Great video, well explained. Are you always aiming to keep that size gap between the thumb and finger at speed? I find the faster I drum that gap tightens. I understand that the best drummers are the most relaxed.
+philthepanic Hey Phil, Sometimes but not always. You want to be able to relax the fulcrum and use the whole hand, or the bigger knuckle in your index finger, closing that space, especially when you are playing very hard. For example, check out Art Blakey playing rolls at :30 in this video ruclips.net/video/AiMzjPX3D_w/видео.html If you watch carefully you can see, in his right hand, he lets the stick come up into the bigger knuckle of his index finger and closes the space like you say you do. That's totally fine for that moment. You also want to be able to maintain that space and keep the fulcrum out in the first knuckle of your index finger (or middle finger) for finer control. Think about the difference between painting a house and drawing a fine detailed picture. When you paint a house, you hold the brush with your whole hand and do big strokes, when you draw a fine detailed picture, you hold the pencil out on the tips of your fingers, taking advantage of the dexterity in your finger tips. Same thing with drumming. The key is flexibility. Learn as many different techniques as you can, and you'll find each has a different strength and ideal application. The reason this particular technique is taught in the video is because it is the standard in the school system here and I use it as as reference for my local private students. I don't want them to have conflicting information when starting out. So we begin this way. I hope that helps! -Niels
+Niels Myrner Thank you. You could not have explained that any clearer. I really really appreciate it. I will look at the Blakey video now. Brilliant. :)
Hi, thank you. I play drums for two weeks yet. This is one of my favourite drum channels so far. Your tutorials are simple in a good way, I can feel calmness and focus out there.
4:45 is the clearest demonstration of the bounce technique. No need for explaining, just constant watching of the manner of the movements. Ask the student to keep observing over and over the position of the fingers and the bounce movement. Imitate...Great job.
Thanks so much! I was using French grip, and it was causing me some gnarly pain in my left forearm. Followed your guide and the pain is slowly but surely subsiding. Thanks!
Hey thanks so much for the video! I'm in 7th grade and I'm learning the single stroke roll from vic firth. My band teacher said he thinks diamond level (114 BPM) is humanly impossible. I aim to prove him wrong ;)
Thank you very much for this.After playing the drums for around a year I was feeling desperate about not being able to get faster and thinking about not playing the drums anymore. Then I saw your video and realized I was holding the sticks wrong(on second knukcle,no conclave position,holding it tight and hurting my fingers each time!).Now I started from very beginning and I'm very hopeful about future.Thank you good Mr. Myrner, you did more good to me than I could put into words.
...a few people have asked about "American Grip." American grip is between Matched/German Grip and French Grip. In Matched Grip, the palms are horizontal, flat with palms facing the floor, in French Grip the palms are vertical with thumbs up. American Grip is a sort of relaxed Matched Grip where the palms are between horizontal and vertical. All of these techniques are good! Remember there is no one right way. Developing the flexibility to use all of these grips is ideal as it allows you to adjust to the specific needs of the style and playing position you are using on the drum set.
Thank you for posting,i've been playing for a long time and didn't realize what my grip and technique was,but this is the closest form,having a loose grip really helps.The JoJo dvd's give alot of grip and stroke types as well,but you really simplified it.
Very good instruction videos. Simple and direct along with viewing things from an angle the student will be staring at is brilliant. Thanks for the beginner lessons.
Thanks man, been playing traditional grip (sort of) for about 5 years now. I want to play matched grio because when I play kit i keep hitting my nerve on my middle finger and then it really hard to play because it hurts when touched. I have tried to do matched a little bit before but gave up on it because it didn't feel comfortable, and I didn't want to waste my time learning a whole new technique, but now I do.
thank you so much for this video! a lot of people talk about pinching the thumb to the index finger and keeping them glued while playing. How do you feel about that?
I, found that using the modified or the alternative German grip. Wrapping the first finger around the stick until it touches the thumb allows you to use all four fingers. I believe four is better than 3. Therefore more control, speed and fatter tone. I did like your analogy with a basketball. I thought the over all video was well done!
a good video....but i am confused, i see many videos showing 2 different fulcrum pivot points for the match grip. some using the middle finger and others using the index finger. all these years i have been using the index fingers as the fulcrum.
Thank you very much for all your super helpful videos! I would be so grateful if you could make a video about alternating hands for absolute beginners. I personally struggle with two main things: 1. I don’t know how often I need to alternate hands: do we alternate at every quarter note like: 1 & 2& 3& 4& R L R L or do we alternate on the divisions of the beat too like these examples: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & R L R L R L R L 1 e a 2 e a 3 e a 4 e a R L R L R L R L R L R L ? 2. How do we continue with the altering hands when there is a rest beat? For example: if it was my right hand turn to hit the drum pad, but there is a rest beat, is it my left hand turn to play after the rest or the right hand? Cheers.
