The Weight Room: Flam Accents

We took a quick look at an exercise that works your Flam Accents a while ago, combined with Flam Taps. You can check it out here if you missed it.

Like flam taps, flam accents break down into triple strokes. Try playing a few flam accents with your hands on different drums (or one off the drum, like on your leg) and you'll hear/see the triple stroke. Because of that, it's a good idea to work on your triple strokes independently.

Here's one of my favorite ways to practice flam accents. Try it without the foot pattern until the hands are very smooth.

Original pattern:

The sticking (not including the grace notes) is just alternating, beginning with either hand. In fact, you should be doing this starting with either hand.

Variation 1:

As before, use both stickings.

Variation 2:

Take enough time with these exercises that they become very comfortable at a variety of tempos (tempi? Tempe?). Then, as Steve Smith says, don't force it. As you practice flam accents and their variations, they will begin to, "naturally enter your playing."

Happy drumming!