Single Stroke Roll Quality at very low Volume

[PeteN]

Ok...so I have been working out of stick control book on and off now for a year and for the longest time have not been happy with exercises 1 and 2 and page 5 when it came to very very light taps!!!!! My solution has been to practice every day for 3 hours with 8th notes at 80bpm on my metronome, usually 1.5 hours in the morning and 1.5 hours at night. So I've been doing this for about two weeks now faithfully and keep in mind I decided to do all this practice on my actual snare drum behind my kit and not a pad just to ensure that I was forced to tap out the strokes very lightly and I must say it's been a very long two weeks but I'm really starting to feel so much more control with a very light touch.

One main reason from my madness is I always get frustrated walking into a local music store like GC or a family owned music store and have always cringed at hearing myself test out snare drums, not so much because I had bad chops but I had bad chops and way less control at a very low volume. I posted this just because I was wondering of anyone else ever felt the same way or could relate to my frustrations about there chops/stick control at low volumes. Obviously this type of practice is helping everywhere else in my drumming so it's a good thing but I've been avoiding tackling this just because it can be so
monotonous.

Hope you guys/gals can relate and share similar experiences!

[Yopps]

Playing at low volumes (height) is difficult at first it's almost like relearning how to play strokes from scratch but it is SO worth it and once you can play/practice at low stick heights you will find it improves your overall control and inadvertantly improves your normal volume strokes. Also if you want to be able to play dynamically you will need to practice at lower volumes.

[Boomka]

My solution has been to practice every day for 3 hours with 8th notes at 80bpm on my metronome, usually 1.5 hours in the morning and 1.5 hours at night. So I've been doing this for about two weeks now faithfully and keep in mind I decided to do all this practice on my actual snare drum behind my kit and not a pad just to ensure that I was forced to tap out the strokes very lightly and I must say it's been a very long two weeks but I'm really starting to feel so much more control with a very light touch.

You're a better man than I.

[PeteN]

Playing at low volumes (height) is difficult at first it's almost like relearning how to play strokes from scratch but it is SO worth it and once you can play/practice at low stick heights you will find it improves your overall control and inadvertantly improves your normal volume strokes. Also if you want to be able to play dynamically you will need to practice at lower volumes.

So TRUE my friend! It's a worthwhile journey any way you look at it, that keeps me going.

[PeteN]

You're a better man than I.

lol, not sure about that but I hate lacking control of the most basic rudiment a drummer should master. I had good single strokes but not good at tap height so it always seems like i try to move forward yet am always going a few steps back lol

[iwearnohats]

Are you trying to use only fingers at low volumes?

I can tell you right now that using fingers at low speeds and low volumes simply does not work - you need to use your wrists if you want control.

Once you start building up speed your technique will move from all wrists - wrists & fingers - fingers only.

Once I stopped trying to only use fingers at low volumes and low speeds, and started using wrists, I stopped having this problem altogether :).

[PeteN]

Are you trying to use only fingers at low volumes?

No. Never tried using fingers at low speeds at any volume....but I think I understand what you mean.