It depends on what you’re playing. Rudiments have defined rights (R) and lefts (L). These are called “sticking patterns.” But most music does not have defined sticking patterns. Defined sticking patterns are common in marching drum solos and exercises. It’s a deep topic and the approach to learning will depend on your goals. For example if you want to play beats on a drum set, you will want to have a strong lead hand. That’s your hi-hat or ride cymbal hand. As you change styles towards marching or orchestral drumming you will need to be able to lead with either hand. Sometimes striving for technical mastery can get in the way of doing a good job as a drummer and supporting the band. So it’s best to start with a musical goal and focus on that first. Exercises can be as much of a distraction as a benefit. Watch drummers play the music you aspire to play, and work backwards from your own musical goals. And keep in mind that these are just exercises. I hope that helps! I can see you took some time to formulate this question. If you’d like to email me directly I may be able to provide a more detailed response. nielsmyrner@gmail.com good luck and have fun!
@@nielsmyrner Wow! Thank you so very much for your clear and detailed explanation! I will certainly follow your suggestions. In 2015, I watched all your fantastic free lessons for Progressive Steps To Syncopation on RUclips. Back then, my goal was to understand the rhythm so that I could improve my rhythm guitar playing. I just clapped my hands or tapped on a table to every single exercise over and over until page 30; I felt much more comfortable and confident playing guitar after that. Now, years later, I am interested in learning to play drums in order to play on my own songs and perhaps on simple surf/rock cover tunes. This is why I am revisiting your Syncopation videos and that’s how I found you here. Thanks again for all your amazing tips and lessons. It was also very kind of you to write back! Best wishes to you and yours.
Been playing for 25 years, andI thought I had coined the basketball reference in my lessons with my students...but I see I was not alone....well, great minds think alike, I suppose. Good lesson!
Hi Niels, I'm very happy to have found your instructions on how to play the rudiments properly. It has inspired me to try again, after I gave up in the past. Could you please tell me what's the best practice regime, just start with rudiment no.1 ? And how long should I practice each day to get best results (minimum/maximum) ? Thanx in advance, keep up your good work.
Thank you very much!! You are the best instructor on RUclips. You will be my learning reference. I am having a trouble with my left hand, I lose control of it and using the practice pad, the sound differs from right and left, any suggestion? Thanks!
Hey, dude! Nice video! I have a question: when you play the Double stroke roll, do you also use your other 3 fingers to control the stick, as opoosed to only using the thumb and the index finger?
You should be using your wrist more than the stick for the second hit. Meaning don't rely on the stick. You have to have control of a double and you do that with wrist control. It doesn't matter who teaches you how to do this it's going to take time. Start slow and get your slow roll perfect and at that point you will be able to go a bit faster. Most people probably don't realize that perfecting drums takes a lot of patience and dedication. You are having a problem holding the sticks because you are new at this. It's only going to get better the more you practice.
Hi Niels! Firstly, I like your voice. Consider doing ASMR.What I don't get is how to use fingers in german grip. I mean, it's really clear and easy for fingers to work in french grip but in german grip the finger position makes them difficult to use.
+Prateek Yadav Hey Prateek, thanks! I had never heard of ASMR but just googled it and read the Wikipedia. Interesting! Yes, it is easier to use the fingers in French grip and easier to use the wrists in German. Both have their strengths and challenges. I most often use French grip on the ride cymbal with my right hand and German on the snare with my left. What works best will depend on the musical situation and what comes naturally.
Ah, yes. I too observed that my hand naturally adopted the french grip on the cymbals and german on snare, toms like you pointed out. But still, german grip isn't wholly wrist work, right? So, could you please make a vid demonstrating the exact motion of the fingers to aid the wrist in german grip? Thanks. This vid was helpful.
+Prateek Yadav Thanks for the request Prateek. It helps me to know what you need to know! I've been considering a follow-up video. It may be some time away as I'm currently working on finishing the introduction to jazz drumming series and it's a time consuming project. Please let me know any other questions you have. Until then, here's a quick note on using your fingers in matched/German grip: I played with my hands pretty much closed around the drumsticks for the first few years I was drumming. Eventually I started having pretty serious wrist problems because I was absorbing a lot of shock. Having a day job doing kitchen prep didn't help. I wanted to spend a lot of time practicing but knew I needed to do something about my technique. I sought out the best teacher I could find in my area at the time which was Rick Lotter. He teaches at Sacramento State University and is an absolutely fantastic drummer. We pretty much started over on hand technique and that's all we worked on. Take this note with a grain of salt because what he had me do may not apply to your particular approach or anatomy. But maybe you'll get something out of trying it. He had me start by playing one single stroke. Essentially throwing the stick at the practice pad and letting it fly straight back up to about 90°. If you do this in a relaxed way the drumstick will open your hand for you and your fingers will follow to allow it to come up. Since the drumstick will naturally rebound in a straight line, reversing the stroke by closing the hand will yield a perfectly straight stroke-essentially teaching your fingers to follow the drumstick by teaching them to let go and open up. Rick was all about following the drumstick and letting the drumstick do the work for you. While intellectually understanding the movements of the fingers and the wrist can be of some benefit, truly it is a natural motion that must be learned by the body rather than the intellectual part of the mind. Like dribbling a basketball, walking or dancing- these are things we learn kinesthetically rather than intellectually. For this reason when you look at all of the great drummers their techniques are different. That's because they learned in a way that came naturally to them and to their specific anatomy. There are other exercises that address specific tendencies but I'd have to see exactly what you're doing and how you're approaching technique to be able to give more specific advice. You're welcome to link/send a video of what's going on with your hand technique to nielsmyrner@gmail.com and I will take a look. Good luck! -Niels
Nice video and teaching style. Manage to stay with you until the fast double stroke roll. Can't seem to get into 2nd gear with that. Practice right? Will check out your other videos. Thank you.
