Part 2: The Free Stroke The free stroke, which is also commonly referred to as the full stroke, rebound stroke, or legato stroke, is the most important technique you should learn, as it’s the foundation for almost every other stroke type. The free stroke is basically a dribble of the stick where you throw it down toward the drum and then let it rebound freely off the drumhead so that it returns to the height where it started. Free strokes should be used for everything played at one stick height where there’s no logical reason to hold the stick down near the drumhead. Free strokes require very relaxed hands. Some drummers even feel as if they’re cheating when they first learn to execute this stroke. A properly played free stroke reveals two things about your technique. First, it shows that the hand is relaxed enough that the stick could rebound […]

August 2020 Issue