Nothing in life is free.....except that second rebound stroke with my doubles! " You must lose control to gain control, Grasshopper." It's the " Non-Glamourous " advice that has had the most positive impact on my playing. A thousand Thank Yous, Stephen!
I've bumped up my top comfortable speed by at least 20 bpm since I started following Stephen's advice. And it really feels like you are letting the sticks do their thing and you're just there to guide them.
Your articulation of thought is second to none. Subscribed. I'm helping my wife (54) learn to play drums. She's secretly longed to acquire this skill all her life. I'm a lifelong multi instrumentalist (piano, violin, guitar) and am learning drums to help her get a solid foundation. This "catch" concept is very similar to a violin bowing technique called ricochet. I'm going to take your 3 step course on this technique and show your video to my wife. I think this is going to be an epiphany for her. Thank you.
The changing from right to left i find the most challenging, but that also helps you understand the Moeller technique better to when your changing right to left,so it's a good exercise all around,but challenging too!
After 40 years of playing in different settings, it is refreshing going back to basics to keep everything working properly. As you age, your anatomy changes too, so, these kind of tips are very helpful to keep you competitive all the time. So, regarding your question: I have to work from the very beginning, redefining the fulcrum, looking for that second bounce to come freely and as smooth as possible, do the catch subtle and in time, then involve wrist movement to “reset” the old technique and assign the right moment where I should move it so the stick do the whole work. Thank you sir.
Best drumming instructor and most helpful videos I've found. Started two years ago at age 59,working on all of it! Thank you for your work to help us beginners progress.
Nothing in this is too technical as some comment said. This is just a pure depth to help you develop and practice double stroke. Which isn't just a RRLL but also require how to control those bounce and grips. Thank you for helpful explanation.
the number of double rolls videos i have watched .... stephen THANK YOU. i have no other words for you. just thank you. i'm suscribing right now, so i'll check all the other videos. again, thank you so so so much
Good lesson! I’ve been playing a loooong time and I’ve never really been good at doubles. This exercise is really helpful and seems to be right on the money. I’ll keep up with it and watch parts 2 and 3. See how it goes. I made this lesson take 30 minutes by pausing it and working the exercises, and already I think this is a really solid lesson. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four Stars. 😎👍👍
Good lesson, thank you. I really am focusing on the "hinge" and switching to middle finger position. So that will be my main area of focus until lesson 2 hits. Looking forward to next lesson.
Think you're one of my best teacher on you tube channel, you explain and show so well how to be loose wich for me was the most important think to understand after 3 years spending on too hard and stiff playing (I'm a french beginner drummer who play on a batucada's band in "Bretagne", the keltic area of France, so sorry for my english) since I follow your vidéos I definitely really improve my play and becmore relaxing, chillaxing and enjoy more to play obviously, thanks also for this unique explanation about the middle finger fulrcum who really change my drumming progress...I was an martial art teacher for many year, your pedagogy is awesome, so thanks a lot Master, domo arrigato gozeïmas, merci énormément, "trugarez vraz" (in Breton)😊
I need to find that balance between loose grip, but not bouncing out of control at slow speeds, especially in the weak left hand. I'm just starting out at 62. Looking forward to the journey.
Your technique is helping me with consistency. One thing that I have added is to bounce the sticks at the same time to work on getting the same bounce timing. Seems easier to focus on any differences in technique between the hands. Thanks 😊
Playing relax is definitely the challenge, with the right technique. I’m playing 3 months now, started practicing doubles since 4 weeks ago. I got to 100bpm in 16th notes, but had to stop and re-analyse because I hit a hard wall there and got issues in my neckk/shoulder. It was absolutely due to the exercise of doubles at higher speeds and losing relaxed posture. After taking a few days off I’m back it focusing on posture and relax hands/wrists. Looking fw to part 2! Great channel! Also doing your feet exercises for 16th note kicks
My right hand used to cramp up on long solo playing until I let go of the death grip and let the stick be loose in the hand. Finger and forearm stretching was beneficial also.
Amazing stuff! This is my first day after buying just drumsticks with rubber tips and thanks to Your tutoring I actually understood how effortless playing ought to be and how enjoyable practicing really is. Thanks again! ;P
Great video. You hit on my weakness first thing, getting out of "control freak" mode. Other musicians can say or think what they want, but drummers, (often along with bass players), set the tempo, embellish the impact of and controls the breaks in the music we play. Normally, the rest of the band works from what we provide. Can't wait to move on to parts 2 and 3. Thanks!
You're awesome definitely my left hand just feels out of sync feel like on a rebound the stick doesn't come straight up, your awesome you have a great way of techniques that are so important you're helping me so much as I gave up drumming for 20 years and now that my kids are grown up and I'm alone just me and my dog, it was time to bring the drums back into my life and yet there's so much I thought I knew but I don't. i enjoy your Channel and look forward to more of your videos have a great day , you are a very awesome drummer excellent teacher !!!
Doubles came easier for me by throwing the stick down and going faster. Getting that under control, and then slowing it down slowly. I found slow was harder, so I kept slowing it down till there was an issue and would speed it back up just a bit and practice it there. Timing is less crucial at speed which is why I think I struggled slower.
