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Work on rebounding free strokes! There's good reason that that's step #1 on the drumworkout.com "Extreme Hands Makeover." Start by getting out of your own way and letting the stick flow.

When I see people's pinkie sticking out they're pretty much always squeezing too much in the front of the hand to compensate, that's the reason for concern as I see it. Note that I'm not saying it should always be on the stick, that'd wreck the flow of some things and make a whole bunch of fast...

Besides the obvious "slow it down," I recommend the bite size chunks approach. Play only from beat 1 to beat 2. One quarter note's worth of music should be doable. When you get it, do it 20 more times without speeding it up. (Your mind will have already gotten it & will be bored, but it's the...

Sticks generally slide up in the hand when there's too much squeezing in the fulcrum. Try to relax the front of the hand and think of the fulcrum more as a ceiling over the stick instead of a pinch point. With the front of the hand more relaxed you'll feel the weight of the sticks on the back...

"Why should I practice things that I would never play on a gig?" I'd say because it helps you play the things you would play on a gig that much better.

It's funny that you called that tempo out. That's the exact max tempo for me "riding the bike" with double bass. Occasionally I'll get on a double bass practice binge doing a long exercise and that's the ceiling! If I suddenly get motivated I'll work on the next gear--it's just so rare that I'm...

I always start with the free stroke all the way up past vertical (that's step 1 of the Extreme Hands Makeover on drumworkout.com). I do this because the only way to get all the way up/back there is by all but eliminating any extra tension in the hands. Once a player gets the feeling of those...

Fun fact: The two rope drums being played today at the inauguration are actual Moeller drums that were recently restored. These are his "Grand Republic" series 21" x 17" with all of the eagle artwork and such. 13 were known to exist of this series. Aside from this type, Moeller didn't make many...

Hi there, I love that you said that you're "not interested in speed." I say this because if you work on smooth natural mechanics that sound good, you'll end up with speed anyway since you're out of your own way. You also said that "speed comes from slow practice." This is commonly talked...

Greetings, I've found that some people like to make a science project out of upstrokes, but with wrist turn technique you simply lift the stick up immediately after playing the tap. As a general rule the only time the upstroke becomes an issue is when you hit faster tempos where there's less...

I love this book and use it with students a lot! (And I worked through left handed/footed at one point.) It's so gradual with coordination (independence) that you never really hit a frustrating wall. I prefer to be able to accomplish something and turn the page more than have a nearly endless...

Day 3 is up. Feel free to check out drumworkout.com for a 3 day free "Stir-Crazy" trial too, we need to keep busy and move forward during this strange strange time.

Day 2! Also, a free 3 day trial of drumworkout.com, the "Stir Crazy" deal. (Details on site)

Whoa! I stand corrected... :)

I believe so!

Hey guys, "Stir-Crazy Drum School" starts tomorrow at 10 AM central time on Facebook live! We’ve got to do something while we’re locked in due to the Corona virus, so let’s lock in our hands. We’ll be looking at some Drumworkout.com material as well as bits from some of my books. It should be...

It creates a convex surface that the snares go over which helps keep them "pinned" against the head. Without snare beds the bottom head would be perfectly flat and there'd be nothing "holding" the snares against it so it'd just rattle like crazy. Plus a head sitting on a true/flat surface would...

Single stroke 32nd notes at 100 bpm is a really good benchmark for speed. Going faster you can double, but they won't have the same beef as singles. Ultimately when you get up to that tempo range it'll also be a challenge to maintain enough sound to compete with the musicians around you since...

This is what makes 4 way coordination a lot harder than 3 way, You have to work the balance on the stool and build up your core muscles.

Thanks guys! I'm starting to be able to play some low & light things. To regain unction I have to squeeze & try really hard which goes against everything I believe in! However, that's the only way to create new pathways for the brain to muscles. It's incredibly frustrating, but I'm doing my best...