What is truly fundamental for a beginner to learn,
before any discussion of rhythms, rudiments, grips
or fulcrums is a simple understanding of motion.
This brings me back to my last post, is the drumsticks
basic motion like that of ball or more like a hammer?
If you practice what JoJo Mayer and Dom Famularo
demonstrate as fundamental, Full, Half and Tap
Strokes and practice throwing and releasing your
grip on the drumstick as they demonstrate then
realize that you are doing the opposite
of what Buddy Rich stated was the way to practice.
I quote Buddy Rich from an article in Metronome
magazine in 1942. There is a full reprint of the article here: http://www.cactusjack.com/basics.html
In the article buddy advocates practicing on a pillow, to
strengthen the wrists.
"Technique. to begin with. is the exclusive property of a
drummer with Strong wrists. You therefore should
practice in such a manner so as to compel your wrists
to do most of the work in the execution of your studies."
He then cautions about using the arms,
"The first step is to eliminate completely
the arm motion commonly used in drumming....
The next step is to eliminate completely the bounce."
and then Buddy mentions the grip.
"I might add at this point that it would be a very good
idea for you to maintain a firm grip on your sticks with
your fingers. In this position. you will find it more
natural to play on the pillow with your wrists."
What JoJo and Dom demonstrate and declare to be
fundamental is the direct opposite of what Buddy Rich
clearly states,
"eliminate... the bounce" and "maintain a firm grip".
Well now what? Who's right?
As good as JoJo and Dom are, I would not call them
virtuoso snare drummers and so far the drum world
has not acknowledged them as such. Buddy Rich on
the other hand was a child prodigy
and world renowned as a virtuoso.
Round One to Buddy.
On earth everything moves Up to come Down, so it
would follow that a naturally efficient motion is
the hammer, up then down, not the ball motion of
down then up which cocks the arm in tension between
motions to catch the ball instead of relaxing after
the strike like the hammer does between motions.
This means Up then Down is more efficient as it uses
less effort,less effort equals more endurance for
the muscles as they exert against gravity.
Round Two to Buddy.
Take in to account what I said about grip, attack and
control of the sticks motion in my last blog post and
Round three goes to Buddy too.
Stop and think for a moment about what you do all
day with your own body as you move through the world
and negotiate it's obstacles are you moving with
up then down or down then up motions? Obviously
up then down is where it's at and using it when
you drum would be the obvious solution to a
gifted child prodigy, don't you think?
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3 comments:
Cool blog you've got. I'll be looking in for time to time.
I'm not sure Mayer's technique is really as different from Buddy Rich's as you think. Buddy Rich is discussing in that article HOW TO PRACTICE ON A PILLOW (in a way to emphasize/exercise the wrist), not how to play a drum. I think Rich gives fantastic advice in that column and obviously doing what he says will get you closer to his level. However, watching videos of Mayer and Rich does not show any concerning differences in approach. they both play with a strikingly similar traditional grip, utilizing the fingers for speed and occasionally adding arm movement, they BOTH HAVE STRONG WRISTS, etc. Also, neither of them actually start in an "up" position and strike "down" from there, as a marimbist would, so really, imagining your stick as a ball or a hammer (both are just as untrue) isn't going to change much about your endurance, speed, or quality of sound (which both of them possess)
Brian thanks for your reply,
you said
"However, watching videos of Mayer and Rich does not show any concerning differences in approach."
What you don't see is to subtle to be seen. Buddy Rich does not isolate his fingers from his wrist, his wrist bends and that bend motivates the finger motion you see, the fingers are not moving independent of the wrist.That is why he said technique is dependent on strong wrists. He does not advocate pulling with the fingers to develop technique, he clearly says to keep a firm grip with them.
Firm does not mean pulling with them does it?
If that's what Buddy thought you should do, don't you think he would have mentioned it in an article on technique?
I see a big difference between them and I hear it too. JoJo for all his talent doesn't understand how to use a fulcrum to play rebounds and his double stroke open roll suffers from his lack of understanding. I hear a loud first note and weak secondary attack. His rolls are not even and do not sound anything like Buddy Rich's. If you ever heard Buddy play a roll live in front of you as I have many times, you would realize that JoJo's sounds nothing like Buddy's roll, he does not possess the clarity of attack or the dynamic range.
You also said
"Also, neither of them actually start in an "up" position and strike "down" from there"
Yes that is true, But JoJo starts off his video with advocating that a beginner should throw the stick down from an elevated position to learn how to strike a drum. So he advocates one thing and then does another. That's so confusing for the beginner, and also shows JoJo's own confusion. JoJo has played the drums long enough, that inspite of his confusion, gravity wins, and forces him to do the opposite of what he advocates other should, so when he plays, most of the time he doesn't hold the stick in the air. As I said in an earlier blog up to come down is different than down and up and if you really understood that subtle difference you would hear and see it too.
Actually you can't really see technique, until you feel it in your own hand.
Otherwise we could all watch a Buddy Rich video and copy him immediately, with no more practice necessary.
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