i've never really been able to get these right, in so far as going from low volume to high and back again. what's the secret to a good, tight, articulated buzz roll? the way i was taught to do it was to let the tip of the stick hit the head freely and buzz, press stick in slightly, and let my wrists and fingers loosely control the downward 'drop' of the butt of the stick. can you add to that? i am trying to stay as loose as possible to not choke the sound, but then the buzz dies.

maybe i am and am not aware of it. i didn't think so. or maybe i'm choking down too much and killing the buzz. i gotta check that.



this is new news. it might be the combination of the this, and not achieving max height that's adding up to create my problem. the overlap sounds like it could be the key factor for my situation. i'll have to check that out and see if i'm doing it enough.

i may have to tune my snare drum a little tighter, too. it's possible i'm muscling everything too much without realizing it.

thanks!

interesting. this is actually the one area where i can use my fingers to decent effect. i still don't do a great job of using my fingers, but i'm definitely incorporating them more. i think it's just habit from what my first teach showed me.

i'll have to give that exercise of yours a try. it might make me think a little less about what i'm doing [ie; not just trying to do the buzz in isolation only].

Hi Smog,
What follows is simply my opinion.  Take it for what it's worth.

The buzz roll requires some pressure from the fingers in order to produce a good buzz.  In the right hand the pressure is coming primarily from the thumb, index finger and middle finger.  The ring finger and pinky are less important.  The pinky tends to get in the way of a good buzz.  You can certainly keep it on, or near the stick, but it should not be applying much downward pressure.  The most important finger in the right hand (or both hands if playing matched) is the middle finger.  In the left hand trad grip the thumb is the most important for producing the buzz.  Trying to use the index finger of the left hand will choke the buzz.  If you do keep the index finger on the stick, do not apply downward pressure with it.  That will kill the buzz.  When playing a buzz roll, there's almost no finger movement.  The motion comes from either wrist or arm.  The fingers are NOT making the stroke, even at low volumes.  The fingers are only used to control the pressure on the sticks.  If you are practicing long slow buzzes, the initial attack will require a fair amount of pressure on the stick applied with the middle finger (r.h.) and thumb (l.h.).  As the buzz dies out, the fingers will gradually release the pressure to allow the buzz to continue.   Remember, the actual stroke is made by the wrist and/or arm, while the fingers are only controlling pressures.  Sqeezing the fingers to make the stroke is the worst thing you can do when playing a buzz roll.  If anything, the fingers will slightly relax after the initial attack. When playing softly, your hand motion will be slower and the buzzes will be longer.  If you are playing loudly the hand (or arm) motion will be faster and the buzzes will be shorter.  Some people open the buzz up a little bit at louder volumes so the buzz isn't quite as crushed.  Here's a little tip: to better focus on what each hand is doing, you can practice your buzz roll by placing each hand on a separate practice pad.  That way you can better see and hear what each hand is doing. 

To summarize:
1) The stroke comes primarily from wrist and/or arm.
2) The fingers control the pressure.
3) For applying pressure, the most important finger in the right hand is the middle finger.
4) In left hand trad grip, the most important finger is the thumb.
5) The fingers are not used to move the stick or make the stroke.
6) When playing softly move your hands slower and use longer buzzes.
7) When playing loudly move your hands faster.
8  At louder volumes you may be able to open the roll up a little bit.

I'm trying to improve in this area as well. One tip I picked up from the Steve Smith video (I think) is to start the roll toward the outside of the drum with sticks low, and progressively move the sticks in toward the center of the drum as you roll. You'll naturally get more volume as you move to the center of the drum and even more volume if you increase the stick height, then as you back off volumewise, you can stay on the center of the drum or move back to toward the outside. I've seen some really good drummers use this technique effectively.

I adjust my reso head very tight (more so than any head on the kit) and adjust the snare wires rather loose.  This combo should produce a very sensitive snare drum.