Derek Roddy here!

Re: Derek Roddy

I'm a Sonor guy....Have been for many years.
Although, I do have a DW hihat stand.LOL!
Cheers.
D.
 
Re: Derek Roddy

i have a little bit of an issue with derek roddy.let me say why.i e mailed him some time ago (about 2 years ago) and asked him about his bass drum technique.i wanted to know how he played so fast and what his technique is.i was asking because i really wanted to learn.well,he was cool enough to get back to me real quick but all he really had to say was stuff like "just play your drums,and "everybody is different, what works for one person might not work for another").well this info he gave me is all well and good but i really wanted to find out HIS bass drum technique because it MIGHT just work for me.so i e mail him back and ask again if he can just tell me his technique and he does not respond.i figured it was not to much to ask just asking what his technique was (i say this as a drum teacher myself).
so now i see quotes of him saying things like he wants to get into education and helping other drummers out.but if hes not even willing to tell me,a fellow drummer,something as simple as what his bass drum technique is how is he going to get into educating other drummers about drumming?
don't get me wrong,i hold no ill will towards derek at all.as a matter of fact i would still love to take some lessons with him and think that he is an awesome drummer, but i just see somewhat of a contradiction in terms of what he is telling magazines in interviews and what he is actually doing when it comes to helping out other drummers technique and playing wise.
 
Re: Derek Roddy

i have a little bit of an issue with derek roddy.let me say why.i e mailed him some time ago (about 2 years ago) and asked him about his bass drum technique.i wanted to know how he played so fast and what his technique is.i was asking because i really wanted to learn.well,he was cool enough to get back to me real quick but all he really had to say was stuff like "just play your drums,and "everybody is different, what works for one person might not work for another").well this info he gave me is all well and good but i really wanted to find out HIS bass drum technique because it MIGHT just work for me.so i e mail him back and ask again if he can just tell me his technique and he does not respond.i figured it was not to much to ask just asking what his technique was (i say this as a drum teacher myself).
so now i see quotes of him saying things like he wants to get into education and helping other drummers out.but if hes not even willing to tell me,a fellow drummer,something as simple as what his bass drum technique is how is he going to get into educating other drummers about drumming?
don't get me wrong,i hold no ill will towards derek at all.as a matter of fact i would still love to take some lessons with him and think that he is an awesome drummer, but i just see somewhat of a contradiction in terms of what he is telling magazines in interviews and what he is actually doing when it comes to helping out other drummers technique and playing wise.

Derek is a great player and has changed his technique over the years..
The old videos of derek do not show his foot technique BUT
I have OLD video of his playing and his ankles are really high and this is the way I use to play too .......
but NOW he has developed very good control out of just running on the pedals some call it flatfoot and his ankles are lower to the footboard the hip flexors control the speed.
DEREK was an extreme drummer before and NOW he wants to focus on teaching I am sure he would help you now.............

Tim
www.twothreeonetwomusic.com
 
Re: Derek Roddy

Derek was kindof right mate, drummings an individual thing, find out your own style and develop it. Sure he wasnt being specific with you but its because he simply worked on what was natural to him, you should do the same and then teach people about your technique :) I use the flat foot technique because I broke my left ankle playing sports once but i now use my ankle more to get up to speeds around 205-210bpm because its what feels natural to me. Just go with what your body is telling you to do when playing double bass and just go with the flow man lol
 
Re: Derek Roddy

i have a little bit of an issue with derek roddy.let me say why.i e mailed him some time ago (about 2 years ago) and asked him about his bass drum technique.i wanted to know how he played so fast and what his technique is.i was asking because i really wanted to learn.well,he was cool enough to get back to me real quick but all he really had to say was stuff like "just play your drums,and "everybody is different, what works for one person might not work for another").well this info he gave me is all well and good but i really wanted to find out HIS bass drum technique because it MIGHT just work for me.so i e mail him back and ask again if he can just tell me his technique and he does not respond.i figured it was not to much to ask just asking what his technique was (i say this as a drum teacher myself).
so now i see quotes of him saying things like he wants to get into education and helping other drummers out.but if hes not even willing to tell me,a fellow drummer,something as simple as what his bass drum technique is how is he going to get into educating other drummers about drumming?
don't get me wrong,i hold no ill will towards derek at all.as a matter of fact i would still love to take some lessons with him and think that he is an awesome drummer, but i just see somewhat of a contradiction in terms of what he is telling magazines in interviews and what he is actually doing when it comes to helping out other drummers technique and playing wise.


I would tell you the same thing now as I did then.
I think to many drummers worry about technique rather than worring about hard work and dedication. As if some magical thing is going to happen by finding a "technique".
You would still have to put MANY hours into developing ANY technique. I find the whole idea of "a technique" to make things easier.....
a bunch of hogwash!!!!
For example....
If you pulled 100 NON drummers out of their cars on the way to work, put them behind a drum kit and asked them to make that little round ball hit the plastic head....... EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM are going to do it one of 2 ways....heel up or heel down.
I defy ANY of you to come up with another way to make the beater hit the head. You CAN'T!!!!! What, you're going to play the stroke with your knee???? I know... just reach down and play with your hand! LOL.
I hope you guys can see where searching for a technique to do something for you is leading down a road of never getting there.....which might be why you don't want to accept the answer.
The ONLY technique any of us NEED to know is PRACTICE!!!!!
Cheers
D.
 
