Is this it? It's the second part of he video from the same clinic. At about 7:00 he starts talking about the double stroke roll.
Breakthroughs, Goals and Milestones
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Is this it? It's the second part of he video from the same clinic. At about 7:00 he starts talking about the double stroke roll.
GetAgrippa
Diamond Member
That may be it but I thought he was on drum kit showing it to????Maybe they are all just blurring together (crap what my brain is turning into)-but he was a powerful player using rudiments (deadly single stroke roll to) and that inspired me to improve mine. Which was my point-and it's real hard for me to stay on point to make a point-so I thought I was doing good LOL.
thebarak
Senior Member
Well, I know how I am supposed to read music, but even the first note seems to appear in a different place every time I look away and look back, and the number of lines in the staff seems to change every second. It is totally abstract and ever-moving. Strange but true.
danondrums
Well-known Member
If reading was something you felt like doing I think you might be able to overcome some of these challenges by starting with an entry snare drum book, like Alred's Book 1 and work your way up. Reading was very foreign and challenging for me too, but after some time just playing whole notes, half notes, quarter notes on a pad to a metronome makes it pretty accessible to most functional people. A teacher will definitely help in this and I would say only a small % of the population could learn to read on their own without some guidance, but it is possible. If it's not important, that's cool too. Have fun!
Reggae_Mangle
Silver Member
I had a bit of a breakthrough recently when I switched my grip on the sticks from (EDIT: ???) to German. For one, it allowed me to relax my hands: for some reason, I find it easier to hold the sticks with my palms facing than keeping them perpendicular.
Switching the grip also made it easier for me to find a better centre of gravity for the sticks than right at the butt end, which I was always forced to do while using the earlier matching grip technique I was using. That's allowed me to use my fingers to catch the rebound at last.
The results have been promising. I'm so much more relaxed moving to the toms, my posture is better and I'm able to get some decent speed going.
Just wondering if the German grip will prevent me from my goal of being able to play blast beats like George Kollias.
Switching the grip also made it easier for me to find a better centre of gravity for the sticks than right at the butt end, which I was always forced to do while using the earlier matching grip technique I was using. That's allowed me to use my fingers to catch the rebound at last.
The results have been promising. I'm so much more relaxed moving to the toms, my posture is better and I'm able to get some decent speed going.
Just wondering if the German grip will prevent me from my goal of being able to play blast beats like George Kollias.
beatdat
Senior Member
I've always found the
But, I do think it has a speed cap on it that is surpassed by the French grip. Tommy Igoe uses the
EDIT: Meant to say American grip instead of German grip.
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donzo74
Junior Member
It's interesting to hear that. At times I have felt like this phenomena was happening to me, as well. While reading for piano lessons as a kid I was constantly looking away from the music, down at my hands, then back to the music. It made it harder to sight read and harder to find the notes I was on when looking back to the music. My teacher taught me two things that helped. 1) try to ALWAYS keep my eyes on the music and use feel and hand positioning to know where my hands and fingers were on the keyboard. This is even easier on drums. 2) try to read a few notes ahead of what you are playing so you can anticipate what's coming next and give your brain more time to interpret the notes and rhythms. Keeping your eyes tracking in the music could help the notes and lines to stop dancing around as much. I've also found that as I get older, I like to use 1.25x readers while reading music and practicing piano. I also use readers for live playing if I'm playing scored drum parts in musicals or orchestral settings. I hope some of this is helpful. Best of luck!
thebarak
Senior Member
That is probably excellent advice. At my age however, I am not planning to read anymore. I am happier being a non-reading drummer at this stage. Forty-five years ago I should have tried harder to solve the issue.
Push pull stroke
Platinum Member
It seems like most of the World’s Fastest Drummer contest winners play somewhere between French and German.
thebarak
Senior Member
American is somewhere between French and German. I think there is a reason to use all three, plus traditional, in different situations. Even Buddy Rich played matched for floor toms sometimes, and he famously disapproved of its deployment for general drumming.
Reggae_Mangle
Silver Member
No, I have a long way to go. Find it very difficult to synchronise the movement with my feet. I start to tense up and then either my hands or my feet start to go off kilter. But it's definitely a start and I'm happy that my stick work is improving.
I had a helpful tip I thought I'd share. If you have some kind of mirror or holder in which to put your camera in selfie mode, set it up so you can see how you are playing. It's quite remarkable, you get a real idea of where your technique is incorrect or where you are tensing up. I think it even works better than recording a video and reviewing it afterwards, because it's sort of like real-time input on how you are drumming.
beyondbetrayal
Platinum Member
I've honestly been having breakthroughs almost weekly lately. Hitting faster tempos, better dynamics, better independence, cleaner playing. It's been crazy. The key is HOW I practice. I have changed it a fair bit. I spend so much more time on the pad getting things PERFECT. Practicing slow and perfect and every day makes such a difference. I'll be ripping rudiments and look down and smile because I realize I set the click way faster than I meant to and it feels easy.
One thing I suggest to everyone is to try and practice a concept. I used RllK for a long time. Play it as 1/8s triplets, 16ths, displace it, different subdivisions etc. RllK makes for awesome triplets that go over the bar line. But by doing a ton of exercises with the same pattern, you get really good at it. And one thing will make others better. Focus on the lefts keeping them super quiet. Really pop the right. This way I am working on my accents and ghosts and left hand doubles. Focus on burying the click in all subdivisions. I'm also working on time. Keep the left foot going on the hats. Do 1/4 notes, 1/8 notes, up beats. Now I am doing independence. You can do this with every pattern under the sun.
By doing this I have improved more in the last year than the last 5 I'd say
One thing I suggest to everyone is to try and practice a concept. I used RllK for a long time. Play it as 1/8s triplets, 16ths, displace it, different subdivisions etc. RllK makes for awesome triplets that go over the bar line. But by doing a ton of exercises with the same pattern, you get really good at it. And one thing will make others better. Focus on the lefts keeping them super quiet. Really pop the right. This way I am working on my accents and ghosts and left hand doubles. Focus on burying the click in all subdivisions. I'm also working on time. Keep the left foot going on the hats. Do 1/4 notes, 1/8 notes, up beats. Now I am doing independence. You can do this with every pattern under the sun.
By doing this I have improved more in the last year than the last 5 I'd say