→ UNLOCK your hands for maximum speed, control, and volume in 4 easy-to-follow steps. Download the FREE e-guide, “Fast Fluid Hands CHECKLIST.” www.thenonglamorousdrummer.com/fast-fluid-hands-checklist
Thank you so much! This was my father's lesson with me as a little girl. Dad says you must work with your fingers not arms. 😂 But I don't play drums, Dad says you're a girl, you don't play drums! Now, I have 3 sons with music in the souls and the drums set from his grandfather. 😍 Greetings from OreMountains Germany 👋
Ive never seen this finger workout before. Its interesting to me how little workouts like this get started by someone, who shows someone, who shows someone, and so on. Thanks so much for these videos and other musicians like you taking their valuable time to share very valuable knowledge, for free. Thank you!
I practiced this exercise twenty years ago. Stephen is right on the money. Mastering this exercise first really helps you to go on and master the double stroke much more effectively and efficiently.
As a newbie I I find this as a good starting point for diving into the wonderful world of drumming. Great lesson. I am so glad to have stumbled on your channel. It has raised this old man's dreams into reality.
Thank you so much for this video. My finger skill improved quickly after following your practice. I'm a female beginner starting at 40 and your videos inspire me a lot.
It’s ALL about the interface between the fingers and stick. This is a fantastic companion piece for Gordy Knudtson’s open/close technique vids. That dude is a non-glamorous OG.
I just started drums a week ago and stumbled upon your channel. among the sea of tutorials this one made things very clear for me as a beginner!! thanx much for the simple and transparent examples on hand technique.
This exercise is similar to what I learned in drum School. The first stroke is executed with the fingers, the second is executed with the wrist. My instructor called it the throw-pull method. Throw with the fingers then pull with the wrist. But this is the first time I have seen strengthening your fingers with the stick exercise. I'm definitely going to have to try that.
I tried this and immediately found it caused my chronic carpal tunnel syndrome to flair up more. As a 60 plus drummer I might have to give this a miss. I've resigned to never being able to achieve this finger technique. My carpal is currently bearable with the drumming I do so I'll just have to play within my limits and this is one of them.
I think the exercise can be modified to make it easier for you to get into it. You may not achieve super fast doubles but it can very likely open the door for you. I teach too and have worked with senior adult students. Exercises can and do have to be customised to the student's physical abilities.
You guys aren't doctors. OP knows their body. Going around telling people to carry on with something that is causing a disease or condition to worsen is pretty horrific.
@@meepmeep3874 life without music can be pretty terrible too. Nobody should push themselves too hard of course. If it hurts, you should ease up or stop. I think that every doctor in the world would agree on that. Disclaimer... I'm not a doctor... please disregard everything I say based on that one guy's comment.
I started drumming at 40. I have some of the same issues. When I practice small amounts of time on these exercises, but do it often, my pain goes away after about 3 weeks. It’s almost like it loosens up. I play a lot of hand percussion too. When I get lazy or life happens and I don’t practice for a couple of weeks, and I try to overcompensate by doing longer exercises than my normal short ones, my fingers and joints ache. Just my personal experience. Best wishes in your own experiences and God bless!
Just in time as I was starting to feel a bit glamorous. Looking forward to the new course you'll be releasing soon as I'm sure it will be full of great material such as this.
I wish when I started playing drums almost 30 years ago I would have learned finger technique and all the other techniques used for fast doubles or even doubles at all. It was all just single notes. Now after all these years I am starting to grasp the concept of doubles and how to do them fast. I am nowhere near as fast as I want to be but I can get them to 130 without rebound. I am slowly learning how to let rebound be my friend and use it to my advantage. It has not been an easy road bc of bad habits I am having to break.
Lefty here...my left hand fingers have always rocked but my right hand won't do it if I'm thinking about what I'm doing. Thanks for the extended arm suggestion. Never seen that done before.
Thanks Stephen, superb insight ! A quick question: what do you think about using the thumb on top pushing down against the index finger at the bottom ? (like only holding with thumb and index and not using the 3 other fingers).
The finger exercises in this video are amazing. And, they also help drummers like me that play a-lot of hand drums/percussion like djembe’s, congas, bongos, and the infamous cajon. I do alot of acoustic sets in north Texas that ban drummers from using drums, but I still get gigs by sneaking in hand drums. And guess what? If you do exercises like this, and don’t buy the cheapest hand drums at the local big box store, and instead actually purchase quality instruments, you can get some fantastic dynamics that confuse 85% of the stereotypical cajon players wondering why they don’t sound anywhere near as good as you do. And it’s less painful too! Long story short, these exercises are supa dupa valuable. Thanks for shining some light on them and helping goofballs like me @stephenclark
2:46 serious question: should the arm be extended like that? Wouldn't it be better to do that in a more natural playing position? Genuinely curious about that.
