Notation (1) and (2) handouts: study them.
• Counting (1) handout: study it.

Rumba for Two:

• Eighth note beats and rests.
• Everybody’s got a pulse.
• Dance grooves.
• Time signatures in music.
• Learn the Rhythm: Rumba & Heel-toe pattern. (YouTube G5: Rumba for Two.) 
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM: Ge   Ge   Du   ge re ge re ge re ge re...  
• Time for the Table: What is eternal happiness? 
• Work both hands. 
• Tradition and Word. Topic A2: Man Is Receptive to God: Cravings, Desires, and Lattes. 
• YOU Practice Lesson G5.
• Table Task: Ask and Seek.
• Basic Notation (1) and (2) handouts: study them.
• Counting (1) handout: study it.

"One" for the Pocket; the Tumbao:

• Tapping your foot.
• Time keeping devices; the metronome.
• Four Beats and Four Pillars.
• Learn the Rhythm:  More Tumbao variations because it’s highly versatile in many settings. (YouTube G6: “One” for the Pocket; the Tumbao.)
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM: ge re Pa te ge re Du Du...ge re Pa te ge re Du Du
• Time for the Table:  Why do people deny that God exists, if they can know him by reason? 
• Work both hands. 
• Sound Check: Topic A3: God Approaches Us Men: The “Big Reveal.”
• YOU Practice: Rhythm Sheet, G6.
• Table Task: Pray. 
• Basic Notation (1) and (2) handouts: study them.
• Counting (1) handout: study it.

Puerto Rican Bomba:

• Keep speaking the strokes.
• Limit your strokes; temperance.
• Learn the Rhythm. The Bomba low drum part, 1st and 2nd half. (YouTube G7: Puerto Rican Bomba.)
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM: (1) Pa   Du   Du Du (2) Pa   Du Du Du Du
• Time for the Table:  Why did God have to show himself in order for us to be able to know what he is like? 
• Work both hands. 
• Chew on It. Topic A3: God Approaches Us Men: The “Big Reveal.” 
• Speaking of Puerto Rico, meet one of their own, Giovanni Hidalgo: Master Conguero: –the YouTube videos are astonishing.  Subscribe to a few.
• YOU Practice: Rhythm Sheet (1), G7.
• Table Task: Learn.
• Basic Notation (1) and (2) handouts: study them.
• Counting (1) handout: study it.

 

Drum and Bass: 

• Getting to the next level; practice.
• Fill in the empty beats with touch, but don’t touch too much!
• Drumset adaptation for hand drum.
• Cut-time/Back beat handout.
• Learn the Rhythm. Drumset groove. (YouTube G8: Drum and Bass.) 
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM: Ge te re te Pa te re te Ge te re te Pa Pa Du Du....
• Time for the Table:  What does God show us about himself when he sends his Son to us? 
• Work both hands. 
• Tradition and Word.  Topic A3: God Approaches Us Men: The “Big Reveal.”  
• YOU Practice: Rhythm Sheet (2) and (3 cut-time), G8.
• Table Task: Decide.
• Basic Notation (1) and (2) handouts: study them.
• Counting (1) and (2) handouts: study them.

What's Going On:  

• Continue to count out loud.
• Learn the Rhythm.  Quiet Storm. (YouTube G9: What’s Going On.)
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM: Du n Du n Pat e re Du n Du n Du Pat e te re...
• Time for the Table: How can we can know when God speaks to us? How do we respond? 
• Work both hands.
• Sound Check: Topic A4: Man Responds to God: Believing.
• YOU Practice: Rhythm Sheet (2), and (3 cut-time), G9.
• Table Task: Think and Pray.
• Basic Notation (1) and (2) handouts: study them.
• Counting (1) handout: study it.

Calypso All Grown Up:  

• The fun of combining patterns.
• Visualize yourself playing the pattern correctly.
• Learn the Rhythm. Extended Calypso. (YouTube G10: Calypso All Grown Up.)
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM: Du te re Du Du re te re te Du te Du Du Du te re...
• Time for the Table: What is Faith? 
• Work both hands. 
• Chew on It. Topic A4:  Man Responds to God: Believing. 
• YOU Practice: Rhythm Sheet (2), G10.
• Table Task: Learn.
• Basic Notation (1) and (2) handouts: study them.
• Counting (1) handout: study it.

Bomba All Grown Up:

• On and off beats; hand assignments.
• Learn the Rhythm. Extended Bomba. (YouTube G11: Bomba All Grown Up.)
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM: Pat te re Du n Du Du te Pat te re Du Du Du Du te...
• Time for the Table: How does one go about believing? 
• Work both hands. 
• Tradition and Word.  Topic A4: Man Responds to God: Believing.  
• YOU Practice: Rhythm Sheet (2), G11.
• Table Task: Believe.
• Basic Notation (1) and (2) handouts: study them.
• Counting (1) handout: study it.

West Texas Bolero: 

• Enough is a muff; the muff stroke.
• Learn the Rhythm. Bolero. (YouTube G12: West Texas Bolero.)
• SPEAK THE RHYTHM: Ge te Pa te Ge Du Du Du Ge tripleA ta ta Ge Du Du Du... 
• Time for the Table: With Jesus Christ, has everything been said, or does revelation continue even after him? 
• Work both hands. 
• Keeping the Conversation.  Topic A3: God Approaches Us Men: The “Big Reveal.”
• YOU Practice: Rhythm Sheet (2), G12.
• Table Task: Persevere. 
• Basic Notation (1) and (2) handouts: study them.
• Counting (1) handout: study it.

Back to "Time For The Table" THE WAY AND MEANS

Selected Reference Material for Gray Level Course:

1. Pattloch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, YOUCAT-English, (Munich, Germany), (San Francisco, CA, USA: Ignatius Press, 2011), 12-26
2. Jack Kersting, Mark Brumley, Paul George, and Vivian Dudro, YOUCAT Study Guide (San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 2013), 3-10
3. Alan Dworsky and Betsy Sansby, Conga Drumming: A Beginner’s Guide To Playing With Time (Minneapolis, MN, Dancing Hands Music, 1994), 24-41
4. Alan Dworsky and Betsy Sansby, Hip Grooves for Hand Drums: How to Play Funk, Rock & World-Beat Patterns on Any Drum (Minnetonka, MN, Dancing Hands Music, 2001), 27-28
5. Gary Hess, Encyclopedia of Reading Rhythms: Text and Workbook for All Instruments (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1997), 4-15

Time for the Table 2013 by Gary Geraci

Author’s note [updated 4/18/2026]: All but 3 of the original 12, Time for the Table movies have been lost. I will do my best to restore the surviving movies soon. Though I poured lots of time and love into those 12 movies, the production quality was humble and the number of views over the years was meager. Consequently, I will not be recreating the lost movies. My apologies.

“Link” Expiration: a fact of life

In this effort, I work only for the Lord. I do the best I can with the limited time and resources available to keep the links here fresh. Yet, over time, links expire, as do their human authors (the probability of expiration of both human authors and readers is still 100%: study “the Four Last Things” now!). So, I’ve decided to remove all but a few hyperlinks. Regular or chance readers of this content now have the luxury of accessing sophisticated search and artificial intelligence (AI) engines (thank you God!) to delve deeper into the meaning of an author’s experience in his or her particular period of writing.  Yet, should you still come to a broken link, for further enlightenment, use the available tools to get even more out of these writings. Thank you, dearest reader, and please keep me in your prayers. Eternally yours, Gary! [Updated 4/18/2026]