My Single Stroke Roll Keeps Flamming

[DrummerBen1]

I CANT keep a steady single stroke roll. My hands tend to keep flamming.
Can you give me some advice on how I could get rid of the flamming and make the strokes even?
Btw, I spend alot of time doing RRRRRRRLLLLLLLLLRRRRRRRRR... etc. and I have been practicing this exercise for a long time and I still have this issue.

Thanks a million.
Ben.

[jazzsnob]

You probably need to spend more time practicing slowly. Set a metronome to 120 and do 8ths and 16ths alternate and make sure you get an even sound out of each hand. Doing RRRRRRRRLLLLLLLLRRRRRRR might not be the best, because you need to get your hand comfortable together more.

[shuffle]

To me, the answer to most hands issues is basically to get a copy of stick control, and practice the different rhythms in time, at comfortable tempos.

[dizkneelande]

stick control would be your best bet if you dont have a teacher. I would really recommend getting a teacher though, it really helps. a rudimental teacher might be what you want, I just switched from jazz lessons to rudiments lessons two weeks ago and I already see big improvments. if that's not an option just get a metronome and go slow at first then work your way up. make sure you stretch and practice on a pillow a bit too. just some suggestions bro hope I helped

Andrew

[jangus]

stick control would be your best bet if you dont have a teacher. I would really recommend getting a teacher though, it really helps. a rudimental teacher might be what you want, I just switched from jazz lessons to rudiments lessons two weeks ago and I already see big improvments. if that's not an option just get a metronome and go slow at first then work your way up. make sure you stretch and practice on a pillow a bit too. just some suggestions bro hope I helped

Andrew

Seriously. Don't take the words this guy says lightly. Too many people disregard things that don't sound appealing to them and they don't get anywhere in their practice. If you consistently practice out of Stick Control, you will see improvements. Especially when you do it on a pillow. But make sure youre practicing on the pillow with proper technique. Make your muscles do what the stick would do if it was bouncing off a head, create the rebound yourself. You wont be disappointed. And do it slow.

For some single stroke practice from Stick Control, I use the first few pages of the book. Play the page through normally, EXCEPT when there are two or more consecutive strokes on the same hand, play alternating sixteenth notes.

Example:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/Jangus/fillin.gif

I call these fill-ins. You can do fill-ins with a lot of different things, such as paradiddles or doubles. Just make sure when you play on a pillow you start really slow and work it up very slowly to avoid long lasting damage.

[kzdruma]

Let me modify your practice. Try doinhg...
RRRRRRRR LLLLLLLL RLRLRLRL RRLLRRLLRRLLRRLL THEN REAPEATING!
double stoke^

It wont get as boring and wont let you get as sloppy. Also make sure to keep good time(use met)

[Jeff Almeyda]

Your left hand can't keep up with your right so it flams.

Slow down

Practice the single strokes roll at 80 bpm STARTING WITH THE LEFT. Tap your foot on the 1/4's.

Do this religously for 6 weeks.

[dasilvs]

yep yep yep, everyone's on the money. i have the same issue too, and part of it is because i am trying to hard and tensing up all the wrong muscles, physically disabling myself from going faster while maintaining consistency.

START SLOW! you will not be made fun of or thought of any less then you are now if you start at a slower tempo. dont let your ego get the best of you, the best drummers may be the most focused and committed players, but they also are the most aware of their own bodily capabilities...

[HardcoreLogo]

I think everyone on here is on the right track, and I like what Jazz Snob pointed out....there comes a time when you need to work the hands together, this really comes into play when you start to use finger control.......I worked on each hand independently and thought I was doing great, then when I put the hands together, my left started to flop around at faster tempos and was out of sync(i'm still talking fingers). I'm still trying to get my left inline with my right at faster tempo's, now I mostly work on alternating finger exercices to get those singles to the next level.....CLEANLY!!!!(Thats the hard part.lol)

[Stu_Strib]

Ah yes, wise words once spoken: slow down to go fast (works in racing and drumming, two of my passions. The third is my wife, and 'slow down' works there too.)

I understand your problem. I've been playing for 20-some years and have started double bass drum playing in the past 3 years. When I try to go really fast, I get flam flam flam. The trick so far has been to just slow down and always practice with a click. The reason you are flamming is because your weak hand can't keep up with the strong one (or foot in my case!)

That's the cool thing about drumming; once you get something like fast singles down, there is ALWAYS something new to work on.

[HardcoreLogo]

P.S...............Another little tip that I have never seen on here is to invest in a small mirror and watch your hands.........you can see for yourself whats really going on and compare the mechanics between your hands.....hey maybe I'll start a thread!(LOL)

[beatsMcGee]

i bet it has alot to do with the unnatural feeling with your left hand regaurding rebound.. so what you need to do is isolate the weak hand and work at that hands comfortable tempo.. while the other hand just follows along.. make sure your keeping that technique going correctly b/c that is why its slower.. the muscles aren't use to the developed technique of your dominant hand- basically is slower-- but only because your muscles need to memorize the movement.. and thus develope the technique... watch your strong hand and make sure both hands are doing the same movements.. and just keep at it. if you do it right for long enough improvements will follow.. have patience

[kjsm]

try all the above -
isolate each hand
practise them together
slow tempi
fast tempi
try to cover a range of things and speeds to best gauge what where if anything is wrong
practise non-single stroke roll excercises for a while - paradiddles, for one, do wonders
lastly if still no improvement (and give it at least 7 days to a few weeks if you play often), the try your best to just not think about it
the over-thinking destoys playing and in my case this applied most of all to double bass
hands are however just as succeptible to mental deterioration

[Stu_Strib]

Don't forget to buy a practice pad and play non-stop for hours on end while watching NASCAR. That's what I do...

heh

[Dr. Jones]

[QUOTE=Knevildrummer]Your left hand can't keep up with your right so it flams.

QUOTE]
Really? You can tell that his LEFT is the weak hand, without hearing or seeing him play? That's AMAZING :) haha just giving you a hard time

[Scatman]

This is because you are trying to play faster than you can control the sticks
This is very impatient practicing
You have to start where you can play evenly
A metronome is perfect for this

[maddrummr]

That's the cool thing about drumming; once you get something like fast singles down, there is ALWAYS something new to work on.


See!! isnt drumming great!
But its true.
Work on fundamentals correct and slow. Then speed up. When that is mastered then go to something different. There are no shortcuts really...in anything.

[Backwards Marathon]

this doesnt really have anything to do with the flamming, but i used RRRRLLLL, then RRRRRRRRLLLLLLLL to strengthen my wrists, then used RLRLRLRLRLR to get more clean consistent rolls. that worked for me, and im fairly happy with my rolls.

[LayinDown]

Wow, this thread really makes me want to go practice my single stroke! The drummerworld forums are crazy informative and everyone here is always so helpful! One more hour of work...maybe two...then some single stroke. :)