Thanks! Let me know if you have any questions. The doubles take some time. If you're working on hand technique you might like to check out www.nkmdrums.com/rudiments There is a "how to practice rudiments" video there along with demo videos for the 26 American Standard Drum Rudiments. Have fun!
Oh I'm learning not a drum set or any set. Lol I'm poor I can't even get a drum pad. So I imagine my drums set. I will manage on my imagination drum set. With a teacher like you I can learn. P. S I do have 2 sets of drum sticks. I love them I take them where I go. I will play on any thing on what lesson you teach.
I got a problem. When gripping, the gap in between my thumb and index is basically nonexistent, as the grip is closed and doesn’t allow for much rebound. Compared to my right hand, which is my dominant. Also, my right has something called a Hitchhiker’s thumb, which allows for flatter contact between the stick and the face of my thumb.
hello, niels! for 14 years i've been playing the drums with the wrong grip: the drum stick used to be between the tip of my thumb and the second knuckle of my index finger... as i've been trying to change that, the sticks keep trying to go back to the old position and i find myself forcing the tip of my thumbs against the sticks, which doesn't help getting the relaxed feel while playing... any tips for me? thank you very much for your lessons, they are really great and helpful.
This is very common and depending on who you study with/what style you study it is totally fine. For more powerful, heavy hitting styles, many drummers prefer to hold the stick in the 2nd knuckle, because it’s stronger. Think of it like holding a paint brush and painting your house (grab with whole hand and 2nd knuckle) vs. drawing fine details with a pencil, hold with knuckle close to finger nail, like in this video. To learn this technique you have to hold lightly and follow the stick as it rebounds. Like following a basketball as you dribble, your hand is only there to provide the absolute minimum input.
Ive a couple of questions if you can help? 1) should the stick never move out of it fulcrum? it happens to me. does that mean i'm not putting enough pressure with my thumb to keep the stick in place. 2) where exactly should the butt end of the stick go? is it straight down the middle of my palm into the middle of my wrist or out at the side say away from my body when its palm facing down. 3) should i feel the butt of the stick hitting my palm when playing?
is it good to use second knuckle while holding drumstick for getting more bounce and good control on drumsticks or is there any problem to use second knuckle??
So do your fingers stay still and the stick swings against your palm and fingers or do the fingers move with the stick and push the stick back against the palm like with the open/close or finger technique? I don't see many players who use the finger technique with german grip, they usually use the french grip so it confuses me? Thanks. :)
Hi guys! Reading on the web...i saw that can you use the AMERICAN GRIP (?) I thought that there were only three grips... german, french and traditional! WHAT IS AMERICAN GRIP??
Hey Asha, It will depend on how much you practice, and the quality of your practice. Keep in mind learning a double stroke roll is "kinesthetic" learning rather than intellectual learning. Meaning, it is about your body learning how to do it. Like walking, running or physical motions that are extremely complex, they have to come naturally. You have to learn them physically through practice. So this means you have to give your body the opportunity to learn by going through the motions in a relaxed way. Also, practicing more than one rudiment will help. For example, playing the triple stroke roll will improve your double stroke roll, as will playing the single drag, 5 and 7 stroke rolls. Check here for rudiment lessons: www.nkmdrums.com/rudiments Last, working with a teacher is very helpful. Very often, while watching my students I notice things they may be missing. For example, maybe they aren't keeping all of their fingers on the drumstick while they are following the rebound, or maybe they are tense, rushed or contorting their wrists. These are things you need to watch for yourself if you are learning on the internet. If you can't find a teacher locally, you can find online study info here: www.nkmdrums.com/tailored You are also welcome to just send me a video of your hand technique and I'll be happy to take a look and help any way I can. Good luck and enjoy!
4) im able to bounce the stick but sometimes especially in my left hand feel the fingers inhibit the rebound. should my fingers follow the stick back and forth? 5) Finally when i try to speed up to only say 145 bpm i feel i have to put in a lot of whip motion to get the stick to rebound fast enough. should i need to make that much effort if im doing it right. i hope you can help as i really want to play properly and start making progress. thanks
...like dribbling a basketball but you don't take your fingers off the ball when it hits the floor. It bounces but you follow it. You have to apply pressure in waves to control a series of rebounds. Squeeze too hard in the beginning and you get one hard bounce and a few small bounces. Squeeze lightly when the stick hits, and apply pressure with control and you can regulate the rebound to create even double strokes.
great video!! i’ve just started teaching myself drums and i find that whenever i’m using my left hand(with matched grip), the rebound causes the drumstick to move in a circular motion instead of up and down. my right hand is fine but i just can’t figure out how to hold it in my left hand. do you have any advice for how to improve this? also the move i drum i find the drums slides a lot in my left hand, is that because my grip is too loose?
