G7 Bullet 1 – Keep speaking the strokes. When we speak out a repetitious prayer it's not like God needs to simultaneously hear the prayers of millions of people for the stroke of his own ego. No, in fact it's because WE need it that he commands it.
2. By praying throughout the day, often and in a repetitious manner, we learn to maintain God's presence in our daily lives.
3. The alternative: being sucked into the concerns of the worldly, often to the exclusion of God or religious realities.
4. When we learn to speak a rhythm first, it's not for the benefit of the audience that will ultimately hear our performance. They will never hear the speaking of the rhythm that we do in advance of our performance. The speaking of the rhythm is for us, for our own benefit.
2. By praying throughout the day, often and in a repetitious manner, we learn to maintain God's presence in our daily lives.
3. The alternative: being sucked into the concerns of the worldly, often to the exclusion of God or religious realities.
4. When we learn to speak a rhythm first, it's not for the benefit of the audience that will ultimately hear our performance. They will never hear the speaking of the rhythm that we do in advance of our performance. The speaking of the rhythm is for us, for our own benefit.
5. As we have learned in prior lessons, if we can speak it we can play it.
6. Someone could quite possibly stumble into Puerto Rican Bomba, pull up the YOU practice sheet and be utterly confused."What are all of these symbols and letters here?" They might ask. "What language is the instructor speaking here?" "How do I make any sense of all of this?"
7. Granted, I have now placed seven patterns from seven different lessons on one page and for anyone brave enough to start at Puerto Rican Bomba, which I don't recommend by the way, the material indeed will look quite intimidating, jumbled and and perhaps even nonsensical.
8. This is exactly where "speaking the rhythm" cuts through the clutter. Watch the movie below, observing how the rhythm is first spoken before any hand demonstrations occur. Next, go to the YOU practice sheet, find the lesson number of interest, and immediately go to the bottom of the practice box. I've spelled out the way each stroke is to be spoken out.
6. Someone could quite possibly stumble into Puerto Rican Bomba, pull up the YOU practice sheet and be utterly confused."What are all of these symbols and letters here?" They might ask. "What language is the instructor speaking here?" "How do I make any sense of all of this?"
7. Granted, I have now placed seven patterns from seven different lessons on one page and for anyone brave enough to start at Puerto Rican Bomba, which I don't recommend by the way, the material indeed will look quite intimidating, jumbled and and perhaps even nonsensical.
8. This is exactly where "speaking the rhythm" cuts through the clutter. Watch the movie below, observing how the rhythm is first spoken before any hand demonstrations occur. Next, go to the YOU practice sheet, find the lesson number of interest, and immediately go to the bottom of the practice box. I've spelled out the way each stroke is to be spoken out.
9. Because Puerto Rican Bomba contains a two measure pattern, the Bomba low drum parts, there are two different teaching boxes. It just so happens I did not place them consecutively, one to follow the other, and that's okay, each one can be learned and played to stand on its own. Have you found both Puerto Rican Bomba teaching boxes? Good. Now practice speaking each one before going to the table and playing them with your own hands. Part one of the low Bomba is spoken: Pa Du DuDu. Part two of the low Bomba is spoken: Pa DuDuDuDu. Recall the "Pa" stroke is a "slap" and the "Du" stroke is an "open." See the The Big Calypso and Existence and Middle Calypso and Middle Earth movies to review your slap and open stroke for the table top.
G7 Bullet 2 – Limit your strokes; temperance. When you see the term "on beat" in four, the numbered beats 1, 2, 3, and 4 are being referenced. When you see the term "off beat" in four, the AND's of each of the numbered beats (+) are being referenced. You'll see these numerals and symbols in the teaching boxes contained in the YOU practice sheets.
11. Notice the space in the Bomba low drum parts. Yes! Breathing room.
12. Sometimes, what IS NOT said is equally or more important than what IS said. Just like in a real conversation with other people, it can be more difficult to say less, to keep quiet, especially when we are just itching to express ourselves and our own opinions.
13. Rather than us doing all the talking, some of the best prayers can be those made before the Blessed Sacrament, just listening in silence to our Lord's will for us.
14. A common mistake of many beginning drummers is to pick up an instrument and to "machine gun" away on it. This too, just like a domineering conversationalist, will surely annoy other drummers, musicians and casual observers within ear-shot of your vicinity.
