Faisal Zedan DVD and CD Testimonials

Full DVD and CD info here.

Check out this wonderful independent review from Chas Whitaker at arabicdrum.com.

“With nearly a dozen on my shelf, I have seen a good cross section of the available instructional DVD’s for Tabla/Derbakki. Some provide a minimum of information, focusing on basics, or rhythms, while others try to cover a wider spectrum of subject matter. No one has presented a more comprehensive product that dhavir productions, Arabic Percussion with Faisal Zedan. From an overview of middle eastern music to percussion styles, selecting a drum, rhythms, exercises, technique, solos, and performance, it’s all there. I wish this had been the first DVD on my shelf. Produced by musicians, the DVD along with the included E-book is by far the best value for the money I have seen yet. There are some jewels here. While the coordination exercises seem simple enough, listen to the result of diligent practice when Faisal plays them at full speed. The nuances of sound created in those simple exercises creates the foundation of the rolls and accents that give Derbakki its distinctive character. The Derbakki solo for belly dance is broken down into sections with slow motion close ups of Faisal’s hands and the notation below, making it much easier to learn the phrasing accurately. Accenting, separation of the senses, improvisation, this DVD and E-book are packed with a wealth of information for the aspiring percussionist. I had the pleasure of having a lesson with Faisal, he is an unpretentious heart felt musician. If your serious about Derbakki, get this DVD!”

Keith Holt   -   Whidbey Island, Washington

“Thx for your video, Very good… For me, this is a gift for the self learner, I can get some new ideas and look forward to see your Vol 2 3 4 and more. I am glad that I am the first Asian who bought the DVD. It is so difficult for me to find any self-learning materials in Hong Kong. Therefore, this DVD is absolutely a gift for us. I can find a lot of answers and tips of playing doumbek aka tabla in the DVD. Faisal Zeden explain everything in details and step by step. Moreover, the e-book is extremely useful and I am now practising the drum solo in this DVD. Highly recommended for the beginner and advanced level. Cant wait for the Vol 2.”

Dickson A.   -   Hong Kong

“I received the Faisal Zedan DVD yesterday and love it already:  Very high production values, very logically laid out, very nice and navigable menu–top-notch in my opinion, and I’m quite a purveyor of drum videos, so I should know! … and the DVD will give me a head-start in retraining my fingers and shedding some bad habits!

Steve D.   –   Sacramento, California

“Great E-book !! Thanks for offering such a wonderful DVD.”

Christine D.

“Faisal’s the bomb.”

Elissa N.   -   Phoenix, Arizona

“What I love about Faisal’s teaching, both in person and in the DVD, is that you not only learn how to play, but you learn the traditional ornamentation that is so important in understanding how the music is played. While it takes significant practice to play at a professional level, Faisal makes learning these layering techniques easy to grasp by his simple explanations of the concepts behind the ornamentation. Combined with the realistic playing  examples, you see not only how to play the fundamentals, but how to build on them, giving you room to grow as a player, which is much more rewarding than just a simple how-to video. I have learned from many sources, yet Faisal’s approach is the first that I feel like I am learning how to play Arabic music in the traditional way it is heard, as opposed to just learning how to play the drum. The video was extremely clear and easy to see and hear what Faisal was demonstrating. So many rhythms, many I didn’t know…

…I am thrilled to death because of all the layering techniques that were included… the camera angles, both in normal and close-up, gave a very clear perspective of what he was playing, and the audio came across very nicely.

…this is an outstanding video, and I had hoped for years that Faisal would come out with one. I have always gained so much more complete understanding of Arabic drumming from his teaching style. This may sound like a lot of smoke blowing, but it is very sincere. To me, this video is very complete, and I’ve also seen you have supplements, and there is enough material to keep you interested from beginner to advanced. Thank you very much Faisal, and everyone else who helped make it happen!”

Robert Elish   –   Georgetown, California

“Faisal Is extreme! Very well done.”

Kent Kelley   -   Splash Magazine   -   www.splashmag.com

“Thank you for the E-Book pdfs and files. I just browsed through them and they are great! They are stuffed with information. I’ve watched the DVD several times and it is the same – stuffed with information. It’s much better than the rhythm cds you can buy on the net. On the other hand, I think it is not for rank beginners – maybe “dedicated beginners” would be a good description. As for me, I’m just a beginner. I’ve only been taking lesson for 15 months and I discovered a lot of good information in it. Some of them were things my teacher has mentioned and shown me, but that I did not understand well. Faisal’s explanation and demonstration have clarified some of that. Others were more advanced than I’m capable of producing and will of course take a lot more practice. I can’t say enough good things about the DVD. Faisal’s explanations and demonstrations are superb. Someone seriously interested in learning more could learn a LOT from the DVD. ”

Michael D.   -   Atlanta, Georgia

“i have just completed absorbing master Zedan’s new dvd and i just wanted to thank you for your time and energy to such and magnificent  instructional piece of material.  it is well produced and  informative and all painted on a passionate base for the topic.  i am sure i will observe it over and over again, absorbing the information as though each time it is brand new to me.  the performances are thoughtful, masterful, and deeply entertaining. the maestro himself is kind and humble and the love for his instrument shines through vividly.  thank you for allowing that to be the star of the video.

and to boot, the chance to win an emin darbuka is a sweet addition to this must have package!

so again, i thank you for this.  not only has it reaffirmed my love for arabic percussion, but i have been reminded why music is the deepest, purest, and most important language in the world. cheers!”

joshua a.   -   Texas

“Thanks so much for the beautiful follow-ons with the E-book! I look forward to working a lot with Faisal’s DVD and this handsomely produced supplement.”

Sue  F.    –    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“…it’s probably one of the best DVDs on the market right now, very comprehensive, lots of new rhythms, belly dance solo and all.  Thanks for a great job.”

Veronique G.   -   New York City