hand/stick position Q...

Alright so im a pretty much self taught drummer. I started drumming last April. I just randomly decided to pick up a kit and i fell in love with it.

so i recently hooked up with a drum teacher and hes helping me perfect my snare rudiments. right now im working on my paradidle and i have a question.

on the RR and the LL in RLRRLRLL im having trouble going from a firm grip to a "bounce" grip. since im self taught my bounce grip started out horrible and ive just now mastered turning my hands palm down while playing.

do all you guys bounce the stick on the RR and LL? and are there any tips you can give me on a way to hold the stick so that i can fluidly bounce it then go back to a single after it?

any input wuld help

I don't bounce, I single stick it like a double stroke roll.

on the double note try this. hit the first and squeezing the stick on the rebound for the second note. Hope that helped

Just play controlled strokes throughout and do it repetitively for many weeks. Don't overthink it. You'll gradually get faster. Your hands will know how to loosen up when you're ready. It comes very naturally.

If you are going to bounce the key is in how you hold the stick all the time. Your grip should always be tightest between the pad of your thumb and the 2nd section of your pointer finger. (I bet their are pics online somewhere). I was taught that the rest of your fingers remain relaxed but curl around the stick.

I guess I'm saying traditionally there isn't really a "firm" grip and a "bounce" grip. It's all in how much your other 3 fingers wrap around the stick. No bounce they are all the way around but not too tight, for bounce you relax the other 3 fingers which allows the stick to pivot within your grip. If you hold the sticks too tight you aren't letting physics do the work for you, and your arms and wrists will get more tired than they should.

Also remember to keep your wrists relaxed so that's where most of the action happens. You arms themselves shouldn't do much work.

Does that help?

i was taught the same way as kaosotis with 3 fingers curling but not gripping with relaxed wrists, but a marching teacher i had claimed that bouncing was cheating, and that paradiddles are supposed to make you gain speed without bouncing. it makes sense, but you can always do it alot faster if you are bouncing the stick.

DD that as my first post. I was taught to single stroke paradiddles, not bounce. I guess at a certain speed (definitely not beginner) you start to bounce.

If you are having trouble getting the bounce on the paradiddle, try practicing your two stroke rolls. A paradiddle is two counts of a single stroke roll, and two counts of a double stroke roll, so practicing your double stroke roll should help.

You will find that there is a gray area when playing rudiments slow-fast-slow, where bouncing feels to slow and stroking too fast. The key is to overlap as much as possible. Through practice, get your stroking upper limit faster than your bouncing lower limit. This will let you play rudiments without a hiccup between the two when you switch. Also, your grip should not change at all when going between them.

let it flow like water

thanks for all the help guys. I've been really busy lately so i havent got to drum since i made this post. Im going to try and drum tonight or tom. Im definitely going to use all your guys techniques and then see which one works out best for me as a drummer. I let yall know how it goes. Thanx!

so i went and practiced my paradiddle a lot more yesterday and today and my speed greatly improved. i was surprised. i ended up finding a new grip for myself and instead of thinking about bouncing it so much i just did singles and i got faster and faster with that so now the RR'ss and LL's are kindof like just a quick twitch of the wrist.

thanks for all the help guys

As with each of the rudiments, the Paradiddle is to be practiced slowly, methodically and with the utmost attention to spacing and separation of the strokes. Start slowly, keep the sticks separte and count, OUT LOUD, 1 -e - + a 2 - e - + - a and repeat this measure a minimum of 20 times each day. Begin with both sticks raised. Count 1 with the RH is accented. Count E (LH) and immediately raise it back to starting position. This will leave the RH down and in playing position of counts + , a. Then you do the same thing starting with your LH. This is how you practice the paradiddle. It comes very slow and over a long period of time. Eventually, as you gain stick control and wrist control, the double stroke will meld into a natural double bounce as your speed increases...all the while as you maintain the count. There is no short cut. There is no over night assimilation. A flick of the wrist will always result in a dribble but is not to be construed as control. At best, it's a sloppy attempt at playing a controlled pattern. Two things you can do at this point: 1. Stay with your teacher and Learn. 2. When he/she determines you are ready, get a copy of Stick Control by George L. Stone and start with page 1. Every drummer ever considered as a "Great" drummer has used this book. Terry Bozzio and Chad Wackerman were able to play with Frank Zappa because of their study and application of this book.

Still use "Stick Control" now, as when I was 10. Always a great recommendation.

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Originally Posted by drummer

Just play controlled strokes throughout and do it repetitively for many weeks. Don't overthink it. You'll gradually get faster. Your hands will know how to loosen up when you're ready. It comes very naturally.

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agreed......:clap: