New to the drums

[boo berry]

Yeah, im a new drummer, i've only been playing for 8 months now, but i'm very commited to it, i usually practice... 3 to 4 hours a day, and im better than most people i know who have been playing for years. I take lessons, and i practice out of a book to help me, but starting very recently i've ran into somewhat of a wall with a few things i was hoping you could all help with.
What is the best way to practice fills that incorporate things like tom tom bass bass in 32nds... it seems if i try them for an hour or so going kind of slow i dont get any better, and when i try them at a good BPM i dont make much progress either.
What is the best way to practice double bassing in general, i notice there are quite a few threads on how to get double strokes and such, but im just trying to speed up my legs right now. It seems when i practice going slowly but getting good clear notes that i dont progress much, and trying to go as fast as i can doesnt help me much either.
Finally, What is the best way to get my right foot and arm to completely seperate. Im trying to learn something currently, its called asstanato or something to that extent, theres a bass hit and then a triple bounce on a tom with your left hand, and my right hand is free to solo, and this is the first time i've ever ran into the problem of my right hand having a lot of trouble hitting on a completely different beat then my right foot.
Any help is greatly appreciated, theres not much nicer on a forum then helping a newbie like i am :D

[Guren]

im a new drummer, i've only been playing for 1 year now,
你所遇到的问题也是我所苦恼的啊!只有苦苦的练习才能提高呀.

[alencore]

try the quads as lovingly called by Rod Morgenstein on his drum vid.
it's simply RL on hands and RL on foot.

ostinato and independence - well i suggest you check out those drum vids by Ostinato master Terry Bozzio.

speed on double bass - use your ankle more just the way we use our wrist on hands.

[boo berry]

i actually planned on buying a Terry Bozzio video tomorrow, so that should work well. Any specific video that he explains it in a detail that a person with somewhat low knowledge of drum terminology could understand?
About the double bass comment, i usually use just my ankles, and i notice that a lot of people seem to put there thighs into it somewhat, but i cant really figure out how to do that.
Thank you for the help though!

[shaftninja]

The first 'drum video' I ever purchased was Dennis Chambers' "Serious Moves." MAN, the figures he was playing on the vid (with Scofield, Grainger, and Beard) blew me out of the water. It was waaaaayyy over my head at the time, but it fascinated me. I've found inspiration in that--fairly--old VHS for years now. I learned some good things from it, and it was engrained in my head from the start of my playing career. So naturally, present day, I am quite decent at roundhouse fills, doubles utilizing the rocking motion with my right foot, and crossovers. It's odd--I know--but seriously, the drum videos you watch and the music you listen to at your early playing stages will more than likely have the most profound effect on you. It's just like growing up. If you were taught to pick up after yourself, you're going to have a fairly clean living quarters, and vice versa if you were not taught those values.

[alencore]

i actually planned on buying a Terry Bozzio video tomorrow, so that should work well. Any specific video that he explains it in a detail that a person with somewhat low knowledge of drum terminology could understand?
About the double bass comment, i usually use just my ankles, and i notice that a lot of people seem to put there thighs into it somewhat, but i cant really figure out how to do that.
Thank you for the help though!


can't remember exactly the title of those Terry's vids. I think the first one was DRUM SOLO then if i'm not mistaken there were these 3 volumes ostinato galore he made. I only saw vol. 1. The way he explained his approach to ostinato and independence was clear enough you'll breeze on them as far as getting the knowledge down but performing them whew it's a nightmare, hehehe, well, not really depending how enthusiastic you are.

Yeah we all play with tighs and ankles when we start banging hard on those double bassin stuffies. There are well explain stuff here about double bass speed development just dig on the older threads a lot more.

[MaltBuddow3]

IMO no one who's been playing less than 3 years should own a double pedal, maybe cause that's how long dad made me wait... ehem... it really can be destructive to a lot of people. Definitely go ahead with the RL hands RL feet, but dont forget to work on RL hands RR feet. Just dont abuse the double pedal... if you wanna play a two stroke ruff with your bass drum you should be able to do it one footed. Of course if you start now on double strokes with your bass drum that wont be a problem.

Welcome to the drumming world and to the forum!!! This is the place to learn!!!! 3-4 hours is great practice, especially for someone playing only 8 months, so keep it up man!!!!

[jimi]

but dont forget to work on RL hands RR feet. Just dont abuse the double pedal...

GOOD advice, all novice drummers should follow. I made that mistake, lucky it wasn't a life or death situation or sth:)

[boo berry]

yeah, every so often i will play a week or so with using only one pedal, i definately dont abuse my double, i would just like to learn how for when im good enough to use it wisely. Also, right now i dont have a double peddal so that i can be an intense solo guy, i just want to be able to use it for beats that are faster that have quick double peddal. So far i havn't ran into much trouble with reuglar beats, but i assume i will eventually.
About the Tom tom bass bass things, i notice the more power i put into my arms with the hits, its easier for my legs to strike the peddal with a lot of cleanslyness, there starting to sound really nice, thanks for the help with that.

