Hey gang, I know this isn't related to an instrument model, or microphone, but it doesn't seem to fit in the general.

I've been an 'also kind of drummer' for quite a while now. The instrument came to me after the period of academic, studious approach to other instruments and it's always kind of been a side thing. Once in a while I reflect on basic shit I would have started with and random gaps I have as a semi accomplished, semi idiotic drummer.

This brings me to the way rudiments and different roll types play into real-life, creative, rocking out drumming.

I started playing with some guys and a song has a part that demands a two measure roll at a moderately fast pace. The part told me that I have almost exclusively played single stroke rolls, and that all of the fills I've come up with are either only 4 beats long, or feature some kind of syncopation so that the roll is broken up with other bits that aren't as physical demanding. Many drummers would simply play a double stroke roll for this part of the song, and I suddenly chuckle to myself that I've recorded a couple albums worth of drum parts and I suck ass at playing double stroke rolls.

This isn't really a question, but more of 'here's my story', what's yours? I'm curious how you drummers who started young, took lessons, played in band etc use a lot of these essential, boring to practice, rudiments to play real music that's rockin, or brutal, or beautiful or whatever.

losthighway wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 11:21 pm This isn't really a question, but more of 'here's my story', what's yours? I'm curious how you drummers who started young, took lessons, played in band etc use a lot of these essential, boring to practice, rudiments to play real music that's rockin, or brutal, or beautiful or whatever.

Yeah I'm in a similar boat. I have some 'tricks' but it's stuff I saw other drummers doing, or picked it up from a song or recording or whatever. I missed out on the whole marching/concert band stage as I was more of a guitar player back then.

I'll briefly do exercises now but more as a warm up or maybe an attempt to measure progress, but I don't turn around and throw it in a song 5 minutes later (I may try, but basically have to stop the song in order to do so).

To expand on the thread: if you do have drills or techniques that you find yourself using a lot in your own music, I'd like to hear about them.

I started playing drums at 10. In New England we had fife and drum corps, like this:



SUPER HIP, as you can see. They handed 10 year old me a pair of sticks that'd make 2B's look like twigs, I still have them. Don't know how I was able to do anything with them, but I picked up drumming really quick, it came easy. So I learned all the rudiments at a really young age, and when you learn stuff that young it just stays with you forever. I haven't played drums in literally 3 years and I could pick up sticks right now and throw down some drag ratamacues at light speed no problem, it's a fun party trick.

ANYWAY....all that to say in my adult life as a drummer I basically never used ANY of that stuff AT ALL. If I'd been playing fusion or prog metal I probably would've, but for playing rock and funk? I just wanna groove baby. I never really thought about rudiments at all, I was always focused on coming up with good parts and playing them with good time and feel.

I'm sure having learned all the rudiments at a young age helps me now in ways I'm not conscious of, so I think it's definitely good to know them. But if I was advising young drummers I'd say learn all that stuff, then forget about it and spend most of your practice time playing along to records and developing a good feel.

I recently got a book called "200 Paradiddle Exercises for Drums" that's been interesting. There are definitely applications that are interesting, and take me out of my comfort zone in ways that could have some real-world applications.

Kinda like FM MoreSpaceEcho, I grew up doing band and classical percussion and had a lot of rudiments as a kid. And similarly, I always found it hard to apply much of that to lunkhead rock music. Playing some seven stroke roll across low-tuned toms while competing with an SVT and 100w half stack is just a waste of effort. Lately, I'm totally into challenging that, but it has to be some context where bounce-type playing balances well both with the rest of the kit, and the dynamics of the entire group.

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:39 am …throw down some drag ratamacues at light speed no problem, it's a fun party trick.

I feel like I need to be part of this party scene

Haha, a few years ago, in the Before Times, we went to a friend's 50th birthday party. Him and his best friend were both beginner drummers, had just started taking lessons. My wife told them I played and they're all c'mon c'mon play for us! I demurred but they insisted so I sat down at the kit and played totally shit versions of funky drummer and when the levee breaks, then kicked out one of the old fife and drum standards and they were looking at me like I was Jesus. I'm like guys, this all sucks, I'm covered in rust, haven't played in years. "You haven't played in years and you can just do that?!???" Guys, I learned it when I was 10, it's like riding a bike.

Lately I've been inspired to attempt glitchy drum and bass beats on a real kit, laying a wallet on the snare (not just for sad flannel bands..) and those marching band chops would be nice to have!

Yeah that'd be a much better way to apply them than playing fusion!

The one example of "square rudiment practice translates to cool beat" I have is the paradiddle applied to kick and snare. Thinking of this galloping beat:

K-s-k-k-s-k-s-s.

The best, most crucial thing about rudiments, especially any of them that have a double-stroke played by the same hand (see paradiddle and or double-stroke roll), is how they are naturally going to transition you from using your whole arm/shoulder to your wrist more. Even though you may never bust out any of these as a fill especially in a rock context, it absolutely will help immensely with stamina as well as speed. Focus on trying to keep your forearms relatively parallel to the floor (think about watching a drum line go to work - most of the time you don't see their forearms moving except for accents) and do most of the work w/ your wrists.

The other, super basic way to really work on loosening up your wrist is just slow double-stroke roll...but put the accent on the SECOND note and then slowly bring the speed up, slow down when it gets all clunky, repeat forever. This is a really good warm up too especially as we get older and our soft tissue has turned to gravel.

These things take time and are super frustrating at first but totally worth it. As mentioned above, it's a subconscious thing I think. Just go slow, literally as slow as it takes to do it correctly, and then speed up until it goes slop and then back it back off.