@The Rusty Drummer yeah as I get better I find myself using more of a Moller technique though I'm not capable of that yet. The halfway point on that got me a fast paradiddle which was all about that fluid motion of the wrist
Having the same issue here, fast is easy (doubles, triples and quadruples I guess). I think it's because going fast the rebounds flow better without needing control for you, or less. Slow, you need to control the rebound and the followups. (Not sure what the correct terms are, I jus started practicing drumming).
Hey Stephen thanks for what you do on yT. I’m learning so many different things about my playing. I recently started back to playing and it has been ugly to say the least lol😂. Just wanted say thanks buddy.
I think I’ve watched about 4-5 videos to try to get the right technique and this one really helped. I need to figure out why my left hand is so alien when I try this technique
Also what really helped was to drop my wrists, which I wasn’t doing. What I was hoping you could tell me is why my sticks aren’t bouncing all that high? I seemed to master making anything happen by making the double with sort of a whip rather than dropping it sort of passively, and the stick only goes halfway up. In fact, the only way I was able to even pull that off, was to find myself doing triples and then just doing 66.6% of that.
re bounce practice... I've found a lot of bounce power by practicing bouncing on my soft drum seat. This gives me enough power to do triplet & quad bounce fills around the kit... that sound like singles... sort of.
I really advocate playing the second note with an accent in each hand to really even out your doubles. While it is true that triple stroke rolls really far more on rebound and bounce catch, not so with doubles. Best I ever heard with double strokes was Tony Williams. Go listen more intently to his evenness to learn what I mean about the second note being on par with the first note.
This may be pure physics - but. How does one get the second shot, the rebound in time? If the fingers and hands are not influencing the bounce, how do you get the second bounce, the rebound in time? Ok we start at 80, the second hit is the "and". I increase to 100 bpm, I control the speed of the first hit, but what suddenly increases the speed of the rebound shot?
I've been working on just this from a previous video you had so next week is gonna be interesting because I already started "solving" the problem of playing this at 160 and above by forcing the stick to bounce into the fleshy pad on the inside of my hand after the first hit and therefore forcing it to go back down sooner. I'm interested to see what the proper technique is before I cement my quick and dirty solution into a bad habit.
Don't follow any of the instructions in this video. You will certainly develop a bad habit. Your primary fulcrum point at the front of the grip is between the thumb and index finder with subsequent fingers following behind with progressively less pressure at each finger. The exercise is painful (not physically) when slow because you can't control gravity to keep something bouncing slowly. You must stroke each note to keep them uniform. Don't use a thumbs up French grip. Keep the back of your hand facing up to the ceiling and flat at the playing position so that you could balance your other stick on it. You can adjust the "squeeze and point" pressure at the front of the grip according to the speed of the diddles and stop the stick in a low position when finished by controlling the bounce. When I say "squeeze and point", I mean as you mentioned above. Use the fleshy part of your skin at the bottom of the index finger and the fleshy part of your palm below your pinky finger. "Squeeze" should be ever so slight, more like an invisible twitch. I like to say, "Put a little fat on it." The amount of slight pressure to which I refer would barely move bubble wrap packing plastic to the point the bubble gets tight w/o popping. Don't choke it or dampen the stick! DO NOT PULSATE! The second controlled stroke should sound as strong as the first note of the diddle. For more info: Look for a Bill Bachman video. He has some good explanations. The only thing I don't like about BB's exercise that he starts at the vertical position but it works for one his most memorable quotes for me: "...with little or no human interference." He has some good explanations on fast and slow technique, stick heights, and what to do about it at the front or back of the grip. Another one to look for is Dr. John Wooten. He has some great videos. Look also for something by Jeff Queen. Also, see below post by Garage Band Syndicate who is on the right track and touches on Bachman's explanation.
I've had a teacher tell me not to let go control as much and to aspire to stick out all doubles. So I've been trying to do that since then, but like you say at faster speeds it feels like I'm playing into the drums to get the rebound I need and I start to plateau sixteenth notes around 160-170bpm. I've also been on the complete other side where in highschool all I focused on was the rebound so my pinky was always out.
Very well explained Stephen! Not too complicated to understand and you stayed on topic. Looking at your feedback, I see quality responses which tells me this is working. Keep up the great work!!
Great video....all of your lessons are so clear. Thank you. I am a bit confused between playing doubles and fast single eight notes. Is the grip different for fast single notes?
I just noticed my index finger (weak hand) was resting against the stick as it normally would on single strokes. Once I moved it away a bit from the stick my slow doubles rebound better.
Hmmm. I am just trying to get the drop part down. The stick slides all over the place, the sticks wobble all over the drum, unless I do a slight drop the heel of the stick hits my palm or my arm. I have to hold the stick perpendicular to my arm (i.e. as if held out in a fist) to prevent that. Maybe my snare position is too low since my hands are almost resting on my thighs. By the by, I was kicking myself thinking I was dismal at double-stroke rolls when I set the metronome for 80 and I could not even come close. I had to crank it down to 30! Yes 30 before I was able to get a rhythm going and worked it up to 100 and could barely keep in time before my hands began interfering with one another. It amazed my how you could so effortlessly do 80. Wait. 80? You were not going all that fast and stayed loose. Your metronome has a hard click on the first eighth note. I checked mine. It is set for 80 on eighth notes. What was I doing different? Mine does a hard click on each quarter note. Then it hit me. I was doing one double stroke on the hard click (right hand) and one on the soft click (left hand). I was actually playing sixteenth notes or the equivalent of 160 BPM. *smacks his forehead* Oh.
