The "Wilson" Killer - First posted exercise. Enjoy!

**tgw_mobile** · April 14th, 2005, 09:56 PM

Hi all,

I promised some exercises after my initial post, well the first one I'm posting is a great co-ordination routine. It is a combination of the great Joe Morello's 'Stone Killer'.

The exercise consists of groupings of three followed by a roll, because the groups are odd they alternate from hand to hand (or hand to foot etc).

Played with the hands the first sections (3s) would look like this:

L L L R R R L L L RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
R R R L L L R R R LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLR

I have not included stickings for a good reason as the exercise has a variety of applications. eg: I have used it to build finger control as it incorporates single hand and alternating rolls, and also as an endurance exercise at tempo for double-pedal.

The 'Wilson' Killer exercise part one:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tgw_wil...-eight_001.jpg

The 'Wilson' Killer exercise part two:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tgw_wil...-eight_002.jpg

Suggestions for practice:

The most obvious routine is to play this with the hands (adding accents on first or last as in the Stone Killer originals, it is also great for double-bass - or BD/HH)

Going further I like the concept of 'limb-pairs' and the exercise, when applied to all limb-pairs will really help with all those hand/foot combinations that Dave and Vinnie are so great at. It is also great for balance on the kit.

Here are all the possible limp-pairs for the exercise:

RH LH
RH LF
RH RF

LH RH
LH LF
LF RF

LF RF
LF LH
LF RH

RF LF
RF LH
RF RH

That should keep you busy for a while...

For those who like a real challenge try playing a constant ostinato with the two limbs the are NOT playing the exericse. So if you are working through the exercise with your hands (RH/LH), play straight 1/4s with your feet RF LF RF LF... you can also try doubles and paradiddles as ostinatos (this gets into Gary Chester type stuff!) [img]wink.gif[/img]

I practice this with a metronome on 1/4s... obviously it alternates from bar to bar... which is great for feeling across the bar line stuff (try counting straight four while playing through all the exercises as well!)

anyway enjoy and start SLOW! 1/4 = 10 BPM (only joking!)

email me if there's any questions...

Cheers guys,

Tim.

**Groovemeister** · April 14th, 2005, 10:02 PM

Tim,

With stuff like this, you are VERY VERY welcome here! Thanks for such a great excersise! Who did you get this from? Who do you study with?

MP

**tgw_mobile** · April 14th, 2005, 10:25 PM

Mr Groove,

Thanks for the kind words.

I studied in the early nineties with a great teacher in London called Bob Armstrong... It was a depressing experience at first because he basically took me right back to basics (moeller etc....) but ultimately proved very beneficial.

Besides that I am self-taught, though I had a lesson from Weckl a few yrs back. I have devoured all the books and vids out there though and I am pretty 'scientific' about what works for me and what doesn't, practice-wise.

I guess my approach is a mixture of morello, chaffee, chester, magnini (the limb-pair concept).

One of my fundamental realisations from watching Vinnie play is that you must have the fundamentals down *completely*

Forget all the crazy songos and linear s**t.. learn to play singles and doubles between all your limbs very fast... very slow, loud, quiet and in any meter (5,3,9 whatever) ... nearly all that we do is based on singles and doubles.

When we watch Vinnie burn those 32nds on the BRMC tape... he is actually playing what we should all be able to do:

singles and doubles between are hands and feet!

Hope that maakes sense...

I will post something new each week, when time allows...

any additional ideas on this are welcome.

Take care,

Tim.

**Dazzler** · April 14th, 2005, 10:38 PM

Hey Tim, I studies with Bob for a couple of years and he was great for me. A lovely man too.

What are you up to playing-wise?

**tgw_mobile** · April 14th, 2005, 10:52 PM

Hi Dazzler,

I am back in Ireland at the minute... working with a piano player in a jazz setting and also looking into a v-drum performance at a very cool 'sonic lab' that is part of queen's university (totally 3d sound). I'm intereted in triggering visuals from the drum-brain all with the samples...

But mainly I am focusing on technique. I am taking 2 yrs out to really get closer to where i want to be. I practice around 8-10 hrs a day, 6 days a week! nuts I know!

Glad you studied with Bob. He is a great teacher, I still use a slightly modified version of the moeller stroke he taught (more parallel).

Do you know Ian Thomas? He's my fav player in london, and a lovely guy.

Cheers,

Tim.

**Groovemeister** · April 15th, 2005, 12:00 AM

Man,

That makes three of us that studied with Bob! Good man isn't he! Ha ha ha!!!

I know Ian, he's one of the world's best groovers. I always feel a little sorry for him that he is so under-rated in the UK. The list of stuff he's done is just stupid. He's teaching with Bob in Bath at the Rhythm Course this year. I'm thinking of going now!

MP

**r_navega** · April 15th, 2005, 01:39 AM

Hi Tim, your exercises are... killer!!!

Originally posted by Tim_Wilson:
Forget all the crazy songos and linear s**t.. learn to play singles and doubles between all your limbs very fast...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's a good advice for me. I'm self-taught, too, and I can play some difficult stuff but, on the other hand, I need to improve my fundamentals, sometimes my groove sucks.

Take care,
Navega

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ April 14, 2005 10:47 PM: Message edited by: Navega ]</font>

**Shawn40** · April 15th, 2005, 04:36 AM

Hey Groovemeister,

Well, if Ian Thomas is under-rated, I really would like to be under -rated like him !!!
Hi heard from guys like Thomas Lang or Neal Wilkinson that Ian is the very first call for the UK sessions...

Believe me, it's way better to have all these call from the artists, producers and the major than having his picture/poster on some drum-magazine...
I mean it depends too by what you mean by under-rated...

Just my way to think.

**Dazzler** · April 15th, 2005, 05:59 AM

Rodge, yep Ian IS definitely (along with Ralph Salmins) the top drummer in the UK. He's been at Ronnie Scotts all this week with Laurence Cottle Big Band. We queued up a couple of nights ago, but left as we weren't getting in for an hour. I might try again tonight.

Yep, Ian is a phenominal drummer and gets called to do all the sessions in the UK. He's a lovely bloke too and has always been so ecouraging to me. He'll let met me sit in on the odd jazz gig and has often passed down work to me. For me that's such an honour and when he does, I'm WELL aware of who's shoes I'm filling!

I'll post some stuff with his playing on later today if I can for you.