Drum Rolling

Mr. Serpent

Member
I've been playing for about a week now, and I've been attempting to get better rolling around the kit, but I'm having trouble with technique.

Once I get to the floor tom, because I hit with my right hand first, I try to cross my right arm over my left to get it back to the snare in time to carry on rolling, this inevitably goes wrong, and if I try to wait till I've hit with my left to move back, it takes too long.
Perhaps I'm trying to go too fast, but I'd like to learn it. Any tips are appreciated.

Also, I've noticed that increasing my speed causes me to tense my biceps, which obviously will tire me out quicker, any tips for relaxing more yet keeping up speed? I use German grip if it makes a difference.

Thanks in advance.
 
Start out SLOW...everything in moderation....
Always Slow Down when you feel that TENSE Feeling!
Get it right 1st, at a slower pace, speed will come later



Best,
chazz
 
Maybe a little paradiddle in there to get you back on the right stick to get your left hand over while the right hand is playing.
 
I'd say learn the basics first in my opionion but i think maybe a paradiddle ,

RLRR or LRLL may help
 
Dang. Beaten to it.

I was going to suggest you work on orchestration, so when you get to your floor tom you play a R paradiddle (RLRR) and then the first beat of the next measure you play a L paradiddle (LRLL) on the snare, and continue on in normal right handed stickign (RLRL).

Otherwise, consider putting in some kick drum notes (ie. RLFF, or even FLRF) to put you back on the beat with the Right hand.
 
I'd highly recommend learning to lead left too! That will help getting around.

Mix that with "diddles", work very slow and even... and you'll be Terry Bozzio-ing like a madman.
 
Is paradiddle the "standard" way of doing this (moving from floor back to snare or crash) in first tempo?
 
I'd say there isn't a 'standard' way as such.

If you're just going to hit a crash, why not mount a crash on your right, just above your floor tom?

The sustain from that note will give you time to drop back into the groove.
 
Or when you know that you will be doing that move, lead with the left. Problem solved.
 
While I think most people would use a paradiddle when playing in real life, it's good to practice alternating stroke rolls around the toms and getting back to the snare. Just do what everyone suggests (which you'll hear frequently as a starting drummer) and slow it down. Start at a speed where you're comfortable doing it, then go a little faster, and so on. And be prepared for lots of stick drops, hitting your own hand, catching your stick on the side of one drum or the other, smacking the rim by accident, et cetera : -P
 
1. Like everybody said, you could do a paradiddle.

2. As an alternative, and what is more my style, is to substitute your right foot in place of the last note. You can "fill in the holes" a lot of times with your bass drum when doing fills, and it will help you not have to cross hands.

3. Another thing you could try is to change the amount of strokes you play on each drum. For example, instead of playing this (the notes in the order you see them on the staff are snare, rack tom 1, rack tom 2, floor tom):
1.jpg


try this:
2.jpg


or this:
3.jpg


The first fill is what you are currently trying to play, from what I understand. The two alternatives here are practically the same fill as the original, but keep you from crossing hands. I don't know if you've ever watched any of the GospelChops videos, but check out this video by a guy named Jonathan Davis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrl9ihGcHKg

Don't be put off by how fast he is - he's really just showing you the same idea as the one I showed you and you can still use the same approach - he's just really good at it!
 
I'd say learn the basics first in my opionion but i think maybe a paradiddle ,

RLRR or LRLL may help

That's one of my biggest problems at the moment. I don't know what the basics are to learn, I end up just trying to play things aimlessly.
I'll get a teacher eventually, but first I'll need to find a job to pay for one.
Thanks also.

Dang. Beaten to it.

I was going to suggest you work on orchestration, so when you get to your floor tom you play a R paradiddle (RLRR) and then the first beat of the next measure you play a L paradiddle (LRLL) on the snare, and continue on in normal right handed stickign (RLRL).

Otherwise, consider putting in some kick drum notes (ie. RLFF, or even FLRF) to put you back on the beat with the Right hand.

Ah, I hadn't thought of using the bass drum. Thanks, I suppose I should teach myself all the different paradiddles before doing anything else then.

I'd highly recommend learning to lead left too! That will help getting around.

Mix that with "diddles", work very slow and even... and you'll be Terry Bozzio-ing like a madman.

Leading with the left? Interesting, I'm left handed anyway so hopefully that won't feel too unnatural (I still play on a normal kit though). Thanks.

1. Like everybody said, you could do a paradiddle.

2. As an alternative, and what is more my style, is to substitute your right foot in place of the last note. You can "fill in the holes" a lot of times with your bass drum when doing fills, and it will help you not have to cross hands.

3. Another thing you could try is to change the amount of strokes you play on each drum. For example, instead of playing this (the notes in the order you see them on the staff are snare, rack tom 1, rack tom 2, floor tom):
1.jpg


try this:
2.jpg


or this:
3.jpg


The first fill is what you are currently trying to play, from what I understand. The two alternatives here are practically the same fill as the original, but keep you from crossing hands. I don't know if you've ever watched any of the GospelChops videos, but check out this video by a guy named Jonathan Davis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrl9ihGcHKg

Don't be put off by how fast he is - he's really just showing you the same idea as the one I showed you and you can still use the same approach - he's just really good at it!

I do appreciate what you're trying to say in this post, but I'm afraid it's lost on me as I can't read music.

Thanks for the video too; and thanks to everyone else who posted, I appreciate it.
 
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