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GET Ready
GET Ready
The following two positions are where we will start in order to talk about strokes. Remember the palm should be down while playing; the motion when striking the drum is like cracking a whip or casting a fishing rod.
DOWN POSITION
DOWN POSITION
Bead close to drum, but not touching
UP POSITION
UP POSITION
Bead up to chest level
Types of Strokes
Types of Strokes
There are four main kinds of single strokes: natural, up, down, and tap strokes. All of them start and end in either the UP or DOWN position.
NATURAL STROKE: Starts and ends up. Used for repeated strong strokes.
UP STROKE: Starts down, ends up. A softer stroke that prepares for stronger strokes. Represented by an up arrow in these lessons.
DOWN STROKE: Starts up, ends down. A strong stroke that prepares for softer strokes. Represented by a down arrow in these lessons.
TAP STROKE: Starts and ends down. Used for repeated soft strokes. Sometimes represented by a staccato marking in these lessons.
Exercise 1A: Natural Strokes
Exercise 1A: Natural Strokes
1A.mp3CHECKLIST
CHECKLIST
Don't force the rebound into happening by pulling up... let the stick do most of the work! It should feel like dribbling a basketball.
Make sure you are moving the drumsticks straight up and down.
Don't let any fingers leave the sticks!
Exercise 1B: up and down
Exercise 1B: up and down
1B.mp3
Exercise 1C: Tap Trap
Exercise 1C: Tap Trap
1C.mp3Watch out for tap strokes, indicated by a staccato articulation. Let them all be soft, unlike the natural and down strokes.
Challenge: "DTU" groove!
Challenge: "DTU" groove!
1D.mp3In order to play the accented syncopated rhythm present in this exercise, a down stroke, tap stroke, up stroke (DTU) pattern will be used.
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