Your favorite limbs Independence exercices

[C.M. Jones]

I definitely find repetition beneficial. I like to sort something out on the pad, then take it to the kit and apply it in a more musical sense once I have the sticking figured and ideas on how to use it.

Well explained. You highlight a central purpose of rudiments that escapes many drummers. What seems routine and repetitious on a pad can be transformed into something immensely musical on a drum set. Rudiments and kit work aren't mutually exclusive. The first can very much heighten the second when applied creatively.

 

[MrInsanePolack]

Well explained. You highlight a central purpose of rudiments that escapes many drummers. What seems routine and repetitious on a pad can be transformed into something immensely musical on a drum set. Rudiments and kit work aren't mutually exclusive. The first can very much heighten the second when applied creatively.

It took me a while to realize the beauty behind the rudiments. I used to find them boring. Once I realized that the more I learned the easier they got, it clicked on what they do for the hands and independence.

At this point in life I like to learn new stickings at the pad. It's less distracting, and I can park myself in front of the tv and play the same pattern for 30 minutes if I need to. I don't possess the ability to do that at the kit. It's way to easy to become distracted.

 

[C.M. Jones]

It took me a while to realize the beauty behind the rudiments. I used to find them boring. Once I realized that the more I learned the easier they got, it clicked on what they do for the hands and independence.

At this point in life I like to learn new stickings at the pad. It's less distracting, and I can park myself in front of the tv and play the same pattern for 30 minutes if I need to. I don't possess the ability to do that at the kit. It's way to easy to become distracted.

I know what you mean. I've always believed that an hour on a pad is worth two hours behind a drum set. There's no better means of enhancing control and technique.

Those who charge that we drummers need too much equipment are blind to the effciency of practice pads. We can throw a pad and a pair of sticks into a backpack and be prepared to practice almost anywhere. Guitarists can't claim that kind of convenience.

 

[toddbishop]

I noticed that, these subterranean connections created by practicing various things. I find it weird but since it's working.. I try to rotate various types of exercises then I practice a play along the music to test the new knowledge. I see improvements... I still have a wide chariot of drumming intelligence and vocabulary to develop.

But it's highly interesting.

I practiced a sheet called "broken ride patern" today for the first time, unexpectedly, I learned new things regarding the displacement of the position of the hi-hat away from the usual 2 and 4, with that exercise.

***
You suggested this to me previously: independence within an Afro-Cuban 6/8 feel

I looked at the webpage but there are many sheets, this one must be this the right one?

http://www.pdxdrummer.com/downloads/lessons_downloads/drumset/pdxdrummer.com_POC_afro-6_african.pdf

Yeah, there are a lot. Here are the ones I suggest starting with:

• Simplified form, with a straight 3:2 polyrhythm between the RH and feet
• Standard form of the Afro 6 groove
• Feet in unison in the middle of the triplet
• Standard groove with a 3/4 feel

I've got some sampled loops you can practice those with-- there's one by Eddie Palmieri and one by John Zorn's Masada that are good. Try and do the left hand moves linked at the bottom of each post. That's a real value-multiplier. Like I said, the first page you do will be the hardest.

 

[J-W]

We can throw a pad and a pair of sticks into a backpack and be prepared to practice almost anywhere. Guitarists can't claim that kind of convenience.

We don't necessarily even need those all the time. Much can be done with just the hands and feet alone. I've worked through plenty of limb independence exercises just tapping my knees with my hands and tapping my feet on the ground.

 

[C.M. Jones]

We don't necessarily even need those all the time. Much can be done with just the hands and feet alone. I've worked through plenty of limb independence exercises just tapping my knees with my hands and tapping my feet on the ground.

Definitely. Our four limbs alone are percussive pieces that automatically travel with us. We can use them quietly and inconspicuously. Almost every setting becomes a practice studio in that sense.

 

[LudwigRocker]

The best one I ever seen was Bobby Rock doing the octopus. That is my goal to do that!

 

[Auspicious]

The best one I ever seen was Bobby Rock doing the octopus. That is my goal to do that!

That's crazy!! All my drum with all my cookware as an addition, I am not even sure it would even be enough gear to cover everything required for the octopus ?

Impressive.

 

[LudwigRocker]

That's crazy!! All my drum with all my cookware as an addition, I am not even sure it would even be enough gear to cover everything required for the octopus ?

Impressive.

I met Bobby at a clinic my mom took me to. He was really friendly and a good guy as well. He even signed a drum head for me and gave me a set of sticks. He is one of the best for sure.

