I like the fact that you are covering how to grip the sticks with your fingers. That's an area where we have problems with. Thank you so much Stephen for covering this vital part of drumming in your videos. We practice on our weaknesses when we become aware of them due to your lessons.

Hi, Stephen. Thank you so much for this channel. I am a 61-year-old returning "drummer." I'd never been great, nor even equipped with a drum set for most of the time, since I first took up drumming as a 10-year-old in 1970. Drumming has always been "a thing" for me, not my main focus in the arts. Now in my sixties, I've decided to circle back to when I was 10, when I first learned the double-stroke roll and how to read drum notation as a cadet-level drummer for a marching band. (It was the Concord Blue Devils, which some drummers here will know -- but before they got famous). My goal now is not to play in a band, or to ever be "great," but to increase my physical fluidity and to train my brain. Reading music (which also includes piano, another lost hobby that I am returning to) and being able to convert notes on the page to discernible sounds from the instrument, has a magical quality. Your exercises on fundamental skill building are smart, approachable, helpful, and encouraging. It will help me age slower. For me, the biggest thing returning me to the drums has been the quality of electronic drum sets. I've got an acoustic set, a 1971 Ludwig, but practicing on it always made me self-conscious: I didn't want my neighbors to have to endure the repetition necessary for my bad playing to ever get good, so it has been stored away in my basement for -- yikes! -- fifteen years now. As a remedy, I got myself a very good Roland TD-27 kit, with its phenomenal snare and fairly impressive hi-hat (fussy, though!), and I have been using your KZfaq lessons to correct my technique and to maintain a slow-but-steady return (and advancement!) of my facility and flow as a drum set player. Already, your foot technique analysis has cured me of my old batter-burying habit. Wow, what a difference! And, having now "joined your class," and being older and more patient, I look forward to the satisfaction of incremental progress toward facility, musicality, and confidence. AND YET: a couple of years ago I promised my hyper-talented multi-instrumental nephew my Ludwigs & Zildjians (which he's deferred receipt of until he gets his post-college life settled). Ugh. What's a "drumming uncle" to do?! Hahaha. Thanks, Stephen!

8-4-2 is a great exercise for this too! 8 on right, 8 on left, 4 on right, 4 on left, 2 right, 2 left, 2 right, 2 left; back to 8...

It's a leverage thing with the fingers. Since they are essentially rotating around the knuckle, the part closer to the joint is moving faster - because the end of the fingers are further away, they have a longer distance to travel.

Stephen, invaluable! You have reinforced what I thought, as I was fumbling all these years! Thank you dude!

Thank you for the gift of your knowledge and for taking the time to create and post this video. I find it most helpful.

My forearm always gets tired when playing fast quarter notes. I knew why, just didn't know how to fix it. This might do the trick, thanks! BTW, the first episode of yours that I watched (I don't know how many years ago) was you building a sound isolating platform using tennis balls and plywood in your apartment! You've come a long way Stephen, your studio looks awesome!

I will definitely reconstruct and apply these concepts to my kit. I haven't made time to focus on these subtle yet essential techniques. I've been so fixated on patterns and grooves that technique hasn't been at the forefront of my attention. Glad I subscribed to this channel.

I like the way you make even experienced drummers reconsider their habits and practices. Always good to reinforce the foundations. Nice one

It is a wonderful video, especially helpful for improving my weak hand. Thank you very much!!👍👍

i love how he brought up american idiot when that’s literally the song i’m struggling on haha

things that have bothered me for a long time~ thank you

Great lesson. Thank you Stephen 👍

Super information. Thanks for the great video!!

Hi Stephen. I am new to your channel and wanted to say thanks. Your lessons are very insightful and helpful and you give up alot of your time making these amazing videos. The stick gripping was a thing I was struggling with and you covered it well. So rad man and thanks again. So cool.

This is gonna to be a big help. I'm struggling with speed and moving around the kit, like you talked about. Thanks Stephen, l enjoy your channel, keep up the good work 👍👍👍👍👍

I am a non-glamorous beginner drummer and was surprised that I was doing what you taught naturally (sloppy but naturally). Thank you so much for all you share with us!

