Description

Konnakol  is the art of performing percussion syllables vocally in South Indian  music, the Carnatic music – South Indian classical – performance art of  vocal percussion. It is comparable in some respects to bol in Hindustani  music, but allows the composition, performance or communication of  rhythms. Sri Thetakudi Harihara Subash Chandran is a well-known  exponent.Konokol is the universal system of mastering rhythm without drums. Guitar legend John McLaughlin, who has advocated this system of learning rhythm for over 30 years, brings it all together with Konokol master Selvaganesh Vinayakram, one of the foremost percussionists from India. Divided into 6 chapters, the student moves from basic understanding of rhythm into the wonderful world of improvisation. Exercises are explained and demonstrated followed by improvisations which include all the exercise material of that particular chapter. You will learn through this course how to improvise rhythmically and how this system can help in your compositions. Following this, John McLaughlin explains and demonstrates on the guitar the benefit Konokol has had on his improvisations, and its usefulness in his compositions over the past 30 years.Quote:This is a very clear, well-thought-out video course on konokol: a tradional Indian system of singing a rhythm, sometimes a very complicated rhythm, against the “metronome” of your own clapping. (When we studied this system in college with musicians from southern India, it was called solkattu.) Konokol allows the musician to superimpose one tempo and time signature (in the singing) against another (in the clapping), and hear the two together. You can also use it to sing drum solos — if your tongue is as fast as Selva’s is in this DVD!!!Unlike a lot of instructional DVDs, this really is a TEACHING video. The six lessons lead you progressively from the simplest concepts to complete tongue twisters, subdivisions of 5, 6, and 7, and odd time signatures. All the exercises and vocal “solos” appear in Western notation on screen as they are sung, so if you read music you have an additional teaching aid.As a bonus, John McLaughlin gives a few brief examples of Mahavishnu Orchestra riffs that grew out of Konokol patterns. The camera is mostly on his left hand on the neck; I don’t know if this will be frustrating to guitarists. In any case, this really isn’t a guitar video. McLaughlin is more the MC, introducing Selva’s performances of the exercises and solos.This is a really well-made DVD. It drew me into learning Konokol even more than I expected. The nice thing is, you can practice without an instrument. It also helps timekeeping and understanding difficult rhythms.A real pleasure!