Book excerpt: In Volume I, Tomasito reveals the time tested conga method which he himselfstudied with Changuito and other master congueros at the ENA conservatory in Havana. Volume I starts at the absolute beginning and is designed for the personwho has never touched the congas, but is also of great value to the advanced player who wishes to understand the foundation and rudiments of the approach that has allowed the ENA and the other Havana conservatories to consistently turn out so many world class congueros each year. Volume I begins with simple exercises to develop technique and systematically works its way through rudiments and 'recursos' for use in solos and fills and basic rhythm patterns such as Salsa, Cha-Cha and Bolero. These are presented using the unique Step by Step online video Method, which enables the student to learn the patterns by watching the video and imitating Tomasito as he builds the patterns stroke by stroke. This, combined with a special type of notation designed to be simple for those who don't read music, results in a conga course that really works, rather than just another reference book to add to the bookshelf!