5 Must Know Drumming Technique Lessons for EVERY Beginner
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- Опубликовано: 13 май 2021
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Many of us have overlooked little technical details on the drums, even if we’ve been playing for years. The truth is you can go really far on the instrument but your playing still be haunted by little technical details holding you back in ways you may not have ever noticed. Let’s cut to the chase and get your technique squared away right now!
These are the 5 biggest technique lessons I’d give my beginner self if I could go back in time, so it’s safe to say that I personally believe these to be the most crucial tips for any drummer’s success. Whether you’re beginner or advanced, I think you’ll gain something from this discussion.
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I'm a thumbs up, palms facing, middle finger fulcrum player. Palms facing reduces index finger friction, and anyone who's played for a seriously extended amount of time, only to look down at their hands to the horrors of having burned through multiple layers of index finger skin, knows how important it is to reduce friction. Ha!
I also can't stress enough the importance of understanding the best overall personal ergonomics when initially setting up a kit.
Seems trivial & irrelevant, especially for a kid starting out. I know it was for me as a kid 30 years ago, but it's really crucial to carefully plan out the correct height and distances measurements for each piece of the kit & throne. Ideally, you'll want your knees and thighs at a 90 degree angle from your core. Meaning your upper legs are parallel to the floor. Also, you'll want the snare, toms, and cymbals placed where they can be reached fluidly, and without having to overly bend your overall center core dramatically to access.
Trust me...
As a self taught and published former touring/session drummer with over 30 years of hard rock/metal experience?
It will save you in the long haul from suffering severe joint, ligament, and tendon damage from the prolonged repetitive motions and impacts inherent to the instrument that I'm having to deal with now at age 45.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It is possible to simultaneously play "harder" and also play "smarter",
but ignoring the later is really only going to take away extra years of endurance & stamina from you in the end.
Also, PROTECT YOUR HEARING!!!
"what?!" LMAO!
This concludes my TED talk...
Cheers.
.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:14 - Tip #5 Thumb placement is everything!
3:06 - Tip #4 Don't slide your foot up the pedal
6:01 - Tip #3 Closed Cymbal angle
7:25 - Tip #2 Don't use the shaft of the stick on crashes
10:14 - Tip #1 Leg bounce for keeping the tempo
14:08 - Go Practice!
All young bucks watching this have no idea how lucky they are today to get great free videos from guys like yourself today. I started back in the late 70's and the only lessons available were to pay at your local music shop. Lol ! Thank you for showing us what you've learned and picked up on over the years playing. And as far as videoing & recording yourself, I couldn't agree more ! 🥁 😎
Very true. To me, the drummers of today seem so much better than back in the 60's and 70's when I was learning. I think a lot of it is access to online videos for ideas, music, instruction, and techniques.
I don't agree with #5. I've taught for thirty years and have been playing professionally for 55 years. Having your thumb to low makes you lose control of the tip of the stick. I agree that the rebound is important but when you want control your thumb and second finger should work as one. Just my opinion.
I’m confused with this too when I thinking about my thumbs! Lower my thumbs, the stick will move up and up and lost the control if it !
Its a situational thing. I had a knee jerk reaction to this as well until I remembered I do this exact same thing at certain times. Different genres, dynamics, and styles require these types of differences. I dont think hes saying its an always thing, he just wasnt super clear on this either way.
I agree with you Daryl Wilson. 💯 I am a beginner that has had a love for the drums all 42 years of my life a d as far as I knew thumb was supposed to be on the side not on the lower part of the shick
I totally agree. Thumb so low takes out power and control. You can easily see when thumb is hold so low the whole wrist motion is pretty much gone.
Yeah this guy🎉 I am so apprehensive of guys acting like teachers when I think they're just trying to wreck students... And then he says “find your comfort zone” take lessons at guitar center
Cheers bro, I have been on and off drumming for the last 8 years, I'm pretty much still a beginner but you've rekindled the fire in me to start playing the drums again!
Great stuff Stephen! I have played drums for over 40 yrs and am just learning some of these things. I was a self-taught drummer and stagnated in mediocracy for decades. Though I regularly played in public with bands amazingly I didn't know some of these basic things. These little tips are so useful and can propel your drumming to places you only dreamed of. Thank you Stephen fo this video.
