STICK TWIRLING AND SHOWMANSHIP TECHNIQUE.

[chino_Ocio]

Hello, I've been a drummer for almost 8 years, and through all that time, I've been only focusing on my technique. Recently I saw a portion of the Thomas lang DVD and realized how a little showmanship can take your grooves to the next level. Can someone help me and show me different stick twirling techniques??? PS... I play traditional grip. Thx!!

[Big_Drummer]

its a kind difficult to teach from here, i saw thomas lang dvd and i can do real twirl, fake twirl, and the helicopter, the buddy rich stick trick and some others, the only thing you have to do is practice, in 3 days you can achieve the real twirl and the fake is too easy

[NUTHA JASON]

my advice is really simple. regardless of which of the many twirling techniques you encorporate.

here's what you do.

get a dowel stick. i used one that was roughly the same thickness as a 7a drumstick but almost twice the length. i began spinning really slowly. letting the momentum of the stick do the work while my fingers grew accustomed to the pattern and feel of it. then after about a week i cut off about 10 cm of dowel. and so on until the dowel was nearly as long as a drumstick (in about three weeks) then i used an old 3a stick and twirled while i was stuck in traffic or watching tv. Slowly i built up speed. the crucial thing is twirling during playing tho. so i began identifying simple fills which i could do with one hand and my bassdrum while my other hand twirled.
aslo have a look at john blackwell's dvd. he introduces a fake twirl which took me one day to learn and incorporate.
j

[C_H]

yea you really need to be shown how to do it but if you feed it through all your fingers you can do what lang does when he does that groove while spinnin his sticks on the hat and snare, well thats what i do, the buddy stick trick is easy to learn but try asking your teacher or someone to show you some cool stuff

[Big_Drummer]

john blackwell's dvd sucks is one of the worse drummers that i watched.

[NUTHA JASON]

i completely disagree. john blackwell is a great drummer and showman. he is a little dull as a teacher and speaker, granted. i guess he really speaks with his hands. but his ability on drums and his respect for his influences are inspirational.

j

[Big_Drummer]

MY FATHER GIVES ME BLACKWELL'S DVD as a gift i think he plays cool song but he has many mistakes in that dvd, you have to watched good and you notice his mistakes, and i feel that he repeats too many times some fills and stuffs and that i dont really like it, maybe im wrong in saying that he is a bad drummer but i dont like him

Take a look at 'Drumstick Spinology' by Steve Stockmal. It's a book that comes with a DVD. He goes pretty in-depth!

[GPinney]

I use stick twirling sometimes in my drumming. But i find that it is better to not use alot. It cann really mess up a beat by twirling. Once you get it down it looks really cool though. My advice is to just practice twirling a stick in one hand while your laying in bed. Then the next day try and add it in to your drumming.

[Alesi]

Jeff Queen, on vic firth`s website, has a lot of stick tricks, like waliking teh dog or hitting the head with the back of your stick

Stick tricks when used thoughtfully can really develop the feel of a groove and help you keep time through pauses. They can serve many purposes other than just showmanship.

[Rudy McRudster]

I used to really like stick twirling. I even have a book/dvd called "Drumstick Spinology" and it was cool and all, but I sort of grew out of it. I use it for some things, and some of the spins have helped my playing in creating various techniques, but the big, flashy spins, quite frankly, are used a lot to divert viewers from their lackluster drumming performances. Call it cynical but that's what I think.

[DogBreath]

Originally Posted by Big_Drummer

john blackwell's dvd sucks is one of the worse drummers that i watched.

Is his DVD as bad as your grammar? I look forward to your DVD, when you'll finally show us all how it should be done.

=-)


.

[LDGuy]

Originally Posted by Rudy McRudster

I used to really like stick twirling. I even have a book/dvd called "Drumstick Spinology" and it was cool and all, but I sort of grew out of it. I use it for some things, and some of the spins have helped my playing in creating various techniques, but the big, flashy spins, quite frankly, are used a lot to divert viewers from their lackluster drumming performances. Call it cynical but that's what I think.

Yeah, that is pretty true.

I still reckon it's cool to be able to do it even if you don't use it that much.

[Rudy McRudster]

Originally Posted by LDGuy

Yeah, that is pretty true.

I still reckon it's cool to be able to do it even if you don't use it that much.

Yeah, it's always nice when you can show off to your friends with a stick or something.

[NUTHA JASON]

its part of the whole package. its too easy to program a realistic drum sound ... we could become obsolete as musicians ... but we are not. why? because people love us. they love the idea of us. they love to see us. so we must be more than a drumbeat. we must be a show. we are entertainers first and formost. stick twirling is important.

j

How do you twirl drumsticks? I NEED HELP!!!

