Neural pathways: Activate!

BGDurham

BGDurham

Well-known Member
Working through the first few exercises of my recent purchase, "Stick Control". Trying them with LH-RH, then LF-RF, then LH-RF, then LF-HR, then other permutations, their reverses, then all around the toms and cymbals. It takes a while to go through but I think I can actually feel my neurons developing!
 
That's it...you just inspired me to dig into my dusty old barely used stick control book. Can I ask a question though. Somewhere I've read that stick control is bad for drummers. Cant remember where exactly but it's in the back of my mind. I don't want that voice bothering me
 
It's all about stick control and getting to aspiring stick heights so you have animated play. I don't think many people are as impressed with fast ergonomic drumming-they seem more impressed by stick flips and big arm motions as visual entertainment. I can see that-and a smiling drummer is something I aspire.

I've often wondered about the neural pathways of drumming-some people are reading and listening (reading tell you what to play) and playing-while other listening (brain creates plan for what to play) and playing so whole different approach /integration of outputs and inputs. When you play a solo of your own design then that's a whole another neural approach and integration with only your sensory inputs and then calculations/control of motor outputs-and you being "creative" on your terms rather than following the song per se. It's all different in higher brain centers but of course common pathways in and out. I like to do rudiments just for control but now I want to groove and learning to be more creative. I've had been trying hard to emulate others but the more I listen to jazz I'm convinced heck no it's about give and take of the moment-being creative with other musicians.

If everyone played the same thing it would get boring fast. Bands rarely play songs "exactly" like their albums-and why go see them if they did? I love Herbie Hancock but I bet I've heard Chameleon and Watermelon man 100 different ways-and about as many drummers. I think that's the whole rub-being creative, musical, tasteful-and you don't even really need huge chops or mastery of pedals, sticks or anything but just being tasteful to the song. Whether it's Clyde or Daru playing Funky Drummer they both do so tastefully and both pretty dang funky I'd say. A question I've asked a long time is how to teach a drummer to play tastefully. I get crickets-so from the 10 billion permutations thread I figure I have about the same odds of finally "hitting" on something that sounds musical, creative, and tasteful. Listening to others isn't to teach me to play like them but more inspire me to find my own creativity. Like my mentors for research didn't teach me what to think or what I should pursue, but how to focus my passion to be more productive and how to navigate things to be more productive, what techniques might be useful for those interest and helped me acquire them (like I learned using Polarizing microscopy on biological materials by this Hungarian Prof who traveled to US to teach me at request of a mentor, then traveled to Vermont to learn how to use these wire myographs for small arterioles). They helped me get the tools I needed and then let me go at it. I still send them Xmas cards. When I see the videos of Neil Peart and Gruber I'm thinking WTH is that old man talking about-he's not showing him anything. But I guess that's the point I realize.
 
I had a recent neural pathways/ left hand awakening playing along with “Manic Depression” and discovering all kinds of patterns!
 
Funny, reading between the lines of BGDurham's post, I came up with those items without ever having picked up Stick Control. I am probably not as thorough as the book, but I do a tremendous amount of similar exercises for warm ups. As for the neural pathways, I went through a period of (years) either not having dreams or not remembering them. Then I started to develop double bass drum pedals and DANG!!! Not only did I feel things in my skull changing but I started to remember my dreams. I am serious about this, it was an amazing transition. I have no idea what took place other than the skills needed to incorporate both feet in a manner not done by me before, but something in this skull changed. (no joke and I don't do drugs :cool: )
 
ZDrumMan said:
As for the neural pathways, I went through a period of (years) either not having dreams or not remembering them. Then I started to develop double bass drum pedals and DANG!!! Not only did I feel things in my skull changing but I started to remember my dreams. I am serious about this, it was an amazing transition. I have no idea what took place other than the skills needed to incorporate both feet in a manner not done by me before, but something in this skull changed. (no joke and I don't do drugs :cool: )
Click to expand...
Are you sure it wasn't listening to music incorporating double bass that was the culprit? Another young life ruined by metal! 😄
 
Stick control is not bad for you...the way some people do it is bad...using bad technique is bad.

I personally don't think you need ot do the whole entire book to gain proficiency...honestly, the first couple of pages are enough to get thigns going in your hands and brain...

I have owned, and used the book for 40+ years, but have only been all the way through it once...
 
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