The physical aspects of drumming . . . building endurance and speed

Hellooo fellow drummers! Great to finally register here. I've been browsing for a long time but I guess I just never got around to registering.

Anyway, getting to the topic. While it is not the most important thing, I am very serious about developing a high level of endurance and speed with hands and feet.

When working on things such as endurance and speed, do you recommend working on certain exercises every other day, as one would do, say, working out at the gym? By this I mean, once I have played something like the Power Drumming exercises (not that I can play those high tempi yet), and I can feel a good amount of physical fatigue, should I take a day break to let my muscles rest and build or should I work on it every day? I haven't quite analyzed my improvement enough to tell which would be better, so I'm interesting to get some opinions.

And if taking a break every other day is the answer, would anyone recommend, say, working on single stroke speed/endurance (with the feet) one day, and then doing the same for doubles the next day and alternating that way? The same applies for the hands; would working on wrist strokes one day and then finger strokes the next be ideal?

And I've also been told just lifting some free weights might help a good bit, too. And I've also started working on my flexibility more, and that's shown good results.

Thanks,
Chris

[img]biggrin.gif[/img]

note: Again, I do not in any way consider technical skill to be the most important thing about drums, or music in general; but it does have a certain degree of importantance, and that is what I am asking about.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 03, 2003 06:55 PM: Message edited by: Ant Man Bee ]</font>

Unlike weights, taking a break won't really do anything for you. It really is just practicing on a consistant basis first slowly abnd gradually bring the tempo up a few notches each time.

Thank you. That's just the answer I needed.

I would recommend working with a drumometer and a metronome.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by peter c:
Chris,

I don't think he was being
sarcastic. A lot of young
players have not worked with
a metronome. The drumometer
will test/measure your speed.

They both could be helpful.

You have heard me talk a little
about this subject already. I
just want to again encourage
you to be deliberate in your
approach, focusing on what you
think needs work.

FlamTriplet and the rest of the
guys here have been around the
block a few times and have good
perspectives that we should al-
ways be, at least, open to.

Regards,

---

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks again, the encouragement is always appreciated. I guess sometimes I get down on myself because I feel like I'm not meeting my personal standards (which I have a habit of setting very high, no matter what it may be).

And yes, I do try and stay open to all opinions, especially from the members here. I've read about the drumometer a bit, but I'm not sure where to get it and if it's really worth it. Any other advice on that, guys?

I recently checked out Thomas Lang's website. He's certainly one of the fastest drummers that I've ever seen and he claims that he doesn't work on speed but he focuses on precision. This has been my experience, speed only comes after hours of working out technique slowly, cleanly and with a metronome. And it would be better to practice everyday than to rest every other day as in weightlifting.

Good luck!

Quote:

---

Originally posted by FlamTriplet:
I would recommend working with a drumometer and a metronome.

---

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Are you being sarcastic?

Anyway, I would say working with a metronome is a given. Never tried a drumometer, though.

Chris,

I don't think he was being
sarcastic. A lot of young
players have not worked with
a metronome. The drumometer
will test/measure your speed.

They both could be helpful.

You have heard me talk a little
about this subject already. I
just want to again encourage
you to be deliberate in your
approach, focusing on what you
think needs work.

FlamTriplet and the rest of the
guys here have been around the
block a few times and have good
perspectives that we should al-
ways be, at least, open to.

Regards,

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Andy Vermiglio:
I recently checked out Thomas Lang's website. He's certainly one of the fastest drummers that I've ever seen and he claims that he doesn't work on speed but he focuses on precision. This has been my experience, speed only comes after hours of working out technique slowly, cleanly and with a metronome. And it would be better to practice everyday than to rest every other day as in weightlifting.

Good luck!

---

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes, I read that too. I completely agree with the control aspect. There's no use even ATTEMPTING to play something fast if one cannot first control it at a slow tempo (with a metronome, of course [img]tongue.gif[/img] )

Thanks for all the help guys [img]smile.gif[/img] .

edit: Speaking of Thomas Lang . . . I can't wait for "Groove Control" to come out. I don't know if I can wait another month [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img] !

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 04, 2003 02:33 PM: Message edited by: Ant Man Bee ]</font>

I agree w/ every body regarding getting to it daily. Working on your hands every day will definitely bring results but, always remember to practice with NO tension, stiffness, and strain. If you are going to put in the hours, make sure you don't develop bad habits doing so.

What exactly does the Drumometer tell you? how many strokes a minute? does it have a built-in metronome of some sort? In any case you will be charting out your progress in some way. Writing out every metronome marking from 50bpm-144bpm and writing down how many sixteenths (1/4=metronome pulse) you can play with each hand up to 100 and then 32nds with both hands has worked for me. I'm not sure but I think Joe Morello came up with this system for his students. A version of this chart is in Kim Plainfield's, "Advanced Concepts" book. You can apply this chart to finger control, stick heights and dynamics, tympani grips, Moeller and other kinds of motions. It takes around 45-60 minutes to go through every marking and 2 attempts per LH, RH, and both hands.
One other thing is try to make the chart musical in some way especially for the slow tempos. I like to count the sixteenths in bars of 4 and concentrate on getting it exactly with the click. This can help with hearing and relaxing with the slow tempos.

Good Luck!