Monday Drum Day: Controlling the sticks

There is one book that a large proportion of drummers will have owned. Stick Control by George Lawrence Stone was published in 1935 and contains lots of exercises that cover a range of techniques. It is only about 50 pages, but could last a lifetime. Over on Drumeo they have a workout that goes through just the first page. The lady who does it manages to smoothly transition between the patterns whilst talking as well. I am a long way from that level, but I intend to work on it.

I was going to put this video on 3speak, but the login on there is not working today and I like to keep to the schedule for these posts.

Some of these patterns are easier than others, but I want to get them all fluid. I think this is partly about training your brain so that they are intuitive. That only comes from lots of practice.

One of the fun things about drumming is that you can practice it anywhere. You can just use your hands and tap on anything including tables or your legs. You can also do the same exercises with your feet and that is important as drumming uses all the limbs.

This video is part of my progress logging so I can look back to see how I was doing. It is definitely not meant as a lesson. I recommend getting the book for yourself. There are loads of articles and videos out there with advice on how to make the most of it. Drumeo have their share of lessons using the book, but some will only be accessible to members.

Learning any instrument takes time. You cannot expect to get it straight away, but persistence tends to pay off. Playing music is great fun and is also a good brain exercise.

Rock on!