help needed for creativity in snare drum skill

tenrap76 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 01:05 PM

hi,
i want to improve my snare drum skill. i have been practicing all the rudiments for a long time. while soloing, i tend to play the same rudimentary pattern, which have started to bored me to frustration. how can i be innovative and creative in soloing as well as improve the speed, stamina of my snare drum skill. is practicing different sticking patterns helpful? kindly advice me?

CJDG · #2 (**permalink**) 11-08-2008, 11:00 AM

Speed comes with working on your endurance.
Derek roddy has an excellent video on working on endurance.
Basically you work on keeping a steady beat and then alternate limbs
first with four hits each side, then 8, 12, and 16... repeat and rinse.
each set is repeated for two minutes.
Then you gradually increase the tempo.

My recommendation is if you have any ritual you are doing right now that has you on a
plateau of drumming then you need to throw something different into the mix. Something
like adding one extra drum in, create some fresh patterns, and then remove the extra drum.
Now try to mimic what you did with the extra drum on just the snare. Experiment with hitting
in different spots, use the hand to mute, set one stick bead on the drum and play that stick
with the other. Move up and down the stick for different sounds. Use the rim. Change the room... go into one with tons of echo and play... sometimes a simple room change can change
the sound of your drums enough to give you new ideas.

Hope some of this helped.

slingerland59 · #3 (**permalink**) 11-08-2008, 12:20 PM

One trick to expanding your horizons is to play the familiar sticking patterns over different groupings of notes, instead of straight eighths. For example, play 5-stroke roll sticking (RR LL R, LL RR L) over this figure -- triplet, 2 eighth notes, triplet, 2 eighth notes. Even playing a double stroke roll pattern (RR LL RR LL) over a bar of triplets is mind blowing, or over a pattern of triplet, quarter note, triplet, quarter note.

You just talked about snare chops, but if you move these patterns around the drums you'll get creative. To keep it all practical, play two bars of a beat, then two bars of the fill (sticking pattern on snare first, then around drums), then back to the beat.

I'd consider getting a good teacher too, if that's possible. I had a brilliant teacher in Ottawa named Chuck Burrows. He gave me 10 pages of sticking sheets that still challenges me today. There are some drummers out there with unlimited creativity and they are willing to share their ideas. Rock on!

tenrap76 · #4 (**permalink**) 11-09-2008, 01:42 AM

hi,
i thank both of you very much for your tips. they are helpful. your suggestion to take the guidence of a teacher is not possible considering the place where i live. i am self taught. there are no good drummers here. but i am greatful to the people like you on line being helpful and resourceful.
thanks again.