there were a few things on your video that made me realize what I was doing wrong. hearing the click play 8th notes really helped me focus on the bounce.I also used your grip but with the index finger on top of the stick and I FINALLY understood my hand needs to gently move so I get enough momentum for the stick to bounce. I've always struggled to get past 100bpm.Now I can do a couple bars at 140 with no stress. You're THE MAN! It also helps to say I spent the last 7 hours practicing this stuff
Awesome lesson. Been playing alot of years but really struggling so far with this technique. Hopefully watching this video several times will help me out.
You explain everything so clearly in a way that makes so much sense. And it is just baffling the sticking patterns you can do (the part two examples make my jaw drop). I'm gonna try some of the finger exercises! Thanks Alan.
Alan, wanted to thank you for this and the hand technique part 2 video. Very insightful and has given me a great deal of things to work on. I hope you are making a few bucks on clicks because you certainly deserve it. :)
Thanks so much! I'm really glad the video is helpful for you. As far as the angle of the stick in my hand, I make sure that the butt end is lined up with the pinky at the base of the hand. This helps the pinky to remain on the stick without trying. I find that if the stick is lined up toward the middle of the hand, it's easy for the pinky to slip off the stick. This can cause the remaining fingers to grip too tightly in order to compensate for the lack of support. I hope this helps!
Thanks for your question. I have gone through the same thing. For me, I needed to practice slower at a low volume level. As soon as this becomes comfortable, start to increase the volume. Once you can play slow with power and maintain the balance point, then try to increase to the next tempo. It takes time but it will pay off. Also, I practice making adjustment when I do move past the balance point. Finally, try practicing in front of a mirror as well video your practicing. I hope this helps!
A life tip for right-handed drummers - use your left hand in daily life more; eating soup, using your mouse, ironing, opening doors, brushing your teeth texting on your phone. As a right-handed person, your left hand is always under-developed, as opposed to a left-handed person; their right (weaker) hand is usually much more developed than an your left. Always over employ your weaker hand.
I want to become a drummer, but all I have is a small RealFeel snare pad that my dad bought me for Christmas. XD I'm a left-hander, so my right hand has no coordination at all. This video, though created and demonstrated by someone who is obviously right handed, is still very helpful to me! The visuals and the techniques for grip and movement are great! Thanks!
Thanks! This is a very common occurrence. I just posted a video titled "Drum Lesson: Q&A - Speed, Power & Practice Pads". I go into detail about how to stay relaxed. Also, since your right hand is comfortable, I suggest to copy your right hand technique with your left hand. Also, try to put in more time with your left hand. Over time, it will catch up.
Yea my right hand is ok I can get to a fairly high speed around 200bpm and not feel too much strain. I went back to basics earlier and started at a low tempo and built up by 6 bpm every 2/3 minutes and I'm beginning to feel the difference. Thanks for you help!
im not this guy, but that was my first thought to. Everyone has a diferent comfort zone, and my university teachers told me specifically to close that gap as a positive change to my playing. At the end of the day, all that matters is the sound you make, not how you achieve it, so having a closed gap between thumb and index finger is fine. Its more controlled but harder to be completely relaxed, so theres are comprimises. Look at mr. beauford: he holds his stick way back from balance point!
You are not alone with this. This is a very common question. SInce you only mentioned that you left hand has trouble, this makes me think that your right hand doesn't have these issues. If that's the case, I would suggest to study the mechanics of what you right hand does and try to copy it with your left hand.
stay loose and relaxed, no shoulder tension. take your time and it will come if you practice this technique. it is very sound advise. Use whatever sticks you like, the principles stay the same when you find your sticks fulcrum point.
Hi Levi, Thanks for your comment and question. The foam that I have is designed for sound absorbing rather than soundproofing. It helps to get rid of the extra bit of echo that happens when the only thing in the room is a drum set. If you need to soundproof, you'll want to use a lot more foam than I use. I hope this helps!
Hey Alan. Callie here. Listen, my moving back to California fell through. Not because of finances, well that's a little of it. But the main reason is the person i was suppose to stay with backed out and i have no place to stay til i get on my feet. So no cali in September. But will be in Alamo Texas in April sometime to see family and check out Texas. The closer to Cali the better. Don't know when yet in April. Will be there 2 weeks. Please Let Tom and Lee know.
Thanks for your question. It is not crucial to hold the sticks the way I demonstrate in the video. There are numerous (and valid) ways to hold the sticks. The common thread between various grips is the concept of staying relaxed and not forcing the sticks to move.
I'm playing two sticking patterns (16th note triplets) #1 RLLRRL #2 RRLRLL The single strokes are accented and the double strokes are ghosted. For example #1 the 1st and 6th notes are loud. For example #2 the 3rd & 4th notes are loud. I hope this helps!
