Speed Tips

[LeeLovesSabian]

Anybody got tips on how to increase speed with my arms.
I know its not all about speed, but any practice at it makes a drummer better.
(i don't use a metronome)

[bart60]

Have you checked out the Moeller technique?
Here are a few explanations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFZfOLbnBwI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yNb-kUPwMI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HSVhDsO9jc

All three are great to watch. I highly recommend this technique, I use it all the time.

[TheMarkV]

the standard is just to practice open rolls and strait single strokes on a pillow or a bed, something soft. other than that just try doing drum line warm ups. look for double beat warm ups and things that work with single strokes. and then just play them on a drum pad or what have you and play them fast, as fast as you can play them clean. and then get it cleaner, and then faster, and then cleaner again and faster again. keep doing this for extended periods of time. ideally for hours at a time. but we all know that sometimes that isnt possible or realistic. and if it gets monotinous, try practicing these things on a drum pad along with music. it will work wonders for your speed, accuracy, and stamina. i used to do all this for drumline, so trust me, it works. you may also want to switch between heavier sticks than your normal weight and your regular sticks to build up some extra wrist strength and all that goes along with that.

[Fiery]

Get in a band that plays fast music.

[caddywumpus]

Anybody got tips on how to increase speed with my arms.
I know its not all about speed, but any practice at it makes a drummer better.
(i don't use a metronome)

1. Speed doesn't come from your arms, it comes from your wrists and fingers.
2. You don't use a metronome?!?!?!? How do you expect to keep even time? And, how do you expect to be able to tell if you are actually getting faster?

Work on accuracy and the speed will come in time. If you play really fast but it's not accurate, then you're not really playing fast, but rather just making a bunch of racket. Practice at a speed where you feel as though it is pushing you, but you can still maintain a relaxed control. Work this speed for a couple of practice sessions (a metronome would help greatly in this). When you feel more comfortable with this speed, bump up the speed a little. Don't expect to go from 120 to 200 overnight. It takes months, maybe even years, to work your speed up. Work on relaxing and your control of what you're playing, and the speed will come in time...

[jonescrusher]

Use a metronome. Increase speed little by little (obviously) either by setting BPM goals and edging up by small increments, or by using the rhythm scale method at a certain BPM. You're making progress a whole lot harder by not using a metronome.

[LeeLovesSabian]

I don't use a metronome because i thought they were mainly for school band.
If it will help my speed a lot, then ill try one.
What kinds is best?

[jonescrusher]

I don't use a metronome because i thought they were mainly for school band.
If it will help my speed a lot, then ill try one.
What kinds is best?

For what you need it for, pretty much any digital metronome will do. Korg make a decent cheap one.
Metronomes are a must for improving pretty much every aspect of drumming, not just speed. Remember that your job as a drummer is primarily the timekeeper, and getting good at timekeeping is a big job that requires a lot of training.

[ZootELoops]

Anybody got tips on how to increase speed with my arms.
I know its not all about speed, but any practice at it makes a drummer better.
(i don't use a metronome)
I heard you can buy a new Zildjian Pillow-Top Cymbal head from ZootELoops Drum Center. It comes in several different varieties and you can even get it personalized with your favorite Pro Football Team! They say if you do paradiddles, flams, and 13 stroke rolls for just 5 minutes a day - your speed will increase to blazing fast speeds.

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[Ironcobra]

Speed comes from practice, practice and you guessed it, practice. Focus on the movement of your wrists from the forearm muscles.

http://www.worldsfastestgamer.com/game/wfd.html This game is fun and will help you with speed and endurance until you can buy a real Drumometer.

[larryace]

The opposite side of the speed coin is control. Achieve control and speed will be knocking at your door. Control = (one instance) being able to play a single stroke roll at a tempo in the upper limit of your speed range with both stick hits sounding perfectly identical. This translates into equal rebound heights and stroke angles. If your strong hand stroke rebounds at say 4" above the head (and the stroke falls down naturally, in more or less a straight line) and your weaker hand rebounds at 3" (and your stroke is coming in on a 45 degree angle) then your roll is not even yet. Before increasing BPM, work on making each stroke sound AND LOOK identical. Then you're ready to move on to a faster tempo. Single stroke rolls are the best exercise for this in my opinion. Focus on control, its more satisfying.

[ZootELoops]

The opposite side of the speed coin is control. Achieve control and speed will be knocking at your door. Control = (one instance) being able to play a single stroke roll at a tempo in the upper limit of your speed range with both stick hits sounding perfectly identical. This translates into equal rebound heights and stroke angles. If your strong hand stroke rebounds at say 4" above the head (and the stroke falls down naturally, in more or less a straight line) and your weaker hand rebounds at 3" (and your stroke is coming in on a 45 degree angle) then your roll is not even yet. Before increasing BPM, work on making each stroke sound AND LOOK identical. Then you're ready to move on to a faster tempo. Single stroke rolls are the best exercise for this in my opinion. Focus on control, its more satisfying.

I was being a smart-ass earlier with my Jildjian post because of another thread about pillow-work... but I agree with Larry's comment +100! I have been so inspired by the recent thread about improving chops & overall accuracy and speed that I've gone back to my 15-20 minute daily Rudiment practice. He hit the tom on the head with the stroke/rebound difference and this is something many "speed" drummers sacrifice and often overlook. Playing fast is easy - it's when you slow it down and really try to make each and every stroke sound identical that takes work.
It's some of the best spent practice time (imho) and thanks to everyone here I have personally rededicated practice time to making this a routine habit with a metronome at a slower more consistent tempo.