[arjunchawda]

Please can somebody tell me free ways to learn this!??!!!!??!

[NUTHA JASON]

i thought i would merge all these threads and retitle it as

STICK TWIRLING AND SHOWMANSHIP TECHNIQUE.

after all we are much more than drum machines. we are entertainers.

j

[finnhiggins]

I agree that the visual thing is important, but I'm actually fairly anti-twirling. It's kind of hackneyed, to be honest, and as a casual music listener / guitarist before I started playing the drums I used to think it was just lame. I learned to do it at music school - no tapping in class, had to do something with my hands - but I've never bothered learning to incorporate it into my playing.

I'm of the feeling that there's a million other, non-twirling visual tricks we can do that might be actually cool rather than just a cliche that's been part of "show off" drumming for decades... ?uestlove was good at this, he managed to do a fairly hilarious parody of Michael Jackson's dancing while sitting down and playing during a cover of Smooth Criminal. Good to watch, but not twirling...

[NUTHA JASON]

also watching just the facial expressions of papa jo jones is cool while he does a comparitively simple solo.
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers...Joe_Jones.html
but i still get a huge kick out of twirling and seeing someone else twirling. if you look at the picture of my practice kit
http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/s...ead.php?t=1398
you will see that i have two mirrors to see what i can do to make the show behind the sound.

j

[A7X]

Originally Posted by NUTHA JASON

you will see that i have two mirrors to see what i can do to make the show behind the sound.

j

Nutha Jason that is such a great idea! how come i can never think of these things!

I always forget how different it looks from behind the kit to infront of the kit.

[Damon Dapper]

@Dog:

Exactly, and well put.


Dap.

[Stevis]

Originally Posted by NUTHA JASON

i completely disagree. john blackwell is a great drummer and showman. he is a little dull as a teacher and speaker, granted. i guess he really speaks with his hands. but his ability on drums and his respect for his influences are inspirational.

j

I Agree 150% w/ Nutha; john Blackwell is amazing and one of my idols. I don't think you realize that it is pretty Darn hard to spin both sticks while doing crossovers like john does. Next time do a bit more research. But if you have and you think he's bad I guess you the right to your own opinion.

[Drum4fun]

hi all,

just wondering whether someone can make a short vid or picture guide on how to do different spins and tricks?

i cant find anything that breaks it down step by step.

cheers,

[NUTHA JASON]

here you are. sorry if it is a bit soft but i just got out of bed.

presenting ....

NUTHA JASON'S TWIRLING PRIMER:


true twirl:
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-true

blackwell's twirl:
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-blackwell

fake twirl:
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-fake

letting it go:
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-letting-go

stick on stick twirl (sticky sticks):
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-sticky

mixing it up:
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-mixing

close ups:
http://media.putfile.com/twirl-closeup

but once you have got a twirl neat then the next step is to play a groove, adapt a fill so that all or part of it can be played with one hand while the other does the twirl, AND NOT LOSE TIME!
hope this helps.
j
ps: i have other twirls (thumb twirl and the change-to-butt-twirl) but maybe another day, eh?

[Bernhard]

Hi Nutha

You????? You!!!!! well, you're a real artist - great!!!

By the way - you can upload these vids also here as an attachment - and loading faster!!!

Bernhard

[HardRockDrummer]

thanks for all those tricks nutha jason! i didn't even know there was such thing called a 'true twirl'. i only knew the 'fake twirl', so I've gotta learn all of them! they're all so cool!
but... i can't watch the 'mixing up' video...i can hear the sound but no video. is there a problem with the server or is it my computer?

[HardRockDrummer]

video fixed now. i can watch all of them :D

[Drum4fun]

NUTHA!!!?!

YOU LEGEND!!

thanks a heap man, those were excellent, and so easy to see what you are doing!

thanks for you time mate, I appreciate it alot.

: D *beams cause he can stick twirl now too thanks to nutha*

[Sticksman]

Wow! You're an awesome showman, Nutha! I can see you as a professional drummer in the near future. Oh hell, what am I saying, you already are pro!

[thetourist]

I was wondering if anyone here as worked on some actual throwing or tossing technique. If youre into baton twirling or something like that, or if youve ever seen it, you probably noticed that a big part of the act is spinning in the air. For now at least, I've decided that its probably too risky to try during a song, or when people are watching, etc. I think its one of those things that you really have to do a million times before you know exactly what kind of spin speed, direction, height and so on you need to control in order to pull it off without flaw. Even though theres a considerable risk in really "letting go" of the stick, I still plan to incorporate a little at least, some time in the future when I really have done it a million times. I was wondering if theres anyone else that has considered or is using such a twirl.