Re: Derek Roddy

I won't say anything but you're a monster, Derek. I love your style and how calm you look behind the kit. Cheers and keep bashin' the cans!
 
Re: Derek Roddy

I would tell you the same thing now as I did then.
I think to many drummers worry about technique rather than worring about hard work and dedication. As if some magical thing is going to happen by finding a "technique".
You would still have to put MANY hours into developing ANY technique. I find the whole idea of "a technique" to make things easier.....
a bunch of hogwash!!!!
For example....
If you pulled 100 NON drummers out of their cars on the way to work, put them behind a drum kit and asked them to make that little round ball hit the plastic head....... EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM are going to do it one of 2 ways....heel up or heel down.
I defy ANY of you to come up with another way to make the beater hit the head. You CAN'T!!!!! What, you're going to play the stroke with your knee???? I know... just reach down and play with your hand! LOL.
I hope you guys can see where searching for a technique to do something for you is leading down a road of never getting there.....which might be why you don't want to accept the answer.
The ONLY technique any of us NEED to know is PRACTICE!!!!!
Cheers
D.
but how you practice is what matters the most, and thats where techniques come into play. and the question still remains which is the best way to get power and speed,heels up or down.and what about the whole flatfoot technique that you used to do,even you switched because you found that there was a better way to play the bass drum for power.like i said,its about HOW you practice not just practice.
i dont look for the right technique to try to find a way to cheat out of doing the hard work.but there are ways of doing things that are better then others.and yes it is different for everybody,but we have to know what techniques are available so we can try them to see what works best for each of us.
i mean,look at great teachers like dom famularo,or jim chapin or joe morello.these guys have passed on great techniques that they have learned from their teachers that have made them and many many others better drummers because of showing them how to play better.the gladstone method,the moeller stroke and other techniques have made the lives of a ton of drummers better because they show how to play the drums in more efficient ways.
all im saying is is that the issue of technique is a real issue and that there are different techniques that will help people.so thats why i seek out what techniques are available so i can choose which ones to work on to make me a better drummer.
 
Re: Derek Roddy

I haven't "changed" anything about my bass drum playing. I play the same way now that I did 10- 15- 20 years ago. What has changed is the body and how it wants to accomplish what I'm trying to do. I certainly haven't changed it on purpose because I found a better way.
Flat foot is still heel up. I use that term because I don't angle my feet. The entire surface of my foot hits the pedal at the same time. It's the same thing that everybody I've ever seen play a bass drum does.( accept for the heel down players) Maybe the angles are different from player to player but at the end of all of that.... is still only one "techinque".
Again dude, I just play the drum, no tricks, no specific techinque, just play and find what works for you.
Maybe you haven't put much thought into this but I've been working on DB for 20 years. And I'm where I'm at because of that....not because I found a better, more efficient way.
If you want to become faster with the kicks.....find some songs like "angel of death" or "rapture" and play them 25 times a day. That's a great "technique" and that's what I did.
As far as Moeller, etc.... I don't find those to be "techinques" but NATURAL motion that your body does when adapting to moving forward.
If you apply everything you know about physics and natural motion, you will come to these conclusions on your own without someone telling you to do so. Techinque is just a word, not an application.
Your body will tell you what needs to be done to accomplish your goals....if you listen to it.
Cheers.
D.
 
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Re: Derek Roddy

Here is one thing that goes overlooked in bass drum playing....
When you are playing a single stroke roll with your hands on a pad...and you increase the tempo........what happens?
Think about the motion, and watch what happens with your hands and stick heigth.
Motion is the key word here.
Try it, come to your conclusion, and get back to me.
D.
 
Re: Derek Roddy

Hey Derek, I do agree that alot of drummers focus too much on the whole 'should i use this or that techique', but it's always handy to get a professionals thoughts on what has benefited him/her the most. Anywho, drummingman, there are plenty of videos, threads etc. out there that detail the various foot techniques , just try them all and see what works best for you hombre.
 
Re: Derek Roddy

Playing the drums has benifited me most. Searching for techniques to playing the drums has done nothing for me.
But that's just me. I guess it's a different mindset, but has worked great for me.
D.
 