Hey ourdawn! That’s common. There are a few solutions. First, if your right hand doesn’t have the problem, try to let your left hand learn from your right. You can also experiment with a variety of techniques to find what works best for your anatomy and playing style. This is a very loose approach. It’s great for injury prevention and for a big, open natural swing sound (check out Jeff Hamilton) but it can be frustrating for some and it’s definitely not the approach you’d use in a marching band. There are many, many different approaches to technique. You could even try traditional grip for a whole different left hand solution. Good luck!
Niels Myrner ahh thank you so much for your advice! as i play more i seem to be getting the hang of it, so maybe it is just a case of time and experience.
I have a question, How can I have more controled speed without making my thumbs tense? The thumbs is what that keeps the stick close and tight enough for you to control but the faster I go, the less control I have and to compensate I make my thumb too tense, Any suggestion? Also, why do I tend to close my eyes or look everywhere else except what I'm supposed to look ai? Sounds stupid I know but for some reason it happens especially when playing with headphones and music
Hey Edgar. Regarding your wandering eyes, there's not a whole lot we could offer to help you there. Just keep your eyes open, haha. As far as the grip goes; You need to practice what Niels is showing in this video, and focus on keeping a loose grip. As your technique improves, you will notice that at higher speeds you are almost no longer holding the sticks with your thumb and index finger. You are almost holding the stick with the joint at the base of your index finger and palm. While your thumb and inner index finger edge almost "guide" the stick in it's channel(pivot point between your fingers). I suppose the best way to attempt to force yourself to feel for this is to loosen your grip and almost let the stick go at higher speeds. You will start to feel this sensation, and it will make more sense. Hope this helps you buddy. -Brandon
interesting to see for a beginner: when the drum speed goes up, you can see a single wrist motion with two stroke, as the strokes were hit by the fingers,
just keep practicing it, you need to be relaxed. if you are not relaxed, everything will feel weird. i might try getting your technique as close to you can to perfect. get comfortable with it, then fix the problems once you have the basic motions down.
Did you know that traditional grip has been banned for some reasons? according to Sdjmalik and Drum Gurus, traditional grip can even hurt your fingers, and you could have discomfort, so this is how we grip the sticks, also, you have to find the balance point of the stick, and that means you don't wanna be too far up, or too far back, if so then you're gonna hurt your fingers, so traditional grip has finally been banned due to several reasons! And match grip is better than traditional grip.
Forgive me as I like the 'vibe' of your vids, but its not helping beginners when you show the double stroke as you start off using your wrists to playing each double 5:57, then as the tempo gets too great for wrists, you go into using a drop and catch technique 6:00. The beginner at that point think how did he get beyond that tempo!!?? - "oh just let the stick bounce and relax" well yes all true, but they need to know about drop and catch. Thats just glazed over, its a totally different techniqe
Great video, well explained. Are you always aiming to keep that size gap between the thumb and finger at speed? I find the faster I drum that gap tightens. I understand that the best drummers are the most relaxed.
+philthepanic Hey Phil, Sometimes but not always. You want to be able to relax the fulcrum and use the whole hand, or the bigger knuckle in your index finger, closing that space, especially when you are playing very hard. For example, check out Art Blakey playing rolls at :30 in this video ruclips.net/video/AiMzjPX3D_w/видео.html If you watch carefully you can see, in his right hand, he lets the stick come up into the bigger knuckle of his index finger and closes the space like you say you do. That's totally fine for that moment. You also want to be able to maintain that space and keep the fulcrum out in the first knuckle of your index finger (or middle finger) for finer control. Think about the difference between painting a house and drawing a fine detailed picture. When you paint a house, you hold the brush with your whole hand and do big strokes, when you draw a fine detailed picture, you hold the pencil out on the tips of your fingers, taking advantage of the dexterity in your finger tips. Same thing with drumming. The key is flexibility. Learn as many different techniques as you can, and you'll find each has a different strength and ideal application. The reason this particular technique is taught in the video is because it is the standard in the school system here and I use it as as reference for my local private students. I don't want them to have conflicting information when starting out. So we begin this way. I hope that helps! -Niels
+Niels Myrner Thank you. You could not have explained that any clearer. I really really appreciate it. I will look at the Blakey video now. Brilliant. :)
+philthepanic Glad to be of help. Have fun!
Phillustrator non sui può averlo in italiano?
Hi, thank you. I play drums for two weeks yet. This is one of my favourite drum channels so far. Your tutorials are simple in a good way, I can feel calmness and focus out there.
4:45 is the clearest demonstration of the bounce technique. No need for explaining, just constant watching of the manner of the movements. Ask the student to keep observing over and over the position of the fingers and the bounce movement. Imitate...Great job.
Thank you Vincent!
Great lesson. The first person point of view makes the instructions all the more immersive. Thank you for existing.
Excellent instruction. I am a total beginner but after scanning lots of RUclips drum instruction videos, I'm going with you. Thanks.
Thanks so much! I was using French grip, and it was causing me some gnarly pain in my left forearm. Followed your guide and the pain is slowly but surely subsiding. Thanks!
