Reviews & feedback
“Huge credit to Gary Leach for producing a hugely useful and important publication suitable for not only drummers and percussionists but also composers and arrangers. ‘Beats Exotiques’ is a brilliant collection of world rhythms, accessible to the beginner right through to the most seasoned of players. Each example opens up a treasure trove of exploration and improvisation allowing us an exciting and creative understanding of each rhythm. This publication is definitely one I am now engaging with daily. Thank you, Gary”.
Dame Evelyn Glennie | The World’s Premier Solo Percussionist
"A fantastically well thought out book with exemplary musical examples/ patterns in both notation a step patterns.
As a composer, arranger and tutor, I am always researching and exploring rhythms of all styles of music, and this book is already an invaluable resource.
Although no written description of origin / background to the rhythms is given, this comprehensive book gives me what I need to get up and running, fast. It also gives me the 'lead' for further research and will save me a lot of time.
It is practical, well laid out and packed with incredible rhythm patterns from an incredible mind and percussionist / drummer. Thanks Gary."
Geoff Clark (Composer & band leader)
Brilliant book! Wow this book is a treasure trove for any drummer of percussionist wishing to journey outside of the narrow confines of western ‘pop’ music. I will be using this in my teaching practice alongside established classics like “Stick Control” & “Snare Drum Rudiments”.
Barry Mason (drummer, percussionist, educator)
Got mine. Have you got yours yet?
It's a veritable compendium of rhythm. An encyclopedia of bell patterns and suggested foot ostinatos for mix n match mayhem. A must have book. Great for opening at a random page and seeing what occurs. I found that once i am playing a pattern even my mistakes sound good! And then developing snare patterns and incorporating other sounds opens a whole pandoras box of possibilities. 10 out of 10.
I love it, I have put a couple of vids up too, but just getting started. once you nail the pattern the fun begins seeing where you can take it. Thanks again, a great book, and I'm not very booky!
Dan Buskell (drummer)
“I’m very much looking forward to working through this. It’s well laid out and easy to read. This book will be a valuable addition to any drummer’s practice material, regardless of ability level.”
Darren Hambling (drummer)
First off, this book is so brilliantly laid out. I love how you've split the legs and hands to different pages, which really helps with visualising the rhythm and getting to grips with synchronism limbs. Also, your introduction has a really lovely personal feel to it that seems to connect with the reader in an almost casual way. ALSO the pages dedicated to showing how to hit ride and cowbells etc is really useful, and is often overlooked in many instructional books!
Chris McKinnon (drummer, producer)
Book arrived without a problem. It looks great and seems easy to use (although I've not had a chance to do too much yet). Sound files downloaded just fine and sound very clear. I've yet to put them through headphones, but I'm sure they'll work well. As a pretty novice player beyond rock, I find the sound files very useful. It makes following the parts in the book much easier and I can reference them to make sure what I'm playing sounds right. I've learnt more by ear than sight reading, so I really do think the soundfiles are a huge bonus in being able to learn these beats.
Thoughts so far, relate mainly to selling as I would consider offering a buy all mp3s option and/or a book and mp3s bundle.
Richard Bright
A thoroughly engaging book, rich in rhythms and easy to follow, great - well done, although it will take me years to work my way through it! Fantastic work mate, can't congratulate you enough.
Gary Newland- World Music Workshop Festival/WOMAD
I did and I do! [like it/the concept] It will be great for drummers who, like you, are searching all the time! It's not for beginners but it is well laid out and quite easy to follow. I certainly don't think there is anything else like it around especially as comprehensive as you have made it! I also think it's different and therefore will spark people's interest.
Bob Airzee
It’s really well put together and there's enough material to last for years. Great for beginners exploring particular styles or experienced percussionists who want to expand their repertoire. I'm really looking forward to delving into it. 👏
Mark Trewartha, Barefoot Beats
Gary, your book is bloody brilliant!
I don't know if you're an inveterate collector of instructional music books like I am - I have a pointlessly huge library of bass books, so I have come to develop some opinions, and yours ticks almost all of the boxes I'm looking to have ticked by them.
