What are you practising?

[Rudy_Ment]

Might be nice to give a quick mention to any particular thing you're working on.

Amongst other things, I'm currently enjoying Phil Maturano's paradiddles and 'magic sticking' patterns.

In particular, this one. Paradiddle with a couple of diddles after. RLRRLLRR LRLLRRLL, accenting the first stroke of each half.

Then, preceeding with a paradiddle diddle.

RLRRLL RLRRLLRR LRLLRR LRLLRRLL, accenting the first stroke of the paradiddle diddle and the first stroke of the paradiddle. I really like this one,
sounds awesome when up to speed. Not quite at Phil's speed yet, but getting there!

[Kurtis]

I ain't practicing much physically. Maybe a good practice pad session twice a week. I am listening a lot tho. Taking it all in so when you get to the kit there is lots of fresh stuff to feed on.

[langmick]

I'm practicing holding the sticks and stuff out of one of John Riley's books.

[electrizer]

I'm practicing holding the sticks and stuff out of one of John Riley's books.

Funny you should mentioned holding sticks. I've been learning that myself the past 10 years. Ask 10 people you'll get 10 different methods, and it's simple physics.

Apart from that it's jazz (from John Riley's book) + licks (most recently R l l r r L)

[Rudy_Ment]

Hey guys, I'm also working on a linear fill. Just want to get a few more fill ideas into my playing as I'm somewhat lacking in the chops department.
It's 'kind' of my creation, but mostly adapting it from things I've heard in this style. Trying different voicings as I go.

I've written out the pattern. http://s4.postimg.org/9urrdc44t/16th_triplet_lick.jpg and this is me playing it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GoI3LJnoV8

The main problem I'm having though, is that at faster tempos, my heel toe sucks! The power and volume of the heel stroke gets lost, it's just never as strong as the toe stroke, and the toe stroke needs to be louder too. See what you think. Any tips to improve it? I've tried the slide technique, but can't really do it very well. Probably need more slippery shoes.

[Lucas Ives]

Yeah, the bass drum notes are just getting lost.

Can't see the angle of your legs here, but how high do you sit? I find that it's easier to even out the difference between the strokes with the weight of my leg on the first stroke, and I find *that* happens the easiest when I have a slight downward slope to my thigh.

Also, there's a natural pivot that my leg / ankle start doing at higher tempos, just one of those economy of motion things that my body just figured out over time.

I'd suggest working on the doubles in isolation ... start SLOW. Stay SLOW. Focus on evenness between the strokes, only raising tempo gradually (like over a period of days->weeks).

[Rudy_Ment]

Hi Lucas, thanks for the input. Yeah, I need to get back to basics on that. Good suggestion on slowing the strokes down. I think I better buy myself a bass drum practise pad, for this and also getting some improved double pedal action together.


I don't sit particularly high, but I don't like being Vinnie or Jeff low either. Regarding seat height, I just went and measured the top of my throne. It's a fraction under 22". Getting scientific here, I'm 5' 10 and a half. My thigh is parallel to the floor and 90 degrees to my leg. I sit slightly further back from the snare, so when my foot goes onto the pedal, my leg moves forward from 90 degrees. I'm wondering if I'd benefit from changing seat height or moving closer in?

[Lucas Ives]

Take your snare out and play with your seat height and distance from the pedal -- I might try just triplets with the feet, LRR LRR LRR LRR ... until you find something that feels better to you as you hit the brighter tempos (tempi? :) )

[langmick]

Another thing other than holding the sticks, but goes with holding the sticks, is going through motions.

I was watching a Simon clip and his arms were so effortlessly flying about in large figure eights and circles. It was interesting to see and analyze. He was almost just moving his arms all over, obviously playing very cool stuff. But it was the lack of effort...really fascinating.

This video, towards the end when he's going off:



So I just want to play my Pink Floyd stuff in a more comfortable way, very simple fills, the usual rock stuff. I've been treating them like I would Stick Control. It's helped my shoulders get moving.

I also am focusing on sitting up straighter, if you slouch, you are blocking the natural movement of your shoulders. A trainer I see showed me what was happening biomechanically.

[Frank Sanchez]

I've been studying a lot of drum corps material, particularly "hybrid" rudiments, which are endless! (I'd name a few, but my street cred would go down pretty quick! They are really ridiculous names!) I got hooked watching a now defunct Youtube channel called "Snare Drum TV." Pat McLaughlin had some nice exercises and it whet my appetite. Soon, I had wanted a pad like his and found my way to Xymox percussion and their Facebook page.

Long story short, almost three years later, I've really enjoyed the benefits of what I've learned, mostly from a relaxing point of view. When I take a break from work, I'll just work on a few warmups that I've put together and it just takes the tension right out. The regimentation is soothing. I'm not interested in speed per se, just getting things accurate and smooth.

Almost as an aside, my set playing has taken on new life, without me even spending much time practicing behind a kit. Rudimental ideas, if not actual stickings are coming out in great fill concepts for my situation. It has been really a refreshing few years.