Hey thanks so much for the video! I'm in 7th grade and I'm learning the single stroke roll from vic firth. My band teacher said he thinks diamond level (114 BPM) is humanly impossible. I aim to prove him wrong ;)
You got this! :)
Thank you very much for this.After playing the drums for around a year I was feeling desperate about not being able to get faster and thinking about not playing the drums anymore. Then I saw your video and realized I was holding the sticks wrong(on second knukcle,no conclave position,holding it tight and hurting my fingers each time!).Now I started from very beginning and I'm very hopeful about future.Thank you good Mr. Myrner, you did more good to me than I could put into words.
8 years later did u commit?
the way you explained this metaphorically using basketball make it have so much sence
...a few people have asked about "American Grip." American grip is between Matched/German Grip and French Grip. In Matched Grip, the palms are horizontal, flat with palms facing the floor, in French Grip the palms are vertical with thumbs up. American Grip is a sort of relaxed Matched Grip where the palms are between horizontal and vertical. All of these techniques are good! Remember there is no one right way. Developing the flexibility to use all of these grips is ideal as it allows you to adjust to the specific needs of the style and playing position you are using on the drum set.
Niels Myrner o
Thank you for posting,i've been playing for a long time and didn't realize what my grip and technique was,but this is the closest form,having a loose grip really helps.The JoJo dvd's give alot of grip and stroke types as well,but you really simplified it.
The basketball and broomstick was genius. Very helpful.
Very good instruction videos. Simple and direct along with viewing things from an angle the student will be staring at is brilliant. Thanks for the beginner lessons.
Thanks man, been playing traditional grip (sort of) for about 5 years now. I want to play matched grio because when I play kit i keep hitting my nerve on my middle finger and then it really hard to play because it hurts when touched. I have tried to do matched a little bit before but gave up on it because it didn't feel comfortable, and I didn't want to waste my time learning a whole new technique, but now I do.
Awesome video, I loved the level of detail, pointing out for me what to look for specifically.
Very Helpful!
Thanks so much, this is very helpful. You're very articulate & detailed.
Thank you Sal. Great videos on your channel!
Nice explanations here. Good lesson
thank you so much for this video! a lot of people talk about pinching the thumb to the index finger and keeping them glued while playing. How do you feel about that?
I, found that using the modified or the alternative German grip. Wrapping the first finger around the stick until it touches the thumb allows you to use all four fingers. I believe four is better than 3. Therefore more control, speed and fatter tone. I did like your analogy with a basketball. I thought the over all video was well done!
Really good :) I didn't find any German video with such a good explanation. ;)
Very helpful! I'd definitely recommend it!
a good video....but i am confused, i see many videos showing 2 different fulcrum pivot points for the match grip. some using the middle finger and others using the index finger. all these years i have been using the index fingers as the fulcrum.
Both are good! Just different. Same with traditional grip vs. matched. Try them all and see which you prefer.
Thank you very much for all your super helpful videos! I would be so grateful if you could make a video about alternating hands for absolute beginners. I personally struggle with two main things:
1. I don’t know how often I need to alternate hands: do we alternate at every quarter note like:
1 & 2& 3& 4&
R L R L
or do we alternate on the divisions of the beat too like these examples:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
R L R L R L R L
1 e a 2 e a 3 e a 4 e a
R L R L R L R L R L R L ?
2. How do we continue with the altering hands when there is a rest beat? For example: if it was my right hand turn to hit the drum pad, but there is a rest beat, is it my left hand turn to play after the rest or the right hand? Cheers.
It depends on what you’re playing. Rudiments have defined rights (R) and lefts (L). These are called “sticking patterns.” But most music does not have defined sticking patterns. Defined sticking patterns are common in marching drum solos and exercises.
It’s a deep topic and the approach to learning will depend on your goals. For example if you want to play beats on a drum set, you will want to have a strong lead hand. That’s your hi-hat or ride cymbal hand. As you change styles towards marching or orchestral drumming you will need to be able to lead with either hand. Sometimes striving for technical mastery can get in the way of doing a good job as a drummer and supporting the band. So it’s best to start with a musical goal and focus on that first. Exercises can be as much of a distraction as a benefit.
Watch drummers play the music you aspire to play, and work backwards from your own musical goals. And keep in mind that these are just exercises.
I hope that helps! I can see you took some time to formulate this question. If you’d like to email me directly I may be able to provide a more detailed response. nielsmyrner@gmail.com good luck and have fun!
@@nielsmyrner Wow! Thank you so very much for your clear and detailed explanation! I will certainly follow your suggestions.
In 2015, I watched all your fantastic free lessons for Progressive Steps To Syncopation on RUclips. Back then, my goal was to understand the rhythm so that I could improve my rhythm guitar playing. I just clapped my hands or tapped on a table to every single exercise over and over until page 30; I felt much more comfortable and confident playing guitar after that.
Now, years later, I am interested in learning to play drums in order to play on my own songs and perhaps on simple surf/rock cover tunes. This is why I am revisiting your Syncopation videos and that’s how I found you here.
Thanks again for all your amazing tips and lessons. It was also very kind of you to write back!
Best wishes to you and yours.
Been playing for 25 years, andI thought I had coined the basketball reference in my lessons with my students...but I see I was not alone....well, great minds think alike, I suppose. Good lesson!