Dude! I’ve been playing for over 49 years… you’re spot on! You have a VERY good way of explaining things… really appreciate your down to earth way.
You’ve probably mentioned this in other vids, but I’ll contribute anyway. Speaking on the feet, balance is very key, especially for double kickers. I tend to use combo heel toe depending on the sound I want, say from the kik. Burying the beater can pitch the head if you need it to…. for efx. The hi hat heel toe can do the same…
Anyway… really appreciate your vids and glad I stumbled upon! Cheers!!
Me too (been playing 49 years and use a combination of heel/toe on the pedals). I've been using the leg bounce pretty much since I started playing, it just came naturally to me. I have a double pedal and will use toe for double bass drum patterns, but I use heel for fills/rolls. I also use toe for step patterns (Sly beat, steppers, 4-to-the-floor). Similarly for the hi-hat. I use toe for ¼ note or ⅛ note, constant chicks, heel for most other stuff, particularly for ‘barks’ - thanks for that bit of terminology, I hadn't heard them called that before. I just called them open hi-hat notes, which is a bit long-winded and clumsy. Any idea why they're called barks, or is it a name you came up with? They don't really sound like barks, so I'd guess it has to do with the hi-hat opening its ‘jaws’. My suggestion for an alternative name would be ‘soups’. I don't know if you did the same, but that typical, 70s disco beat with the open hi-hats on the ‘ands’ (ie 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and), we called that a ‘pea soup’ hi-hat pattern. While writing that last bit I didn't call them barks because (I'm guessing here, but it feels right) they're more sustained. I'm guessing barks are shorter, almost choked ‘soups’? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts re terminology in general. That goes for anyone here. For example, another one there's some confusion with is rim shots. A rim shot can refer to what I also call a ‘hoop crack’ or a rim click/side stick. I tend to use rim shot to refer to hoop cracks exclusively and use rim click for side stick rim shots.
I don’t feel the same way about tip #5. I find that doubles are much easier to control and keep strong while still being relaxed when your thumb is on the side of the fulcrum. When I try to cradle the stick with my thumb like you said it seems to hinder me from using my fingers. But I don’t know I guess it’s just a preference thing.
But it feels like a lot of your videos present these tips like they are the only way to do these things or even the best way. Like I guess if they work for you it’s good to share but you can’t present them as if everyone else is wrong for doing something else that works better for them. But all love and respect you’re obviously an awesome drummer and for that I applaud you.
Yeah I think a lot of people would say that tip is actually blatantly wrong... I had several teachers fix my thumb when it wasn't on the stick. When it's so low, there isn't really a fulcrum anymore! Not to mention how many times this guy mentioned "volume, power, and speed". How many gigging drummers are out there trying to play even louder? Isn't it usually the opposite or am I crazy?
9:12 12:12 he simply does not apply what he says in tip #5. Rather, he plays with his thumbs in a reasonable and functional position. Ironically his back fingers are flying and look somewhat tense around 12:12. He seems to not understand the difference between contact, and pressure and their relationship to rebound. Plainly, he never learned how to have maximum contact with no pressure or move his hand with the natural rebound of the stick. Seeing people with click bait emerge as an “authority” because their production quality is high and their channel name is humble is fine and all for anyone with experience, but it’s damaging for new players.
Mike Mangini has the fastest hands in the business and his thumb and fingers almost pinch the fulcrum so what this guy is saying, in my opinion, only really applies at slower speeds when you need to be more fluid and loose. Loose doesn't always mean fast though and clearly when he wants to play faster his grip tightens slightly.
If you want to play with power, tip #5 is a big no no. Always take tips that come from people who play like you would want to play. If you want to play like Stephen, then it's fine.
@@treycross5618
Yeah you're crazy 🤪
Lol
I played for a good 30 years with my thumb under the stick. Then I began to notice that EVERY drummer I admire, from local players to well-known names, plays with their thumb on the stick (actually I'm not sure what Brian Blade does so he could be a notable exception). So I began experimenting and I was immediately happy with the results. Then I went through the quite painful process of making the switch. Which meant adjusting my setup to a slightly more flat orientation and playing a handful of shows handicapped by the new grip. I've now fully transitioned and I got to say it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. The additional precision that comes with a more controlled fulcrum opened up my playing to a whole new range of possibilities and breathed some new life into my music. As with all technique lessons I advise people to take it with a grain of salt, explore the possibilities and find what works best for them.
