Thomas Lang UK clinics
I went to Thomas' clinic in Manchester yesterday. Wow is that guy good! But also he was really funny and seemed like a great guy, much more than the heartless, soulless drum machine some have labelled him.
Anyway, he played a solo from his new DVD, and explained about his matrix coordination practice routine to gain 4 limb independence, and it makes a lot of sense. Basically you play singles on your feet and keep that going while you use your hands to play singles (RLRL), then doubles (RRLLRRLL), then triples (RRR LLL), then four....up to eights. Then you play doubles with your feet and repeat the process. Then triples with your feet and repeat...up to playing 8s with the feet. So far so easy (?)!
Then you switch it round, so your hands start with singles and your feet go through the stages (singles, doubles, triples...up to 8s). Then play doubles with your hands and repeat the process, then triples with your hands and repeat.....again up to 8s with your hands. Still with me?
Then the clever bit, you use right hand/left foot singles and go through the process of singles, doubles etc..up to 8s using your left hand/right foot. Then do doubles with RH/LF and repeat, then do triples with RH/LF......
Next do the opposite and use LH/RF for the singles, adding singles, doubles, triples etc with RH/LF...Then work through the process using doubles with LH/RF, then triples, and so on.
It obviously takes a lot of time to go through all the combinations, but if the result is complete 4 way independence I'm up for it! ALso, its a different way of practicing basic rudiments as you get to play singles, doubles, paradiddles etc. And you can do round the kit so its a good all round way to practice.
I'll let you know how it goes in 10 years or so!