Hi Niels, I'm very happy to have found your instructions on how to play the rudiments properly. It has inspired me to try again, after I gave up in the past. Could you please tell me what's the best practice regime, just start with rudiment no.1 ? And how long should I practice each day to get best results (minimum/maximum) ? Thanx in advance, keep up your good work.
Its pretty awesome technique.
Nice Drum😎
Thank you very much!! You are the best instructor on RUclips. You will be my learning reference. I am having a trouble with my left hand, I lose control of it and using the practice pad, the sound differs from right and left, any suggestion? Thanks!
Hi phil, how low should the practice pad be in comparison to you ?
Where does we use double sroke rolls? Do we use it in the march performance? Or somewhere else. If you can show up by sharing a video, please show.
Double stroke rolls are pretty common in all types of band: marching, concert, etc.
Hey, dude! Nice video!
I have a question: when you play the Double stroke roll, do you also use your other 3 fingers to control the stick, as opoosed to only using the thumb and the index finger?
Were your right hand index finger bleeding at the end of the video or it's just a shadow?
hello.
do you use every fingers for the double stroke?
or just use the index finger and the thumbs?
Thanks!
very good and clear.I am a beginner.
What type of practice pad is that on the top of your snare? make etc?
thank you
Are you supposed to let the stick just bounce and come up before the stick bounces more, or are you actually supposed to play it that fast?
You should be using your wrist more than the stick for the second hit. Meaning don't rely on the stick. You have to have control of a double and you do that with wrist control. It doesn't matter who teaches you how to do this it's going to take time. Start slow and get your slow roll perfect and at that point you will be able to go a bit faster. Most people probably don't realize that perfecting drums takes a lot of patience and dedication. You are having a problem holding the sticks because you are new at this. It's only going to get better the more you practice.
hi Neil, I have some difficulties with my left hand any help? thanks
Hi Niels! Firstly, I like your voice. Consider doing ASMR.What I don't get is how to use fingers in german grip. I mean, it's really clear and easy for fingers to work in french grip but in german grip the finger position makes them difficult to use.
+Prateek Yadav Hey Prateek, thanks! I had never heard of ASMR but just googled it and read the Wikipedia. Interesting! Yes, it is easier to use the fingers in French grip and easier to use the wrists in German. Both have their strengths and challenges. I most often use French grip on the ride cymbal with my right hand and German on the snare with my left. What works best will depend on the musical situation and what comes naturally.
Ah, yes. I too observed that my hand naturally adopted the french grip on the cymbals and german on snare, toms like you pointed out. But still, german grip isn't wholly wrist work, right? So, could you please make a vid demonstrating the exact motion of the fingers to aid the wrist in german grip? Thanks. This vid was helpful.
+Prateek Yadav Thanks for the request Prateek. It helps me to know what you need to know! I've been considering a follow-up video. It may be some time away as I'm currently working on finishing the introduction to jazz drumming series and it's a time consuming project. Please let me know any other questions you have. Until then, here's a quick note on using your fingers in matched/German grip: I played with my hands pretty much closed around the drumsticks for the first few years I was drumming. Eventually I started having pretty serious wrist problems because I was absorbing a lot of shock. Having a day job doing kitchen prep didn't help. I wanted to spend a lot of time practicing but knew I needed to do something about my technique. I sought out the best teacher I could find in my area at the time which was Rick Lotter. He teaches at Sacramento State University and is an absolutely fantastic drummer. We pretty much started over on hand technique and that's all we worked on. Take this note with a grain of salt because what he had me do may not apply to your particular approach or anatomy. But maybe you'll get something out of trying it. He had me start by playing one single stroke. Essentially throwing the stick at the practice pad and letting it fly straight back up to about 90°. If you do this in a relaxed way the drumstick will open your hand for you and your fingers will follow to allow it to come up. Since the drumstick will naturally rebound in a straight line, reversing the stroke by closing the hand will yield a perfectly straight stroke-essentially teaching your fingers to follow the drumstick by teaching them to let go and open up. Rick was all about following the drumstick and letting the drumstick do the work for you. While intellectually understanding the movements of the fingers and the wrist can be of some benefit, truly it is a natural motion that must be learned by the body rather than the intellectual part of the mind. Like dribbling a basketball, walking or dancing- these are things we learn kinesthetically rather than intellectually. For this reason when you look at all of the great drummers their techniques are different. That's because they learned in a way that came naturally to them and to their specific anatomy. There are other exercises that address specific tendencies but I'd have to see exactly what you're doing and how you're approaching technique to be able to give more specific advice. You're welcome to link/send a video of what's going on with your hand technique to nielsmyrner@gmail.com and I will take a look. Good luck!
-Niels
Nice video and teaching style. Manage to stay with you until the fast double stroke roll. Can't seem to get into 2nd gear with that. Practice right? Will check out your other videos. Thank you.
Thanks! Let me know if you have any questions. The doubles take some time. If you're working on hand technique you might like to check out www.nkmdrums.com/rudiments There is a "how to practice rudiments" video there along with demo videos for the 26 American Standard Drum Rudiments. Have fun!
Okay, will do. Cheers.
very nice how relaxed he explain the techniqe
Oh I'm learning not a drum set or any set. Lol I'm poor I can't even get a drum pad. So I imagine my drums set. I will manage on my imagination drum set. With a teacher like you I can learn. P. S I do have 2 sets of drum sticks. I love them I take them where I go. I will play on any thing on what lesson you teach.