I think It's mostly to use gravity as resistance so that your fingers do the work, not really as a playing technique (the stick smacks your forearm! ) But you can do it while watching TV.
It's being done as a muscle building exercise so you want to put it under as much continual tension as possible. Plus it gives you more range of movement than if you were just using your natural playing position.
And don't forget training cardio too if you want to eventually get to speeds that Nils Fjellström play at. And of course you have to make practicing a habit: - practice pad - towel - heavy sticks - singles and doubles That seems to be secret to his power and consistency of that power at very high bpm. Of course he's not even human because he plays in combat boots at very high bpm.
Are you always using the same grip? I find I use French on the practice pad, but switch to American on the kit. It's just what feels natural for each. Should I pick one and go with it?
I am pretty good with using the fingers, but I can only do it in French Grip. I notice that my hands and more to the point the butt end of the stick is in a different position to yours. I struggle to use my fingers in Matched Grip, maybe it is because my hands are not big enough, not sure...
One thing I find awkward with finger technique is that i broke my pinky knuckle a few years back, so when I close my hand that finger twists in and under the others. Gets kind of annoying and distracting... Great practical tips though, thanks for the lessons and the exercises
Where did you learn this finger exercise? I posted. I put out a REALLY non glamorous version, but accurate video of this 2-3 weeks ago Dude, you're Luberace compared to me. I'd like to be 1/1000th as glamorous
What can i do if my hands messing up on my left like i do what I do in my right but the stick doesn't stay and fingers hardly touch but when they do they make it hit diagnoly
I’ve been practicing the finger technique for fast single stroke rolls. I can get the stick going at a decent speed in both hands individually, but when I try to play the single stroke rolls with both hands, I just can’t get them to work in unison and cannot get them even close to the speed at which I get them when I play with just one hand. Does anyone have any tips on how to rectify this?
As a guitarist, I feel I have to train the opposite side of this motion. My fingers are so strong, they don’t want to relax enough to let the stick rebound. Hoping this helps.
Good, but still you are accenting the first note of the doubles (because you still using much wrist) ..it should be even dynamics and to get that you have to initiate the first stroke also by fingers and not dropping it using the wrist.. ✌️ But generally for a point to start from somewhere is nice video!!
This is considered bad technique in a lot of circles. It's about stick control not finger control. Tension free playing is the way to go if you don't want to permanently injure yourself, AND you end up with more speed.
I disagree with this approach. A much more powerful legato stroke is achieved by utilizing both wrist and finger control at the same time in sets of twos and threes and fours. That's how you play fast high hat technique, it's how you play fast singles with power. Focusing merely on fingers is a misnomer.
→ UNLOCK your hands for maximum speed, control, and volume in 4 easy-to-follow steps. Download the FREE e-guide, “Fast Fluid Hands CHECKLIST.” www.thenonglamorousdrummer.com/fast-fluid-hands-checklist
Control is the bridge to speed. Don't get hung up on speed without focusing on your control of the stick. Great video!
Precisely!
"Control, control!!! You must learn control!!! - Master Yoda
Thank you so much! This was my father's lesson with me as a little girl. Dad says you must work with your fingers not arms. 😂 But I don't play drums, Dad says you're a girl, you don't play drums! Now, I have 3 sons with music in the souls and the drums set from his grandfather. 😍 Greetings from OreMountains Germany 👋
Ive never seen this finger workout before. Its interesting to me how little workouts like this get started by someone, who shows someone, who shows someone, and so on. Thanks so much for these videos and other musicians like you taking their valuable time to share very valuable knowledge, for free. Thank you!
I am a self-taught drummer in one of the far east Asian country. Your teaching is very detailed and helps a lot. Thank you for the PDF file too!
I practiced this exercise twenty years ago. Stephen is right on the money. Mastering this exercise first really helps you to go on and master the double stroke much more effectively and efficiently.
As a newbie I I find this as a good starting point for diving into the wonderful world of drumming. Great lesson. I am so glad to have stumbled on your channel. It has raised this old man's dreams into reality.
thanks bro for the great lesson
Demo of the “finger roll” shows it all! Hands are loose and slightly down by gravity. Wonderful OPEN roll.
I like the way you shown technique using finger motion.
