The Weaker Side

[bonhamdrummer123]

I just got this book by Dom Famularo and I wasn't sure what tempo I should start at. I did the first page once at 60 and it felt very uncomfortable but I guess that is how it is supposed to feel. I didn't really feel much burning like the book said I should, maybe my stroke weren't full enough? Any input would help.

[FunkyJazzer]

Hey man. There are many different ways and opinions as to how you should "feel" practicing stuff like this. The same goes for Stick Control, Master Studies, Bass Drum Control, etc. In my opinion, there is only one way to feel whilst practicing technique - and that is 100% without any tension or discomfort whatsoever. This ensures slow but completely sure and solid, fundamental development of the muscles, without any danger of injury.

Work at the maximum tempo where you can do the 30 minutes without any discomfort at all. You must be sure to maintain the correct technique at all times (long periods of relaxation might cause you to lose focus). Once you can do this at, say, 50bpm, maybe work at it on the same tempo for another day or two. Then bump the tempo up by 2-5bpm (this really depends how far you are along and what exercises you are doing). If you knock the tempo up by 5bpm and struggle (you probably will, 5bpm is a massive jump), then take it down a notch. THERE IS NO SHAME IN THIS. The shame is where you play stiffly for half hour in order to fool yourself into thinking you're getting somewhere with your technique.

Have you worked through Stick Control?

Lloyd.

[bonhamdrummer123]

No I haven't I just got this book yesterday. I've wanted to, just haven't picked it up yet

[FunkyJazzer]

At the start of the book, the authors state that you should complete Stick Control first. Whether you really want to is another matter. Whichever way you look at it, Stick Control is absolutely incredible, and completing it will have a positive affect on your 'weaker side' too.

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

I just got this book by Dom Famularo and I wasn't sure what tempo I should start at. I did the first page once at 60 and it felt very uncomfortable but I guess that is how it is supposed to feel. I didn't really feel much burning like the book said I should, maybe my stroke weren't full enough? Any input would help.

I have worked through most of the book. I am at week 40 right now, and I study with the author. He says my results are in the top five of everyone he has working on it. I say this to establish my own credibility, and, of course to share a great result with you....

You should not feel discomfort. Work the wrists, and take it slow. FunkyJazzer is right about that. It is definitely a good idea to have Stick Control under your belt first, but correct stroke technique is the most important.

The real breakthrough with The Weaker Side is the skewed, or biased, practice. None of the other books have that. It is a framework and an incredibly challenging program to put yourself into. Because it is a whole year, you have all the time in the world, and you can afford to start slow.

The burning is for the feet. You know that sensation in your shins as you are working them? That is the burn. Your hands should just feel great the whole time. As you become experienced, you will get to know your hands very well. You will know the little signs and signals and learn to react to them.

I work on the limit, and the game becomes to figure out a way to stay relaxed while pounding the pad for 30 minutes. I have come up with new solutions to this problem, which I will share, but this should always be the focus: to find a way to stay comfortable and relaxed and in control at a certain speed, for that intense duration.
feel free to ask more questions. I am real passionate about this book, and I am all about sharing what I learned from it.
Casper

[FunkyJazzer]

Week 40! Wow man, that's impressive. Congratulations on your efforts. Have you done it at all with the feet? If so, do you use your hi-hat, or a second bass pedal?

I'm glad that you mentioned about the feet. I'm going through Bass Drum Control and I'm actually trying to avoid that "burning" sensation along with any other discomfort (the same approach I take with the hands), but now you've mentioned that, I can consider pushing the tempo up a bit more...?

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

Week 40! Wow man, that's impressive. Congratulations on your efforts. Have you done it at all with the feet? If so, do you use your hi-hat, or a second bass pedal?

I'm glad that you mentioned about the feet. I'm going through Bass Drum Control and I'm actually trying to avoid that "burning" sensation along with any other discomfort (the same approach I take with the hands), but now you've mentioned that, I can consider pushing the tempo up a bit more...?

I would say yes. The leg muscles are larger than the forearm muscles, so it's okay to push them a little further. As long as you keep improving, it's fine. The "burning" is passing. I pick my tempo so I feel it during warm-up, and during intense parts of the workout. Whatever tempo I can work When I push past the limit for my feet, and I have done it a few times during this training, the symptom is pain in my knee. So whenever I have felt that, I pull back, and then focus is put back on strengthening the ankle.

Casper

[bonhamdrummer123]

I actually have not use my hands with the book yet, just my feet since I only had it for 1 day with limited practice time. Is it better to practice on the snare head or a practice pad, and the other book your talking about is Stick Control for the Snare Drummer?

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

I actually have not use my hands with the book yet, just my feet since I only had it for 1 day with limited practice time. Is it better to practice on the snare head or a practice pad, and the other book your talking about is Stick Control for the Snare Drummer?

You can use either, although I prefer the pad for this. I use the pad cause I don't get to the studio every day, but if you are fine with the kind of sound pressure this exercise produces on a snare, then, sure. The only reason to stay on the pad for The Weaker Side, besides the loudness, would be the added challenge of controlling the intense amount of rebound from the pad, something Dom is very big on. you could do a combination, that might be interesting! How about going on the drum every third or fourth day? I would be very interested to know how that was for you.

