Strictly Technique
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Odd-Beat Subdivisions
Almost all styles of music now deviate from normal duple- and triple-beat subdivisions, and use divisions of five, seven, or more.
Eights And Sixes
We’re going to build upon the Eights and Sixes exercise that I introduced in Part 1 of this series by adding double strokes and rimshots into the routine.
Eights and Sixes, Part 1
The goal is to improve not only your hand technique, but also your rhythmic understanding and comfort level between these figures. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
A 20 - Minute Warm-Up
Warming up prior to playing is extremely important for any drummer.
On Relaxation - An In-Depth Study to Develop Consistency
When executing individual stroke types, it’s important that our approach remains consistent no matter what type of stroke is played. It’s very easy for drummers to be more aggressive when playing a downstroke, or rapidly pull away from the drum…
Flam Ostinatos - A Creative Approach to a Drumming Staple
In the context of contemporary hybrid rudiments, the flam has been used in different ways to create some new and exciting patterns. Inspired by some of these modern hybrid combinations, I’ve come up with a concept to add yet another…
Individual Hand Control
An effective way to develop control and strength with two hands is to look at the hands individually, one at a time. This is a good way to identify the problems in each hand and to concentrate on the solution…
Back To Back Rolls
Here are some exercises in back-to-back rolls. These rolls are a series of the same stroked roll (five-stroke, six-stroke, etc.) played in a continuous fashion, so as not to break the flow of constant 16th notes or an 8th-note triplet…
Fours and Sevens in 7/8 Part 2: Double Strokes
This month we’re going to work on playing the Fours and Sevens in 7/8 exercise with double strokes. The key is developing the finger control to play well-balanced and even doubles. The rhythmic placement of the doubles in this exercise…
Fours and Sevens in 7/8 — Part 1: Single Strokes
This month we’re going to work on a couple of shortburst single-stroke rudiments: the single four and single seven. The key to executing these rudiments effectively is using finger control to play rapid free strokes. Single fours and sevens are…
The Spivack/Wilson Approach to Technique Part 4: Advanced Concepts
As you’ve seen throughout this series of articles, technique is built on learning a series of small, progressive steps that become more and more complex. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Chops Builders Part 18: Irish Spring
This month we’re going old school—with a new twist. What we’re working on is a standard exercise called Irish Spring that comprises swung double beats with smooth hand-to-hand turnarounds. This exercise has been used by rudimental drummers for decades, but…
