Tag: drumstick

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Drumming

New Groove Idea

A drummer’s must-have textbook, Future Sounds: A Book of Contemporary Drumset Concepts , mentions ‘Balancing the Two Sound Levels’ which emphasizes the importance of dynamic, and how accent and non-accent make a groove so different.

Shifting notes and accents of a groove is called permutation, which is a mathematical concept and is used to develop exercises in the book. When I read the book, I found it was a good way to create a new groove idea. So I started to use ‘permutation’ to compose groove for fun and tried to come up with some innovative licks.

Another method I used very often to be innovative is to pick up a new pair of drumsticks that you’ve never tried before, and make improvisation for fun.

Vic Firth SJM

I have a lot of pairs of drumsticks. And all of them have totally different length and diameter. (Most of them are Vic Firth 🙂

I love to try different sticks to improvise sometimes. I find my body is able to sense the change of what I’m holding and give me something in return. My body leads me to somewhere and I simply get new ideas unconsciously.

Remember to videotape yourself when you improvise, so that you can check your performance and make transcription later.

You’ll impress yourself! 🙂

Categories
Drumming

The fingers of drum grip

I love sports. When I was a student, I tried golf, baseball, tennis and badminton. Baseball is the game of using a bat to hit a ball. Similar to Tennis and badminton, which are using racket to hit a ball. Not to mention golf, there’re different ‘clubs’ that you can choose before you hit a ball. Based-on the experiences I found there’s a big common to the kinds of sports.

That is the GRIP.

Sonor Martin Kit
Sonor Martini Kit & Sabain Cymbal

The sport players all need to hold something to play the game. So, the way of holding things (bat, racket ..etc.) are so important that are able to affect the performance of a player. That’s why a coach or a teacher spends time teaching beginners how to make a correct grip, and even keeping adjusting the grip all the time.

Once I started playing drum, I found the way of holding drumstick is much similar to holding a racket and golf club. Furthermore I found the little finger plays a key role of the control and stability of the grips.

The Little Finger

When you make a stroke, the wrist is like a starter of the whole motion. The littler finger is a controller in charge of restraining the stroke. Here’s a way I use to teach my student (for match grip) to feel the control of the little finger.

Holding you drumstick with 3 fingers ONLY

Relax your shoulders, arms and wrists first. then holding you drumstick ONLY with :

  • Little finger
  • Ring finger
  • Middle finger

At the time your hand just shows a ‘7’ by the index finger and thumb.

Starting to play single stroke on you practice pad, and keeping adjust the strength the 3 fingers to just right NOT to dropping drumsticks.

Then closing your index finger and thumb SLOWLY.
Be aware of how tie your LITTLE finger holds the sticks.

Remember your index finger and thumb are simply in charge of keeping the sticks NOT ‘free running’, so NOT to convey too much strength on drumsticks to make you grip looks tie.

Repeat the process over and over again. You’ll find the way you feel comfortable.

Categories
Drumming

Holding Drumsticks

How to be relaxing and comfortable to hold drumsticks?

It’s a time-consuming issue!

When you hold drumsticks to make a stroke, you provide an energy to your drum to produce sound. The batter head is hit and vibrate to deliver sound to drum shell to resonate. The bottom head accepts all energy from the top to keep resonating and sustaining.

It’s a big chain of how sound was produced. So if you can’t provide a quality energy in the beginning. Your drum can’t produce a lovely sound for you either.

Vic Firth Drumsticks
Vic Firth Drumsticks

Holding eggs to sprint

When I was a kid, my mom asked me to barrow an egg from a neighbor. I was watching my favorite cartoon, so I run back home as fast as I could once I got the egg. I gotta not only keep the strength of my hands to ensure the egg is safe, but also keep the running speed fast!

At the moment, the strength I held the eggs is the perfect strength to hold drumsticks as well!

I’m not sure if the story above is appropriate. How about having a try later and figure out your own story.