Hi Paddric. Excellent instruction from your cool vids: grateful! Question? Can you explain the white wrap on the shoulder of the sticks? Is that for a visual effect or to protect wood from rimshots, maybe both? Just curious. I’ve never played in a marching band (only drumset), so I have no clue. Cheers..
Great question! It's both. It helps the sticks contrast against most marching band uniforms with the benefit of adding a bit more durability. I still do it so that my sticks are more visible while teaching, and I like them to be a little more front heavy. Now you've got me curious just how much weight I'm adding.. lol
I wonder when the left hand middle finger position took a turn that wound up with what most teach today? For so many years the prevalent thought was that the middle finger of the left hand was to be held straight out. I mean, all of the greats taught that way- Tom Float, Marty Hurley, Dennis DeLucia, and the list goes on and on. I get the new position and the thought process and reasoning behind the current train of thought. Does anyone know what year that change took place or was it a gradual thing like a lot of trends in D.C.I. where everyone watches and emulates the guys who win the gold? Just wondering. From a guy who was taught the "old skool" way with the middle finger straight out. Another concept along this same theme is the pinky position of the left hand.
I don't know when the shift happened, but Paul taught us not to create any unnecessary tension, and I agree. It's funny, the first time I heard that "make a middle finger" thing was from a kid who learned under Float, lol
@@paddric_ryan And Float was certainly not the first to ever teach that concept. Marty Hurley taught his guys at Phantom (and I know this because my college room mate was a Phantom snare from 1977) the Les Parks method and the middle finger was relaxed and held straight out and the pinky was curled. To me, the pinky curling actually tightens up the forearm. But so many very successful snare drummers used this method and they didn't just play the Downfall of Paris I assure you. Look up Ken Mazur. He won indies at D.C.I. and a guy named Kenan Patuch (sp?) actually beat out Scott Johnson at indies. Funny how things change over time. Thought provoking to say the least.
@@paddric_ryanMy teachers marched with Paul 92-96 and were Marty Hurley PR guys. I was taught a hybrid of both schools of thought. I think Paul’s style really cemented itself in the late 90s. But, in ‘04 I was at camp with an east coast corps and they were not happy about relaxed hands. One of the techs asked where I’m from and after I said “Denton,” he said “oh, that’s why you’re not gripping your fulcrum and using too much arm.” So it took quite a while to become a more dominant approach.
I'm really hoping for a response here, because I've struggled my entire life with this. I can't twist my left hand far enough to play at full height. How do I stretch it safely and efficiently?
I'm no doctor or anything, but... What's always worked for me is holding both sticks in your fist ✊ and using your other hand to push the sticks, rotating your fist. Do that in both directions gently. Also, a short warm up of 8 on a hand with really heavy sticks (something like the old VF Dennis Delucia - I think they're called Magnums now). Play loud and relaxed. Super heavy sticks have more rebound energy and can help stretch you out. Lastly, don't forget to relax. You won't get vertical on rotation alone. It's okay for your forearm to move a bit.
Thanks for your response. Yeah some arm motion is only natural, especially at greater heights, but I haven't been able to reach the 12" mark without a lot of arm in two decades. It was only European Drum Corps, but still. There's an anniversary performance coming up, so I'll try stretching it out and see if I can't surprise my friends a bit. Thanks again!
Interesting drum heights for Vanguard snareline this last year. Specifically, it appeared as though they went with the natural playing height of each person, rather than a uniform height across the tops. Certainly makes sense to me. To your point, everyone had to modify their subtle style, in the interest of uniformity.
@@thomashelm6931the most extreme example that comes to mind is the female snare drummer on The Cadets in 02-04. Her shoulders were probably so sore from holding her arms so high to play on a drum that was nearly up to her chest.
Let's see... Generally speaking, one thing that always sticks out in my head when I play threes or fours is to think about letting the second note rebound as high as it wants. Obviously, timing and speed can constrain that, but as long as I'm at least thinking that, I've found that my hands don't gas out before I get all the notes I need. You gotta be relaxed enough to harness and guide the energy you get from the first note. A lot of people choke that second note, which leaves little to nothing left for the third and fourth notes.
Do you have any comment on the size of the stick to the size of the players hand, or would that be in the other video? I struggle with the diameter of the pipe band stick and small (female) hands.