Excellent lesson 👏 👍

Thanks for this great lesson, i've been struggling playing 8th at 200 on vintage songs like Curtis Lee's "Everybody's Going Wild" and shifting towards the palm really helped

very good video.

I really like this because it showcases another approach to drumming. That looser grip will make a different sound and in the long run lead to a certain feel on the kit. I am a firm believer that as long as you can perfect it, anything goes. Especially when playing drumset, which is such a subjective instrument. I would say that the loose grip you describe is just as hard as the fast playing. You could probably make a video on that if you have not. I would argue that you can keep the thumb closed at the slower speeds though. It just changes how the stick rolls on the thumb. Alternatively its remembering to bend at the wrist and learning to allow your fingers to extend. As you go faster you use you fingers to catch the rebound, not your arm. The speed comes from a combination of the fingers and the wrist. My point is that by doing this you can really focus in on a consistency of technical passages at low dynamic levels. I would strive for finger closed at first and work on opening the fingers after so that we have control but can allow for that unique sound. Drumset is fun! Happy drumming!

Practice practice and working on all your weaknesses, I myself like to play some songs fast but not being to loud, myself my opinion when you play to loud you lose dynamic s , just finding that sweet spot on your drums and dynamics to me is the key and be comfortable 👍

Yes, if you let it roll in closer to the palm you may get speed but you sacrifice pivotable range which is volume without using more wrist/arms. And you sweat more (less ventilation), so more apt to lose it.

Using second finger falsrum , I find it easier to keep time , because it is a semi circular motion thinking downward all the time, whereas first finger falcrum you are having to lift the stick as well as downward motion.

Great lesson, The basic control of grip is fundamental. Yesterday I saw the movie whiplash, the hands of the drummer were bleeding.. So I thought, he has poor technique 😜… I downloaded the guide, I follow this channel and I appreciate to have a guideline on the order of videos to see. But I feel it should be expanded. The polyrhythms videos are not included and several foot technique videos. a complete guide could be very useful as there are a lot of great videos that are difficult to find after several months 🙃

Working on Bullet in the Head by RATM. Just what I need for today!

Playing along to The Ramones for half an hour can build single hand endurance. 😉

Excellent tutorial, without even picking up my sticks I can see some things I need to go back and correct. One thing I learned along my journey, is that the fingers including pinkie should be in contact with the stick at all times. Even if they are not participating (i.e. the slower strokes) they provide feedback to your brain and help with stability and control. Not long ago I spent a week practicing relaxed bouncing stroke, but on the next weekend gig, my back beats were weak. I had over trained my brain to relax, the strokes were not clean and most had a diddle following. I had to spend the next week working single strokes, and I learned to pull in the pinkie (the other fingers followed). Now when practicing whatever, I'm very conscious of what my fingers are doing. Any discussion/comments on this welcome.

After 37+ bands, 1000+ musicians, 5000+ students since 1998, I think index finger has more advantages.

Stephen, with a middle-finger fulcrum, I get a better rebound but sometimes the stick starts sliding so that my hand moves towards the top half of the stick. any hint?

I know you are in Georgia.. If you are near Atlanta, I would love to take some lessons from you

Thanks Steven will study try indepth mid 60s now very bad hands fingers thumbs painful all the time from a life time of Football Martial Arts hand drums percussions drum set poor technics and accentdents big regrets truly thanks again will try to find some comfort and improvement

Do you have any tips on developing your weak hand.

Stephen, do you EVER use traditional grip?

"I'm going to show you exactly what I like to do with my middle finger." That could go so many ways....

TOBETHE1001'S THUMB'SUP!

can I play French grip using the middle finger grip?

What size sticks do you use?

3:00 when the video starts

this stuff has been around for years, its like reinventing the wheel

Tried this approach, the sticks fly out of my hands

Stephen - your videos are useful - they should not be longer than 8 - 10 minutes. You need NOT repeat the same point multiple times.

I CANT FUCKING GRIP RIGHT!!!!!!

Why can't you teach a traditional left handed grip?

Stephen - your videos are great - but - like this one - the concept can be explained in 1/3 the time.. Too much repetition.