The Weight Room: Hands and Feet

Alright, if you've read this blog with any regularity you already know that I suggest that you can apply any exercises for your hands to your feet, as well.

Today, let's apply a simple exercise that uses hands and feet at the same time.

Here's the basic Stick Control or Slow-Fast template:

Of course, you can apply any sticking pattern to this rhythm and play it any tempo.

For this example, we'll use paradiddles (R L R R - L R L L). And instead of using two hands, we'll use the left hand (LH) on snare drum and right foot (RF) on kick drum.

It looks like this:

Again, start slow and make sure you're playing relaxed and controlled. Make sure each stroke sounds even and that the kick and snare are balanced. If you're feeling adventurous, alternate every snare drum stroke (and kick drum stroke, too, if you're playing double bass).

When this gets comfortable, throw on your favorite click sound (okay, okay - or a great rock or funk track), and try grooving it like this:

Of course, this is just one application of this concept. Using the Slow-Fast template - or anything else that works for you - try splitting up your favorite patterns between hands and feet. Then apply it to the music that you love. 

Happy drumming!

The Weight Room: Advanced Slow-Fast

At a certain point you'll work one of the Slow-Fast exercises up to an obscene speed. What do you do at this point?

It's simple: turn the click down to half of its tempo, and instead of 8ths and 16ths, play 16ths and 32nds.

It looks like this.

Or think of it like cut time. You're still playing slow fast, but the click is now on the half note.

It looks like this.

So now, with the click at a manageable tempo, you can keep working faster and faster. Just remember to keep it under control, relaxed and clean.

Sorry to use the P word, but, uh, happy practicing!

The Weight Room: Triple Stick Control

That title sounds pretty amazing, right? "Triple Stick Control!" What I mean is that we're applying the "Slow-Fast" stick control exercise to triple subdivision - triplets (slow) and sextuplets (fast).

Here's the exercise:

As with the first version of Slow-Fast, the exercise should be repeated for a full minute at any given tempo to demonstrate mastery. So, click on the metronome at a very slow tempo - 50 to 60 beats per minute - and master the exercise with an alternate sticking, either R L R L R L or L R L R L R.

Once you've got it mastered, that's where the fun begins! Try some of these patterns, then make up your own.

1. R L R-L R L
2. L R L-R L R
3. R R L-R R L
4. L L R-L L R
5. R L L-R L L
6. L R R-L R R

There are endless possibilities, so have fun with it. 

If you want to take it to the next level, try it with "jazz feet." (Kick very lightly on all four counts, hi-hat very crisply on 2 and 4.)

Happy drumming!