Thank you so much for creating these videos, Rick. I’m 53 years old, and for whatever reason, I’ve decided I finally want to really learn and become proficient at traditional grip, and also to improve my drum skills. There’s so much info out there it’s hard to know who to listen to. I’ve also just been clueless how to practice, what to practice-even after buying rudiments drum books, etc. There’s just no substitute for input from a real master. That you are an absolute master of your craft is obvious, so these videos are just a godsend for me right now. Hoping you’ll continue this series onto the drum kit, because I would love to learn the basics from you on how you would move from a practice pad to a kit? Anyway. Thank you so much again.
Hi Thanks for watching the channel. I have well over 700 videos on the channel. There are many that are on the drum set. You can find them easily if you search under the playlists section. Although the channel was originally geared towards advanced players I have started to create more videos focusing on the beginning and intermediate levels and I will continue to do that. Many people write me without exploring the channel first and that's ok, I understand but many times you can find what you are looking for with a deeper exploration of what I have up there already. Thanks Rick
@@rickdior Well. You just taught me something I never knew about TH-cam: playlists. Ha. Thanks. That helps a lot. I have searched through many of your videos but never knew about that feature. I will look through them. Even though I have played drums for many years, they are not my primary instrument, and I am self-taught, so, I very much appreciate the videos for beginners. Either way, I will check out both. Thanks again.
How can I make my open drags in the LH (using traditional grip) more tight? I cant seem to understand how to gain a tight drag with traditional. Its almost just hoping to be lucky and get it right when I play and there feels like theres little control
I must say this persons knowhow is clear,i learned in 68 started leason 12 years old,my mom said well buy you the sticks a d pad and you can take lessons. But i never goi g to tell you to practice.I was into rock,but the drum teaches was a jazz drummes and percussionist, disciplined dude,well what else is new in those days,but he was crazzy about traditional grip,and joe morelo, i was crazzy about john Bonham. The out come over years was obvious,i could play very clear and fast,but heavy attact got developed.And to breack the stucture i stated playing percusion and hand drums.Its the fluidity with the rest,and feel,rhythm that plugs one into that energy hard to discibed but it was not like work.Those hand methods learned careful.y are like .earning to ride a bike,very obvious in the long run.
Hi A closed drag is a short buzz stroke with one hand while the other hand plays the tap. An open drag is a bounced double on one hand while the other plays the tap. You should also use a slight finger motion to create this open double. The double is very fast so to be heard as 32nd notes but very soft.
First of all: Thank you very much for you effort and your work posting all of your videos. I have some questions: Why don´t you teach the "free stroke" concept and the fullstroke, halfstroke, tapstroke, downstroke and upstroke, as Joe Morello did and John Riley, Dom Famularo, Danny Gottlieb and many others do and do? The most important thing in technique is the master of the "free stroke" i.e accepting the rebound. I´ve studied with Dom Famularo and some rudimental snare drummers and for me your approach is a little weird and non standard, but valid of course. On the other hand there is no ONE way of do the things in technique. There is an error on the other video: the muscle that moves the thumb in traditional grip is a short muscle that ends on the wrist and is a very weak and fragile muscle compared with the muscles that moves index and middle fingers that go from the fingers to the elbow. Thats why a lot of drumset players and snare dummers don´t use the thumb in traditional grip: Ken Mazur (Ken calls them "thumb drummers), Rob Carson, Buddy Rich , Jeff Queen, etc ... Joe Morello don´t use the thumb on his video: A natural approach to technique, and he didn´t use the thumb on his early days, perhaps he used later when he was older? Virgil Donati (the best traditional grip in my opinion) ... All of this guys have a perfect traditional grip but they don´t use the thumb. There are others that use the thumb, let me say for example the great Evelyn Glennie. So there is no ONE way to do the things. With the right hand match grip, you speak of an index thumb fulcrum, and this is great but there also another fulcrum: midle finger and thumb, as used to teach Murray Spivack and Freddy Gruber. Steve Smith and Dave Weckl have been talking about this fulcrum for years. By the way, your pad, the sabian quiet tone does not have a real drumhead, it is a head attached to a rubber band and it cannot be tuned. It is not a real head because it does not vibrate, there are no harmonics. The pad that has a real head is the REMO Practice Pad and you can adjust the tension of the head. In terms of physics the sabian "quiet tone" works exactly in the same way as a rubber pad, but not the Remo Practice Pad with his tuneable real drumhead. Thanks again 👍👍