I have never seen a successful drummer that plays with an open fulcrum like Stephen's. It gives you more rebound and might provide a better sound, but it takes away almost all control.
I was drawn to this vid by the thumbnail saying not to put your thumb on the stick. I've literally never heard that and I've been drumming for over 20 years. The thumb on the stick provides control and helps with power. It's literally one of the main parts of the fulcrum. Where exactly is Steph's fulcrum if not on his thumb? Just the top of his thumb? I've seen people move the fulcrum from the pointer finger to the middle finger, but never do anything different in terms of thumb placement. Steph's demonstration of the stick's natural rebound being inhibited with the thumb on the stick is also ridiculous. It's literally the fulcrum where the stick pivots. You could technically drum with no fingers aside from your thumb and pointer, but Steph's technique would cause your stick to fall out of your hand.
Stephen, as always, this video is mega helpful. Currently, I am working on improving my grip/ rebound with your double fulcrum technique. Today, I plan to use my middle finger and thumb exclusively and we’ll see how that feels. Cheers!
Generally great information, but tread lightly with tip #5 on thumb placement, especially with beginners - this advice contradicts all 'by the book' instruction. The 'cradling' concept is definitely valuable when stressing the importance of comfort/feel over rigidity in the grip, but perhaps not the first (or fifth?) thing a beginner should learn.
100% agreed. That's no beginner stuff at all!
@@faperito2389 yup, won’t do that for now, as my grip is correct.
In marching if you held your sticks like this I guarantee your stick would fly into the crowd or be stolen by a patient in the mental state hospital during Christmas parades. Guaranteed
Ha Ha! That’s a good one!!
Exactly. Tip 5 is harmful to teach new drummers. The thumbnail for this video shows tip 5 and it is the opposite of what you should teach. Your thumb should be on the side (not slightly underneath) so you have the most control on the stick. Not for beginners!
Dude, best and most comprehensive drum content for learning. Articulated so well. Thank you!
Stephen, you have helped Me immeasurably, after 40 + years of self taught drumming- l am passing on your insight and wisdom to my young bass player/guitarist/ solid drummer Josh (23) as so many of us old drummer Dogs do ( Phil Collins, John Bonham, Richard Starkey aka Ringo) many thx🥁CB.Ottawa 🇨🇦✌
Thank you! I have not had a comfortable grip until I tried out how you explained your’s. What a difference. Just learning, only have a practice pad, but was getting a bit discouraged. Excited to move forward!
Thanks for always share such a great tips
Love your lessons! You're a good teacher
Thank you for making this video. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
While to an extent technique is subjective, tip #5 in this video is most certainly counter productive and will be harmful to development of solid and dynamic hand technique. The level of finesse, control, dynamic range, and speed that the top players have always comes from having a solid (not to say tight or constrictive) fulcrum. Putting the thumb under the stick practically eliminates the control necessary to get any dynamic power or control and makes measured rebound an impossibility - the strokes will necessarily be sloppy and uneven. You should reconsider, I fear this advice may lead novices astray/set back their development.
Thank you! This has been incredibly helpful.
This tip video was great I'm an intermediate player and was making some of these mistakes, with a bit of conditioning I can probably play cleaner after watching this....thank you
Great tips, for myself playing the bass pedal I put my foot in an angle like pointing at like one o'clock. Since I have very little feeling in my feet due to neuropathy from spinal problems. And the hand techniques have definitely helped me improve playing with my left hand. As a 59 year old beginner, I say you're never too old to pick up a set of sticks and play.
About tip #3 Todd Suchermann's advice is even to use the tip, which you do on unaccented hits. Thx for the great content! Great playing and teaching!
I find it hard to believe he did not take about using the tip at all.
What a great video! I just stumbled across it as I was looking for some basic practice techniques. So great to see someone focus on foot work! Thanks, Stephen!