Really good content. I knew of the fulcrum from one of my teachers, Freddy Grubber, but he placed it between the thumb and index finger. I've heard many drummers talk about using the middle finger but did not get any decent visuals. Thank you for capturing so many in your vid. Now, my trouble is deciding which is better. The over 45 years of using my index finger keeps sneaking back in. Question: Why not use the index finger? I did notice with the middle finger, my index is freed up to add control or even bounce the stick similarly to how the trading traditional grip left-hand allows for bouncing the stick (though not as freely). Since I like most of my doubles, there are limitations on certain surfaces and at certain speeds.
With the middle finger as the fulcrum are you not missing an opportunity to have it involved in the finger catch with the other two? Seems like this might reduce the power for faster doubles.
Steve, You are one of the best instructors out There !! Thanks for intuitive and valuable info to Beginners/ Intermediates. I'm a Subscriber to your Channel. Your downloads are also fantatstic tools for practice and improvement in drumming. This lesson the other 2 serve well to describe stick control. Regarding the Weak Hand, I voulnteer this: practice Neuroplasticity - a Psysche term which combines with Muscle memory. I try to exercise Neuroplasticity in little steps : pour and hold coffee cups, Brushing teeth, opening doors, etc., and as much as I can do with my Weak Hand (my left). The theory is that this method "tricks" and adjusts your Mind - Body connections !! I'm a 71 YO, Resurrected "Drummer" (or at least a Drum Player), who after 50 years [1969] picked up drums again in 2019. I've learned a great deal from you (and in fairness, some others too). I appreciate your time and effort to help all of us. The Beat Goes On, said Sonny & Cher.
I've noticed several Drummers I Fallow using Avery controlled but quick stick technique such as Tommy Aldridge when he goes around from snare to LG floor Tom. IS this what he is doing? Or can you not conceive it? Reason I'm asking is it's so smooth and he rolls that smooth sounding technique throughout the Tom's on the Tom's Looser tuned skins which Obviously is harder to get a decent sounding roll from... Can you watch one of his solos and tell me if you think or know that this technique is what he's using? Thank you very much for you time and hope to hear from you Soon! Thank you Sir! GOD Bless!
I love this video. My doubles are smooth and even. Fast, slow, strong, soft, building and diminishing I feel and sound great. I’m having the hardest time cracking the code on my accented doubles on the second stroke or AFTER the “bounce”. On line lessons I’ve watched say the accented double stroke is “controlled” and accented without the bounce and I just don’t get the speed of good 32nd notes on my hi-hat without taking advantage of the bounce. I’ve worked so long and diligently on this and I’m just not advancing like I have in every other area of drumming that I’ve worked at. I hate to think I have found myself in an area that I simply cannot perform in and therefore reached my potential. Please! Can ANYONE help?
Thanks for the bounce tech. re invisible tech I can play slow 4 stroke rolls llll rrrr. I try 8 strokes bouncing, so that when I hit the six it feels easier. I love playing lllrrrlllrrr bouncing, triplets, making them feel like triplets, then go for 6 stroke and making that feel like triplets... very hard for me to do with one bounce for me, but I get there after warming up to it. Thing is I use a marching grip, I refuse to use matching, I did for 20 years, & it's never progressed for me. My ISSUE: paradiddles... my weak hand defies me. I can get doubles, triples, quads, 5 and 6 stroke rolls... I can do a slow paradiddle... for weeks... months... I can't get it going to speed. Which of course decimates my fill cooking. I'd love to fix this. Can you help?
Noticed you use middle finger fulcrum. On my right hand ( my weak hand) it seems to be easier that way. But, i have noticed that the majority of drummers that teach this technique use the index finger and thumb. I'm for either way, but i once talked to a teacher about this. And he said. You have 5 fingers, use them. You Tube, seems to ad to confusion sometimes. Rather than solutions.
Isn’t the second note supposed to be more accented by snapping the stick back with the fingers? Just comparing this video to the methods I’ve learned from other videos that seem to emphasize accenting the second note
OK look, I'm a beginner drummer so I don't know much, I love your channel, I even went back and found your old drum cover of Ain't It Fun by Paramore and I loved it... but how can you play your drums with the drumhead logos not facing you? Literally unplayable smdh. Other than that, thanks for the amazing videos. I'm going through Drumeo courses but your channel is a nice change of pace for random things. I'm traveling and can't practice this particular lesson, but recently jammed out after watching your jazz in 3 steps video. Wife said it sounded good. I had a blast just improvising the fills, ghost notes, and cymbals on off beats.
You always have useful advice and I'm not sure if you ever got this question before but I'm going to ask. I am coming back to the drums after not playing for almost 7 year. The reason I stopped was I broke my left index nuckle so bad its now about 1/4 inch shorter then the right. It makes for using my left hand very hard because I cant quite grip the stick as well as the right hand anymore. Have you ever come accros someone in simialr shoes and if so, what advice can you give to help overcome this issue?
