Tips for playing evenly?

[JazzAcolyte]

I’m trying to get my buzz rolls and single stroke rolls perfectly even and unaccented, and it’s not going well. No matter what I do, when I record myself I hear rights and lefts, a faint emphasis on whichever hand is leading, and an accent on one. Here’s what I’ve tried:

1. Playing without a metronome or playing with the click only on 1, to avoid the metronome influencing an accent on every beat
2. Checking that my hands look and feel like they’re doing exactly the same thing
3. Saying “da da da da da” in an unaccented monotone while I play and trying to get my playing to sound like that
4. Playing triplets or groups of 5 so that 1 keeps alternating hands in the hopes that I’ll be less likely to accent it
5. Listening really carefully to my sound and trying to adjust to get the sound I want

Anyone have any other ideas? Or do I just keep plugging away and hope that eventually things will even out?

 

[Tornado]

Try using more arm in your rolls.

 

[xtranoise]

I have nothing to add but hope you get some good suggestions because I need help with this too.

 

[Houndog]

Go see a teacher …..

 

[JazzAcolyte]

Go see a teacher …..

I have a very good one, but he didn’t have any suggestions beyond those.

 

[repete]

I think it’s normal to hear slight differences between your left and right hand sticking. You’re hitting the head in two different places. I suggest starting slow and pay more attention to volume instead of the actual sound.

 

[RickyColaiuta]

Play singles (or doubles, triples, any rudiment) to a metronome setting that doesn’t kill you for 5 minutes straight without deviating. Do this at the start of your practice sessions every day. It will be uncomfortable at first but you’ll get used to it eventually and it will become fun to challenge yourself by going faster or longer or both. Don’t forget to keep track of your progress - in 100 days you’ll be feeling better about your hands.

 

[RickyColaiuta]

Almost forgot - lead with either hand! If you can’t do this exercise leading with your non dominant hand you shouldn’t be going up in speed - just my 2 cents.

 

[JimmyM]

I was advised to accent the second hit of every double stroke at a slow tempo, gradually increasing once you manage it at a slower speed. Does seem to help.

 

[Matched Gripper]

I’m trying to get my buzz rolls and single stroke rolls perfectly even and unaccented, and it’s not going well. No matter what I do, when I record myself I hear rights and lefts, a faint emphasis on whichever hand is leading, and an accent on one. Here’s what I’ve tried:

1. Playing without a metronome or playing with the click only on 1, to avoid the metronome influencing an accent on every beat
2. Checking that my hands look and feel like they’re doing exactly the same thing
3. Saying “da da da da da” in an unaccented monotone while I play and trying to get my playing to sound like that
4. Playing triplets or groups of 5 so that 1 keeps alternating hands in the hopes that I’ll be less likely to accent it
5. Listening really carefully to my sound and trying to adjust to get the sound I want

Anyone have any other ideas? Or do I just keep plugging away and hope that eventually things will even out?

Not sure how any of these would help with singles or buzz rolls. I will say that the purpose of “Stick Control” is to equalize the hands. That’s what it is designed to do. I would recommend going through SC using the open-closed-open method.

 

[Tornado]

I was advised to accent the second hit of every double stroke at a slow tempo, gradually increasing once you manage it at a slower speed. Does seem to help.

Lots of people have had success doing this, but I didn't find it particularly applicable after a certain speed. The reason I think it works for people isn't that you're strengthening the second stroke, but that you're actually learning to keep the stick height down on the first.

 

[JimmyM]

Lots of people have had success doing this, but I didn't find it particularly applicable after a certain speed. The reason I think it works for people isn't that you're strengthening the second stroke, but that you're actually learning to keep the stick height down on the first.

Sure, that’s why it works for me. I think

 

[Matched Gripper]

Lots of people have had success doing this, but I didn't find it particularly applicable after a certain speed. The reason I think it works for people isn't that you're strengthening the second stroke, but that you're actually learning to keep the stick height down on the first.

The most efficient way to emphasize the second stroke of a double stroke roll is to use the open/closed technique (not to be confused with the open-closed-open method). Open your fingers on the first stroke and snap the fingers closed on the second stroke. Bill Bachman has a great lesson on this technique. He calls it free/down, the first stroke is a free stroke that freely bounces up, and the second stroke is a down stroke meaning the fingers snap shut to emphasize the second stroke.

