Your layout is very similar to the one I landed on after a few years of trying things. I tend to put my rides on pads 7 and 8, and I also give up a tom on pad 9 in favor of another closed hat. That lets me play 16th note hats with two hands, as I don’t have your speed to do it all with one! Totally agree with your logic, and that landed us in similar spots for sure. 😁
Interesting to hear your similar-but-different layout, I'm glad you experimented and found what works best for you! Those alternate placements totally make sense and are unique but still consistent with an acoustic drum kit-type layout.
I can't play fast 16th notes with the same hand! Specialy no dominante hand!! The constant hihat demantes alternate hands and to combine and quantise kick and snare with a different hand playing the hihat. Extra work just to sincronize the hands.
I hear you on this, it's definitely okay to make some adjustments to play 16th note hi-hat patterns easier. However, I'd recommend that you also keep training your speed to get closer to doing it on one hand. Just because you can't do it now doesn't mean you won't be able to do it in the future if you keep practicing!
I really want to get into finger drumming. I would like a stand alone unit though with build in speaker, so I can take it with me everywhere without the need for a laptop. Is the "Akai MPC LIVE II" the best option for this and are the pads (almost) as good as the Maschine? I don't want to be compromised by bad pads - is Maschine the one and only to get?
Tried a bunch of layouts and came back to a variant of the mirrored layout that xpresspads advocates. My dominant hand plays the kick and snare much better than the non dominant hand. So 1-16 is kick, CHH tip, CHH shank, kick, snare, snare roll, open hat, snare, floor tom 1, tom 2, tom 1, floor tom 2, ride, bell, crash 2, crash 1
If your dominant hand is better with kick and snare than your non-dominant, go for it! I personally think the alternating-hands style of playing that's used with the mirror layout is not ideal for realistic finger drumming. For maximum versatility, you want to be able to have hand isolation. I did a video on the mirror layout for a more in-depth explanation: ua-cam.com/video/PgJWIb5RDJY/v-deo.html
I think the alternating hands style (which I do plenty of) is totally suitable for a lot of beats, but you definitely will find yourself needing the hand independence as beats get more complex and/or you start working in odd time signatures. 😁
I wonder if these configuration is also good to emulate the drums in electronic music.. AS you know it is not made with acustic crums but with Drum machines like the Roland TR8, sequencers like drum racks in Ableton etc...The durms in electronics sound different than a acustic real traditionl drum kits.
Any tips for doing a fast double bass drum with your layout, where you also need to be hitting open hi hat or cymbal on the 1,2,3,4 and the snare on the 2 and 4?
I'm considering the Kick on 1 and 2, and the Snare on 5 and 6. That way I could use my thumb of the non-dominant (left) hand for the kick and the index finger for the snare, and perhaps use other fingers for toms or crash. Good idea? (I'm still very new to this)
This is an interesting idea, can't hurt to try it! In my opinion, the important thing is to focus on maximizing your hand isolation, like an acoustic drummer. So as long as your dominant hand can play the pulse on the hi-hat or ride, and your non-dominant hand can play the backbeats on the kick and snare, any setup that achieves this will work well. Both hands can always come together for rolls and fills, but having that hand isolation gives you the most versatility for playing all kinds of drum parts, especially once you get past the beginner level of basic beats. A lot of finger drummers will try to play a bunch of different parts on one hand, thinking that it's more ergonomical, but it actually makes it much more difficult to play complex parts at an advanced level, so your growth will be limited. If you haven't seen my full pad setup video already, definitely check that one out too! ua-cam.com/video/mriT6dq05Oo/v-deo.html
Nice insight, nice drums sounds and most of all, nice finger druming. Back in the 90s i developped satisfying finger drumming abilities on a Boss Dr.Rhythm, but sold it and played real drums since. Last winter i struggled trying trying to map out an akai keyboard and it left me going crazy to the point where i was missing that old Dr.Rhythm. So i bought the Alesis SR-18 which is the last and cadillac of that kind of oldstyle standalone drum machine. The sounds are nice, but the pads are unplayable, not well layed out. So i have no choice of going to midi controller pad. My experience with that Akai keyboard with pads , software use, mapping, incompatibility, latency issues to work around... what a horrible experience. So i'm considering giving another try, but with the maschine micro mk3. If i can work things out with it, i think i would also consider that Abbey Road drums vst, it sounds so natural, and ya your playing has something to do with it also. So about the maschine mikro mk3... Does it have an included software designed for it that is easy to program? Easy to set up? Is it Windows 10 friendly?
Great to hear you're wanting to get back into finger drumming with the Maschine, I'd highly recommend it! It does come with the Maschine DAW software, where you can use all the other buttons and knobs to natively control various functions. Personally, I just use the Maschine in MIDI Mode to control my drum software (I use Addictive Drums or Steven Slate Drums). I only use the pads themselves, and I don't ever touch the extra buttons and features. With the included Controller Editor software, it's really easy to program the Maschine pads to control any drum software you have. I have a full Maschine setup video here that explains my whole process: ua-cam.com/video/1GZO7DqReWU/v-deo.html
Signed up for the starter course and ordered an mk3! My favorite style is punk and as a stylistic choice I'd like to stick with a 4 piece kit (so only two two toms.) Any advice on what to do with the other two tom pads?
Learn The Secrets of Realistic Finger Drumming: dragonfingerdrums.com/starter
Nice. Shalom. :3
Super helpful! Thanks bro
Your layout is very similar to the one I landed on after a few years of trying things. I tend to put my rides on pads 7 and 8, and I also give up a tom on pad 9 in favor of another closed hat. That lets me play 16th note hats with two hands, as I don’t have your speed to do it all with one! Totally agree with your logic, and that landed us in similar spots for sure. 😁
Interesting to hear your similar-but-different layout, I'm glad you experimented and found what works best for you! Those alternate placements totally make sense and are unique but still consistent with an acoustic drum kit-type layout.