Rob, take a look at some YT Videos about your finger condition. There are exercises that may help. I have Carpal Tunnel and arthritis in my left wrist and thumb (also encroaching into other fingers - and now my right hand too). Some days, it hurts like Hell. You may also want to try a variety of Joint Relief Creams and ointments - thsy do help: Tiger Balm, Hot and Cold, Rubs with lidocaine, and even Eucholyptic oils. Without crying in my Beer.....I have a 1.15" shorter Right leg since 1966 after fracturing my right femur playing HS Football. That leg length discrepancy has created havoc with my Spine / Hips over the years as I Left it Unaddressed for decades and it caught up with me to the top of my neck. Have your doctor confirm if there is now Osteo-arthritis in the finger joint. I would say: Yes . I use some supplements to try to address my arthritic conditions : Turmeric, Ginger, cinnamon, Bromelain, and more...and Collagen (which can be added to your coffee or tea in morning which is tatseless). Try different stick Grips - Steveb here is using matched , try Traditional grip ! Good Luck man....
Raise your snare drum height. You don't want to rest your arms on your thighs. If the drum is too low, you lose energy, i.e. volume. Conversely, if the drum is too high, you don't get the full impact of the stick. Start with your arms at a 90-degree placement, and lower them in small increments until you find the optimum spot.
the problem i encountered is that the pointer finger keeps rubbing against the stick and also creates a ceiling where the sticks hit when bouncing back. cant manage to find an angle where pointer finger is out of the way. Help!!
As a drummer Myself; I noticed Your hi-hat top Cymbal is still Engaged: tighten on shaft. If I'm Done playing I Always disengage Top Cymbal to Shaft, so the weight of the Cymbal is Not bearing down On Hi-Hat "spring(s).
I have an issue where my middle finger on my right hand is not functional for playing this method, can it be translated to focus on the pinky and/or ring finger?
Play exercises starting on your left hand. Left hand lead. Play exercises with accent/tap patterns so your left gets an opportunity to strengthen. Play some exercises on surfaces w/o bounce. Don't catch water; don't play palm up. Turn your wrist over to the inside a little. Place your right stick on your left stick behind index finger and thumb. Make sure the stick is almost horizontal. Use more power from the thumb. Don't let the index finger fly off. Introduce the index finger to gradually add power to the diddle's downstroke and subsequent catch. Also use the ring finger to help catch.
@@Joel_Train Thanks very much!!! I will have to dissect this a little, but it's articulate and will be useful for me. I just started taking lessons again at 64 and my teacher has made adjustments to my grip. I understand catching water, palms up. I've been trying to do that, which you advise against. Also, with palms up I find it hard to get the left stick to be completely vertical before a down stroke, or when utilizing the bounce.
This requires a lot of control. I enjoy creating each note when I do doubles. Sound quality is better. But I invariable fade in and out of relying on the drum heads. It creates different vibes to me.
"The second note needs to be for free. Our hand is not doing anything to create the second note" This is certainly one way to do it. There is, however, a much more controlled, powerful way to execute the double stroke where the hand does something on each stroke. Find out how.
I've been playing my doubles like this for years, it's actually a jazz technique, Art Blakey called it a "press roll" I learned my style from Mitch Mitchell and Clive Bunker's playing
Switching from practice pad to snare drum is a harsh reality check sometimes….im wailing away will ease on the pad then I switch to snare and it sounds like 💩
Hi Stephen, Great, helpful content is spot on. You do a great job explaining things. This has nothing to do with your lesson content: your upper body rocks back and forth as you are talking. That is very distracting and maybe you aren't aware that's going on. Keep up the good vids... with maybe less rocking. :) Take care!
Lower your stick heights. Practice timing exercises that force you to switch note values mid-exercise. Play quietly when playing fast - that's hard to do with good control.
I am 57, just started my drumming journey. Thank you so much for these lessons, you are essential part of my journey now.
have fun man!
Nothing in life is free.....except that second rebound stroke with my doubles!
" You must lose control to gain control, Grasshopper." It's the " Non-Glamourous " advice that has had the most positive impact on my playing. A thousand Thank Yous, Stephen!
I've bumped up my top comfortable speed by at least 20 bpm since I started following Stephen's advice. And it really feels like you are letting the sticks do their thing and you're just there to guide them.
@@LordBaktor Absolutely, Lord and that middle finger fulcrum makes such a difference .
Your articulation of thought is second to none. Subscribed. I'm helping my wife (54) learn to play drums. She's secretly longed to acquire this skill all her life. I'm a lifelong multi instrumentalist (piano, violin, guitar) and am learning drums to help her get a solid foundation. This "catch" concept is very similar to a violin bowing technique called ricochet. I'm going to take your 3 step course on this technique and show your video to my wife. I think this is going to be an epiphany for her. Thank you.
The changing from right to left i find the most challenging, but that also helps you understand the Moeller technique better to when your changing right to left,so it's a good exercise all around,but challenging too!
After 40 years of playing in different settings, it is refreshing going back to basics to keep everything working properly. As you age, your anatomy changes too, so, these kind of tips are very helpful to keep you competitive all the time. So, regarding your question: I have to work from the very beginning, redefining the fulcrum, looking for that second bounce to come freely and as smooth as possible, do the catch subtle and in time, then involve wrist movement to “reset” the old technique and assign the right moment where I should move it so the stick do the whole work. Thank you sir.
68yo, 1 month into lessons, this was awesome, thx!!
Best drumming instructor and most helpful videos I've found.
Started two years ago at age 59,working on all of it! Thank you for your work to help us beginners progress.
