Help improve my crappy hand coordination?

Anne Beeche

Anne Beeche

Senior Member
Alrighty. I just started drumming the other day. All I have so far is my dad's old sticks and a shiny new Vic Firth rubber practice pad, since I have to save up every penny for the kit.

So here I am learning the 40 drum rudiments. I'm doing the single stroke roll, and I'm a leftie (though I start with my right). My left hand is doing fine, but my right hand kind of, flops. It doesn't bounce as well as my left. It doesn't matter which stick it uses, the darker stick is even worse.

Any tips on how to improve my right hand?


Actually, I have a second question, as well. (Save threads! It's good for the environment!)

What I noticed about the sticks is that first off, they're really old, coated in rim dents. Handed down from when my dad played drums once. They're both Daddy's Junky Music size 5A, but I noticed that each stick sounds a little different. The one I prefer to use as the left stick is slightly darker, and sounds a little deeper. Makes me wonder if the left stick is made of a different wood or make.

Now, are the sticks SUPPOSED to be a little different or did the sticks get mixed up over time? My dad never said anything about it, so I'm not sure.


EDIT: I checked the rebound of both hands. My right hand is nice and loose and bounces fine, and I can get both hands to bounce simultaneously. My problem is when I actually play any rudiments, my right hand feels more awkward than my left. The left bounces on target, the right bounces all over the place and is difficult to keep under control.

I suspect all I need right now is practice, but any tips will be great.
 
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First thing's first - go ahead and splurge and get a new pair of sticks. You can get some decent sticks for about $8.00 or less.

Since your practice is focused more on the pad for right now I would recommend the book Stick Control and of course work on your rudiments. If at all possible I recommend going to a teacher for a few lessons even if just to learn how to execute a proper grip and free-stroke (a lot of people think they are doing it right when in fact they aren't). Proper technique starts with the grip and stroke so it's important to get that under control right now.
 
Phat_Rolls said:
First thing's first - go ahead and splurge and get a new pair of sticks. You can get some decent sticks for about $8.00 or less.

Since your practice is focused more on the pad for right now I would recommend the book Stick Control and of course work on your rudiments. If at all possible I recommend going to a teacher for a few lessons even if just to learn how to execute a proper grip and free-stroke (a lot of people think they are doing it right when in fact they aren't). Proper technique starts with the grip and stroke so it's important to get that under control right now.
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Hey, thanks for the nice tips. I'll see if I can get a new pair of sticks the next time I have a chance to go to the music store. (The nearest music store is way too far for me to go, and I can't drive a car)

Actually I'm going all over the place for online lessons on holding and controlling the stick. I can't find any teacher in real life besides my dad (who can only visit every other weekend because my parents are divorced), so I have to work with what I've got.

I'll see if I can get the book. Stick Control for the Snare Drummer by George Lawrence, am I right?
 
[I'll see if I can get the book. Stick Control for the Snare Drummer by George Lawrence, am I right?[/QUOTE]

You are 100% correct.
 
Anne Beeche said:
Alrighty. I just started drumming the other day. All I have so far is my dad's old sticks and a shiny new Vic Firth rubber practice pad, since I have to save up every penny for the kit.

So here I am learning the 40 drum rudiments. I'm doing the single stroke roll, and I'm a leftie (though I start with my right). My left hand is doing fine, but my right hand kind of, flops. It doesn't bounce as well as my left. It doesn't matter which stick it uses, the darker stick is even worse.

Any tips on how to improve my right hand?


Actually, I have a second question, as well. (Save threads! It's good for the environment!)

What I noticed about the sticks is that first off, they're really old, coated in rim dents. Handed down from when my dad played drums once. They're both Daddy's Junky Music size 5A, but I noticed that each stick sounds a little different. The one I prefer to use as the left stick is slightly darker, and sounds a little deeper. Makes me wonder if the left stick is made of a different wood or make.

Now, are the sticks SUPPOSED to be a little different or did the sticks get mixed up over time? My dad never said anything about it, so I'm not sure.


EDIT: I checked the rebound of both hands. My right hand is nice and loose and bounces fine, and I can get both hands to bounce simultaneously. My problem is when I actually play any rudiments, my right hand feels more awkward than my left. The left bounces on target, the right bounces all over the place and is difficult to keep under control.