15. One must form oneself if one hopes to be an interesting conversationalist or hand drummer alike. And part of this formation is the art of brevity and discretion. Well-placed tones and rests are the objective.
11. Notice the space in the Bomba low drum parts. Yes! Breathing room.
12. Sometimes, what IS NOT said is equally or more important than what IS said. Just like in a real conversation with other people, it can be more difficult to say less, to keep quiet, especially when we are just itching to express ourselves and our own opinions.
13. Rather than us doing all the talking, some of the best prayers can be those made before the Blessed Sacrament, just listening in silence to our Lord's will for us.
14. A common mistake of many beginning drummers is to pick up an instrument and to "machine gun" away on it. This too, just like a domineering conversationalist, will surely annoy other drummers, musicians and casual observers within ear-shot of your vicinity.
15. One must form oneself if one hopes to be an interesting conversationalist or hand drummer alike. And part of this formation is the art of brevity and discretion. Well-placed tones and rests are the objective.
G7 Bullets 3 – 5, Learn the Rhythm - The Bomba Low Drum Part. Puerto Rican Bomba
SPEAK THE RHYTHM: (1) Pa Du Du Du (2) Pa Du Du Du Du
G7 Bullet 6 – Topic A3, Chew On It. God Approaches Us Men: The "Big Reveal." Why did God have to show himself in order for us to be able to know what he is like? (YOUCAT # 7).
18. You've got to take this question personally - here's why. If indeed it's all true as generation after generation after generation have declared, go ahead then and give it better than a 50-50 chance, choosing today to believe God has indeed revealed himself, meaning you and I (your brother), have been instructed in both the Old Testament: “Only take heed, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children—" (Deuteronomy 4:9) and the New Testament: "Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19).
19. We have received our marching orders. We have had something both majestic and noble revealed to us, clearly something awe-inspiring, something that has survived and come to us through the ages, and now, WE are being called to carry the baton forward, to spread the Gospel, to speak the truths of this good news to others, to REVEAL.
20. There was a time in my life where I couldn't be sure God had showed himself at all. I had personally projected this idea of how God, as spirit, should and would "act" – and since I didn't find these self-projected acts of God anywhere in my life, I started to live as if God didn't exist or at most, he probably didn't care how I lived my life.
21. Yet when things would go wrong in my life I would scream at God, he would always get the blame – he was the stoic taskmaster, the "payback" God, the unforgiving accountant of all the bad things I had ever done, and consequently, the great punisher. Everything Father Robert Spitzer has said God is not, I thought God really was.
22. In reality, through sin, I had lost my memory and knowledge of this loving Savior, Jesus Christ and thus, any will to form and deepen my relationship with God.
21. Yet when things would go wrong in my life I would scream at God, he would always get the blame – he was the stoic taskmaster, the "payback" God, the unforgiving accountant of all the bad things I had ever done, and consequently, the great punisher. Everything Father Robert Spitzer has said God is not, I thought God really was.
22. In reality, through sin, I had lost my memory and knowledge of this loving Savior, Jesus Christ and thus, any will to form and deepen my relationship with God.
23. "Christ the new Adam, in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of his love, fully reveals man to himself and brings to light his most high calling." -Gaudium et Spes, 22: AAS 58 (1966), 1042.
24. We are to become like Christ - "predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren" (Rom 8:29).
24. We are to become like Christ - "predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren" (Rom 8:29).
25. But blaming God, is in fact, in itself - a weak form of faith, small as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20), certainly not the preferred, joyful way to live a Christian life- but faith, none-the-less!
