Need Advice

Reillybones

Junior Member
I'm learning to play the drums but am having difficulty mastering the independent movement of my four limbs. For you that have done so what is the best way to teach my limbs to work independently from the others - book, cd, video - I'll try whatever works! Thanks for your help.
 
Here's what I did when I was first starting on the drumset: First started with playing a eighth notes with my right hand. Then added the snare on 2 and 4. Once I got comfortable with that I added the bass on 1 and 3. Then it's just a hop, skip, and a jump to add an "and" to the 3 on the bass drum pattern.

To this day I can't look at an intricate piece of drum music and just start playing. I still break it down to one limb at a time and then slowly integrate the parts together. Once I get the hands and foot patterns down I'll start using a metronome. YMMV.
 
The secret for me was learning to play the hi hat with my L foot. Quarters, &'s, 8ths- that is where the time is kept for me and it only adds to my ability to play things with the other 3.

Not sure why but its just holds it all togetther. Like a metronome for the rest of my body.
 
I'm learning to play the drums but am having difficulty mastering the independent movement of my four limbs. For you that have done so what is the best way to teach my limbs to work independently from the others - book, cd, video - I'll try whatever works! Thanks for your help.

if you are just beginning , unison strokes are much more important than independent movements

get things working together
 
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Congrats, Anthony! Status..

Now I don't have to call you G anymore.

To the OP....Unfortunately, I have no good advice. I feel your pain, Reillybones. In the beginning it can be rough going. For me it took lots of time on the kit and countless hours of practice to develop 3 1/2 independent limbs. I'm still working on my left foot independence. it never ends because there's always another thing you can learn. Taking Toolate's advice is a good idea, I'd say. But try not to be totally dependent on the left foot being your timekeeper.
 
Everything takes practice.

You can make the goal - and the practice - less daunting with a little shift in perspective. That is, think interdependence. Don't focus on how your limbs work separately, focus on how they work together with each other. Work on how they interact, and the patterns that occur. between them, not what they're doing separately.

Obviously there's a starting point, and going slow is usually the best way. You can also write parts out and examine how the rhythms work as a whole.

You'll find that once you learm how your limbs work together, you can often switch/reverse the parts between hands, feet, and hands & feet, without much agony or thought.

Bermuda
 
Practice definitely makes perfect - and play slowly! The truth is however, that limb independence is really a myth - it is all patterns between the limbs wherein you strive to provide the illusion of independence. Once you understand that everything is a pattern some of the mysticism disappears and things that previously seemed impossible - once practiced slowly - start to make sense. I suggest reading some of Billy Ward's thoughts on this topic and try Peter Erskine's book which adopts this approach.
 
If you don't have a teacher yet, they can really help out. But it does come with lots of practice. Try playing basic beats with hi hat on 1234 or 2 & 4, that might help you get a feel.
 
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