I love the modularity of it - which isn't something that arises for us simple types that only play one instrument at at time! I've been plugging some of the patterns into a drum machine for practice sessions, and having a lot of fun.
I also like that you've used box notation - with my musicologist hat on I have a big problem with the way western notation represents rhythm, particularly non-western rhythms.
(That's my 'I've read a lot of musicology books so I think I'm allowed to mouth off' hat, more accurately)
Also very well structured: too many instructional books require you to flick back and forth when you're working on stuff, so good call repeating the 'lower' patterns on every double page, rather than trying to save paper and make it cheaper.
And spiral bound music books are pure sex. I'm in nerdy heaven.
When are you coming round so I can slobber on the hem of your garment?
Oli Arditi (bassist, producer)
Vast and and amazingly well done. Excellent for learning new ideas and a superb reference. Quite impressive
Marcus Sroge (drummer)
Amazing man! I really like the book. I was using it to create some David Garibaldi style grooves with this student
Dave Major (drummer, educator)
Hey Gary, didn’t get a chance to have a read until last week, but I will definitely be making very good use of it! I love the grid pattern notation style- it works so well for step sequencing and I can see myself utilising a lot of the rhythm patterns both permissively and as groove-dna for melodic sequences.
I think in so doing I will also learn a lot about where these patterns come from and the relationships between them.
Nice work Gary - its a great book and as soon as I start to use it in the studio I will feature the book in one of my studio-diary videos on YouTube.
Al Lindsay (award winning sound designer)
Amazing book. Beats Exotiques by Gary Leach is a percussive paradise for any developing drummer looking to add some World groove flavour to their playing - I can’t wait to get in about it myself!
I’ve watched and admired Gary and the development of his extensive work towards this book for a few years and I’m delighted to now have a copy - no. 76/100! Amazing work Gary and as always All the Best with this publication.
David Dowell (drummer & owner of dD Drums, Scotland)
“Gary Leach [has] put together a masterpiece of drum education in his book, Beats Exotiques! This is absolutely incredible! I am blown away by how great this book looks.”
Dom Famularo, Drumming’s Global Ambassador.
I received my copy of “Beats Exotiques” a couple of months ago. As a drummer and composer I am always on the lookout for new tutor books that can not only expand my musical template but also as a tool to look through with my 11 year old son who has recently taken to the drums.
On initial receipt the book is eye catching and also I like the fact that it is “spiral bound” making it easy to read whilst on a music stand (a small but important detail which some tutor books overlook)
The book itself promises over 800 world cowbell and ride patterns which is impressive in itself but when I began to delve deeper I realised that the author, Gary Leach, is himself a master percussionist who has an extensive knowledge of World Grooves.
The traditional notation and Time Unit Box system immediately cover the bases for both “reading” drummers and those who aren’t.
My son found the box system invaluable to start working through a simple Ska ride pattern against a Rock back beat.
Add to this the downloadable MP3’s for assistance and the book itself becomes even more invaluable.
The layout itself is very user friendly with bell patterns on the right hand page and suggested kit accompaniment on the left. However when you start to experiment away from what is laid out on the left hand page the possible permutations are endless.
As a composer I have also taken to using some of the Bell and Ride patterns against more traditional drum loops to give my soundscapes an original flavour (Hip hop with a Sabar phrase).
I can easily see Beats Exotiques becoming a go to manual for not just Drummers but any musician who wishes to look for inspiration for new phrase rhythms in their improvisation. Percussion workshop leaders even choreographers wishing to discover new rhythmic patterns to add to their routines.
I can’t recommend Beats Exotiques highly enough, but will definitely be notifying my musical colleagues about it.
A triumph.
SkinnyBoy Tunes (Drummer & Composer)
Gary - your book is amazing
Crissy Lee (veteran drummer, educator & band leader)
Thanks so much for sharing your book. A great job. I really like the idea of the two tasks on opposite pages. Very cool idea. Will be very useful for many students.
Congrats and best of luck with it.
Pete Lockett (International percussion star & educator)
Loving it so far man! So are my students
Dave Major (drummer, educator)
Fabulous review by drummer/author David Aldridge!
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