26. "Jesus uses different images to teach us that the path that leads to life, to holiness, consists in the full development of the spiritual life. He speaks of the tiny mustard seed which grows into a great tree; in its branches the birds of the air come to rest. He speaks of the grain of wheat which reaches maturity and produces rich ears of fruit… That growth, not without its difficulties and sometimes seeming so slow, is in fact the increase of virtue (those good habits acquired through the repetition of good acts, with the help of grace)...[S]o as to grow in the human and supernatural virtues, as well as in grace, we need to make a personal effort to develop the practice of these virtues in our everyday lives until we acquire authentic habits, and not only the appearance of virtue. The façade appears full of strength and resilience. But how much softness and lack of willpower there is within! You must hold to your determination not to let your virtues become fancy dress but clothes that define your character." -St. Josemaria Escriva, Furrow, 777, In Conversation with God, Volume Two, Francis Fernandez
26. "Jesus uses different images to teach us that the path that leads to life, to holiness, consists in the full development of the spiritual life. He speaks of the tiny mustard seed which grows into a great tree; in its branches the birds of the air come to rest. He speaks of the grain of wheat which reaches maturity and produces rich ears of fruit… That growth, not without its difficulties and sometimes seeming so slow, is in fact the increase of virtue (those good habits acquired through the repetition of good acts, with the help of grace)...[S]o as to grow in the human and supernatural virtues, as well as in grace, we need to make a personal effort to develop the practice of these virtues in our everyday lives until we acquire authentic habits, and not only the appearance of virtue. The façade appears full of strength and resilience. But how much softness and lack of willpower there is within! You must hold to your determination not to let your virtues become fancy dress but clothes that define your character." -St. Josemaria Escriva, Furrow, 777, In Conversation with God, Volume Two, Francis Fernandez
27. I could've just stopped sinning, repented, and made reparations, mending my ways, and God would have manifested himself in my life much sooner. It happens all the time to others, there's many ways He can accomplish this; certainly not limited to my ideas of how he should "act."
28. It's a miracle that you and I were born in the first place, that you and I now get to walk this great, beautiful, planet in some semblance of awareness. That breath you just took right now – it's a miracle too, the fact that the sun doesn't just simply burn out like a coal in your charcoal grill, that's an even greater miracle. I simply can't take things like these for granted any longer. How can I know? By exploring faith and reason alike; studying within a mindset of faith and reason have revealed truths I had been ignoring.
28. It's a miracle that you and I were born in the first place, that you and I now get to walk this great, beautiful, planet in some semblance of awareness. That breath you just took right now – it's a miracle too, the fact that the sun doesn't just simply burn out like a coal in your charcoal grill, that's an even greater miracle. I simply can't take things like these for granted any longer. How can I know? By exploring faith and reason alike; studying within a mindset of faith and reason have revealed truths I had been ignoring.
29. In the movie "God's Not Dead" (2014), the protagonist, a talented freshman college student, a Christian, refuses to sign the requisite class statement "God is dead" and is permitted to instruct his indifferent classmates and atheist philosophy professor factual scientific research proving man can know, by reason alone, God exists. Just the scientific facts!
30. Ok, the contemporary physicist, Dr. Stephen M. Barr does it superbly in his book "Modern Physics and Ancient Faith. "It is the mission of modern-day apologists and scholars alike "in the plethora of words, to make the essential words heard" said Pope Benedict XVI.
31. Maybe St. Edith Stein (1891-1942, Jewish Christian, philosopher, and Carmelite nun, concentration camp victim), said it the best when she wrote "All that is said about God presupposes something said by God."
30. Ok, the contemporary physicist, Dr. Stephen M. Barr does it superbly in his book "Modern Physics and Ancient Faith. "It is the mission of modern-day apologists and scholars alike "in the plethora of words, to make the essential words heard" said Pope Benedict XVI.
31. Maybe St. Edith Stein (1891-1942, Jewish Christian, philosopher, and Carmelite nun, concentration camp victim), said it the best when she wrote "All that is said about God presupposes something said by God."
32. And so God, in the fullness of time (Ephesians 1:9), became man: Jesus Christ, God and man, divine and human -becoming one of us to REVEAL certain truths.
33. God could've chose any number of ways to obtain his will - to tell us about himself; but he chose divine revelation to speak to us; by humbling himself and taking on our human form, by becoming one of us.
34. And this is where faith comes in: believing both the early, oral Christian traditions immediately following the death of Christ and this collections of new books, known as the books of the New Testament, written sometime later by eyewitnesses and inspired followers of the Christian traditions.
35. Books that were meant to be passed on, books revealing to us a Creator, a Father, the Son of God, the Holy Spirit, and ourselves - now children of God. These are the traditions followed by men and women alike, writings by men inspired by the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and men and women alike going to their deaths for these God given traditions, writings, and fundamental truths.
36. All this so that they may now rest with you and me some 2000 years later. And so the call comes to us as it did to those in the past.
37. How will we answer?
34. And this is where faith comes in: believing both the early, oral Christian traditions immediately following the death of Christ and this collections of new books, known as the books of the New Testament, written sometime later by eyewitnesses and inspired followers of the Christian traditions.