Nothing in this is too technical as some comment said. This is just a pure depth to help you develop and practice double stroke. Which isn't just a RRLL but also require how to control those bounce and grips. Thank you for helpful explanation.
the number of double rolls videos i have watched .... stephen THANK YOU. i have no other words for you. just thank you. i'm suscribing right now, so i'll check all the other videos. again, thank you so so so much
Good lesson!
I’ve been playing a loooong time and I’ve never really been good at doubles. This exercise is really helpful and seems to be right on the money.
I’ll keep up with it and watch parts 2 and 3. See how it goes.
I made this lesson take 30 minutes by pausing it and working the exercises, and already I think this is a really solid lesson.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four Stars.
😎👍👍
Yeah I like these videos. Answers a lot of questions. Very good 👍
Good lesson, thank you. I really am focusing on the "hinge" and switching to middle finger position. So that will be my main area of focus until lesson 2 hits. Looking forward to next lesson.
Think you're one of my best teacher on you tube channel, you explain and show so well how to be loose wich for me was the most important think to understand after 3 years spending on too hard and stiff playing (I'm a french beginner drummer who play on a batucada's band in "Bretagne", the keltic area of France, so sorry for my english) since I follow your vidéos I definitely really improve my play and becmore relaxing, chillaxing and enjoy more to play obviously, thanks also for this unique explanation about the middle finger fulrcum who really change my drumming progress...I was an martial art teacher for many year, your pedagogy is awesome, so thanks a lot Master, domo arrigato gozeïmas, merci énormément, "trugarez vraz" (in Breton)😊
I need to find that balance between loose grip, but not bouncing out of control at slow speeds, especially in the weak left hand. I'm just starting out at 62. Looking forward to the journey.
Your technique is helping me with consistency. One thing that I have added is to bounce the sticks at the same time to work on getting the same bounce timing. Seems easier to focus on any differences in technique between the hands. Thanks 😊
Man, you are a great teacher
No perfect time videos. Good videos
Playing relax is definitely the challenge, with the right technique. I’m playing 3 months now, started practicing doubles since 4 weeks ago. I got to 100bpm in 16th notes, but had to stop and re-analyse because I hit a hard wall there and got issues in my neckk/shoulder. It was absolutely due to the exercise of doubles at higher speeds and losing relaxed posture. After taking a few days off I’m back it focusing on posture and relax hands/wrists. Looking fw to part 2! Great channel! Also doing your feet exercises for 16th note kicks
My right hand used to cramp up on long solo playing until I let go of the death grip and let the stick be loose in the hand. Finger and forearm stretching was beneficial also.
Amazing stuff! This is my first day after buying just drumsticks with rubber tips and thanks to Your tutoring I actually understood how effortless playing ought to be and how enjoyable practicing really is. Thanks again! ;P
Thank you. Finally someone that explains.
Great video. You hit on my weakness first thing, getting out of "control freak" mode. Other musicians can say or think what they want, but drummers, (often along with bass players), set the tempo, embellish the impact of and controls the breaks in the music we play. Normally, the rest of the band works from what we provide. Can't wait to move on to parts 2 and 3. Thanks!
You're awesome definitely my left hand just feels out of sync feel like on a rebound the stick doesn't come straight up, your awesome you have a great way of techniques that are so important you're helping me so much as I gave up drumming for 20 years and now that my kids are grown up and I'm alone just me and my dog, it was time to bring the drums back into my life and yet there's so much I thought I knew but I don't. i enjoy your Channel and look forward to more of your videos have a great day , you are a very awesome drummer excellent teacher !!!
Doubles came easier for me by throwing the stick down and going faster. Getting that under control, and then slowing it down slowly. I found slow was harder, so I kept slowing it down till there was an issue and would speed it back up just a bit and practice it there. Timing is less crucial at speed which is why I think I struggled slower.
Same here
Slow doubles for me is all wrist. Our drum line instructor made us do this on soft surfaces with zero rebound.
@@therustydrummer995 I practise religiously on cushions...
@The Rusty Drummer yeah as I get better I find myself using more of a Moller technique though I'm not capable of that yet. The halfway point on that got me a fast paradiddle which was all about that fluid motion of the wrist
Having the same issue here, fast is easy (doubles, triples and quadruples I guess).
I think it's because going fast the rebounds flow better without needing control for you, or less.
Slow, you need to control the rebound and the followups. (Not sure what the correct terms are, I jus started practicing drumming).
your video is right in the moment i need it, thanks dude!
Hey Stephen thanks for what you do on yT. I’m learning so many different things about my playing. I recently started back to playing and it has been ugly to say the least lol😂. Just wanted say thanks buddy.
I think I’ve watched about 4-5 videos to try to get the right technique and this one really helped. I need to figure out why my left hand is so alien when I try this technique
Also what really helped was to drop my wrists, which I wasn’t doing. What I was hoping you could tell me is why my sticks aren’t bouncing all that high? I seemed to master making anything happen by making the double with sort of a whip rather than dropping it sort of passively, and the stick only goes halfway up. In fact, the only way I was able to even pull that off, was to find myself doing triples and then just doing 66.6% of that.
Going back and forth. That's my struggle. I like how you break it down into 3 steps. Well done!!