As always, very useful! Great tips
So many thanks for the thumb tip Stephen, I was struggling with my left hand about my double and triple strokes, now with a lower placement the stick feels more bouncy and is easier to keep faster tempos.
Again, many thanks. Your content is very helpfull.
Greetings from Catalonia.
With your grip tips i achieved clean doubles at 200bpm,paradidles at 170 and everything is very smooth,especially behind the kit.
I neglected those things,and got frustrated everytime I approached the drums because my doubles,paradidles and singles were sloppy and I was stiff behind the kit.
Man,I want to thank You soo much for everything You do,Your tips are really helping me.Even my drum teacher didn't told me about those things and just by watching your videos and your ebooks, I feels like I'm growing on the drums every time I practice..Thank You! :)
Work smart,not hard!
I’d love to see a video of those doubles and paradiddles with this technique to evaluate the consistency of sound and rhythm you achieved. Not meant as a shot at you or anything. I’m genuinely curious since this grip doesn’t exactly facilitate any real control and would love to evaluate your results since I’m an educator. Thanks.
@@Ridebmx34521 I agree that the middle finger fulcrum isn't as easy to get consistent but I've learned to be pretty good with clean doubles with it as well as pretty good with Moeller with the index finger fulcrum. Just takes more practice. I tend to play middle fulcrum on everything but jazz and concert snare stuff (I'd use index fulcrum on marching too but I don't really do marching stuff anymore).
@@Spladoinkal regardless of which fulcrum(s) you’re using, it’s more about the setup of the hand/thumb. What’s demonstrated in the video leaves way too much to chance and limits consistency. This applies to percussion as a whole, not just marching. Efficiency is efficiency and consistency is consistency
All 5 great tips! Thanks
This video is very helpful for a beginner like me!! Thanks a lot!!🙂
thanks for your help stephen
Yes thanks a lot ! The best 5 tips 💯🥁. Etherytime watching your videos i get a lot of input for selflearning - now i have a practice pad only but if i will have a drumset once so i'm prepared for All ☺👍
Thanks soooooooooo much!!!! This thumb placement changed everything for me as a beginner drummer!!!!
Just learning the drums, and I've been trying to figure out what was wrong with my grip for weeks. You just solved it. Thank you!
Thanks. I’m a total beginner, I’ve played the drums for only 3 or 4 months, so this is very useful.
Thanks for your smart ideas and sharing experience, it is very useful for me now!
That leg bounce helped me A Lot with the cajon. And you can even put a shaker on the leg to make 8th, 16ths with the shaker by bouncing more to make the shake
Dude the thumb thing made my freakin day, I'm like BRAND new and knew I was doing something wrong but could NOT figure out why my strikes weren't like the tutorials. The thumb placement nailed it.
I started playing drums in 1959 ... yeah that's not a typo .. and still play and do live and session work. these are very good tips for beginners and beyond and I commend your efforts!
Can I ask you a question sir?
You look experienced that's why
I'm 17 and have no experience in drumming
If I start now can I make it pro
Thanks for your time 😁
@@rebelheart8315 you can absolutely become a pro starting at 17 ! It all depends on how bad you want it. Practice practice practice ! Stick control is key so get yourself a practice pad. And make that practice pad your best friend 😎
Good luck & God bless
Ugh, where have you been my entire life
Thank you, very helpfull tips!
thank you for this! As a beginner, i find this very helpful for me!
Awesome lesson and thank you for sharing. 💙💛
Thank you! I think my grip has been hampering my doubles ! Good tips!
Changed my whole world with just a thumbnail.
Thank you so much!
It’s very important basic basic techniques ! It’s very helpful!
Thank you very much I really appreciate this video.
This info is helpful to me; thank you so much!
Ur videos are so much help for me thanks so much.
Just subbed
This was awesome. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this video!
Great video!! I love the 5 tips.