 

[Tornado]

The most efficient way to emphasize the second stroke of a double stroke roll is to use the open/closed technique (not to be confused with the open-closed-open method). Open your fingers on the first stroke and snap the fingers closed on the second stroke. Bill Bachman has a great lesson on this technique. He calls it free/down, the first stroke is a free stroke that freely bounces up, and the second stroke is a down stroke meaning the fingers snap shut to emphasize the second stroke.

So I think that's basically what is happening with anyone who is actually playing a smooth double stroke roll. But at speed, it's so subtle and automatic that it's hard for me to cop that to a conscious set of movements. Maybe I've forgotten what it took to get there. I just remember my teacher in the 7th grade told me my double stroke rolls were uneven and that I needed to smooth them out and make them sound like a machine gun. So I went home and practiced until they did. Essentially letting my ears tell me what worked. That was over 30 years ago though.

 

[Hop]

I’m trying to get my buzz rolls and single stroke rolls perfectly even and unaccented, and it’s not going well. No matter what I do, when I record myself I hear rights and lefts, a faint emphasis on whichever hand is leading, and an accent on one. Here’s what I’ve tried:

1. Playing without a metronome or playing with the click only on 1, to avoid the metronome influencing an accent on every beat
2. Checking that my hands look and feel like they’re doing exactly the same thing
3. Saying “da da da da da” in an unaccented monotone while I play and trying to get my playing to sound like that
4. Playing triplets or groups of 5 so that 1 keeps alternating hands in the hopes that I’ll be less likely to accent it
5. Listening really carefully to my sound and trying to adjust to get the sound I want

Anyone have any other ideas? Or do I just keep plugging away and hope that eventually things will even out?

For singles, I'd recommend / consider working on the following: keep the stick height low; keep the volume low; work with the metronome; do not neglect that Left hand lead (think mechanical parity with the right hand).

 

[waynel]

I’m trying to get my buzz rolls and single stroke rolls perfectly even and unaccented, and it’s not going well. No matter what I do, when I record myself I hear rights and lefts, a faint emphasis on whichever hand is leading, and an accent on one. Here’s what I’ve tried:

1. Playing without a metronome or playing with the click only on 1, to avoid the metronome influencing an accent on every beat
2. Checking that my hands look and feel like they’re doing exactly the same thing
3. Saying “da da da da da” in an unaccented monotone while I play and trying to get my playing to sound like that
4. Playing triplets or groups of 5 so that 1 keeps alternating hands in the hopes that I’ll be less likely to accent it
5. Listening really carefully to my sound and trying to adjust to get the sound I want

Anyone have any other ideas? Or do I just keep plugging away and hope that eventually things will even out?

Match grip on or traditional?

 

[kdgrissom]

Take a quarter or a milk jug top and use it to draw a circle on your drum head at a point 3 inches from the rim farthest from you. Practice your strokes within that circle. practice for consistency.
Make sure your sticks are pitched similarly.
Make sure both hands move in the same way (matched grip)
After you can do all that, then simply close your eyes and play. The ears don't lie. That will quickly tell you what and where the problems are. Unfortunately, most people listen with their eyes.
You can do this!! Good Luck.

 

[JazzAcolyte]

Play singles (or doubles, triples, any rudiment) to a metronome setting that doesn’t kill you for 5 minutes straight without deviating. Do this at the start of your practice sessions every day. It will be uncomfortable at first but you’ll get used to it eventually and it will become fun to challenge yourself by going faster or longer or both. Don’t forget to keep track of your progress - in 100 days you’ll be feeling better about your hands.

I start every practice session with Stick Control at both a comfortable tempo and a challenging one, and then the Rudimental Ritual. Been doing that for over a year. But they’re not as even as I want them to be.

 

[JazzAcolyte]

Almost forgot - lead with either hand! If you can’t do this exercise leading with your non dominant hand you shouldn’t be going up in speed - just my 2 cents.

Both Stick Control and the Ritual make you lead with both!

 

[JazzAcolyte]

Match grip on or traditional?

Match.