It’s a New Year (Happy 2021!) which means the perfect time to evaluate your practice strategies on your instrument. Do you find yourself playing the same things over and over, with no real progress? If you’re looking for a fresh, new warm-up exercise on the drum set, I’ve got just the thing.
This exercise is based on the 7 Stroke Roll rudiment, which is really just 3 double strokes [RRLLRR] (3 x 2 = 6 strokes) and 1 single stroke +1 = 7 total strokes.
Image via Vic Firth
For this exercise, I’m taking the 7 Stroke Roll, playing it 3 times back to back, and then closing out the bar (which is in 4/4 time) with 4 single 16th notes on the Right hand.
So the full pattern looks like this:
As with most exercises, we’re going to start first on the pad, then move to the snare drum, and then on to the full drum set.
Start slow (~80bpm) and work your way up to ~100bpm or wherever is most comfortable for you.
Notice this pattern will alternate between a Right-hand lead and a Left-hand lead every other bar.
Once you feel good on the pad and snare drum, it’s time to have some fun with this rudiment around the kit.
As with all the rudiments, there are truly a myriad of ways to apply them creatively on the drum set, each having its own specific purpose for growth.
For today’s lesson, we’re going to keep things simple and only change the last 4 notes of this exercise, the single 16th notes.
The 7 Stroke Rolls will remain on the snare drum, but when we get to the 16th notes to close out the bar, we’re going to move our Right hand to the middle rack tom.
On the next bar (which will be a Left-hand lead) we’re going to move our Left hand to the high rack tom (the Tom closest to your Left hand and to the snare drum).
Doing this will help develop fluidity around the set, or the ability to move from instrument to instrument with relative ease.
Check out the entire lesson below and give it a try!
What are your drumming goals for 2021?
Comment below with what you’re working towards.
Interested in studying privately with me 1-1?
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