Great question! Nope, I haven't specifically addressed stick size in relation to hand size YET. Smaller hands can make things difficult at times. Without knowing your specific struggle, remember that we want to take advantage of the natural shape of our hand in its relaxed position. Let it hang at your side completely relaxed, then look down to see what shape it's in (probably a bit curled). Then, place the stick in your hand and you should be able to get a good grip with minimal finger positioning; (check out 10:25) The foundation of the grip is the combination of the stick being in the webbing between your thumb and index finger AND putting your index finger on top, with the thumbprint on top of the index finger (thumb helps reinforce the index finger). Ring finger supports from underneath, and pinky and middle usually will relax into a good position on their own. Everyone's bodies are slightly different, but as long as you have all of the important points of contact *without pressure*, you should be able to find something that works. Sometimes, you can solve hand size things with different sticks. However, you want to still use sticks that are made for marching percussion purposes - which is tricky because they're all going to be much thicker than most other sticks. There are lots and lots of companies to choose from and they all have various sizes within the marching percussion genre. Most sticks that are designed for marching percussion are designed to be thicker so that you can get a good, full sound out of the drum, and also so that they can withstand the abuse we put them through (high-tension drum heads and tons of rimshots). If you're auditioning for a certain group, a lot of times they'll have a stick that they regularly use, so you won't get much of a choice there. But, if you're on your own, then I suggest browsing the different companies' websites and look at what they offer in the marching percussion category. Usually, they put the measurements of the sticks on their site, so you can compare that to what you currently have. Sorry for such a long-winded response lol, but thanks for watching and asking questions! Keep drummin!
@@bethhoward1982 haha! Just joking around :) We were in drumline at Judson together, I marched snare at Carolina Crown when Pat was at Phantom. He’s the best 👍
I never knew how technical this could be! Wow! Very interesting.
It's not that bad.. I do tend to be long-winded though. Lol
Hi Paddric. Excellent instruction from your cool vids: grateful! Question? Can you explain the white wrap on the shoulder of the sticks? Is that for a visual effect or to protect wood from rimshots, maybe both? Just curious. I’ve never played in a marching band (only drumset), so I have no clue. Cheers..
Great question! It's both. It helps the sticks contrast against most marching band uniforms with the benefit of adding a bit more durability. I still do it so that my sticks are more visible while teaching, and I like them to be a little more front heavy. Now you've got me curious just how much weight I'm adding.. lol
I wonder when the left hand middle finger position took a turn that wound up with what most teach today? For so many years the
prevalent thought was that the middle finger of the left hand was to be held straight out. I mean, all of the greats taught that way-
Tom Float, Marty Hurley, Dennis DeLucia, and the list goes on and on. I get the new position and the thought process and reasoning
behind the current train of thought. Does anyone know what year that change took place or was it a gradual thing like a lot of trends
in D.C.I. where everyone watches and emulates the guys who win the gold? Just wondering. From a guy who was taught the "old
skool" way with the middle finger straight out. Another concept along this same theme is the pinky position of the left hand.
I don't know when the shift happened, but Paul taught us not to create any unnecessary tension, and I agree. It's funny, the first time I heard that "make a middle finger" thing was from a kid who learned under Float, lol
@@paddric_ryan And Float was certainly not the first to ever teach that concept. Marty Hurley taught his guys at Phantom (and I know this because my college room mate was a Phantom snare from 1977) the Les Parks method and the middle finger was relaxed and held straight out and the pinky was curled. To me, the pinky curling actually tightens up the forearm.
But so many very successful snare drummers used this method and they didn't just play the Downfall of Paris I assure you.
Look up Ken Mazur. He won indies at D.C.I. and a guy named Kenan Patuch (sp?) actually beat out Scott Johnson at indies.
Funny how things change over time. Thought provoking to say the least.
@@paddric_ryanMy teachers marched with Paul 92-96 and were Marty Hurley PR guys. I was taught a hybrid of both schools of thought. I think Paul’s style really cemented itself in the late 90s. But, in ‘04 I was at camp with an east coast corps and they were not happy about relaxed hands. One of the techs asked where I’m from and after I said “Denton,” he said “oh, that’s why you’re not gripping your fulcrum and using too much arm.” So it took quite a while to become a more dominant approach.
I'm really hoping for a response here, because I've struggled my entire life with this. I can't twist my left hand far enough to play at full height. How do I stretch it safely and efficiently?