Re: Derek Roddy

I haven't "changed" anything about my bass drum playing. I play the same way now that I did 10- 15- 20 years ago. What has changed is the body and how it wants to accomplish what I'm trying to do. I certainly haven't changed it on purpose because I found a better way.
Flat foot is still heel up. I use that term because I don't angle my feet. The entire surface of my foot hits the pedal at the same time. It's the same thing that everybody I've ever seen play a bass drum does.( accept for the heel down players) Maybe the angles are different from player to player but at the end of all of that.... is still only one "techinque".
Again dude, I just play the drum, no tricks, no specific techinque, just play and find what works for you.
Maybe you haven't put much thought into this but I've been working on DB for 20 years. And I'm where I'm at because of that....not because I found a better, more efficient way.
If you want to become faster with the kicks.....find some songs like "angel of death" or "rapture" and play them 25 times a day. That's a great "technique" and that's what I did.
As far as Moeller, etc.... I don't find those to be "techinques" but NATURAL motion that your body does when adapting to moving forward.
If you apply everything you know about physics and natural motion, you will come to these conclusions on your own without someone telling you to do so. Techinque is just a word, not an application.
Your body will tell you what needs to be done to accomplish your goals....if you listen to it.
Cheers.
D.
Very well put. Thanks Derek, that made a lot of sense to me
 
Re: Derek Roddy

I would tell you the same thing now as I did then.
I think to many drummers worry about technique rather than worring about hard work and dedication. As if some magical thing is going to happen by finding a "technique".
You would still have to put MANY hours into developing ANY technique. I find the whole idea of "a technique" to make things easier.....
a bunch of hogwash!!!!
For example....
If you pulled 100 NON drummers out of their cars on the way to work, put them behind a drum kit and asked them to make that little round ball hit the plastic head....... EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM are going to do it one of 2 ways....heel up or heel down.
I defy ANY of you to come up with another way to make the beater hit the head. You CAN'T!!!!! What, you're going to play the stroke with your knee???? I know... just reach down and play with your hand! LOL.
I hope you guys can see where searching for a technique to do something for you is leading down a road of never getting there.....which might be why you don't want to accept the answer.
The ONLY technique any of us NEED to know is PRACTICE!!!!!
Cheers
D.


Drummingman,


See I told you this is what Derek will tell you lol. You can do it mate, you just got to get behind that kit and play!


Regards,
Christopher.
 
Re: Derek Roddy

I agree with Derek, that's exactly what I've done. Just played really. I mean, I've learned every technique I have come by, but when I get on the drums I never use them, I just do what's natural and it works for me.
 
Re: Derek Roddy

I would tell you the same thing now as I did then.
I think to many drummers worry about technique rather than worring about hard work and dedication. As if some magical thing is going to happen by finding a "technique".
You would still have to put MANY hours into developing ANY technique. I find the whole idea of "a technique" to make things easier.....
a bunch of hogwash!!!!
For example....
If you pulled 100 NON drummers out of their cars on the way to work, put them behind a drum kit and asked them to make that little round ball hit the plastic head....... EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM are going to do it one of 2 ways....heel up or heel down.
I defy ANY of you to come up with another way to make the beater hit the head. You CAN'T!!!!! What, you're going to play the stroke with your knee???? I know... just reach down and play with your hand! LOL.
I hope you guys can see where searching for a technique to do something for you is leading down a road of never getting there.....which might be why you don't want to accept the answer.
The ONLY technique any of us NEED to know is PRACTICE!!!!!
Cheers
D.

That is the best advice anyone can give.

To many drummers worry about technique and the technical asspects of drumming. I can say that i used to be like that also. Trying to find a technique that will hopefully make things easier.

My drum teacher simply said you dont practice enough. Although i didnt want to accept that, that was the problem. So i went home and from that day forth i practice rudiments everynight on the pad and everything else. And what do you know, i improved faster than i ever had. Of cource i practiced before hand, but i think there is a large difference between a little practice and complete dedication to the instrament.

As for your videos Derek you completely blow my mind. I know you would hear that from everyone but my god you are unreal. Keep it up man!

Do you have myspace? Mine is www.myspace.com/newxpain. You ll notice your in my inspirations haha.

If you also have it could you please link me up so i can send you a FR.

Thanks :)
 
Re: Derek Roddy

I haven't "changed" anything about my bass drum playing. I play the same way now that I did 10- 15- 20 years ago. What has changed is the body and how it wants to accomplish what I'm trying to do. I certainly haven't changed it on purpose because I found a better way.
Flat foot is still heel up. I use that term because I don't angle my feet. The entire surface of my foot hits the pedal at the same time. It's the same thing that everybody I've ever seen play a bass drum does.( accept for the heel down players) Maybe the angles are different from player to player but at the end of all of that.... is still only one "techinque".
Again dude, I just play the drum, no tricks, no specific techinque, just play and find what works for you.
Maybe you haven't put much thought into this but I've been working on DB for 20 years. And I'm where I'm at because of that....not because I found a better, more efficient way.
If you want to become faster with the kicks.....find some songs like "angel of death" or "rapture" and play them 25 times a day. That's a great "technique" and that's what I did.
As far as Moeller, etc.... I don't find those to be "techinques" but NATURAL motion that your body does when adapting to moving forward.
If you apply everything you know about physics and natural motion, you will come to these conclusions on your own without someone telling you to do so. Techinque is just a word, not an application.
Your body will tell you what needs to be done to accomplish your goals....if you listen to it.
Cheers.
D.
sorry, i thought that you sais that you changed you technique in that youtube vid.i thought that you were maybe doing somethig different now then at a different time.
im a tech head, i cant help it.im always looking for the best way to do things.thats why im always asking questions about technique.i just have this need to be doing things in the most efficient way possible.
 
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