[alencore]

IMO no one who's been playing less than 3 years should own a double pedal, maybe cause that's how long dad made me wait... ehem... it really can be destructive to a lot of people. Definitely go ahead with the RL hands RL feet, but dont forget to work on RL hands RR feet. Just dont abuse the double pedal... if you wanna play a two stroke ruff with your bass drum you should be able to do it one footed. Of course if you start now on double strokes with your bass drum that wont be a problem.


i totally agree. i got a double-pedal after two years of playing and it was just those cheap bastard taiwan made one but boy i flew on them, LOL! then finally i got these sturdy yamaha pedals and all was cool. yeah learning to play those fast doubles on one foot is just as essential as any contemporary or advance drum playing is concern. nowadays i just use a single pedal even if there are songs requiring double flurries and tnx for the floor-tom foot combination i simply manage to emulate the double bass feel always making my bandmates shout like - "woah! freakin shit where the heck is the other pedal man?"..hhehe it's alll about the feel.

[Lad.]

I'd say the biggest tip of all I could give you is don't quit for anything. Drumming only takes time to become good at. Although it may seem impossible to master some things on drums, your muscles have a memory. One morning you may wake up to go play, and find that a drum beat that you were trying yesterday is much, much easier than it was then. Also, don't go for more than you know you can handle. Playing something slower than it is normally played gives your muscles a chance to learn.
It's sort of like if you do something every day, over and over. Instead of just taking your time with it like you had before, you now know it so well that you can just zip through it. That's sort of how it is with drums.

[boo berry]

well, while this thread is back, i suppose it cant hurt to ask another quiestion, though it might be a stupid one, so if it is, don't even bother with it :P
What are some of the more important things to put into solos and what are good ways of practicing them? I'm no were near good enough to throw down a "phatty" solo, but it would be nice to know what things people commonly use that sound good.

[MaltBuddow3]

lots of dynamics, I like to open huge and then take it down to nothing, then build for a long time, trying different ideas, like playing melodies on the kit, or a repeated rhythm. Most importantly just let things happen. Dave Weckl's natural evolution videos have some great soloing tips, so maybe you should check those vids out.

[Lad.]

Good explaination Malt. That's actually how it's done I beleive.

[jakelwilliams]

IMO no one who's been playing less than 3 years should own a double pedal, maybe cause that's how long dad made me wait... ehem... it really can be destructive to a lot of people. Definitely go ahead with the RL hands RL feet, but dont forget to work on RL hands RR feet. Just dont abuse the double pedal... if you wanna play a two stroke ruff with your bass drum you should be able to do it one footed. Of course if you start now on double strokes with your bass drum that wont be a problem.

Welcome to the drumming world and to the forum!!! This is the place to learn!!!! 3-4 hours is great practice, especially for someone playing only 8 months, so keep it up man!!!!
Yeah, i have to say, 3-4 hours a day! i dont do that!! once again, he points out a good thing, 3 years is around right, i have been playing for around 3 1/2 years, and i just got my first...I love it though!

[dave wilkinson]

well i think it all depends on how fast you learn.... i have been playing for about 10 months now and am focusing graely on independance while practicing a few hours a day on jim chapins advanced technique book,and morellos masterclass, i think any drummer at early stages should have viewed these drummers play, analyze technique in a vast approach and simply enjoy, single stroke roll is the thing im working on now, and phrasing in mr chapins book, but i am loving it, all id like now is better cymbals than stag beginner set, and a snare drum that does not make a metal thud even when tuned properly =). i think the best advantage i had was that i found these drummers and watched them play for non stop hours upon hours a day after 4 months of my playing or so, and it just kept me searching for other drummers after that!!!
3-4 hours practice a day is good if you concentrate well enough and keep up the motivation, after a few months my plans are to complete these books and in the meantime also concentrate on rudiments such as the swiss army triplet etc which i havent began on yet., but am getting to the flam accent =). well good luck with your learning, and id highly suggest these books as they offer an approach to independance atleast with your hands which you can use vastly in many styles of music. well i will admit im not sure if its right to start double bass early or not, but i think limbs are limbs, and if you learn how to control double bass, and learn proper at an early stage im sure it will come into perfect use later on. well truthfully i began playing double bass about two months into my playing, and have been working on it a lot, playing a lot and keeping good time, and i must admit its come to great use as playing triplets with accents etc in time i have developed, but theres lots of things i havent attempted working on because my neighbours go mad when i play double bass simply because im in a garage with a tin door, tommorow i get my double bass practice pad and hopefully get my double pedal and can begin working on single and double, these pads are the world of good lol!!!!! also as i posted recently the tips i was given on co-ordination are begining to work fantastic, coming very well, thank youuuuuuu
had to add this, i bought billy cobhams glass menagerie too the dvd, and listening too that dvd just gave me a lot more motivation, hearing such a fantastic player sound so on time, i just cannot describe it, he may not be the fastest drummer or any of that, but just the way he sounds on drumset, it is crisp =), id highly recomend it to you!!!
best regards
dave