Hi Javi I appreciate your comment. It deserves a lengthy response. First of all I have never ever said my way was the only way. There are many was to play any instrument. Some ways are just more efficient and versatile than others. I play both classical percussion ( with a professional symphony orchestra) and all manner of other types of percussion in every genre imaginable. The technique I use enables me to do this. That includes control, eveness, and musicality at "any" dynamic level and speed. All of those other musicians you mentioned are great players and teachers but not one of them Iives and makes a living in the dual worlds I inhabit. The techniques you are speaking of can be called many different names. For example, in the old days ( because I am old) the free stroke was just called a bounce. I do not teach full strokes because there is never any need for me ( or anyone else in my opinion) to move my wrist like that in a high stiff manner. It's not a musical sound and is counter productive to a relaxed technique. My concept of drumming is built on rebound, finger control and the ability to play softly and relaxed. The teachers I studied with including Fred Hinger, Joe Morello, Buster Bailey and Walter Rosenberger all practiced, applied and taught these concepts. Three of them were legendary. orchestral percussionists and the other was probably the greatest technical drummer I have ever seen. They all played slightly differently but the concept was the same... great sound with relaxed technique. You speak of Morello but Joe did not play orchestral percussion although it was an early dream of his. We would often talk about those concepts since he and Hinger had a mutual admiration society going. Joe would be the first one to tell you that there are many ways to play and no two people will play the same. BUT......... There are also teaching methods that will get better results from a broad spectrum of students. As far as your other question.... I do not play with or teach any type of middle finger fulcrum. In my opinion it interferes with the sensitivity I need to play quietly with the precision it takes to play with an orchestra. Thanks Rick
@@rickdior Thank you very much for your extensive answer, very interesting what you say, you have solved all my doubts. Although I use a slightly different technique, your videos seem very good to me and I learn a lot from them. Thanks.
Your lessons are easy to digest and I leave with the incentive to practice more diligently. Thank you for that.
Thanks for your videos, Mr. Dior. They’ve helped me a lot.
Glad to hear that Alicia.
Thank you so much for creating these videos, Rick. I’m 53 years old, and for whatever reason, I’ve decided I finally want to really learn and become proficient at traditional grip, and also to improve my drum skills. There’s so much info out there it’s hard to know who to listen to. I’ve also just been clueless how to practice, what to practice-even after buying rudiments drum books, etc. There’s just no substitute for input from a real master. That you are an absolute master of your craft is obvious, so these videos are just a godsend for me right now. Hoping you’ll continue this series onto the drum kit, because I would love to learn the basics from you on how you would move from a practice pad to a kit? Anyway. Thank you so much again.
Hi
Thanks for watching the channel.
I have well over 700 videos on the channel. There are many that are on the drum set. You can find them easily if you search under the playlists section. Although the channel was originally geared towards advanced players I have started to create more videos focusing on the beginning and intermediate levels and I will continue to do that. Many people write me without exploring the channel first and that's ok, I understand but many times you can find what you are looking for with a deeper exploration of what I have up there already.
Thanks
Rick
@@rickdior Well. You just taught me something I never knew about TH-cam: playlists. Ha. Thanks. That helps a lot. I have searched through many of your videos but never knew about that feature. I will look through them. Even though I have played drums for many years, they are not my primary instrument, and I am self-taught, so, I very much appreciate the videos for beginners. Either way, I will check out both. Thanks again.
Great hands. I appreciate your clarity. It’s a pleasure to watch your instructions. This is the best drum instruction site on TH-cam.
I love your videos! Thanks for doing them!
Many thx Rick. You do a great job with these video 👍🏼🥳👍🏼
Great information. Thank You.
Great..Thanks!!!
How can I make my open drags in the LH (using traditional grip) more tight? I cant seem to understand how to gain a tight drag with traditional. Its almost just hoping to be lucky and get it right when I play and there feels like theres little control
I must say this persons knowhow is clear,i learned in 68 started leason 12 years old,my mom said well buy you the sticks a d pad and you can take lessons. But i never goi g to tell you to practice.I was into rock,but the drum teaches was a jazz drummes and percussionist, disciplined dude,well what else is new in those days,but he was crazzy about traditional grip,and joe morelo, i was crazzy about john Bonham. The out come over years was obvious,i could play very clear and fast,but heavy attact got developed.And to breack the stucture i stated playing percusion and hand drums.Its the fluidity with the rest,and feel,rhythm that plugs one into that energy hard to discibed but it was not like work.Those hand methods learned careful.y are like .earning to ride a bike,very obvious in the long run.
is there a difference in technique when doing closed vs open drags?
