Strictly Technique
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1,000 Ways to Practice a Single Page - Part 5: Challenging Rudimental Approaches
The longer I play the drums, the more I appreciate and value the time I can spend on only a snare or pad. Let’s dive into a few concepts to improve our overall technique. Here’s the rhythm we’ll be interpreting…
Strictly Technique - Bass Drum Control
When I wrote Bass Drum Control in 1964, it was at the request of drummers who wanted exercises to practice for hands and bass drum.
1,000 Ways to Practice a Single Page - Part 4: Orchestrated Flams on the Drumset
Last month we learned how to interpret a single page of rhythms using flams. In this lesson we’ll apply this concept to the drumset. We’ll practice a few common ways to orchestrate flams on the kit before diving into some…
1,000 Ways to Practice a Single Page, Part 3: Incorporating Flams
Last month we applied a set of written rhythms to the drumset by accenting the figures within continual 16th notes and experimenting with different stickings. This month we’ll stick to the snare and work with flams. Here’s the rhythm. TO…
Strictly Technique - One-Two-Threes
In this lesson we’re going to work on a fun and challenging hybrid rudiment that does wonders for developing finger control. In the exercises, the right hand plays one note, the left plays two notes, and then the right plays…
Strictly Technique - Consecutive Flams
In part two of this series, we’re going to take out the taps between the flams so that the flams are adjacent. When you do that, the challenge becomes playing the consecutive flams with consistent grace-note placement and sound quality.…
Strictly Technique - Warm-Ups
Almost every drummer has his own special collection of favorite warm-up exercises and hand conditioners. I've found the following assortment of simple yet very effective exercises using sixteenth notes, single sticking and accents to be most helpful. TO READ THE…
Strictly Technique - Consecutive Flams part 3: Inverted Motion
In the third installment of this series, we’re going to modify the exercise by removing one tap from the transitions. Instead of using a flam accent to shift from one hand to the next, we’ll use an inverted flam tap.…
Rudimental Clave With Inverted Stickings
This month we have a fun and challenging exercise that will do wonders for your Moeller-style whip-and-stop technique. The exercise uses the son clave rhythm as the accent pattern, with inverted stickings underneath it. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE…
Strictly Technique Paradiddles For Three Drums
This article is intended to give jazz and rock drummers a means of exploiting to the fullest degree the application of paradiddles around the standard 3 drum outfit: snare, small tom-tom and large tom-tom. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE…
Strictly Technique - A Musical Approach To The Single Stroke Roll
The single stroke roll has always presented some interesting points for discussion. The most common method for teaching and practicing this rudiment has basically been alternating sticking, tarting slowly and gradually accelerating to top speed, with no inherent regard for…
Strictly Technique: Towards More Musical Practice Routines
Many drummers and teachers seem to feel that a mechanical exercise, repeated an ungodly number of times, is the cure-all for a particular technical problem (weak left hand, sloppy doubles, whatever.) TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG…
Hemiola shifter With Three Stickings
This month we’re going to play half-note-triplet hemiolas in four positions, with three different stickings. Each sticking will require a totally different technical approach and will have its own unique sound. For good measure, we’ll also add some flams, which…