And, yes, that is the book I am talking about.

Casper

[bonhamdrummer123]

I think my big problem is doubt I guess. Whenever I practice I never think the session was good enough because I'm never positive if I'm doing everything right, so I think I am wasting my time. But I will stick with this and I will see if I can try it on the snare drum every few days and the rest on the pad.

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

I think my big problem is doubt I guess. Whenever I practice I never think the session was good enough because I'm never positive if I'm doing everything right, so I think I am wasting my time. But I will stick with this and I will see if I can try it on the snare drum every few days and the rest on the pad.

Good, more power to you! A good teacher can really help to give encouragement etc in low spots. committing to this kind of program really trains you to stick to a plan. It is simple, easy to remember, and very challenging. But if you stick with it, and don't come down on yourself no matter what, you will get incredible benefits! For wrist alone, my right is now stronger than my left, which is amazing!! My whole life, I have been fighting with the right always being weaker than the left, now I have to retrain my left to the same level as my right. That is a really great "problem" to have, don't you think??

Casper

[bonhamdrummer123]

Good, more power to you! A good teacher can really help to give encouragement etc in low spots. committing to this kind of program really trains you to stick to a plan. It is simple, easy to remember, and very challenging. But if you stick with it, and don't come down on yourself no matter what, you will get incredible benefits! For wrist alone, my right is now stronger than my left, which is amazing!! My whole life, I have been fighting with the right always being weaker than the left, now I have to retrain my left to the same level as my right. That is a really great "problem" to have, don't you think??

Casper
Definitely agreed. I hope I have that same "problem" in about a year. And I actually just finished the first time doing the first page with my hands and it felt pretty good. In my other exercises I had, I was pushing my stroke to be full on every one and it was getting tired after just a few minutes, but with this I was just making a simple drum stroke each time which I think is the idea.

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

Definitely agreed. I hope I have that same "problem" in about a year. And I actually just finished the first time doing the first page with my hands and it felt pretty good. In my other exercises I had, I was pushing my stroke to be full on every one and it was getting tired after just a few minutes, but with this I was just making a simple drum stroke each time which I think is the idea.

Half strokes are fine. Just make sure the two hands sound the same, yes?
Casper

[bonhamdrummer123]

They are a little more than half strokes but they are even and I am not straining, since it is at a slow tempo.

[centralzeke]

Should this book be done on a pad?

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

Should this book be done on a pad?

That is what it is designed for....but there is no reason not to play it on a snare if you so fancy. I suggested to someone else to play on the pad most days, and then every once in a while, to play on the snare (or any other drum). This would be a good way to start implementing the patterns in your playing, increasing their value many times over.

I play it only on the pad. I use my kit time purely for "kit stuff".

Casper

[bonhamdrummer123]

Also, should I do a warmup before this each day of this book?

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

Also, should I do a warmup before this each day of this book?

There are many ways of looking at this. In general, it is a great idea to warm up. In the beginning, it may not be necessary as you are just getting used to the exercises, and are playing far below your limit.

But soon, as you get stronger and faster and start to exert yourself, it is an absolute must. there is a special reason why this book requires a warmup:

Most of the drills start out harder than they finish. Take for example page 1: you are playing 12 notes per bar, and exercise 1 plays 11 of them with the weaker hand. In exercise 30, the last on the page, only nine are played with the weaker hand.

This means that once you are past exercise 12, and you switch from 11 to 10 notes with the weaker hand, you are out of the woods, so to speak. If you made it this far, you will be okay. Now, why did Dom write it like that? There are several reasons.

First, it forces you to plan the session, not relying on difficulty increasing. This tests you mind, as we tend to get bored unless we are challenged every minute. It is really interesting to have to focus on sound, stick height, and feel, instead of being hammered with new levels of motoric difficulty all the time.

Second reason is that thirty minutes at any speed near your maximum is a real feat, and a real accomplishment (I haste to add that "maximum" means your thirty minute maximum, not your 10 second maximum....just making sure...).

All this means that on pages like page 1, if you are really warm, you can play exercises 1 through 12 really fast and clean, then you will be in absolute heaven for the rest of the drill. Because you are playing relatively fast, your endurance will be challenged, but you will not fail. This is built into the drill, you see? If you are not warm, you have to get warm during the first twelve steps, and then it gets easier, so you are cheating yourself of some speed there.

Now, on some pages, it is the other way round. Page 40 ends with a relatively very difficult drill, 12 one handed notes, three of them flammed, when you started out with just ten, one of them flammed. So in this case, the test is: if you start warm, what is the correct tempo to start with given you have 27 minutes to train before the real difficult drill begins? Because you will get warmer during those first 27 minutes, you will learn a valuable lesson about your hands from this.

Here is how I warm up: I play double strokes for 15 minutes, working up to a speed of about 150 to 155 in four minutes. Then i do some other exercises for about 20 minutes, and end with my Weaker Side drill.

I hope this helps some?

Casper