John Yost Teaches: West African Rhythms / Instructional Djembe and Dundun DVD Video

Starring:John Yost
Director: Alejo Balingit
Studio: Hands in Motion Productions
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
This very popular DVD have benefited students as well as teachers who wished to learn West African rhythms. This DVD can be viewed on your television using a DVD player or on a computer with a DVD drive.

With this DVD you can instantly access ANY of the parts you want to practice. Searching the VHS tape is eliminated and is a thing of the past!

John Yost has studied in West Africa and U.S. djembe and dunun with the following Master drummers: M'Bemba Bangoura, Madou Dembele, Yaya Kabo, Gbongworo Keita, Mamady Keita, Famoudou Konate, Ibro Konate , Michael Markus, Paulo Mattioli, and Babtunde Olatunji.

Japanese Taiko drumming in Japan and the U.S. with members of Kodo including: Yoshikazu Fujimoto, Eichi Saito, Leonard Eto, as well as with Miyauchi Sensei, Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, Master Ukichi Takano etc.

Description

This very popular DVD have benefited students as well as teachers who wished to learn West African rhythms. This DVD can be viewed on your television using a DVD player or on a computer with a DVD drive.

With this DVD you can instantly access ANY of the parts you want to practice. Searching the VHS tape is eliminated and is a thing of the past!

Drum Circle Facilitation Training in Hawaii with Arthur Hull , 1994 , Mentor Program in 2002, as well as various weekend trainings.

Customer Reviews:

Not worth the money and strange.......2007-03-16

Although the video is well recorded and has excellent sound, I found the video to have little value beyond the rhythm notation that I can already find for free on the internet. There is no verbal instruction or description of techniques used to produce the bass, tone, and slap on a djembe. The examples are good, but strangely there are no ensembles that combine the djembe and dunun drums. These rhythms are supposed to be played with both instruments, but the only option is to listen to the djembes together or the dununs together! Thione Diop's video is better and has the djembe and dununs together on ensembles. However, it also has no real instructional value aside from notation of rhythms that can be freely obtained from the internet.

I am still trying to find any video on the djembe that is really well put together and worth the money...$30.00 for 5 rhythms and no instruction is a pretty steep price to pay in my opinion. For $30 there should be more instructional value from these very talented Master Drummers. Michael Taylor's Remembering How to Drum is the only video that I think is worth the money for an introduction to djembe techniques...although the ensembles on that video are just plain freaky (but they are entertaining). There are many good exercises on Michael's video that would benefit anyone.

West African Rhythms.......2007-03-05

I bought this DVD for my wife as a Christmas gift along with a Drum to begin learning on. Although someone beyond beginner status might find this video usefull, we did not and I don't recommend it for beginners.The DVD has no instuctional value for people just starting out.

This DVD is strange........2006-02-19

It is not exactly what we were thinking it would be. There are no verbal instructions or explanations of the beats--he just does it really slow or really fast.

Excellence.......2005-01-12

I have found John Yost's CDs, CDV's and DVDs uniformly excellent. The videos are clearly photographed and sound is well produced. Neophytes can see exactly what his is doing and the excellent sound of his strokes gives them something at which to aim. More advanced players can learn new rhythms or slightly different versions of familiar ones while observing the intricacy of the timing. Both the individual sections and the ensemble playing are very clear. Individual sections especially, both those played very slowly and those played up to tempo,are long enough for a viewer to play one part while listening to and watching another. Experienced players will enjoy soloing against the ensemble playing. John not only knows the West African rhythms perfectly, but demonstrates excellent, relaxed technique.

Excellent rhythms video.......2004-05-05

I bought this DVD knowing that it contains videos of West African rhythms, just like the title says. The description does not say that it is a DVD of djembe basics. I couldn't disagree more with a previous poster saying it isn't for beginners. There are three notes you need to learn on the djembe - slap, tone, and bass. The other videos may show you that in two minutes but then what? One needs to incorporate those notes and make music. With the two angles you can see the techniques on how to play the notes.

I use this DVD to remember the rhythms and to play along with the other parts. I think the DVD is for the beginner to intermediate student. I have owned and have watched other djembe videos but this is the only one I use frequently even more so than the Mamady Keita videos, which are also strictly rhythms but are on VHS. The instant access to the rhythm parts is a big plus.

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