Hi Andres, The pad in this video is a Real Feel. The surface is made of rubber. After I posted this video I started using an amazing pad called The Jacobs Pad. If you search my channel for a video titled, Drum Lesson: Q&A - Speed, Power & Practice Pads, I go into detail about the pad at 4:03
Really.. great video. I've been attempting this technique for along time but have always been doubting myself on certain tiny details, but you really broke it down and I can see the difference already. It's a SLIGHT difference- but one that I think will make a huge difference. :) I do have one question for ya: I can't quite make out the angle in which the stick falls across the palm of the hand. It would be great to get a shot of the bottom of the hand. (or just by turning the hand upside down)
I played with me wrists since i began drumming, and then i taught myself the finger technique. Then i kind of.combined the twk and now i can do 16th notes aymt 180bpm
As you speed up: 1) does the point at which the stick touches your index finger get further up, like you're slightly rolling the stick up your finger with your thumb? 2) do you increase the strength of the point between index finger and thumb as you increase the speed? 3) you seem to straighten your index finger out when playing the fastest strokes. Should I be trying to do this too?
Hi MetallicPuppetMaster, I actually did answer sne60's question (as well as everyone else's questions I have been asked). More often than not, I reply to people personally through their inbox.
Great video with a lot of helpful tips. I was wondering if you could give some tips on how to get this technique up to speed. I can do the technique (I'm using fingers, no wrist), but it's really not much faster than when I just play with wrist and finger.
Alan .... This is brilliant!! I have been looking for an in depth visual and explanatory lesson on how to get fast 16th notes!! I had a severe wrist injury which needed 5 operations to repair! .. Pins, bits of bones removed and so on!! ... This will certainly help I hope as my wrist movement is limited ... Do you have any other videos showing 16th note techniques that you think may help me?? ... Thank you.
Outstanding lesson, well explained and even better demonstrated, it is very difficult to demo this stuff slowly and you show incredible control, anyway a question if I may, how do you keep the stick from sliding up into that opening between your thumb and your index finger or side of your palm I should say? My stick gets wedged in there for dear life, help please
So glad you found this video helpful. I'll be posting a new hand technique video this weekend that focuses on double strokes. Thanks for your comment :-)
Hi VaNDaL696, I'm not sure of the exact weight of the stick. If you find that the maple sticks are too light, I have good news.The Mike Johnston 2451 sticks also come in hickory which is heavier! I hope this helps.
Thank you! If you search my channel for a video called: "Drum Lesson: How To Learn Finger Control Technique", I think it'll help to answer your questions.
I have always played this way because I have very minimal arm and finger speed and no training, but my issue is I always drop the sticks because my grip is so light on the stick, but if I tighten up much I don't get much bounce
Hi ! This is really interesting. It's the exact lesson I needed to learn, not only control but how to properly hold a stick (which i was obviously doing wrong). However, i saw a few videos lesson about a specific point which was practicing on a pillow. Can we apply this here ? What do you think about this kind of exercise ?
I play drums for 20 years now, but technique was always an issue. Maybe no one gets to the point, were he/ she is totally contented with him-/ herself. Since the last 3 years I'm doing bodybuilding as well. But a big problem is the losseness of the muscles, especially the feet. Do you know a way to relax the muscles at the time of playing? Or do you think the only way is to train harder, so that you have a bigger condition?
When hitting harder, you will need to squeeze the stick harder than when you are hitting softly. HOWEVER, it is extremely important to immediately release upon impact in order to prevent injury. I recommend to start playing very lightly and then gradually increase the power. The moment you start to slide down the stick, take a mental note of your stick height. Over time you will be able to gain more power and speed while maintaining the stick position that you desire. All that said, I have the same habit of sliding down the stick when I'm playing music and not thinking about technique. I have found it helpful to practice purposely sliding up and down the stick while playing in order to know how to make the adjustments necessary to get back to my desired position/balance point as I play. I hope this helps!
You have the best technique of anyone I've seen. I'll definitely try to put it to use in my drumming IF I can even learn it. When I hold sticks, they move themselves inward to the first joint in my fingers (knuckles), but when you hold them, they stay at the tips.. how do you do that?
Thanks Chris! There are a couple of things I practiced in order to maintain the position on my fingers. First, I would start by playing very lightly and then gradually increase the height and power. This way, I was able to find out exactly what volume level (and speed) would cause me to lose the desired position. I would write down the speed and height and over time build from there. It took me a long time, but the key is to stick with it. Another exercise that you can practice away from the drums is to hold the sticks in the desired position and work on squeezing the stick and then relaxing. This will teach us how tight to hold the stick for power and also how to immediately release upon impact in order to prevent injury. I hope this helps!
Great lesson aotbk1! I was wondering if your technique changes at all when you move around the drumset, since toms provide significantly less rebound than a snare. Thanks man!
