|
Many of us are familiar with Stick Control for the Snare Drummer by George Lawrence Stone ... especially the first three pages of sticking exercises. I wanted to share some of my ideas and concepts, inspired by my studies with Alan Dawson, on how you can use and expand these stickings, applying them in creative fashion to come up with new grooves, fills, solos, and general coordination around the drumkit or drumset.
Let me first say that if you don't own STICK CONTROL,
you need to go out and buy it RIGHT NOW! It's the bible for drummers
(and percussionists) ... and you'll use it for the rest of your life. In fact, you can
purchase the book right here at the Drummer Cafe by clicking HERE. There's so much more we can do with this book, more than just playing it on the Snare drum or practice pad. If you'd like to learn more, discovering new ways to play and apply these sticking exercises to the drums ... read on!
Using One Pitch or Surface
-
Play the sticking exercises as presented in the book.
-
Accent all Right Hand parts.
-
Accent all Left Hand parts.
-
Accent consecutive down beats (meaning beats 1, 2, 3, 4).
-
Accent consecutive up beats (meaning all the "ands" of the beat).
-
Accent in random patterns of your choice.
NOTE: More extensive use of accents can be found in George Stone's Accents and Rebounds book.
-
Play each exercise (ie. pages 5-7 of Stick Control) in sequence but add
2 bars of quarter notes (4 rights and 4 lefts). Repeat and add 2 bars
of eighth notes (8 Rights and 8 Lefts). Make the additions after each
numbered exercise.
Using Two Pitches or Surfaces
-
Read sticking as written but with each hand on a different drum or surface.
-
Alternate the left-hand parts between two drums.
-
Alternate the right-hand parts between two drums.
-
Kick Drum taps quarter-notes while printed parts is played on the Snare Drum.
-
Hi-Hat taps quarter-notes while printed parts is played on the Snare Drum.
-
Kick Drum plays right-hand parts while the left hand parts are played on the Snare Drum.
-
Kick Drum plays left-hand parts while the right hand parts are played on the Snare Drum.
-
Kick Drum plays left-hand parts while the hands alternate the right-hand parts are on the Snare Drum.
-
Play as above but substitute alternated Flams for all the R's.
Using Three Pitches or Surfaces
-
Kick Drum plays any one of these foot
patterns: Straight four, Samba, Baiao, or Salsa; Hi-Hat plays on 2 and
4; hands play printed part on Snare Drum.
-
Add accents to the above exercises (see previous examples applied to "One Pitch")
-
Substitute all R's with flams, but put the right hand on a Tom-Tom; play one of the Kick Drum patterns or Hi-Hat patterns.
-
As above but use the left hand on a different Tom-Tom.
-
Play Straight Four on the Kick Drum; play R's on Hi-Hat and L's on Snare Drum.
-
All R's with right hand on Hi-Hat; Kick Drum plays all R's; left hand plays all L's on Snare Drum.
-
Reverse the hands on the two previous exercises.
-
For Fusion or Funk styles, substitute all R's with flams, but put the right hand on the Hi-Hat; choose any Kick Drum pattern.
-
As above but use the left hand on the Hi-Hat.
-
Experiment with various Open Hi-Hat sounds on the two previous exercises.
-
For Jazz style, play Jazz ride pattern(s) with right hand; Kick Drum
plays all R's and left hand plays all L's on Snare Drum; swing
eighth-notes. (ala Alan Dawson)
-
Kick Drum plays one of these patterns (Straight four, Samba, Baiao, or
Salsa); the hands play the written part on two different drums.
-
Hi-Hat plays one of these patterns (2 and 4, Downbeats, Upbeats); the hands play the written part on two different drums.
-
Play the previous two exercises again, but this time the hands play
alternated flams for all R's, each hand on a different drum. Great for
Solos!
-
To produce Jazz variations, repeat the previous exercises and put the
right hand on the Ride Cymbal. Use Jazz interpretation and intersperse
this with some straight-ahead Jazz time.
-
Play above exercise again, but substitute the left foot on the Hi-Hat for all L's.
Using Four or More Pitches / Surfaces
-
Try using two drums on the first measure and two different drums on the second measure.
-
Add Hi-Hat (with foot) on 2 and 4, straight quarter-note down-beats,
straight eighth-notes, or up-beats to any of the Three Pitch Exercises.
-
Play the above exercise again, but use your left foot on a Cowbell,
Wood Block or Tambourine instead of the Hi-Hat. You'll need the Gajate
Foot Bracket to make this happen.
-
Try coming up with various other syncopated figures to play with the
Left Foot, such as various clave patterns. Use the previous two
exercises for sound source examples.
-
For a challenge to four part coordination, play single R's on one drum,
single L's on another drum, double R's on a fourth drum, and double L's
on a fourth drum; triple R's on the Kick Drum, and triple L's on the
Hi-Hat (with foot).
-
Starting on the snare drum, move each R around the drumset clockwise
(each stroke on a different drum). Reverse right hand motion to
counterclockwise.
-
Starting on your lowest Tom Tom, move each L around the drumset
counterclockwise (each stroke on a different drum). Reverse left hand
motion to clockwise.
I encourage you to experiment and come up with your own ideas on how to
apply ANY exercise onto your instrument. Remember to practice slowly at
first and always use a metronome.
A few other source materials that work well with my application suggestions include (but not limited to):
The possibilities are endless! Create your own, write out the formula
and work it until you get each coordination pattern sounding smooth.
Always go for musicality while you practice. Once the coordination is
down, use dynamics, phrasing, accents, etc., to add interest to your
playing. Music notation for other instruments also makes for great
study materials (ie. solo transcriptions).
Enjoy!
|
