A week has gone by and my practice schedule has reached a new and improved point which is to practice different ways of holding the stick for rudiment application.  This is nothing new, but it does yield excellent results and I feel so much more agile on the kit.  This is my www.westlondon-drumtutor.com page

Drum Stick Grip

Almost everything that is important with regard to drumming technique centres around how to correctly, or best hold the stick.  The less your wrist, arm and musculoskeletal system feels pressure or stress, the better your technique.  The worst machines are those that spew out smoke, noise and produce little with lots of effort.  The same is true for drum stick grip, the less you do, the more you get out of your technique.  This is called the principle of economy and efficiency.

There are two major drum stick grips

1. Match grip
2. Traditional

Matched grip means exactly that, you hold the right and left stick in the exact same way.  The grip can be in between the index and thumb, middle finger and thumb, or gripped with the little finger, usually called ‘the back of the hand’.  More on this later.

German grip is one way of holding your sticks and forms one of the ways drummers Match Grip their sticks.  First find the balance or fulcrum point with your thumb and index finger and other fingers resting on the bottom of the stick.  Your hands are placed with the palms facing downward and you can therefore play with more power.

French Grip is another way of holding the sticks Matched Grip.  This is where the thumbs are on top, and the fulcrum or balance point, again is made up of the thumb, and index finger.  The other fingers rest under the stick.  This technique is suited to more subtle and finesse type playing.

American grip as tradition will tell us, is a system that takes the best of both worlds; the power of the German and the subtlety of the French.  So, this is where the hands are at a 45 degree angle, that is, between palms down (German) and hand turned upwards where the thumb is on top (French).

With the German, French and American matched grip method, you will notice your sticks being angled differently when you play.  Typically the German technique is about 90 degrees or that your sticks form a triangle shape.  The French technique usually forms a parallel relationship.  The American technique usually forms a 45 degree angle or the sticks form a different, sharper angled triangle.

Traditional grip has its inception in the days of military drumming when the snare was worn around the hips and necessitated a special way of holding the sticks.  The left hand holds the stick in a ‘cradle’ position.  This involves placing the stick between the second and third finger (that is if the first finger is the index, or pointing finger).  The fulcrum or balance point should be in the V, situated between the thumb and index finger.

From west london drum tutor - drum lessons in Harrow, Greater London

Bass drum technique is very important; and the drummer needs to place the toe and ball of the foot pushing and controlling the pedal.

Bass drum technique is a most important aspect of drum kit playing and relies on specific technique that can be broken down into the following stages

1. Place your foot on the bass pedal, covering the whole pedal
2. Feel the bass pedal with your toes and always have your toes attached to the bass pedal
3. Move the pedal with your toes leading the way; that is, push with your toes while your toes are in contact with the pedal
4. Feel the beater, that is the part that connects with the bass drum, and with a light touch feel the way it moves with the tips of your toes.
5. In much the same way as dancing, let the bass drum beater move while your toes lightly assist the flow
6. Do not impede the movement of the bass beater by removing the toes from the pedal and jumping on the pedal.  

from www.westlondon-drumtutor.com find a drum teacher in Harrow, Greater London.

West London Drum Tutor has articles on Afro-Cuban drumming, jazz drumming, rock, R&B, soul, funk, blues...  Have a look at www.westlondon-drumtutor.com for articles that make all drumming styles make sense.  From Harrow, UK

Next for West London Drum Tutor www.westlondon-drumtutor.com is to get this site working as a two way platform for my students so they can have access to my teaching and materials in between lessons.  I will be rewriting my drum lessons and they will align with Trinity Guildhall grades 1-8, Rockschool 1-8 and AMEB (Australian Music Examination Board).  There is much to do...  From West London Drum Tutor, location Harrow and Greater London.

my drum tutor website has an updated front page. www.westlondon-drumtutor.com.  This change is to bring about a better link with potential new students and to make the site more smooth.  Well there will be more updates from the west london drum tutor.  Drum Lessons in Harrow.

www.westlondon-drumtutor.com

Find drum styles, techniques, and informative articles, drum teachers and much more on my drum site.  From a drum teacher situated in Harrow, Greater London, UK

www.westlondon-drumtutor.com has reached a point where I am almost happy.  Just need to find a design to present it better and to organise it so that it is easy to use.  What are your thoughts?  For my students in West Harrow and surrounding areas, thanks for using it and I am glad you find it useful.

West London Drum Tutor nearly launched

Now my site needs some content in the shop page, some more photos, and then a new aesthetic and functional element...  Here is to drumming...  www.westlondon-drumtutor.com

my website is fast becoming a real great site with lots of great content. www.westlondon-drumtotor.com