Monday Drum Day: Controlling the sticks
There is one book that a large proportion of drummers will have owned. Stick Control by George Lawrence Stone was published in 1935 and contains lots of exercises that cover a range of techniques. It is only about 50 pages, but could last a lifetime. Over on Drumeo they have a workout that goes through just the first page. The lady who does it manages to smoothly transition between the patterns whilst talking as well. I am a long way from that level, but I intend to work on it.
I was going to put this video on 3speak, but the login on there is not working today and I like to keep to the schedule for these posts.
Some of these patterns are easier than others, but I want to get them all fluid. I think this is partly about training your brain so that they are intuitive. That only comes from lots of practice.
One of the fun things about drumming is that you can practice it anywhere. You can just use your hands and tap on anything including tables or your legs. You can also do the same exercises with your feet and that is important as drumming uses all the limbs.
This video is part of my progress logging so I can look back to see how I was doing. It is definitely not meant as a lesson. I recommend getting the book for yourself. There are loads of articles and videos out there with advice on how to make the most of it. Drumeo have their share of lessons using the book, but some will only be accessible to members.
Learning any instrument takes time. You cannot expect to get it straight away, but persistence tends to pay off. Playing music is great fun and is also a good brain exercise.
Rock on!
That was great..
I’ll love to learn from you
I'm a student, not a teacher
Definitely good for the brain! As we get older it's important to keep the brain active as well as the body. That's a nice hobby you picked up. I've never played the drums, only guitar and bass. One of these days maybe I'll give it a try!
I've played guitar for decades, but I wanted a fresh challenge. I'm fairly deep into it now.
Very good drumming. I've only ever drummed once and was not very good at it.
I don't think anyone is good at an instrument on the first attempt. Talent is often the result of hard work.
Power to you sir! I’ve had drums in the past and could not coordinate my hands and feet to create any useful rhythm. I think this book would definitely be a great way to learn. Keep it up, music keeps us alive!
I can still remember all the old marching cadences from when I was in band. It really does stick with you.
I expect you had proper tuition for it. Did you have this book?
No, we never really had books, but we started in 6th grade and it was an actual class we went to for an hour a day 6 through 12th grade if you decided to stick with it.
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I so much love people who plays drum but I don't know how to do it.
No work is easy, every little thing has to be taken care of then a person is successful in this work
I felt one can only learn drumming practically
How does the book help you to learn?
Books can give structure to learning. You can just play, but not make so much progress. You still have to actually play and not just read of course.
It is really good for the brain. Keeps it ticking learning new things. It looks as if that gets quite hard!
You have to get it on automatic and that takes time. I have managed to build up my speed and endurance. I try to do something most days.
Buen día amigo, vaya usted tiene sorpresas mira que conseguir un libro que es prácticamente la biblia de los bateristas.
Practice as they say, makes perfect!
!BEER
I don't expect perfection, but I hope for improvement. I'm enjoying the process.
As long as you enjoy it, then it's also a bonus!
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Hi Steve, wow you're very dedicated...I couldn't just sit there and do that, it'd drive me insane. I do have just a little bit of advice..I really hope you don't mind. To avoid possible RSI in your wrists, allow your elbows to be away from your body and bring your hands further forward so the sticks come in at more of an angle. That will allow you to avoid stress on the inside edge of your wrist. Your wrists need to be in a straight line with your forearm. Also you can use your whole forearm moving from the elbow for these exercises when they are slow, again it saves your wrists from doing so much work. As you speed up you will need to use your wrists more and the bounce of the pad. Sent with love and respect.
The advice is appreciated. The problem with learning from a book is that it doesn't give you feedback. I'm learning that there is much more to drumming than just waving some sticks around.
!PIZZA
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