Starting Out
Let's start with holding your drumsticks!
One of the most important aspects of playing percussion is having an excellent stick grip. There are a few different grips required in percussion, but the first grip that will be taught is called matched grip. It is called matched grip because each hand will match and look the same! There is a second grip for snare drum called traditional grip, but that is reserved for special circumstances for advanced musicians. We learn matched grip first because it is easier to control, and it translates better to the mallet instruments.
Step 1
Find 1/3 of the way up the stick from the butt. On Vic Firth drumsticks, that spot is labeled with an American Flag.
Step 2
Place the stick between your thumb and first knuckle on your pointer finger. The first finger and the rest of your fingers can curl lightly around the rest of the drum stick.
Step 3
Stand at a neutral position with your sticks next to your sides behind your drum. Make sure that the snare strainer is right in front of your belly button!
Step 4
Bring your arms up until they're slightly lower than parallel to the floor. Palms should be facing down, and arms should be relaxed.
Adjust the drum height as needed, you do not want to be reaching for the drum, and you do not want to be too close. Furthermore, we do not want the drum height too high or too low! A proper height is about 4 inches below your belly button.
Too High
Too Low
Too Far
Too Close
Let's review some basic rhythms!
Remember... in 4/4 time, quarter notes receive 1 count, eighth notes receive 1/2 of a count and sixteenth notes receive 1/4 of a count. So, it takes two eighth notes to fill the space of a quarter note, and it takes four sixteenth notes to fill the space of a quarter note.
We count quarter notes as 1, 2, 3, 4.
We count eighth notes as 1+2+3+4+
We count sixteeth notes as 1e+a 2e+a 3e+a 4e+a
Here's a video to practice quarter notes, eighth notes and sixteenth notes!
Matched Grip & the 4 Basic strokes
Matched Grip and 4 Basic Strokes:
Review of how to hold your drumsticks and how to set-up. (Beginning - 2:04)
Natural Stroke (2:04)
Start: Up
End: Up
Use: To play a loud note followed by another loud note.
Down Stroke (2:58)
Start: Up
End: Down
Use: To play a loud note that is followed by a soft note.
Up Stroke (3:21)
Start: Down
End: Up
Use: To play a soft note followed by a loud note.
Tap Stroke (3:48)
Start: Down
End: Down
Use: To play multiple soft notes in a row.
Use this video to practice your natural strokes!
Once you get comfortable with playing along to this video, try the same exercise but gradually increase the tempo!
Use this video to practice your down, tap and up strokes!
Once you get comfortable with playing along to this video, try the same exercise but gradually increase the tempo.
Use the sticking written in under the video. (D = Down Stroke, T = Tap Stroke, U = Up Stroke)
Use this video to challenge yourself with down, tap and up strokes!
Once you get comfortable with playing along to this video, try the same exercise but increase the tempo!
Use the sticking written in under the video. (D = Down Stroke, T = Tap Stroke, U = Up Stroke). This pattern repeats for four measures in the exercise in the video, but in measure 3, it switches to the left hand. But use the same strokes!
