The way I heard it is that Buddy mentioned that he practiced on pillows and everybody started doing it. However, he was joking when he said it.
Pillows, phone books etc. will only take you only so far in the doubles technique. Using the Moeller rebound method will take you the rest of the way.
"Pillows, phone books etc. will only take you only so far in the doubles technique. Using the Moeller rebound method will take you the rest of the way."
Using the Moeller rebound method goes without saying. My question was how to increase the speed of the method. I have decent speed and technique, but I am not happy with the progress. I attribute that to not practicing useful and meaningful exercises. If you have suggestions, I am all ears.
I was at a plateau for several years. My technique was okay but I wanted to see some improvement. After I studied with Weckl for a few years and really got into the Moeller thing, I went back to some of my old doubles exercises and was shocked at how much faster and cleaner my doubles had become. It's not that I wasn't using the rebound method at all pre-Weckl it's just that he really got me to get out of the way of the sticks' motion.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think you meant the Gladstone rebound method. The Moeller method is also essential, but is more advanced and more difficult to master. A great lesson on the Gladstone method can be found here: www.tigerbill.com. Look for the link for lessons for free, then print out the 3 part lesson called "Building Monster Chops." Read it carefully and review it often.Originally posted by Andy Vermiglio:
The way I heard it is that Buddy mentioned that he practiced on pillows and everybody started doing it. However, he was joking when he said it.
Pillows, phone books etc. will only take you only so far in the doubles technique. Using the Moeller rebound method will take you the rest of the way.
After you've become proficient with the Gladstone method, THEN, you should start to work on the Moeller method, aka "whip stroke." The best lesson on that is Jim Chapin's video "Speed, Power, Control, Endurance."
Having said that, you should also employ what's called the "open-closed-open" method. Basically, it means "slow-fast-slow." I recommend it for all rudiments and all other aspects of your playing including grooves. (Drummers usually think that grooves have to be practiced at one speed at a time. Not true. Practicing grooves open-closed-open will really build a solid foundation).
Start every exercise VERY slowly (ie: one stroke every 2 seconds). Gradually and evenly increase speed until you have reached the limit of your ability to play an exercise correctly, under control and completely tension free - NO FASTER THAN THAT. Maintain that speed as long as you can remain tension free. Then, gradually and evenly decelerate to the starting speed.
Practice Gladstone, Moeller with the open-closed-open method for all of your stickings (rudiments), and grooves. In a year, you'll have blazing chops.
Have fun. [img]wink.gif[/img]
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 02, 2005 09:02 PM: Message edited by: Henry II ]</font>
It seems to me that many respondents are not making a distinction between speed and power. While it's true that the two are are related, they're not one and the same thing. Practicing on non-rebounding surfaces is helpful for many people in getting their fingers and wrists working, and this is very beneficial for power and control. Using all the fingers in your hands to help control your doubles will give you more power, and is essential for playing doubles around the drumset, but will inhibit the amount of speed you'll attain when trying to play a smooth long roll (double stroke) on the snare drum. For really fast doubles (a long roll) on the snare drum, a different technique is required. For this, you'll need to squeeze the stick with your thumb and first two fingers while executing each pair of doubles. In the end, you'll find that playing powerful doubles around the kit, in contrast to really quick doubles on the snare drum (a long roll), requires two different finger techniques.
Best,
Doug
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