Building Your Own Vocabulary – 16th Notes P2
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In this second lesson, we’re sticking with 16th notes but now introducing doubles in addition to singles. For exercise one we go back to the snare only but now are allowed to play singles AND doubles. Don’t forget to focus hard on timing and sound (time and sound over everything, remember?) and make sure you have a metronome going and your left foot playing quarter notes.
Spend long periods of time on each exercise. There’s no finish line. This is something that can and should always be practiced no matter what level you are. Once again, the comparison to language can be made – in real life, one can always learn new words and expand their vocabulary.
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Awesome lesson Louie Thanks.
Hi Nelson! Glad you like it! If you have any questions feel free to post below or email!
Heappy New Year Louie!
I’d like to know how you create the splash effect with your hi hats; I’ve looked at a few videos on YouTube, but there seems to be a few different techniques, what’s yours?
Hi Mike! I’ll try to do a video on this then, especially as you have searched & not found an answer. It’s just using the whole foot (driven from the leg/hip) to push down on the pedal. You could think of it as more towards the heel so that you are pressing on the pedal with the most pressure towards the back of the pedal board and then immediately releasing to allow the hats to splash. Hope this helps! I’ll definitely add it to the list of ‘to-do’ lessons!
Thanks!
Louie
I’ve been playing this instrument for a few years now and I’ve been surfing the net watching all the Youtube videos on technique, rudiments, fills, etc … But here, with these two lessons, what a nice surprise, watching this ! how to develop your own vocabulary ! It’s so obvious explained like this and with this method ! Thanks Louie, great job !
Thanks, Jeff! Great to hear it’s working for you! Keep me posted on your progress!
Louie
what speed to reach with this kind of practice can be considered “good enough” ? I think the problem when you increase the speed is not just technical but I found myself being less creative and more repetitive, because of less time to think.
Hi Amedeo. There is no ‘good enough’…that doesn’t really exist. You have to judge your progress by how it sounds. Don’t worry about speed…it’s not important. If you are playing better and able to think of more creative ideas at a slower tempo then stay there. Increase the tempo by just a little bit and stay there for a while. Then, if that is sounding good (maybe it takes a few days or few weeks to sound more comfortable) then increase it a bit more. Gradually keep doing that and you should see improvements.
The number on the metronome is not important. You have to judge everything by sound and feel. There is no rush. You have to keep polishing things and upping the tempo gradually and only move on if you are happy with the sound.
Feel free to send me any videos of you playing these exercises and I can assess. It also might be beneficial to discuss this in a private lesson. For either thing just email me at mail@playbetterdrums.com
Thanks!
Louie
Thanks for your reply, Louie — that totally makes sense. I know the aim of this practice isn’t speed, but I just wanted to understand whether it’s normal to struggle with creativity when trying to play faster.
I’d love to take private lessons. I’m just a bit concerned about my internet connection and how my kit would sound during an online lesson. Maybe it would be better to use the pad kit instead. Even better would be to have a few hours of lessons in person.
Let me know when you might be available in London, because that would actually be pretty easy for me to organise, even though I live in Italy.
Thanks
Amedeo
Please send me an email – mail@playbetterdrums.com
Thanks for your reply, Louie — that totally makes sense. I know the aim of this practice isn’t speed, but I just wanted to understand whether it’s normal to struggle with creativity when trying to play faster.
I’d love to take private lessons. I’m just a bit concerned about my internet connection and how my kit would sound during an online lesson. Maybe it would be better to use the pad kit instead. Even better would be to have a few hours of lessons in person.
Let me know when you might be available in London, because that would actually be pretty easy for me to organise, even though I live in Italy.
Thanks
Amedeo