I just started playing drums 3 weeks ago and I'm already doing gigs. The doubles are great they've turned my speed up 30%.
re bounce practice... I've found a lot of bounce power by practicing bouncing on my soft drum seat. This gives me enough power to do triplet & quad bounce fills around the kit... that sound like singles... sort of.
When drumeo fails you come to the non glamorous drummer
lol, that's exactly my case :D
I really advocate playing the second note with an accent in each hand to really even out your doubles. While it is true that triple stroke rolls really far more on rebound and bounce catch, not so with doubles. Best I ever heard with double strokes was Tony Williams. Go listen more intently to his evenness to learn what I mean about the second note being on par with the first note.
SO helpful mate! Thank you!
Yes, this is perfect advice. Easier said than done. :)
Thanks for an enjoyable lesson with details.
This is great, thanks Stephen. I am still having difficulties with the free bounce!!!!!
That folkrem step...
Excuse my spelling...
Have a super lazy left!
Youre the best so far!
Excellent valuable lesson bro!
This may be pure physics - but. How does one get the second shot, the rebound in time? If the fingers and hands are not influencing the bounce, how do you get the second bounce, the rebound in time? Ok we start at 80, the second hit is the "and". I increase to 100 bpm, I control the speed of the first hit, but what suddenly increases the speed of the rebound shot?
Really love your channel, thanks!
I've been working on just this from a previous video you had so next week is gonna be interesting because I already started "solving" the problem of playing this at 160 and above by forcing the stick to bounce into the fleshy pad on the inside of my hand after the first hit and therefore forcing it to go back down sooner. I'm interested to see what the proper technique is before I cement my quick and dirty solution into a bad habit.
Don't follow any of the instructions in this video. You will certainly develop a bad habit. Your primary fulcrum point at the front of the grip is between the thumb and index finder with subsequent fingers following behind with progressively less pressure at each finger. The exercise is painful (not physically) when slow because you can't control gravity to keep something bouncing slowly. You must stroke each note to keep them uniform. Don't use a thumbs up French grip. Keep the back of your hand facing up to the ceiling and flat at the playing position so that you could balance your other stick on it. You can adjust the "squeeze and point" pressure at the front of the grip according to the speed of the diddles and stop the stick in a low position when finished by controlling the bounce. When I say "squeeze and point", I mean as you mentioned above. Use the fleshy part of your skin at the bottom of the index finger and the fleshy part of your palm below your pinky finger. "Squeeze" should be ever so slight, more like an invisible twitch. I like to say, "Put a little fat on it." The amount of slight pressure to which I refer would barely move bubble wrap packing plastic to the point the bubble gets tight w/o popping. Don't choke it or dampen the stick! DO NOT PULSATE! The second controlled stroke should sound as strong as the first note of the diddle.
For more info: Look for a Bill Bachman video. He has some good explanations. The only thing I don't like about BB's exercise that he starts at the vertical position but it works for one his most memorable quotes for me: "...with little or no human interference." He has some good explanations on fast and slow technique, stick heights, and what to do about it at the front or back of the grip. Another one to look for is Dr. John Wooten. He has some great videos. Look also for something by Jeff Queen. Also, see below post by Garage Band Syndicate who is on the right track and touches on Bachman's explanation.
I've had a teacher tell me not to let go control as much and to aspire to stick out all doubles. So I've been trying to do that since then, but like you say at faster speeds it feels like I'm playing into the drums to get the rebound I need and I start to plateau sixteenth notes around 160-170bpm. I've also been on the complete other side where in highschool all I focused on was the rebound so my pinky was always out.
When is part 2 coming out? Thanks for posting!
Very well explained Stephen! Not too complicated to understand and you stayed on topic. Looking at your feedback, I see quality responses which tells me this is working. Keep up the great work!!
I feel like my fulcrums are pretty good individually but my weak hand fulcrum seems to deteriorate when I use both hands. But I'm working on it!!
Great video....all of your lessons are so clear. Thank you. I am a bit confused between playing doubles and fast single eight notes. Is the grip different for fast single notes?
I just noticed my index finger (weak hand) was resting against the stick as it normally would on single strokes. Once I moved it away a bit from the stick my slow doubles rebound better.
Thanks for a very good lesson 🙏
My biggest road block. Thanks a million 😅
I've gotta adjust my grip. Always gripped with index fingers. Gonna feel weird for a while but this makes more sense.
Controlling the rebound
Hmmm. I am just trying to get the drop part down. The stick slides all over the place, the sticks wobble all over the drum, unless I do a slight drop the heel of the stick hits my palm or my arm. I have to hold the stick perpendicular to my arm (i.e. as if held out in a fist) to prevent that. Maybe my snare position is too low since my hands are almost resting on my thighs.
By the by, I was kicking myself thinking I was dismal at double-stroke rolls when I set the metronome for 80 and I could not even come close. I had to crank it down to 30! Yes 30 before I was able to get a rhythm going and worked it up to 100 and could barely keep in time before my hands began interfering with one another.
It amazed my how you could so effortlessly do 80. Wait. 80? You were not going all that fast and stayed loose. Your metronome has a hard click on the first eighth note. I checked mine. It is set for 80 on eighth notes. What was I doing different? Mine does a hard click on each quarter note. Then it hit me. I was doing one double stroke on the hard click (right hand) and one on the soft click (left hand). I was actually playing sixteenth notes or the equivalent of 160 BPM.
