Challenging your independence...

hvymtlmike

Senior Member
So I usually don't have issues learning new songs or coming up with intricate things, but....I had a wild idea that maybe double bass leading with my left would improve my drumming. As I went to do this I realized how difficult is was to do straight 16th note double bass with left foot lead hats on quarter notes and snare on 3. Now I did get it down and am working to get it up to speed but what I am wondering is do you have any exercises that will improve my drumming that maybe I am overlooking or don't think about on a usual day? I'm always looking for ways to further develop my independence.
 
4-way coordination book by dahlgren?
 
Check out Gary Chester's 'The New Breed'. That will probably keep you busy for the rest of your life.
 
Leading with your left means you can smack the hihat on quarters or 8ths as well as the kick pedal, it's a cool trick to have in your box of tricks.

Try this, doing a paradiddle on your feet and a displaced paradiddle with your hands

RRLRLLRL < Hands
RLRRLRLL < Feet
1+2+3+4+

Try the other paradiddle inversions too, that one I wrote above is the one I found the hardest. Get the notes all lining up perfectly with no flams. A good approach to learning it is to go in steps - play one 'count' at a time, e.g. play what's on the 1, then play 1+, then when you can do that easily go to 1+2, and so on. Take it slowly and don't move to the next step until you can do the current step correctly a few times over.

Another good thing to try is playing an ostinato with your feet and doing exercises from Stick Control or Syncopation over top. Even more challenging is doing a Stick Control exercise, and playing the syncopation exercises as accents within the stick control pattern, all over top of what the feet are doing. Do this enough and your improvising skills will increase hugely
 
Check out Gary Chester's 'The New Breed'. That will probably keep you busy for the rest of your life.

Ooooh, I've recently ordered that book for that reason. Waiting for it to arrive. I'm ready to realise how much more independence I can aim to acheive.
 
In the cover band I was in for 12 years,I started playing left hand lead open style on the hihat,matched grip of course.
That was fun and trying to lead with the left hand all the time when crashing.
 
Ooooh, I've recently ordered that book for that reason. Waiting for it to arrive. I'm ready to realise how much more independence I can aim to acheive.

I remember Weckl when he done one of his first clinics in Australia ,rave about that book.

I'm getting The Art Of Bop Drumming next.
 
Independence is something I am always wanting to further because it is one of the keys drumming. I know there are several books out there and I definately will check it out but bein a college student in a band who's writing new music it's hard to find the time to use the book which is why I asked about exercises that you all have used and ways to keep improving. Thanks
 
Thomas Lang's 4 way coordination Matrix is a good excersize.

It is not too practical to apply to playing though.
 
When I was younger, I worked diligently at keeping time with my left heel tapping on hats, so leading with the left on double bass came more naturally to me.

Agreed, start simple, can you even keep time with your left foot on the hats?
This is something I'm doing now, I'm taking almost everything I know from grooves to fills with keeping time on the hi hat foot, relearning all of this has been fun and challenging but I see how something as simple as keeping a quarter note pulse can help with independence.
 
I can keep time with my left foot on the hats....I'm always chasing more and more for independence. Thank you all for the tips they will all be studied.
 
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