Is a French grip better for playing fast hi hat notes. Like 16th notes with one hand?
Very good lesson well done,im struggling like mad to speed up my double stroke roll,it looks like your last three fingers take over when you speed up.
I got a problem. When gripping, the gap in between my thumb and index is basically nonexistent, as the grip is closed and doesn’t allow for much rebound. Compared to my right hand, which is my dominant. Also, my right has something called a Hitchhiker’s thumb, which allows for flatter contact between the stick and the face of my thumb.
hello, niels! for 14 years i've been playing the drums with the wrong grip: the drum stick used to be between the tip of my thumb and the second knuckle of my index finger... as i've been trying to change that, the sticks keep trying to go back to the old position and i find myself forcing the tip of my thumbs against the sticks, which doesn't help getting the relaxed feel while playing... any tips for me? thank you very much for your lessons, they are really great and helpful.
Ditto. Would like advice too!
This is very common and depending on who you study with/what style you study it is totally fine. For more powerful, heavy hitting styles, many drummers prefer to hold the stick in the 2nd knuckle, because it’s stronger. Think of it like holding a paint brush and painting your house (grab with whole hand and 2nd knuckle) vs. drawing fine details with a pencil, hold with knuckle close to finger nail, like in this video. To learn this technique you have to hold lightly and follow the stick as it rebounds. Like following a basketball as you dribble, your hand is only there to provide the absolute minimum input.
I'm already having a problem with holding the sticks, they move around even if they are tight in my fingers
Same!
@@arnskeith *O:*
Amazing. Thank you.
Ive a couple of questions if you can help?
1) should the stick never move out of it fulcrum? it happens to me. does that mean i'm not putting enough pressure with my thumb to keep the stick in place.
2) where exactly should the butt end of the stick go? is it straight down the middle of my palm into the middle of my wrist or out at the side say away from my body when its palm facing down.
3) should i feel the butt of the stick hitting my palm when playing?
Bro. Do You use your fingers for the double stroke roll ?
is it good to use second knuckle while holding drumstick for getting more bounce and good control on drumsticks or is there any problem to use second knuckle??
So do your fingers stay still and the stick swings against your palm and fingers or do the fingers move with the stick and push the stick back against the palm like with the open/close or finger technique? I don't see many players who use the finger technique with german grip, they usually use the french grip so it confuses me? Thanks. :)
Super helpful! Thank you!
What is the "or worse" you mention?
Otherwise an awesome video man, cheers
Totally subscribed!
Thank you for the reply!
I understand..
But, if I use this grip, it's ok? Is not wrong?
Hi guys! Reading on the web...i saw that can you use the AMERICAN GRIP (?)
I thought that there were only three grips... german, french and traditional!
WHAT IS AMERICAN GRIP??
Do you use finger technique?
Cool video. Do u use fingers at all when u do double strokes like this?
i am a beginner and how much time to learn double stroke roll ?
Hey Asha, It will depend on how much you practice, and the quality of your practice. Keep in mind learning a double stroke roll is "kinesthetic" learning rather than intellectual learning. Meaning, it is about your body learning how to do it. Like walking, running or physical motions that are extremely complex, they have to come naturally. You have to learn them physically through practice. So this means you have to give your body the opportunity to learn by going through the motions in a relaxed way. Also, practicing more than one rudiment will help. For example, playing the triple stroke roll will improve your double stroke roll, as will playing the single drag, 5 and 7 stroke rolls. Check here for rudiment lessons: www.nkmdrums.com/rudiments Last, working with a teacher is very helpful. Very often, while watching my students I notice things they may be missing. For example, maybe they aren't keeping all of their fingers on the drumstick while they are following the rebound, or maybe they are tense, rushed or contorting their wrists. These are things you need to watch for yourself if you are learning on the internet. If you can't find a teacher locally, you can find online study info here: www.nkmdrums.com/tailored You are also welcome to just send me a video of your hand technique and I'll be happy to take a look and help any way I can. Good luck and enjoy!
Thanks Niels
I will send my video as soon as possible 😊
Ok, sounds good. Have fun!
Hey Niels
how can I send my video??
Hey Asha, I just replied to your message through my website. Did you get the email?
4) im able to bounce the stick but sometimes especially in my left hand feel the fingers inhibit the rebound. should my fingers follow the stick back and forth?
5) Finally when i try to speed up to only say 145 bpm i feel i have to put in a lot of whip motion to get the stick to rebound fast enough. should i need to make that much effort if im doing it right.
i hope you can help as i really want to play properly and start making progress.
thanks
I"m curious if you're using fingers at all when you begin to pick up speed with the doubles? or is it all bounce strokes?
...like dribbling a basketball but you don't take your fingers off the ball when it hits the floor. It bounces but you follow it. You have to apply pressure in waves to control a series of rebounds. Squeeze too hard in the beginning and you get one hard bounce and a few small bounces. Squeeze lightly when the stick hits, and apply pressure with control and you can regulate the rebound to create even double strokes.