*smacks his forehead* Oh.
Really good content. I knew of the fulcrum from one of my teachers, Freddy Grubber, but he placed it between the thumb and index finger. I've heard many drummers talk about using the middle finger but did not get any decent visuals. Thank you for capturing so many in your vid. Now, my trouble is deciding which is better. The over 45 years of using my index finger keeps sneaking back in. Question: Why not use the index finger? I did notice with the middle finger, my index is freed up to add control or even bounce the stick similarly to how the trading traditional grip left-hand allows for bouncing the stick (though not as freely). Since I like most of my doubles, there are limitations on certain surfaces and at certain speeds.
With the middle finger as the fulcrum are you not missing an opportunity to have it involved in the finger catch with the other two? Seems like this might reduce the power for faster doubles.
This is the beginning, not the end.
Brevity is the soul of wit.
Good teacher
Great job..gbu🥁🔥
Steve, You are one of the best instructors out There !! Thanks for intuitive and valuable info to Beginners/ Intermediates. I'm a Subscriber to your Channel. Your downloads are also fantatstic tools for practice and improvement in drumming. This lesson the other 2 serve well to describe stick control. Regarding the Weak Hand, I voulnteer this: practice Neuroplasticity - a Psysche term which combines with Muscle memory. I try to exercise Neuroplasticity in little steps : pour and hold coffee cups, Brushing teeth, opening doors, etc., and as much as I can do with my Weak Hand (my left). The theory is that this method "tricks" and adjusts your Mind - Body connections !! I'm a 71 YO, Resurrected "Drummer" (or at least a Drum Player), who after 50 years [1969] picked up drums again in 2019. I've learned a great deal from you (and in fairness, some others too). I appreciate your time and effort to help all of us. The Beat Goes On, said Sonny & Cher.
I've noticed several Drummers I Fallow using Avery controlled but quick stick technique such as Tommy Aldridge when he goes around from snare to LG floor Tom. IS this what he is doing? Or can you not conceive it? Reason I'm asking is it's so smooth and he rolls that smooth sounding technique throughout the Tom's on the Tom's Looser tuned skins which Obviously is harder to get a decent sounding roll from... Can you watch one of his solos and tell me if you think or know that this technique is what he's using? Thank you very much for you time and hope to hear from you Soon! Thank you Sir! GOD Bless!
I love this video. My doubles are smooth and even. Fast, slow, strong, soft, building and diminishing I feel and sound great. I’m having the hardest time cracking the code on my accented doubles on the second stroke or AFTER the “bounce”. On line lessons I’ve watched say the accented double stroke is “controlled” and accented without the bounce and I just don’t get the speed of good 32nd notes on my hi-hat without taking advantage of the bounce. I’ve worked so long and diligently on this and I’m just not advancing like I have in every other area of drumming that I’ve worked at. I hate to think I have found myself in an area that I simply cannot perform in and therefore reached my potential. Please! Can ANYONE help?
Thanks for the bounce tech. re invisible tech I can play slow 4 stroke rolls llll rrrr. I try 8 strokes bouncing, so that when I hit the six it feels easier. I love playing lllrrrlllrrr bouncing, triplets, making them feel like triplets, then go for 6 stroke and making that feel like triplets... very hard for me to do with one bounce for me, but I get there after warming up to it.
Thing is I use a marching grip, I refuse to use matching, I did for 20 years, & it's never progressed for me.
My ISSUE: paradiddles... my weak hand defies me. I can get doubles, triples, quads, 5 and 6 stroke rolls... I can do a slow paradiddle... for weeks... months... I can't get it going to speed. Which of course decimates my fill cooking. I'd love to fix this. Can you help?
can you please show the weblinks for Parts (2/3) and (3/3), thank you
Noticed you use middle finger fulcrum. On my right hand ( my weak hand) it seems to be easier that way. But, i have noticed that the majority of drummers that teach this technique use the index finger and thumb. I'm for either way, but i once talked to a teacher about this. And he said. You have 5 fingers, use them. You Tube, seems to ad to confusion sometimes. Rather than solutions.
Isn’t the second note supposed to be more accented by snapping the stick back with the fingers?
Just comparing this video to the methods I’ve learned from other videos that seem to emphasize accenting the second note
the fulcrum point is my beginning,so is there a position my arms need to in? and is it a wrist factor?
thankyou
OK look, I'm a beginner drummer so I don't know much, I love your channel, I even went back and found your old drum cover of Ain't It Fun by Paramore and I loved it... but how can you play your drums with the drumhead logos not facing you? Literally unplayable smdh.
Other than that, thanks for the amazing videos. I'm going through Drumeo courses but your channel is a nice change of pace for random things. I'm traveling and can't practice this particular lesson, but recently jammed out after watching your jazz in 3 steps video. Wife said it sounded good. I had a blast just improvising the fills, ghost notes, and cymbals on off beats.
the loafers haunt me in my dreams, great video
I need to get the left hand fulcrum working as well as my right. My left is soo uncoordinated.
You always have useful advice and I'm not sure if you ever got this question before but I'm going to ask. I am coming back to the drums after not playing for almost 7 year. The reason I stopped was I broke my left index nuckle so bad its now about 1/4 inch shorter then the right. It makes for using my left hand very hard because I cant quite grip the stick as well as the right hand anymore. Have you ever come accros someone in simialr shoes and if so, what advice can you give to help overcome this issue?