Hi
A closed drag is a short buzz stroke with one hand while the other hand plays the tap. An open drag is a bounced double on one hand while the other plays the tap. You should also use a slight finger motion to create this open double. The double is very fast so to be heard as 32nd notes but very soft.
First of all: Thank you very much for you effort and your work posting all of your videos.
I have some questions:
Why don´t you teach the "free stroke" concept and the fullstroke, halfstroke, tapstroke, downstroke and upstroke, as Joe Morello did and John Riley, Dom Famularo, Danny Gottlieb and many others do and do? The most important thing in technique is the master of the "free stroke" i.e accepting the rebound.
I´ve studied with Dom Famularo and some rudimental snare drummers and for me your approach is a little weird and non standard, but valid of course. On the other hand there is no ONE way of do the things in technique. There is an error on the other video: the muscle that moves the thumb in traditional grip is a short muscle that ends on the wrist and is a very weak and fragile muscle compared with the muscles that moves index and middle fingers that go from the fingers to the elbow. Thats why a lot of drumset players and snare dummers don´t use the thumb in traditional grip: Ken Mazur (Ken calls them "thumb drummers), Rob Carson, Buddy Rich , Jeff Queen, etc ...
Joe Morello don´t use the thumb on his video: A natural approach to technique, and he didn´t use the thumb on his early days, perhaps he used later when he was older? Virgil Donati (the best traditional grip in my opinion) ... All of this guys have a perfect traditional grip but they don´t use the thumb. There are others that use the thumb, let me say for example the great Evelyn Glennie. So there is no ONE way to do the things.
With the right hand match grip, you speak of an index thumb fulcrum, and this is great but there also another fulcrum: midle finger and thumb, as used to teach Murray Spivack and Freddy Gruber. Steve Smith and Dave Weckl have been talking about this fulcrum for years.
By the way, your pad, the sabian quiet tone does not have a real drumhead, it is a head attached to a rubber band and it cannot be tuned. It is not a real head because it does not vibrate, there are no harmonics. The pad that has a real head is the REMO Practice Pad and you can adjust the tension of the head. In terms of physics the sabian "quiet tone" works exactly in the same way as a rubber pad, but not the Remo Practice Pad with his tuneable real drumhead.
Thanks again 👍👍
Hi Javi
I appreciate your comment.
It deserves a lengthy response.
First of all I have never ever said my way was the only way. There are many was to play any instrument. Some ways are just more efficient and versatile than others.
I play both classical percussion ( with a professional symphony orchestra) and all manner of other types of percussion in every genre imaginable.
The technique I use enables me to do this. That includes control, eveness, and musicality at "any" dynamic level and speed.
All of those other musicians you mentioned are great players and teachers but not one of them Iives and makes a living in the dual worlds I inhabit. The techniques you are speaking of can be called many different names. For example, in the old days ( because I am old) the free stroke was just called a bounce. I do not teach full strokes because there is never any need for me ( or anyone else in my opinion) to move my wrist like that in a high stiff manner.
It's not a musical sound and is counter productive to a relaxed technique.
My concept of drumming is built on rebound, finger control and the ability to play softly and relaxed.
The teachers I studied with including Fred Hinger, Joe Morello, Buster Bailey and Walter Rosenberger all practiced, applied and taught these concepts.
Three of them were legendary. orchestral percussionists and the other was probably the greatest technical drummer I have ever seen.
They all played slightly differently but the concept was the same... great sound with relaxed technique.
You speak of Morello but Joe did not play orchestral percussion although it was an early dream of his.
We would often talk about those concepts since he and Hinger had a mutual admiration society going.
Joe would be the first one to tell you that there are many ways to play and no two people will play the same. BUT.........
There are also teaching methods that will get better results from a broad spectrum of students.
As far as your other question....
I do not play with or teach any type of middle finger fulcrum.
In my opinion it interferes with the sensitivity I need to play quietly with the precision it takes to play with an orchestra.
Thanks
Rick
@@rickdior Thank you very much for your extensive answer, very interesting what you say, you have solved all my doubts. Although I use a slightly different technique, your videos seem very good to me and I learn a lot from them. Thanks.