This book & 2 CD set is excellent. If you want to sound like you grew up in a Hispanic neighborhood instead of the suburbs, then buy this book. Conga soloing within the clave has been a difficult subject to teach in the past, but this book will put you on the right track, with many exercises, recorded tracks, and insights to help you. This book will help you improve your hand coordination, timing, syncopation, with understanding of playing with clave', know when quinto licks begin and end, and more. ***** Five stars from Percussionmusic.com!

INTRODUCTION
Cliff's Afro-Cuban Drumming Method
Playing with Clave
Overview of Lessons
Who Will Find this Book Useful
Audio Recording List
The Five Types of Supporting Tracks
Visual Representation of the Five Types of Support Tracks
Practice Suggestions
SECTION 1: NEW TO MY METHOD?
New To My Method?
Timekeeping Lines Concept
Timekeeping Lines
The Horizontal Downbeat Diagram
Spacing Between the Downbeat Lines
The Timekeeping Lines and Click Track Exercise
The Downbeat Bass Drum Exercise
The 8 Symbols You Need to Know
The Underlined Symbols
What do the Timekeeping Lines Tell You to Do
Clap the Clave Rhythm Exercise
Creating the Horizontal Clave Diagram
SECTION 2: Clave Timing Exercises
Overview
Instructions for the Clave Timing Exercises
50 Horizontal Clave Timing Exercises
SECTION 3: Clave Ride Patterns
Overview
What is the Quinto ride
Creating the Vertical Clave Diagram
The Vertical Clave Diagram
The Vertical Clave Timekeeping Lines
Instructions for the Clave Ride Pattern Exercises
14 Clave Ride Pattern Exercises
The Longer Vertical Clave Diagram
7 Longer Clave Ride Pattern Exercises
The Horizontal Clave Ride Pattern Exercises
The Ride Flow Exercise
Instructions for Clap the Clave Ride Flow Exercise
Clap the Horizontal Clave Ride Flow Exercise
Instructions for the Clave Ride Flow Exercise
The Horizontal Clave Ride Flow Exercises
SECTION 4: Downbeat & Clave Quinto Phrases
Overview
Instructions for the 21 Quinto Phrases
21 Quinto Phrases with the Vertical Downbeat Diagram
21 Quinto Phrases with the Horizontal Downbeat Diagram
Instructions for the Clave Quinto Phrases
21 Vertical Clave Quinto Phrases
21 Horizontal Clave Quinto Phrases
SECTION 5: Downbeat & Clave Quinto Solo
Overview
Instructions for the Vertical Downbeat Quinto Solo
The Vertical Downbeat Quinto Solo
The Horizontal Downbeat Quinto Solo
Instructions for the Clave Quinto Solo
The Vertical Clave Quinto Solo
The Horizontal Clave Quinto Solo
SECTION 6: The Guaguanco Quinto Phrases, Ride Flow & Quinto Solo Pages
Overview
Instructions for Guaguanco Phrases, Ride Flow and Solo
21 Vertical Guaganco Quinto Phrases
21 Horizontal Guaguanco Quinto Phrase
The Horizontal Guaguanco Ride Flow Exercise
The Vertical Guaguanco Quinto Solo
The Horizontal Guaguanco Quinto Solo
Appendix A: What is Guaguanco
Appendix B: Glossary
The End
About the Author