I'm not sure if this is right for you but I suggest looking up Claus Hessler and learning about his "fulcrum free" approach to technique.
Rob, take a look at some YT Videos about your finger condition. There are exercises that may help. I have Carpal Tunnel and arthritis in my left wrist and thumb (also encroaching into other fingers - and now my right hand too). Some days, it hurts like Hell. You may also want to try a variety of Joint Relief Creams and ointments - thsy do help: Tiger Balm, Hot and Cold, Rubs with lidocaine, and even Eucholyptic oils. Without crying in my Beer.....I have a 1.15" shorter Right leg since 1966 after fracturing my right femur playing HS Football. That leg length discrepancy has created havoc with my Spine / Hips over the years as I Left it Unaddressed for decades and it caught up with me to the top of my neck. Have your doctor confirm if there is now Osteo-arthritis in the finger joint. I would say: Yes . I use some supplements to try to address my arthritic conditions : Turmeric, Ginger, cinnamon, Bromelain, and more...and Collagen (which can be added to your coffee or tea in morning which is tatseless). Try different stick Grips - Steveb here is using matched , try Traditional grip ! Good Luck man....
Raise your snare drum height. You don't want to rest your arms on your thighs. If the drum is too low, you lose energy, i.e. volume. Conversely, if the drum is too high, you don't get the full impact of the stick. Start with your arms at a 90-degree placement, and lower them in small increments until you find the optimum spot.
the problem i encountered is that the pointer finger keeps rubbing against the stick and also creates a ceiling where the sticks hit when bouncing back. cant manage to find an angle where pointer finger is out of the way. Help!!
As a drummer
Myself; I noticed
Your hi-hat top
Cymbal is still
Engaged: tighten
on shaft. If I'm
Done playing I
Always disengage
Top Cymbal to
Shaft, so the weight
of the Cymbal is
Not bearing down
On Hi-Hat "spring(s).
Could have explained this incredible concept in 3 minutes
My sticks keep flying out of my hands, any tips?
Starts at 4:31.
My issues are everything you said. Left hand is weak. Both hands need fulcrum practice, etc.
I have an issue where my middle finger on my right hand is not functional for playing this method, can it be translated to focus on the pinky and/or ring finger?
Yes. Try it, and if it works you've found the solution.
I play with a traditional grip. Yes, my left hand lags behind. Any recommendations?
Play exercises starting on your left hand. Left hand lead.
Play exercises with accent/tap patterns so your left gets an opportunity to strengthen.
Play some exercises on surfaces w/o bounce.
Don't catch water; don't play palm up. Turn your wrist over to the inside a little. Place your right stick on your left stick behind index finger and thumb. Make sure the stick is almost horizontal.
Use more power from the thumb. Don't let the index finger fly off. Introduce the index finger to gradually add power to the diddle's downstroke and subsequent catch. Also use the ring finger to help catch.
@@Joel_Train Thanks very much!!! I will have to dissect this a little, but it's articulate and will be useful for me. I just started taking lessons again at 64 and my teacher has made adjustments to my grip. I understand catching water, palms up. I've been trying to do that, which you advise against. Also, with palms up I find it hard to get the left stick to be completely vertical before a down stroke, or when utilizing the bounce.
I played drums in high school. I know how to play eye sheet music. I need to figure out how to play by ear. I just can’t figure it out.
Step one is what I need to focus on.
Very informative thank you
Does the index finger merely rest on the stick without doing any work?
The stick does the work. Drop it and pick it up after the second bounce.
@@farshimelt I understand that part. My question is whether or not the index finger merely serves as a guide so to speak
Video number three I've watched of yours at that offers a free PDF which is non-existent
What make practise is that please?
I think it's Evans.
fulcrum point of weak hand
This requires a lot of control. I enjoy creating each note when I do doubles. Sound quality is better. But I invariable fade in and out of relying on the drum heads. It creates different vibes to me.
Dave Weckl
Richard Wilson called it, "Half the effort, twice the speed."
The fulcrum point. And my weak hand
"The second note needs to be for free. Our hand is not doing anything to create the second note" This is certainly one way to do it. There is, however, a much more controlled, powerful way to execute the double stroke where the hand does something on each stroke. Find out how.
I've been playing my doubles like this for years, it's actually a jazz technique, Art Blakey called it a "press roll" I learned my style from Mitch Mitchell and Clive Bunker's playing
G'day stephent
Switching from practice pad to snare drum is a harsh reality check sometimes….im wailing away will ease on the pad then I switch to snare and it sounds like 💩
Your good for teaching children...
👏👏👏👏
Hi Stephen, Great, helpful content is spot on. You do a great job explaining things. This has nothing to do with your lesson content: your upper body rocks back and forth as you are talking. That is very distracting and maybe you aren't aware that's going on. Keep up the good vids... with maybe less rocking. :) Take care!
my left hand and doubles
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
hinge
What if I have killer doubles but my singles are crap? My doubles come naturally, but my singles are forced.
Lower your stick heights. Practice timing exercises that force you to switch note values mid-exercise. Play quietly when playing fast - that's hard to do with good control.
@@Joel_Train , thank you.
Accidental send, but anyways, G'day Stephen