nice exercise to develop touch and control

Vyacheslav says: Here's an awesome exercise that I learned in my North Texas days. I swear it's the hardest "simplest" thing I have had to play. My drum teacher there, Jon Kutz, came as close to doing this "successfully" as anyone I've heard.

4/4 time signature. All sixteenth notes (16-sixteenth notes/1 measure or bar: 1e&a 2e&a 3e&a 4e&a, repeated once so it's played a total of two measures/bars). All on a snare drum, or better yet, a practice pad (so you can hear the differences in each stick sound).

Play the phrase above twice as stated (2 measures/bars). There are three different stickings to use (change stickings after each time through the 2 measures/bars).

Sticking # 1: Single Strokes (RLRL RLRL etc.)
Sticking # 2: Double Strokes (RRLL RRLL RRLL RRLL etc.)
Sticking # 3: Paradiddles (RLRR LRLL RLRR LRLL etc.)



Go back to single strokes after finishing the two bars of paradiddles, and just keep repeating the cycle over and over.

Sounds easy so far, right? Well, here comes the part that makes it tricky, and will have you pulling your hair out, but will also greatly improve your touch and control!

Try to make each sticking sound like single strokes! In other words, if I'm sitting right next to you and I have my eyes closed, I shouldn't be able to tell where you are in the cycle (which sticking you are playing). It will drive you nuts! Practice this at all volume levels and tempos, but it is most beneficial (and most difficult!) at softer volume levels and medium tempos.

I realize that singles, doubles and paradiddles are not supposed to sound the same because they are not "sticked" the same, but trying to make them sound the same and "phrase" them the same really helped improve my touch and control.

Have fun!