 

[Sebenza]

I take the first page of stick control and then play page 37 of syncopation as melody over it. Straight eights and shuffled for more of a swing feel. You can divide things up whichever way you want between hands and feet and set up some part for the limb that is not playing the melody. So you can just get as creative as you want with it.
To me, the good thing about staying on that same page 37 means you really internalize it after a while and that helps with learning to play it under the different stickings. I made a few laminated pages with those pages on either side to hang around at my work, home, mens room, etc... so I can sneak a bit of practice in by doing it just like J-W said...tapping knees and feet.

 

[TOMANO]

For my students, I have them play quarters on ride, 2 & 4 on hh, quarters on bd. Then add variations on snare from 16th notes...i.e. 1e, 2e, 3e, 4e then 1 a, 2 a, etc.

 

[ZDrumMan]

As a student of Gary Chaffee's, I use his patterns book in a way different than he intended. I will often play the rests of the patterns with both feet. That translates into a 2/4 pattern that has One on the bass drum and Two on the snare, I will play both on the snare and the feet on the rests as 16th notes. I will then use any ostinato pattern for either the hihat or the ride cymbal on top. Doing that with the patterns really develops 4 way independence/coordination.

 

[Spreggy]

I keep reaching back to one I got years ago from my first teacher. It made a massive difference to me back then.

First, get fluid with your paradiddle inversions:
RLRR LRLL
RLLR LRRL
RRLR LLRL
RLRL LRLR

Play them as 8th notes over two foot ostinatos. The first being bass drum on 1 & 3, hat on 2 & 4. After that's tight and smooth, change the foot ostinato to a samba.
It took me a good couple of months to get that all going, but it paid me back in a lot more freedom. The bonus is it taught me a lot about what the different inversions themselves can teach you. I still run through it as a warm-up at the kit, like a way to turn all the lights on so to speak.

 

[Spreggy]

This thread is one of those Drummerworld threads with a massive pay off! There's a ton of good stuff here.

 

[Takelow]

The New breed by Gary Chester.
Absolutely awesome. It completely modify my drumming.

EDIT: Correction of the author of The New breed - Thanks ZDrumMan to point it out !

 

[MrInsanePolack]

Something I find myself doing quite often is trying to confuse my hands and feet. For example, 8ths with hands and 16ths with feet. Just singles, but it really takes some work. Now flip it, 16ths with hands and 8ths with feet. Now put them together and make it seamless. Much harder than it seems.

Another foot hand puzzle I like is doubles with the hands, and singles at the same speed with feet. Its note for note, so when your hands do RRLL, your feet do RLRL.

For even more fun, link the doubles exercise with the singles exercise. Your brain is now fully engaged.

Here is something else fun to try. Play 4ths or 8ths on your ride. Now take your snare hand and play the disco beat. The hats and snare must be played with the offhand, while still playing the kick between the open hats and snare. Once you get the hang of it, start changing the ride pattern. Do sprang a lang, shuffle, or 3s. Once again, brain fully engaged.

 

[ZDrumMan]

Hey Takelow, I think you mean Gary Chester.

 

[Takelow]

Hey Takelow, I think you mean Gary Chester.

Of course! Thank you for pointing this out, I edited my post !
Gary Chaffee books PATTERNS series is a must have too!

 

[Zaster]

Thanks for the kind words Auspicious, and for sharing my stuff. I co-wrote all that material with the pianist, a really great player and composer from Brazil.

It’s beautiful music, really— sounds great!

 

[Odd-Arne Oseberg]

First of all, most of what I do is based off of All American Drummer, New Breed, Chaffee stuff and just various reading material. Other stuff is to get som new ideas for teaching and just get inspired to approach things in differet ways to get more solid.

As for favourite exercises I don't really have any. It's more that I sit down and play and take note of stuff that doesn't flow. I obviosuly know if that's a mood of the day thing or a general issue. Then I make exercises to start fixing that and incorporating it into musical setting with other stuff.

As a general guide, because of having worked on a lot of standard stuff I like to work in odd time signatures more because regardless of need that makes me have to be more focused and present in my practice.

What I do during a certain period will often be based on a song I wanted to learn that inspired me to improve my general facility in that area. I will just start taking the general vocabulary that I'm very comfortable with in 4/4 and start working that into that time signature, subdivision, feel etc..

Having suffered from burnout I had to change things up for a while because it was hard to focus, but I do like to work on everything at once. Personally, I'd rather slow things way down and pretend to be in a complete musical situation with accents and fills while working this out rater than pushing through all the options too quickly. The point is after all to practice in a way where you add stuff in a way that's it's truly useful and available to you so working on it context, slowly and making sure I have it fully down and integrated is te best way for me.

Some of these books sometimes can seem like a mounting to go over and because they actually are, you should take your time and get really musical with it. In the end all you need to get out of them is what's musical and pleasing to you, but give those other options a chance, enough time to truly see what's being offered and look back at it once and again as you develop.