--- product_id: 42212470 title: "John McLaughlin: The Gateway to Rhythm" brand: "john mclaughlins. ganesh vinayakram" price: "£22.63" currency: GBP in_stock: false reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/42212470-john-mclaughlin-the-gateway-to-rhythm store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # John McLaughlin: The Gateway to Rhythm **Brand:** john mclaughlins. ganesh vinayakram **Price:** £22.63 **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** John McLaughlin: The Gateway to Rhythm by john mclaughlins. ganesh vinayakram - **How much does it cost?** £22.63 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/42212470-john-mclaughlin-the-gateway-to-rhythm) ## Best For - john mclaughlins. ganesh vinayakram enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted john mclaughlins. ganesh vinayakram brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description 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 six 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. ## Images ![John McLaughlin: The Gateway to Rhythm - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/418KXHbzWtL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars John McLaughlin - Gateway to Rhythm DVD Review *by D***U on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 17, 2008* In a world overflowing with guitar instrucionals and hot licks videos, here comes an educational DVD from The Master - the way it is supposed to be. This DVD deals with the South Indian(Carnatic) system of recitation called 'konokol'. In John's words, it is the simplest and most effective method of mastering rhythm in the world.(coming from a man of John's stature, you better believe that!) Konokol requires absolutely no playing ability as it is all about counting, division and mathematics- the building blocks of rhythm. the DVD starts from square one, teaching syllables and the basic language and moving on to more challenging aspects like odd time signatures - John's pet love for many years. As with John's previous educational DVD 'This Is The Way I Do It', there is a continuous scroll of notation moving along the bottom of the screen, which greatly enhances the impact of the lessons. The DVD contains six chapters, each chapter ending with a demonstration of the material by Selvaganesh Vinayakram (who plays south indian percussion along side John in Remember Shakti) followed by John's demo of the application of konokol on the guitar. Watch out for the Finale in Chapter 6, where they get together to create a beautiful guitar-konokol conversation.Learning this system helps build a bridge between percussionists and melodic instrumentalists. An ensemble or a band conversant with konolol can articulate musical ideas very precisely to each other. Someone who has been in a band will immediately appreciate how difficult it is to get the bloody drummer to play what you want him(her) to! It is not an exaggeration to say Shakti would not have been what it is hadn't it been for konokol. The level of the music they came up with in a very short span of time would not have been possible without konokol.Finally, please remember this is not only for drummers and percussionists. This is not only for students who play indian instruments, or wish to learn indian music on their western instruments. This truly is for everybody. Infact, it will be of value even if you do not play any instrument and want to become a knowledgable audience of Indian Classical Music. That John McLaughlin went ahead and made this DVD reveals how strongly he feels about it, and how important he thinks konokol is to save the world! ### ⭐⭐⭐ 3.0 out of 5 stars It's Okay- Not a waste of Money, But... *by E***T on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 31, 2013* I picked this up just after Christmas. I wanted so much more than I got out of this video. It is an okay overview of what is possible, but they gloss over the foundation and go straight to improv. How can one break the rules if they don't know the rules? Like another viewer conveyed- their hands are blocked a good portion of the time. It's surprising to think they didn't think that they didn't think this would be of concern. As for the hand motions, I ended-up finding some Youtube videos that, in my opinion, gave a better way to help keep track over 8 beats (instead of repeating the sequence twice like in this video). I also opted to use the 3 beat counting from the Youtube video I found instead of the one presented. Everyone learns different, so I'm just saying I found ones which works better for me. All in all, this video is an ok introduction, but doesn't really dig in deep.Update: 8/16/13: I haven't used the video since January, but the ideas are still very much working in my head. Very often I find myself disecting phrases using "Ta-Ka-Di-Mi" and "Ta-Ki-Ta" instead of the old "1-E-AN-A" and so forth. Also, when I am learning a new rhythm, I've been working on Bossa Nova rhythms for example, I'll read and use the hand motions with my left hand and clap the rhythm I'm learning with my right. It has really helped my time keeping and sense of timimg. For that alone I'm glad I purchase the video. I still stand behind what I wrote above... ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Start *by D***Y on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 3, 2011* This is a great introduction to South Indian rhythmic concepts. It takes a lot of time and study and dedication and then you will have mastered the fundamentals. If you want something more comprehensive after finishing the DVD i recommend finding a teacher. Through using the exercises on this DVD (which really should be practiced DAILY, as is said in the beginning)i have become a better musician. My playing on the drum kit has improved, my guitar playing has improved, and most importantly, Konnakol is FUN! I have fun doing the exercises and improvising whenever the mood strikes me. I really enjoy this DVD and for me it was a smart purchase. The DVD isn't perfect, but these minor details don't ruin anything for me, and i'm sure other reviews have stated them so i have no need to here. If you think you could benefit from this DVD or have fun with it then i would recommend taking the risk and buying it. The choice is all yours. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/42212470-john-mclaughlin-the-gateway-to-rhythm](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/42212470-john-mclaughlin-the-gateway-to-rhythm) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-17*