Hey Stephen. I truly enjoy your videos. You're definitely one of my favorite online instructors. I am among those who are self taught as a drummer, however, I have basic training through my school years as a percussionist. While watching this video, the word "technique" suddenly sunk into my thick head and I realized that's one area I have never investigated. Thanks to you, I am going to be paying more attention to this area of my drumming, but the first technique I am going to address is the way I set up my drums. I have three sets, (all electronic), and play in a band as well as occasionally helping to keep the beat for numerous jams in the area. Although my drums are generally set up in a similar fashion, I really don't have a constant method in relation to the angle of the drums and cymbals. I'm thinking this may be one of the reasons my sticks sometimes collide and sometimes hit the rims when I want to hit the strike area. Not to worry, I'll be working on the other techniques you've discussed as well, but I think consistency in set-up is paramount to accurate striking and better performance. Thanks so much for your inspiration and instruction, making us all feel like "We can do this!"
This was a awesome video💪🏾💪🏾
Self taught, I’ve been playing for 24 years now… started when I was 13. To non-drummers I sound great and I can make a song sound good, but I’ve never been able to do a real clean drum roll, so now I’m finally looking for good stick technique and hoping I can correct my flaws.
My TD9 Roland VDrums have a great feature that allows you to see, in real time, your timing. Set a metronome and you can see your hits on a grid and if your timing is off by a hair, you’ll see it live.
That’s not every drummer willing to share this kind of details. Cool bro!Thanks 😊
Great point on loose bounce technique or what ever one calls it….thumb and index soft open, index cradles….
Tip number one I naturally do it’s been years since i used a kit I’ve been thinking about getting back into it so I’ve been digging on lessons to make me better than I was because you never forget how to drum
Brilliant info!!! 👍
Extremely helpful!
Thank you so much!!!
Good stuff! I learned some things after 25 years of drumming! One thing though, I do the hihat pedal bounce thing normally, but with jazz I don't. With jazz the band likes to hear the hihat very pronounced so I do full strokes with that. Only on jazz though.
Good energy .very important when you are a teacher. I suscribe sir.
Since Vinnie, Dave Weckl and Father Gadd are playing quite successful with a controlled fullcrum, I‘m not sure if your advice concerning the grip makes perfect sense.
When you watch him play, depending on the hittting angle, it seems he is not following his advice himself. This strict right or wrong approach is always a little problematic... (as no one would say, either french or german grip is the only right way of playing)
Weckl has actually moved his “balance finger” to his middle rather than index on his right hand.
Best grip for hands without a pain 💯💯💯
Thank you!
What’s good for the right hand is good for the left hand! 😉
Nice of Stephen to share his opinions as everyone can learn from anyone if your my mind is open.
Great information. not related to video could you tell me what hats you are playing and ride. Thanks so much
Thank you Stephen :)
I honestly thought I was the last heel down player on the planet! Very useful video thanks Steve …
There are a lot of ways to hold the stick. The right was is what feels best, sounds good and doesn’t hurt you. My thumb is parallel with the stick, index finger right across as the grip, tip of the middle finger is the fulcrum. I learned my grip and technique from Daniel Glass and it’s vastly improved my playing.
Quarter and Ghost Notes help with the groove and make it sound more full and groovy baby groovy 😎 , lol good video thanks for your time
Great video man. Thanks for it. Also, those socks look super comfortable. 🤣
For number 1, I’ve always kept my heels up. It’s interesting to see this stuff because I’ve never even thought about a lot of it. I just put on the headphones and play. Lots to learn clearly
Good crash riding tip👍
Thanks a lot!!
Good stuff!
As a tall person I found with my pearl forum kit I turned around the bass drum to move tom-toms closer and my leg more stretched it worked brilliant for me
God advice for students. I sit high myself an have my BD out farther too. It's important not to cramp yourself up.
With the HH I do a left to right movement, where I have my heel go to the right on 1 and to the left on 2, right on 3 and left on 4.... this way I dont only count the quater notes, but keep the 2 and 4..... just a wee thing.
I enjoy your content, so I mean no disrespect when I say this, but I strongly disagree with tip #5 (the thumb tip). You can use a triangle hold between the thumb, index, and middle fingers on the stick and it allows you to have much better control over the stick without having to squeeze the stick.
Great video, I’m a total beginner and older! Always wanted to learn, now I’m going for it! Thanks
How's it going...
@Stephen, thank you for all the tips! I have a problem with my gripping: the drum stick keeps turning if I don’t grab it tightly with the thumb, and sometimes the stick even keeps slipping up or down. How should I fix that? Thanks!