I use some tossing and throwing in my playing from time to time. There is one Toss, that is very easy - Mark Schulmann showed it to me. Sorry I cannot really describe it. I also use some tossing that was on Thomas Langs DVD, allthough his tosses are much more intricate (insane i.o.w.).

I also have some very cool Sticktwirls I´d like to share. Unfortunately I dont have a camera to record it. If I can get my hands on one, i will post em like Nutha did. Btw: Nutha - very very cool work and thanks for sharing. I knew all your tricks allready, but the way you perform them is just absolutely fantastic. Especially your ideas on the John Blackwell thing were great. Keep it up!

Does anybody have a tutorial on the Steve Smith HiHat Solo? I saw it and was blown away, but I have ne clue whatsoever, how he does some of that stuff...

[RudimentalDrummer]

Dear Bros

The " DRUM Mazagine " Issue No.111 which is the latest issue (Aug or Sept 2005) ... cover featuring Mike Portnoy has an article on Stick-Twirls on Page 93 to 97. It teaches us how to put it all together playing & twirling with pictures in step-by-step illustration.

( 1 ) Twirl 1: The Fake Twirl

( 2 ) Twirl 2 : Match To Traditional Twirl

( 3 ) Twirl 3 : Traditional to Match Twirl

( 4 ) Twirl 4 : Index Finger Twirl

( 5 ) Twirl 5 : Horizontal Fake Twirl

( 6 ) Twirl 6 : Full Finger Twirl

It says: - Stick twirling can be a skill almost as vital as playing in time. .... Tommy Lee, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Sonny Payne, Chick Webb uses these flashy sticks tricks to add some extra spiciness in their performances and it will of course not take away anything from their reputation .... All the above (6 Twirl) are examples of backward twirl and are for good reasons. After we hit a drum, we can perform a backward twirl during the upstroke, and once the twirl is completed, the stick is position high off the drum, which allow us to take a strong second stroke. There are some other exercises and small writeout in the issue also.

Check it out brothers and cheers !

PS: Nutha ... you're really good ... man !

[RudimentalDrummer]

Originally Posted by beat1212

ya thsoe were good. i knew them all. stick twirling si good to know but it gets borign when peopl use the same twirl over and over.

kekekeke Bro beat1212 ... how come you have the word "Banned" below your Nick har ? ? ?. and yes Twirling is good .... it's entertainment bro ..cheers !

[Anduin]

Originally Posted by NUTHA JASON

presenting ....

NUTHA JASON'S TWIRLING PRIMER:

Good stuff.

But you left out my favourite. It's like your true spin, but you start between index and up-yours fingers, rotate the opposite way from your true spin, and go through all the fingers, but not the thumb. I guess it's like the true spin, but goes index to pinky instead of thumb to ring, and it spins the other way. Once the spin is happening, you can keep it going pretty much forever, or until the groupies mob you, whichever comes first.

[NUTHA JASON]

dude film it and show it to us. i want to add that one to my collection.


j

[aahznightsky]

Originally Posted by Anduin

Good stuff.

But you left out my favourite. It's like your true spin, but you start between index and up-yours fingers, rotate the opposite way from your true spin, and go through all the fingers, but not the thumb. I guess it's like the true spin, but goes index to pinky instead of thumb to ring, and it spins the other way. Once the spin is happening, you can keep it going pretty much forever, or until the groupies mob you, whichever comes first.

this is the one i use the most too. you can go wicked fast and never stop rotating in one direction. But i just gotta find out how to film it on my digital camera and post it somewhere ....

ok so i know where ill put it and everything, just gotta wait for the batteries on the camera to recharge and im gonna be out for a few hours. I don't think there will be sound, but you'll be able to see what I'm doing clearly and I'll post an explanation too ...

[aahznightsky]

Ok here ya go, we call it the

Perpetual Spin

Credit goes to thetourist for teaching me this spin three years ago! And there's no oral explanation but a nice soundtrack that goes along nicely...

Basically there are three positions the stick goes into that you can see in the video, and you use your fingers to rotate it to these three positions. The video (which my little sister operated) started recording in the middle of a quick spin, but you can flick the spin out once real quick to hit a drum and it looks quite nice and sounds natural with practice.
Stopping the stick back in matched grip means not restarting the rotation over again with your index finger and letting the stick come out of the last position with your pinky and ring finger.

You can also stop the stick midspin (stop the momentum with the backside of your fingers) and do the spin in reverse.

i can explain more if you want....



edit: now its working and if you refresh a couple of times it will load all the video and show me going fast with it n stuff not just the slow version

[NUTHA JASON]

i also battled with putfile. is your file less than 10mb? otherwise it won't load up.

j