Makes perfect sense great vid
You just sold me a maschine mikro mk3. Take my money.
In December 2024, me to. I almost got a Yamaha FGDP!
I can't play fast 16th notes with the same hand! Specialy no dominante hand!! The constant hihat demantes alternate hands and to combine and quantise kick and snare with a different hand playing the hihat. Extra work just to sincronize the hands.
I hear you on this, it's definitely okay to make some adjustments to play 16th note hi-hat patterns easier. However, I'd recommend that you also keep training your speed to get closer to doing it on one hand. Just because you can't do it now doesn't mean you won't be able to do it in the future if you keep practicing!
🔥🔥🔥🔥 great!!🔥🔥🔥🔥
I really want to get into finger drumming.
I would like a stand alone unit though with build in speaker, so I can take it with me everywhere without the need for a laptop.
Is the "Akai MPC LIVE II" the best option for this and are the pads (almost) as good as the Maschine? I don't want to be compromised by bad pads - is Maschine the one and only to get?
Tried a bunch of layouts and came back to a variant of the mirrored layout that xpresspads advocates. My dominant hand plays the kick and snare much better than the non dominant hand.
So 1-16 is kick, CHH tip, CHH shank, kick, snare, snare roll, open hat, snare, floor tom 1, tom 2, tom 1, floor tom 2, ride, bell, crash 2, crash 1
If your dominant hand is better with kick and snare than your non-dominant, go for it! I personally think the alternating-hands style of playing that's used with the mirror layout is not ideal for realistic finger drumming. For maximum versatility, you want to be able to have hand isolation. I did a video on the mirror layout for a more in-depth explanation: ua-cam.com/video/PgJWIb5RDJY/v-deo.html
I think the alternating hands style (which I do plenty of) is totally suitable for a lot of beats, but you definitely will find yourself needing the hand independence as beats get more complex and/or you start working in odd time signatures. 😁
Which layout would you use with an 8 pads controller?
I wonder if these configuration is also good to emulate the drums in electronic music.. AS you know it is not made with acustic crums but with Drum machines like the Roland TR8, sequencers like drum racks in Ableton etc...The durms in electronics sound different than a acustic real traditionl drum kits.
Any tips for doing a fast double bass drum with your layout, where you also need to be hitting open hi hat or cymbal on the 1,2,3,4 and the snare on the 2 and 4?
I'm considering the Kick on 1 and 2, and the Snare on 5 and 6. That way I could use my thumb of the non-dominant (left) hand for the kick and the index finger for the snare, and perhaps use other fingers for toms or crash. Good idea? (I'm still very new to this)
This is an interesting idea, can't hurt to try it! In my opinion, the important thing is to focus on maximizing your hand isolation, like an acoustic drummer. So as long as your dominant hand can play the pulse on the hi-hat or ride, and your non-dominant hand can play the backbeats on the kick and snare, any setup that achieves this will work well. Both hands can always come together for rolls and fills, but having that hand isolation gives you the most versatility for playing all kinds of drum parts, especially once you get past the beginner level of basic beats.
A lot of finger drummers will try to play a bunch of different parts on one hand, thinking that it's more ergonomical, but it actually makes it much more difficult to play complex parts at an advanced level, so your growth will be limited.
If you haven't seen my full pad setup video already, definitely check that one out too! ua-cam.com/video/mriT6dq05Oo/v-deo.html
Nice insight, nice drums sounds and most of all, nice finger druming.
Back in the 90s i developped satisfying finger drumming abilities on a Boss Dr.Rhythm, but sold it and played real drums since. Last winter i struggled trying trying to map out an akai keyboard and it left me going crazy to the point where i was missing that old Dr.Rhythm. So i bought the Alesis SR-18 which is the last and cadillac of that kind of oldstyle standalone drum machine. The sounds are nice, but the pads are unplayable, not well layed out. So i have no choice of going to midi controller pad. My experience with that Akai keyboard with pads , software use, mapping, incompatibility, latency issues to work around... what a horrible experience.
So i'm considering giving another try, but with the maschine micro mk3. If i can work things out with it, i think i would also consider that Abbey Road drums vst, it sounds so natural, and ya your playing has something to do with it also.
So about the maschine mikro mk3...
Does it have an included software designed for it that is easy to program?
Easy to set up?
Is it Windows 10 friendly?
Great to hear you're wanting to get back into finger drumming with the Maschine, I'd highly recommend it! It does come with the Maschine DAW software, where you can use all the other buttons and knobs to natively control various functions. Personally, I just use the Maschine in MIDI Mode to control my drum software (I use Addictive Drums or Steven Slate Drums). I only use the pads themselves, and I don't ever touch the extra buttons and features. With the included Controller Editor software, it's really easy to program the Maschine pads to control any drum software you have.
I have a full Maschine setup video here that explains my whole process: ua-cam.com/video/1GZO7DqReWU/v-deo.html
@@DragonFingerDrums Many thanks!!!!
Signed up for the starter course and ordered an mk3! My favorite style is punk and as a stylistic choice I'd like to stick with a 4 piece kit (so only two two toms.) Any advice on what to do with the other two tom pads?
What if I only have a 12 pad setup? :)
then toms are overrated :p
@@steamboat3.14R8 thanks 🙏🏽
Great video. You should do a layout video for people that use samples.