***** This is a great answer! Minus the .... ;P
great video!! i’ve just started teaching myself drums and i find that whenever i’m using my left hand(with matched grip), the rebound causes the drumstick to move in a circular motion instead of up and down. my right hand is fine but i just can’t figure out how to hold it in my left hand. do you have any advice for how to improve this? also the move i drum i find the drums slides a lot in my left hand, is that because my grip is too loose?
Hey ourdawn! That’s common. There are a few solutions. First, if your right hand doesn’t have the problem, try to let your left hand learn from your right. You can also experiment with a variety of techniques to find what works best for your anatomy and playing style. This is a very loose approach. It’s great for injury prevention and for a big, open natural swing sound (check out Jeff Hamilton) but it can be frustrating for some and it’s definitely not the approach you’d use in a marching band. There are many, many different approaches to technique. You could even try traditional grip for a whole different left hand solution. Good luck!
Niels Myrner ahh thank you so much for your advice! as i play more i seem to be getting the hang of it, so maybe it is just a case of time and experience.
Any time! Yeah it’s a time thing for sure. I think as long as you keep a relaxed natural hand/wrist position, you’ll do great.
Niels Myrner i’ll just keep at it then!! your videos are very helpful thank you for uploading them!
I have a question, How can I have more controled speed without making my thumbs tense? The thumbs is what that keeps the stick close and tight enough for you to control but the faster I go, the less control I have and to compensate I make my thumb too tense, Any suggestion?
Also, why do I tend to close my eyes or look everywhere else except what I'm supposed to look ai? Sounds stupid I know but for some reason it happens especially when playing with headphones and music
Hey Edgar. Regarding your wandering eyes, there's not a whole lot we could offer to help you there. Just keep your eyes open, haha. As far as the grip goes; You need to practice what Niels is showing in this video, and focus on keeping a loose grip. As your technique improves, you will notice that at higher speeds you are almost no longer holding the sticks with your thumb and index finger. You are almost holding the stick with the joint at the base of your index finger and palm. While your thumb and inner index finger edge almost "guide" the stick in it's channel(pivot point between your fingers). I suppose the best way to attempt to force yourself to feel for this is to loosen your grip and almost let the stick go at higher speeds. You will start to feel this sensation, and it will make more sense. Hope this helps you buddy.
-Brandon
Ahh yeah Good Stuff! I use the Basketball Idea as well! I love what you do No tricks just real talk! Cheers!
Do you have a Tutorial for french Grip? :D
Sorry for my bad English, but i come from Germany :3
Either traditional is sound 's like that??
interesting to see for a beginner: when the drum speed goes up, you can see a single wrist motion with two stroke, as the strokes were hit by the fingers,
this is knowledge! tx man
thank you for this!
Thank you so much!..very nice.
Thanks for sharing
Thank you i like this lesson
I want you to be my teacher.
Ah, yeah that makes sense.
Thanks man. =)
just keep practicing it, you need to be relaxed. if you are not relaxed, everything will feel weird. i might try getting your technique as close to you can to perfect. get comfortable with it, then fix the problems once you have the basic motions down.
Did you know that traditional grip has been banned for some reasons? according to Sdjmalik and Drum Gurus, traditional grip can even hurt your fingers, and you could have discomfort, so this is how we grip the sticks, also, you have to find the balance point of the stick, and that means you don't wanna be too far up, or too far back, if so then you're gonna hurt your fingers, so traditional grip has finally been banned due to several reasons! And match grip is better than traditional grip.
Interesting. Banned where?
thank you!
leave the space there, it will help your hands relax and give the stick room to rebound.
make sure your stick heights are the same
You should close the space between your thumb and index finger
NICE DOUBLE STROKE ;)
anyone have any idea on why this is called German grip?
just wondering, i am from Germany =P
Woo go french grip :D
GO GERMAN GRIP
AND IM AN AMERICAN AND PROUD TO USE GERMAN.
So funny how he's trying to not show the Vic Firth logo on his sticks..
it's called the German style, as that's how the German Army Band played their Snare drums while marching
Tank you
Why are your hands so far back
it is for begginers
@nielsmyrner Sorry mate! You're dead right, I can imagine that it's a bugger to try and articulate through a vid. All the best! :)
thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
RINGOOOOOOOO
Vic Firth stick
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you have to, if you aren't using fingers to accent the second stroke, then you are doing it wrong
@TomWrightTheDrummer ..... BUT, Your vids are great - sound, camera, tone, so I'm sorry! But, it just bugged me :) Happy christmas, keep drumming!
i dunno how to dribble a basketball
It's easy. Just drop it. When it bounces back up, give it a little push and send it back down. Great exercise for drumming!
German, French ehh. How did African, American and Asians hold sticks when playing their drums? Just a rant.
Forgive me as I like the 'vibe' of your vids, but its not helping beginners when you show the double stroke as you start off using your wrists to playing each double 5:57, then as the tempo gets too great for wrists, you go into using a drop and catch technique 6:00. The beginner at that point think how did he get beyond that tempo!!?? - "oh just let the stick bounce and relax" well yes all true, but they need to know about drop and catch. Thats just glazed over, its a totally different techniqe
Now in Spanish please....just kidding...I got ya!
+Eleazar Mercado Gracias por comentar!