Limb Balance

After teaching drums for 25 years, it's become very obvious to me that many players have not really connected their feet with their hands and voice. By "voice" I mean that you can count aloud the beat you're trying to play. This gives you an accurate outline to which you can match each limb. If you cannot count the part, then you don't yet have the PLAN.

A lot of players don't make good use of their practice time. They'll break out a practice pad and aimlessly tap on it for 30 minutes or so, trying to maintain some chops or loosen their playing. Well, nothing really happened other than some mental satisfaction. The reason? They didn't move their feet. You can't develop limb balance if you don't practice with all your limbs!

Happening Hands plus dead feet equals limited groove and top-heavy ideas.

Most pop music is based on the bottom-end pulse, meaning bass drum and snare combinations. So I've developed a routine that will aid in the practice of limb balance, no matter what level your playing is at.

First, play the bass drum on beats one, two, three, four.


Raise the heal one inch off the pedal (keeping the ankle flexed). The bass pedal should be played into the bass head with solid hits (yes, there is the bounce heal down method). Strong volume.

Now play 1/4 notes 1, 2, 3, 4 on the snare with the bass drum.


Together, not flammed (meaning 2 notes that are not quite together...)

Move on to 1/8 notes.


The right hand will be in unison with the bass drum. Note, the bass drum does not stop or change tempo. Match the hands to the feet. Move on to 1/8 note triplets. Make sure the hands alternate as per the the illustration below.


The vocal count is "1, TRIP-LET, 2 TRIP-LET," etc. The hands fall R, L, R, L, R, L. The first unison hit with the bass drum is Right Hand 1 Triplet. 2 Triplet beat 2 falls with the second bass beat and so your lead notes are still "1 TRIP-LET, 2 TRIP-LET, 3 TRIP-LET, 4 TRIP-LET.

Move on to 1/16 notes.


The vocal count is "1-E-and-ah 2-E-and-ah, etc." (It is crucial that you count aloud. Make sure the bass drum falls on the down beats of your count. Practice in unison with your metronome and be patient). With the 1/16 notes, your right hand is the lead hand falling on the bass drum beats. 1-E-and-ah 2-E-and-ah 3-E-and-ah 4-E-and-ah. The bass drum never changes tempo when playing 1/4, 1/8, 1/8 note triplets or 1/16 notes.

Now you know how they sound and feel against the clock within yourself. If you cannot play these basic divisions with a steady bass drum pulse, then you cannot understand true groove, pulse, meter or TIME. Strong musicians all have this basic knowledge; that's how they play together.

I suggest you replay the entire exercise adding hi-hats on beats 2 and 4. YES!


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