I'm no doctor or anything, but... What's always worked for me is holding both sticks in your fist ✊ and using your other hand to push the sticks, rotating your fist. Do that in both directions gently. Also, a short warm up of 8 on a hand with really heavy sticks (something like the old VF Dennis Delucia - I think they're called Magnums now). Play loud and relaxed. Super heavy sticks have more rebound energy and can help stretch you out. Lastly, don't forget to relax. You won't get vertical on rotation alone. It's okay for your forearm to move a bit.
Thanks for your response. Yeah some arm motion is only natural, especially at greater heights, but I haven't been able to reach the 12" mark without a lot of arm in two decades. It was only European Drum Corps, but still. There's an anniversary performance coming up, so I'll try stretching it out and see if I can't surprise my friends a bit. Thanks again!
@@De_Pieremegoggel oh yeah, I struggle too. I think it's just because I'm not marching in a drumline everyday. Lol
Are you playing in the drum line in the closing moments of the video?
Lol, yes I am! Phantom Regiment 2003. I was in the snareline. 🙃
Interesting drum heights for Vanguard snareline this last year. Specifically, it appeared as though they went with the natural playing height of each person, rather than a uniform height across the tops. Certainly makes sense to me. To your point, everyone had to modify their subtle style, in the interest of uniformity.
@@thomashelm6931the most extreme example that comes to mind is the female snare drummer on The Cadets in 02-04. Her shoulders were probably so sore from holding her arms so high to play on a drum that was nearly up to her chest.
Do you have any tips for anything like 3s and 4s with the left hand?
Let's see... Generally speaking, one thing that always sticks out in my head when I play threes or fours is to think about letting the second note rebound as high as it wants. Obviously, timing and speed can constrain that, but as long as I'm at least thinking that, I've found that my hands don't gas out before I get all the notes I need. You gotta be relaxed enough to harness and guide the energy you get from the first note. A lot of people choke that second note, which leaves little to nothing left for the third and fourth notes.
Do you have any comment on the size of the stick to the size of the players hand, or would that be in the other video? I struggle with the diameter of the pipe band stick and small (female) hands.
Great question! Nope, I haven't specifically addressed stick size in relation to hand size YET. Smaller hands can make things difficult at times. Without knowing your specific struggle, remember that we want to take advantage of the natural shape of our hand in its relaxed position. Let it hang at your side completely relaxed, then look down to see what shape it's in (probably a bit curled). Then, place the stick in your hand and you should be able to get a good grip with minimal finger positioning; (check out 10:25) The foundation of the grip is the combination of the stick being in the webbing between your thumb and index finger AND putting your index finger on top, with the thumbprint on top of the index finger (thumb helps reinforce the index finger). Ring finger supports from underneath, and pinky and middle usually will relax into a good position on their own. Everyone's bodies are slightly different, but as long as you have all of the important points of contact *without pressure*, you should be able to find something that works.
Sometimes, you can solve hand size things with different sticks. However, you want to still use sticks that are made for marching percussion purposes - which is tricky because they're all going to be much thicker than most other sticks. There are lots and lots of companies to choose from and they all have various sizes within the marching percussion genre. Most sticks that are designed for marching percussion are designed to be thicker so that you can get a good, full sound out of the drum, and also so that they can withstand the abuse we put them through (high-tension drum heads and tons of rimshots).
If you're auditioning for a certain group, a lot of times they'll have a stick that they regularly use, so you won't get much of a choice there. But, if you're on your own, then I suggest browsing the different companies' websites and look at what they offer in the marching percussion category. Usually, they put the measurements of the sticks on their site, so you can compare that to what you currently have.
Sorry for such a long-winded response lol, but thanks for watching and asking questions! Keep drummin!
Ralphie Juniors are great for smaller hands and they still have some beef. You should try them. (Vic Firth)
@@DennisJohnsonDrummer thank you. I will look in to them.
New subscriber. Any idea if this teacher is any good?
I'm okay.. 🙃
I’ve heard he really knows what he is doing - classically trained, PASIC champ, Phantom Regiment alum.
@@bethhoward1982 haha! Just joking around :) We were in drumline at Judson together, I marched snare at Carolina Crown when Pat was at Phantom. He’s the best 👍
🥰🥰🥰 Thanks for the support man!
David, I thought you might be one of his longtime friends! 😎