35. Books that were meant to be passed on, books revealing to us a Creator, a Father, the Son of God, the Holy Spirit, and ourselves - now children of God. These are the traditions followed by men and women alike, writings by men inspired by the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and men and women alike going to their deaths for these God given traditions, writings, and fundamental truths.
36. All this so that they may now rest with you and me some 2000 years later. And so the call comes to us as it did to those in the past.
37. How will we answer?
38. The words "reveal" and "revelation" are related. Are you really understanding these words? Probably not if you believe Christ's gospel to be relevant only 2000 years ago but not today.
39. You're probably making things too easy on yourself just like I did.
40. Offering just a little work, through a bit of YOUCAT research, I can list 4, of many more, doctrines that have been revealed through Christ:
39. You're probably making things too easy on yourself just like I did.
40. Offering just a little work, through a bit of YOUCAT research, I can list 4, of many more, doctrines that have been revealed through Christ:
- The role man plays in God's providence (YOUCAT #50),
- Why an all knowing and all-powerful God does not prevent evil (YOUCAT #51),
- There is heaven (YOUCAT #52) and
- There is hell (YOUCAT #53).
42. By showing Himself we know God has given each living person unique talents. Trust me - you have yours too, as does the homeless man down on his luck, as does the person stricken with disabilities since birth. Some are grand talents, most are ordinary talents – but talents they are, unique talents, God-given talents.
43. Talents are given to the good and sinful alike. The difference, Christians choose and then commit to use their talents to serve Christ's kingdom; modern-day disciples whom now hold and run the baton onward from Christian generations past. We are being called, you and me, to come run this victory race, shouting out along the way: "join us - the battle's already won - let our hope in life everlasting be enlivened!"
43. Talents are given to the good and sinful alike. The difference, Christians choose and then commit to use their talents to serve Christ's kingdom; modern-day disciples whom now hold and run the baton onward from Christian generations past. We are being called, you and me, to come run this victory race, shouting out along the way: "join us - the battle's already won - let our hope in life everlasting be enlivened!"
44. Notice the YouTube conga soloist about midway in the Gray Level Syllabus: Giovanni Hidalgo, master conguero. Considered one of the best conga players in the world, Mr. Hidalgo, from the country of Puerto Rico, has properly formed his talent, technique and playing style over the course of many years with many hours of arduous practice I'm certain. During his entertaining YouTube solo, he takes the creative license to rip "machine gun" like sections into the solo but notice also how he uses well-positioned rests and slower tempos to create interest and variety.
45. Many musicians will agree that it takes more skill to play slower pieces with notes surrounded by rests; many of the notes occurring on the "off-beat." If because of the rests you struggle with this Bomba low drum part, don't worry - however, do try to master it the best you can.
46. In an upcoming lesson we will add a technique called"ghost notes" to make this an even easier pattern to play all the while avoiding an, overly busy, "machine gun" effect, that unless you've risen to the ranks of Mr. Hidalgo, just isn't going to cut it.
46. In an upcoming lesson we will add a technique called"ghost notes" to make this an even easier pattern to play all the while avoiding an, overly busy, "machine gun" effect, that unless you've risen to the ranks of Mr. Hidalgo, just isn't going to cut it.
G7 Bullet 7 - YOU Practice Lesson G7. If you want measurable results - try to practice both your faith and drumming at least 30 minutes a day.
a.) Playing simple rhythms on a daily basis can be similar in repetition to (but never used in place of) a prayer routine like morning prayer, done first thing, right after your morning alarm sounds.
b.) Spend 15 to 30 minutes with your morning coffee, daily bible readings, and a good "virtue building" book. I just received "Unearthing Your Ten Talents: A Thomistic Guide to Spiritual Growth" by Kevin Vost, PSY.D. So far so good, it's written in clear language (essential quality for me given the word 'Thomistic' appears in the title of the book); this one is going to be a great, virtue building book for my own personal formation and growth and I hope yours too.
c.) Practice perfects the one undergoing the repetitious movement; either naturally or supernaturally.
d.) Answered prayers are reminders of God's supernatural order present in our very own lives. The Church teaches the fruitful value of a sound prayer life; my family and I can give personal testimony to the effectiveness of daily prayer. Practice makes perfect!
a.) Playing simple rhythms on a daily basis can be similar in repetition to (but never used in place of) a prayer routine like morning prayer, done first thing, right after your morning alarm sounds.
b.) Spend 15 to 30 minutes with your morning coffee, daily bible readings, and a good "virtue building" book. I just received "Unearthing Your Ten Talents: A Thomistic Guide to Spiritual Growth" by Kevin Vost, PSY.D. So far so good, it's written in clear language (essential quality for me given the word 'Thomistic' appears in the title of the book); this one is going to be a great, virtue building book for my own personal formation and growth and I hope yours too.
c.) Practice perfects the one undergoing the repetitious movement; either naturally or supernaturally.
d.) Answered prayers are reminders of God's supernatural order present in our very own lives. The Church teaches the fruitful value of a sound prayer life; my family and I can give personal testimony to the effectiveness of daily prayer. Practice makes perfect!