I suspect all I need right now is practice, but any tips will be great.
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getting a book is good really, but its really up to your practice to get your hands in shape ^_^

the more you practice the more your hand gets better everyday! ^_^
 
My advise: 1. Learn a proper grip, (a very controversial subject in itself) don't just use the sticks any old way. 2. Practice single stroke rolls. 3. Practice double stroke rolls.
That should keep you busy. If you have a great single stroke roll, and a great double stroke roll, that's just about everything, save for flams. Learn how to play them then tackle the rudiments. You could spend years trying to master those things

A flam (in case you don't already know) is played by using a smaller (softer) grace note played slightly before a larger (louder) main note. Make sure there is a big difference in volume between your grace note and your main note for the best sounding flams.
 
larryace said:
My advise: 1. Learn a proper grip, (a very controversial subject in itself) don't just use the sticks any old way. 2. Practice single stroke rolls. 3. Practice double stroke rolls.
That should keep you busy. If you have a great single stroke roll, and a great double stroke roll, that's just about everything, save for flams. Learn how to play them then tackle the rudiments. You could spend years trying to master those things

A flam (in case you don't already know) is played by using a smaller (softer) grace note played slightly before a larger (louder) main note. Make sure there is a big difference in volume between your grace note and your main note for the best sounding flams.
Click to expand...

I'm doing great on the single stroke roll now (The hand coordination problem is solving itself and I'm trying to maintain proper grip), I just need to learn double stroke. Still trying to get a fast roll.
 
(Practise) x 3.

2 Strokes [R R, L L] / 8th Notes [R R L L R R L L]

Accenting: 2nd note, good for stick control.

2 Strokes [R R, L L] / 8th Notes [R R L L R R L L]
 
get new sticks from ebay--that way you wont need to wait till you can get to a music shop.

sit in front of a full length mirror and look at how you are playing--is one shoulder lower than the other? are your arms in the same position and at the same hight? Is one twisting more than the other?? Is the grip the same?

I know you need to practice hand to hand but the best way to get both hands the same is to play them together. Look in the mirror see if everything is the same. Close your eyes, feel your back shoulder muscles how your shoulders feel, how your upper arms feel, how your wrists feel and how your fingers feel. Try to make them both feel and look the same. Do all those exercises first with both hands together then, one hand at a time and then hand to hand--your left hand needs just as much, if not more practice than your right. Most exercises will be right hand lead, do them once right hand and then again left hand.

your metronome is your best friend, on each excercise slowly increase the speed until you start to tense, then knock it back to 5bpm below that and practice practice practice. It will encourage you if you keep a log of how fast you were comfortable at each day.

and yes a teacher is the best way to go.
 
I'm no instructor so I can only say what has helped me improve my hand coordination. Practice is underrated. Now what to practice. Just a suggestion: On the snare, start with 2 bars each of double strokes, single stroke 8th notes, finishing with 2 bars of paradiddles; then starting the pattern over with 2 bars of doubles. As you start to feel comfortable with this pattern on the snare, start moving this pattern around your entire kit. Record it if you can. That's the only way you can really tell what your playing sounds like. Nothing wrong with 5A sticks. They will make you work a bit harder than the heavier sticks, but that's what you want when practicing. The sticking is RRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRRLRLLRLRRLRLL. I hope this helps.
 
Anne Beeche said:
Actually I'm going all over the place for online lessons on holding and controlling the stick. I'll see if I can get the book. Stick Control for the Snare Drummer by George Lawrence, am I right?
Click to expand...

If you can't get it have a look here:

http://www.petelockett.com/2006/articles/Symetrical Sticking For The Snare Drum - Pete Lockett.pdf

Pete Lockett has a great free resource that different stickings for snare.
I've been playing nearly three years and my left hand (I'm a righty!) is nowhere near as good as my right and possibly never will be. Lots of practice is the key.
 
try playing rudiments that involve at least two strikes of the same hand in a row. (ex. R R R R L L L L) aim to make every stroke sound the same, especially with the hand your having trouble with. when it comes down to it, its just practice. you'll be comfortable soon enough! as far as coordination of hitting the skin, trace a circular boundary with a cup or something in the middle of your practice pad if you want, and strike inside of it. use a metronome!

also about the stick problem, it might not be the sticks that cause a difference in sound, it might be the inconsistency with your right hand that your talking about. either way get some new sticks!

:)
 
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