more fluidity playing jazz ride

[Seb77]

I noticed I've gained some extra fluidity on the ride by practicing snare (pad), all kinds of stuff, using French grip. I usually play the ride that way, thumb up, and I've also done quite a bit of isolated practice on the ride, but noticed another kind of flexibility and control after doing rudimental and other technical exercises on a pad. I usually think you only need to practice what you want to play, which in this case would be ride patterns on the ride but there is something about being more flexible after having practiced all kinds of patterns.
I don't stick to one grip throughout but rather change more or less intuitively to whatever seems to work and sound best. On snare, I usually play trad grip with the left and I guess some in-between (American?) grip with the right on snare. Just tried tried this French grip thing with both hands matched.

If you want to try it, make sure you always stay as loose as possible here, it should always feel good, and don't overdo it, especially at first; some muscles and tendons need to get used to the new turning motion.

 

[shnootre]

I too have gained a ton of advantages from pad work on french grip (totally fixed a lifelong weak buzz roll)!

 

[zenghost]

Nice, I like swinging flam-taps to various degrees to replicate the standard jazz ride pattern. Working through the various grips/cradles, fulcrums, and methods of actuating the stick is a good approach and translates functionally to the kit well in my experience.

 

[Pounder]

I'll take this concept even a bit further. Way back when I was in music school. I was a drummer in band and orchestra. After practicing proficiency on piano I would notice my drumming was improved just following that practice, and vice versa. But the french grip makes sense because on the cymbals you're playing typically at an angle where the forearm moves easier with hand vertical to the ground, which is basically what we're talking about here.

 

[Rock Salad]

I got one. It's not technique, but is helping me flow on the ride much more smoothly.
I start off with quarters on the ride, 2 and 4 on the hats and put the bass on all &s or "lets". Then with that sounding nice and flowing start adding the Ta to the quarter note tings, Following the foot instead of the other way round with foot following hands.
It is helping me a lot. I don't know if it is because my foot is learning where the upbeat is better or if it is because it is just free to be where it is and let the hand follow. It sure feels and sounds better though.

 

[Seb77]

Talking about the skip beat (the &):
I think the conventional notation of the typical swing ride beat starting on 1 is a bit misleading when it comes to phrasing (for a general discussion of this, check out "Forward Motion" by Hal Galper).
When explaining the motions of the swing ride beat, it is often looked at as starting on the 2 and 4 ("ging-ga-ding" shape), but here's another idea: for a change, try hearing the figure as starting on the &: "ga-ding-ging", or, counting, &1-2.
If this results in over-accenting the 1 at first, just add a bit of emphasis on the following 2, which is now the afterbeat in the original sense of the word. This concept is in line with the "Forward motion" concept of upbeat/pickup phrases leading into 1, and, the way I feel it, also fits the harmonic motion: Most often, chords change on 1 and 3.

The concept outlined above takes the "halftime" beat "&1, &3" as a starting point and then adds the "2", the afterbeat. Listen to Philly Joe during the sax solo after the interlude (2:55) for an example of this relaxed halftime playing.
(Coming from the original tempo of the tune, it's actually double-time, and he's mostly sticking to the original slow figure, which equals "&1- 3" in double-time counting).

On a side note, just noticed that solo starts exactly at half the duration of the tune!