G7 Bullet 8 - Table Task: Learn. Make a goal today to never stop learning. Learning involves asking questions.
a.) Ask another musician to help you today to understand something about music that you find challenging.
b.) Strive to overcome your difficulties, your frailties, your defects -in all areas of your life.
c.) Is there some aspect of your faith that causes you difficulty? Ask another person - your priest, your deacon, parents, teacher, a Catholic blogger, or other creature - such as your guardian angel, to help reveal what it is that is currently confusing you.
d.) Wisely and prudently use the Internet to find additional learning resources in all honest and moral subject matter. This should include locating great books for your personal spiritual formation.
49. In between all of this busyness, to clear your mind, have a little fun in learning to play the world rhythm patterns I am posting in these lessons. You'll surprise yourself on how the rhythm patterns, persistently practiced over short periods of time, will work to clear your thinking and ability to articulate complex matters of any sort. Then, back to work on becoming a saint: learning more virtues, learning how to better correspond to grace, and learning to make daily prayer an absolute necessity. Be patient and persistent in discovering answers to all of your questions and prayers.
50. "St. John Chrysostom urges us to struggle in our interior life like little children at school. First, says the saint, they learn the shape of the letters. Then they begin to distinguish the strokes; and thus, step-by-step, they learn to read. If we divide up the virtues into different parts, we can learn first, for example, not to speak badly of people. Then, passing to another letter, we can learn not to envy anybody: we can learn never under any circumstances to be a slave to the body: we can learn not to give way to gluttony. Passing on from there to the spiritual letters, we shall study continence, mortification of the senses, chastity, justice, and scorn for vainglory. We should try to be modest and of contrite heart. Let us link virtues together and write them on our souls. We have to do all of this in our own home, with our friends, with our wives, with our children. - St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Psalms, 11:8, In Conversation with God, Volume Two, by Francis Fernandez.
a.) Ask another musician to help you today to understand something about music that you find challenging.
b.) Strive to overcome your difficulties, your frailties, your defects -in all areas of your life.
c.) Is there some aspect of your faith that causes you difficulty? Ask another person - your priest, your deacon, parents, teacher, a Catholic blogger, or other creature - such as your guardian angel, to help reveal what it is that is currently confusing you.
d.) Wisely and prudently use the Internet to find additional learning resources in all honest and moral subject matter. This should include locating great books for your personal spiritual formation.
49. In between all of this busyness, to clear your mind, have a little fun in learning to play the world rhythm patterns I am posting in these lessons. You'll surprise yourself on how the rhythm patterns, persistently practiced over short periods of time, will work to clear your thinking and ability to articulate complex matters of any sort. Then, back to work on becoming a saint: learning more virtues, learning how to better correspond to grace, and learning to make daily prayer an absolute necessity. Be patient and persistent in discovering answers to all of your questions and prayers.
50. "St. John Chrysostom urges us to struggle in our interior life like little children at school. First, says the saint, they learn the shape of the letters. Then they begin to distinguish the strokes; and thus, step-by-step, they learn to read. If we divide up the virtues into different parts, we can learn first, for example, not to speak badly of people. Then, passing to another letter, we can learn not to envy anybody: we can learn never under any circumstances to be a slave to the body: we can learn not to give way to gluttony. Passing on from there to the spiritual letters, we shall study continence, mortification of the senses, chastity, justice, and scorn for vainglory. We should try to be modest and of contrite heart. Let us link virtues together and write them on our souls. We have to do all of this in our own home, with our friends, with our wives, with our children. - St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Psalms, 11:8, In Conversation with God, Volume Two, by Francis Fernandez.
G7 Bullet 10 – Counting (1) handout: study it.
Gray Level Syllabus
"Time For The Table" The Way and Means
Gray Level Syllabus