HELPFUL KEY HINTS
I neede this so badd
I'm working on the thumb placement
Re foot pedal technique, you ought to mention that many players play the kick with the heal raised, and I agree not to play with your foot too far up the pedal, but I found that my foot would inevitably drift up the pedal as I played, and my solution was to build an extended toe stop out of wood and mounted it to my pedal, now my foot has a rest place that locates my foot in just the right place, and no more worries about drifting up the pedal too far.
For #5, try keeping your thumb on the the sick, and letting your fingers relax. You aren't letting your fingers relax until you move your thumb. No reason to do that, just relax your fingers.
For whatever reason you're restricting your fingers when you have the thumb in it's proper position.
If you keep your fulcrum strong, and relax the fingers, you'll get proper wrist rotation, and rebound.
This is the same trchnique Jeff Porcaro used.
video hay quá .thank bro
Got a tip for you, your bass drum beater should hit drum at 90 degrees, yours goes past 90, it did wonders for me when i fixed it, u need to lift the front of your bass drum a little.. Thomas Langs concert tom kit set up video shows the front of his bass drums are off the ground a little..loved the hand tips thx!!
Oh shit I’ve been hitting my cymbals right all along and I didn’t even know 😂. You snap sticks a bit tho my last pair lasted a month haha
May I ask what earplugs you use while drumming? Thanks for the helpful videos and encouragement Stephen!!
I've had a drumset for about a year now and I've been drumming for and 3.5 years now. Im more of a marching drummer and I've just recently been wanting to start playing drumset more and more
😳I've never heard anyone ever say that your thumb needs to be below the stick
Hmmm. I'm going to try to be more aware of technique # 5. Not so much be aware of my thumb placement - that's fine. But I must focus on using my middle finger more than my index finger. I already do most of your tips here, but I always seem to get a callous on the right side of my index finger on my snare hand (left), by clenching the stick too tightly with my index finger or something (too tight into the crevice 'tween thumb & finger). Going to try & be aware of the 1st tip (#5).
I had to grab a drum stick to see if I hold it right. It’s something I’ve never thought about in 20+ years. I hold my sticks right.
So nice to watch a RUclips that doesn’t begin with “what’s up guys” and then a boring monologue pretending we are good friends. 😅. Great video man!
I typically feel more comfortable using a more German grip as I was in drumline all of highschool it’s a good challenge slightly altering it
German is pretty counter productive in a rudimental setting... and well... almost any setting. It limits the ability to effectively and efficiently enhance strokes with the fingers. It also moves the stick out of alignment with the forearm which places less mass behind the stroke. In short, this means your hand must do more work to stop the stick. German also places the thumb on the side of the stick which requires extraneous fulcrum pressure for control often creating a harsher sound than playing American or French.
Hi, I'm from Brazil, I got to know the channel now, I managed to understand a little, if it had subtitles in Portuguese it would help a lot, you explain a lot more there are some things I don't understand because of the language🇧🇷
I’m a beginner love your channel. How do I get lessons from u personally
at 7:55 you talked about how to hit the cymbals correctly, especially the smaller ones. Mine is 16", I always hit it with the part of my stick that's right under the olive (it's what we say in French idk what you say in English). Would you consider it fine?
I’ve been playing for about a year now, and I felt like I kept getting worse. As you were explaining this stuff I started to realize the reason my playing is horrible is because I’m using an office chair with messed up pneumatic ram. My snare is half way between my bellybutton and my nipples. I cannot operate my pedals like that. I’m gonna have to make a seat for the stool legs that came with my second hand drum set.
I played drums from 16-20 but now that im 27 i bought a kit and unfortunately i have a wrist issue where the rebound of the stick hitting my palm agitates my top wrist bones (carpal bones) regardless of technique. I'm currently using a wrist splint to hopefully heal whatever is wrong with my wrist (i believe ive strained it from lifting weights every day, and stick rebound when drumming agitates it)
There are MANY drummers that would disagree with your opinion on thumb position. Furthermore, using a concept like "you may be guilty of...", whether it's a figure of speech or not, is counter-productive.