Thank you so much for this video. My finger skill improved quickly after following your practice. I'm a female beginner starting at 40 and your videos inspire me a lot.
It’s ALL about the interface between the fingers and stick. This is a fantastic companion piece for Gordy Knudtson’s open/close technique vids. That dude is a non-glamorous OG.
Best drum teacher on UA-cam, thanks!
Thanks for all the tips... Keep up the good vids coming...
I just started drums a week ago and stumbled upon your channel. among the sea of tutorials this one made things very clear for me as a beginner!! thanx much for the simple and transparent examples on hand technique.
This exercise is similar to what I learned in drum School. The first stroke is executed with the fingers, the second is executed with the wrist. My instructor called it the throw-pull method. Throw with the fingers then pull with the wrist. But this is the first time I have seen strengthening your fingers with the stick exercise. I'm definitely going to have to try that.
Nice Job Stephen. How about Traditional Grip??
Brilliant exercise! Thanks!
Thanks Stephen for all of your work ! I like it very much to see your videos, not too glamourous but brilliant ! Best wishes from Switzerland !
I tried this and immediately found it caused my chronic carpal tunnel syndrome to flair up more. As a 60 plus drummer I might have to give this a miss. I've resigned to never being able to achieve this finger technique. My carpal is currently bearable with the drumming I do so I'll just have to play within my limits and this is one of them.
Drumming seems to help my carpal tunnel since I took lessons and learned to play relaxed enough. If it's effortless, you're doing it right!
I think the exercise can be modified to make it easier for you to get into it. You may not achieve super fast doubles but it can very likely open the door for you. I teach too and have worked with senior adult students. Exercises can and do have to be customised to the student's physical abilities.
You guys aren't doctors. OP knows their body. Going around telling people to carry on with something that is causing a disease or condition to worsen is pretty horrific.
@@meepmeep3874 life without music can be pretty terrible too. Nobody should push themselves too hard of course. If it hurts, you should ease up or stop. I think that every doctor in the world would agree on that. Disclaimer... I'm not a doctor... please disregard everything I say based on that one guy's comment.
I started drumming at 40. I have some of the same issues. When I practice small amounts of time on these exercises, but do it often, my pain goes away after about 3 weeks. It’s almost like it loosens up. I play a lot of hand percussion too. When I get lazy or life happens and I don’t practice for a couple of weeks, and I try to overcompensate by doing longer exercises than my normal short ones, my fingers and joints ache. Just my personal experience. Best wishes in your own experiences and God bless!
Excellent video lesson. You’re a very good teacher, able to break down the complex into simple steps. Thanks!
Thanks Stephen for all your excellent videos! This one is very helpful for me because I am trying to improve my technique! Regards from Argentina!
Great tip and great lesson
Love this exercise- been having trouble incorporating fingers into my playing, and I can already feel it helping. Super helpful- thanks Stephen!
Great, great lesson!👍
Bro. Thank you. This is awesome.
Brilliant, Stephen-God Bless. 🤛🤜🥁 CB , Ottawa 🇨🇦
Steven! You should be granted Saint Status. Great info, Always get great advice here.
Just in time as I was starting to feel a bit glamorous. Looking forward to the new course you'll be releasing soon as I'm sure it will be full of great material such as this.
I wish when I started playing drums almost 30 years ago I would have learned finger technique and all the other techniques used for fast doubles or even doubles at all. It was all just single notes. Now after all these years I am starting to grasp the concept of doubles and how to do them fast. I am nowhere near as fast as I want to be but I can get them to 130 without rebound. I am slowly learning how to let rebound be my friend and use it to my advantage. It has not been an easy road bc of bad habits I am having to break.
Awesome exercise!
This was such a helpful video! Thanks Stephen! 😊
Very good tip I use it too and it works great
Can you please demonstrate traditional grip finger control?
Thank you so much! Awesome video!
I'd be lost without your videos Stephen! Thanks so much, great one as always 😀
Another great one!
Thank you.
I got this thank you
Going to do this, gracias!
Lefty here...my left hand fingers have always rocked but my right hand won't do it if I'm thinking about what I'm doing. Thanks for the extended arm suggestion. Never seen that done before.
Awesome class, thanks Stephen
Emanuelle Capelette tip 😉
Thank you so much, this is really gonna help my left hand.
gracias
Love the finger workout. Thanks so much!
Man this is great thank you!! you da man!!!
This was an awesome tutorial. Thanks!
Thank you for another great lesson!
Quality content.
you should have more subscribers I'm relay enjoining your content keep it up 😎
Thanks Stephen, superb insight !
