Drummer Cafe Community Forum

i'm currently working on my doublestrokes.
i know it's a good thing to accent the second strokes for an even sounding roll when you get it up to speed.
is it good to use fingers on the second strokes and wrist on the first?(i play matched grip)or is it better to use wrist on both and accent the second stroke using the wrist?
any thoughts are helpful.
thanks :)

You don't accent.
You use your wrist on the first, fingers on the second (When speed increases).
You count & 1, & 2, & 3, & 4 (This helps make the second as loud as the first...hence sound the same).

I found this for you!

http://www.vicfirth.com/education/beginner_lessons/LESSON_ONE.html

thanks man.gotta love the vic site!!

Though I'm sure Ranman tells a good way too, I was taught to accent the second stroke at slow to moderate speed. The accent drops out naturally at higher speed, becoming less pronounced. The accent will give forward momentum and an almost machine like precision to the double stroke. Some practice should be done on soft surfaces like a cushion or your knee so as not to rely on rebound. Doing so will make the double stroke burn when you get on the drums.

The first stroke is wrist, the accented second stroke is whipped with the fingers. This works for me.

We never had the internet when I was learning double strokes so I will share the old fashioned way to get them happening.

I would literally practice doubles all the time.  With a metronome and without I would speed them up and slow them down.  I also played through and had lessons covering the Harr Books, Wilcoxin, Pratt Solos and Anthony Cirone's "Portraits in Rhythm" as well as the the Joel Rothman's "Around the Drums" studies utilizing the dbl stroke roll.

Practice, practice, practice!  Use the different fulcrum points at different tempi and dynamic levels- find out what works best for you!!!!

I played the simple long roll this morning for a few minutes as a "warm down" PHEWW do I stink!  This is something that one can really spend alot of time on.  It would not hurt if I spent an hour a day playing just snare drum stuff.

There is actually a pretty cool technique that may help you.  Where you (atleast from how i interpret it and experimented with it).  you would start with your knuckles (i believe the french grip) point directly east.  Proceed to strike the drum/surface once and then swing your wrist on the second stroke so it lands in the classical matched grip position.   Hope thats not confusing.

err it is quite confusing, but i think i saw a weckl demonstration of that somewhere. if i can dig it up i'll post it.

http://www.drummerworld.com/Clinic/Dave_Weckl_double.html

my roommate uses this "weckl" technique, and after a few weeks, he started to develop pain in his left wrist!  proceed w/ caution.

but i dig the vic firth lessons.  if its good enough for a corps gent, its good 'nuff for me.  8)