A quick question: what do you think about using the thumb on top pushing down against the index finger at the bottom ? (like only holding with thumb and index and not using the 3 other fingers).
The finger exercises in this video are amazing. And, they also help drummers like me that play a-lot of hand drums/percussion like djembe’s, congas, bongos, and the infamous cajon. I do alot of acoustic sets in north Texas that ban drummers from using drums, but I still get gigs by sneaking in hand drums. And guess what? If you do exercises like this, and don’t buy the cheapest hand drums at the local big box store, and instead actually purchase quality instruments, you can get some fantastic dynamics that confuse 85% of the stereotypical cajon players wondering why they don’t sound anywhere near as good as you do. And it’s less painful too!
Long story short, these exercises are supa dupa valuable. Thanks for shining some light on them and helping goofballs like me @stephenclark
Thanks coach. 🤘🏻🔥🔥🔥
I play traditional grip.
2:46 serious question: should the arm be extended like that? Wouldn't it be better to do that in a more natural playing position?
Genuinely curious about that.
I think It's mostly to use gravity as resistance so that your fingers do the work, not really as a playing technique (the stick smacks your forearm! ) But you can do it while watching TV.
It's being done as a muscle building exercise so you want to put it under as much continual tension as possible. Plus it gives you more range of movement than if you were just using your natural playing position.
What if your using matched Grip
Dziękuję :)
What kind of pad are you using?
And don't forget training cardio too if you want to eventually get to speeds that Nils Fjellström play at. And of course you have to make practicing a habit:
- practice pad
- towel
- heavy sticks
- singles and doubles
That seems to be secret to his power and consistency of that power at very high bpm.
Of course he's not even human because he plays in combat boots at very high bpm.
Are you always using the same grip? I find I use French on the practice pad, but switch to American on the kit. It's just what feels natural for each. Should I pick one and go with it?
Always go with what feels natural. But.......practice all the grips, they all have their uses.
What about the traditional grip for those of us who do not use match grip?
I am pretty good with using the fingers, but I can only do it in French Grip. I notice that my hands and more to the point the butt end of the stick is in a different position to yours. I struggle to use my fingers in Matched Grip, maybe it is because my hands are not big enough, not sure...
👍
Great video, really useful...can you tell me what your practice pad is...it's got a nice quiet tone that may not,I repeat may not annoy my wife 🤪🤣
One thing I find awkward with finger technique is that i broke my pinky knuckle a few years back, so when I close my hand that finger twists in and under the others. Gets kind of annoying and distracting... Great practical tips though, thanks for the lessons and the exercises
Where did you learn this finger exercise? I posted. I put out a REALLY non glamorous version, but accurate video of this 2-3 weeks ago Dude, you're Luberace compared to me. I'd like to be 1/1000th as glamorous
What can i do if my hands messing up on my left like i do what I do in my right but the stick doesn't stay and fingers hardly touch but when they do they make it hit diagnoly
I’ve been practicing the finger technique for fast single stroke rolls. I can get the stick going at a decent speed in both hands individually, but when I try to play the single stroke rolls with both hands, I just can’t get them to work in unison and cannot get them even close to the speed at which I get them when I play with just one hand. Does anyone have any tips on how to rectify this?
👍👍 🔥
what that practice pad do you use?
Yeah.... really want to know too 👍
As a guitarist, I feel I have to train the opposite side of this motion. My fingers are so strong, they don’t want to relax enough to let the stick rebound. Hoping this helps.
Been playing for years, but the single tolls get me. Doubles Im ok as well.
Good, but still you are accenting the first note of the doubles (because you still using much wrist) ..it should be even dynamics and to get that you have to initiate the first stroke also by fingers and not dropping it using the wrist.. ✌️
But generally for a point to start from somewhere is nice video!!
I wish this dude was my teacher irl *sigh*
1:34 she take my money
This is considered bad technique in a lot of circles. It's about stick control not finger control. Tension free playing is the way to go if you don't want to permanently injure yourself, AND you end up with more speed.
Thank you for the useful tips!!! Support your channel sub +1😊🥁🇵🇭
Why do you sit so high, rather than at a 90 degree angle to the snare drum?
I disagree with this approach. A much more powerful legato stroke is achieved by utilizing both wrist and finger control at the same time in sets of twos and threes and fours. That's how you play fast high hat technique, it's how you play fast singles with power. Focusing merely on fingers is a misnomer.
Your supposed to play..what you teach...if you can't play it..don't teach it..
Looks I have a new game for next months :-)) « imagine » is keyword for the future