What is "Modern" Drumming?

BY E.W. Flack ©2013

ANCIENT AND MODERN DRUMMING CLASSIFICATIONS
Each generation of drummers rides the wave of their own time, contributing new methods while conceiving fresh definitions for their particular meaning of modern drumming. However, to define modern drumming as “whatever it is today” is a moving target which is not specific enough to be useful within the context of historical discussions or technical comparison.

In the United States during the early decades of the 20th century, specific definitions were needed to distinguish between two clearly separate classes of rudimental drumming which had emerged within the arena of competition.

The stage for this divergence of styles was set in 1875 when the U.S. Army moved to discontinue use of the fife and drum, and to adopt the bugle as the official instrument used to signal commands.1 The bugle had significant advantages over the snare drum. Its clear, sustained tone could be heard over a good distance and it could be easily carried and played from horseback. Unlike the calf skin heads of snare drums, the bugle was not effected by changes in temperature and humidity.

The way American snare drumming had matured by 1875 was due in large measure to the influence of fife music and how the drum was used to compliment fife melodies and rhythms. Think of the relationship of the fife to the snare drum and their influence upon each other in creating military music as exactly like the relationship between the electric guitar and the drum set for the development of rock and roll music.

Rhythmic 16th note melodies that were so naturally played on the fife were difficult to perform on the bugle. Since marches could not be slowed down to accommodate the sustained linear sound of the bugle, the solution was to speed up march tempos.2 The increase in tempo resulted in a major influence of the way American rudimental drumming was performed.

After World War I, civic and patriotic organizations proliferated in the United States. The most successful of these groups were the Veterans of Foreign Wars (established 1899) and the American Legion (est. 1919). Many American Legion and VFW local posts sponsored fife and drum corps, or drum and bugle corps, or units combining all three instruments. The drum corps that were supported by these organizations performed in parades, concerts and contests.3

It soon became obvious that in competition, the drumming styles practiced by fife and drum corps vs. that of drum and bugle corps were not evenly comparable. To establish a more equitable system of judging, two competition classes were created to separate the styles. The primary characteristic used to differentiate between them was march tempo. Groups that played their music at 110 beats per minute were assigned to the “Ancient” class (fife & drum), while groups marching at tempos of 120 b.p.m. competed in the “Modern” class (drum & bugle).4

Tempo, within the context of marching, may have been the most obvious characteristic to distinguish ancient from modern American drumming but it is not the only one. There are three components to snare drumming in which the evolution from the ancient style to modern is most observable: grip methods, playing position and stroke techniques. A factor that has had an auxiliary influence on snare drumming technique and style is developments in the technology of drum making.

ANCIENT STYLE AMERICAN DRUMMING CHARACTERISTICS
Under the umbrella of the ancient drumming class, there are many sub-divisions of style with noteworthy differences. Their variations can be attributed in part to a history of regional separation between groups. The differences include the sizes and tuning of the drums (specifically, rope-tension drums) the playing techniques used, how the rudiments are executed (with regard to accenting and the openness of the beats) and the way that the music itself is interpreted and expressed.

The American ancient style was born of British military drumming, which itself descended from the centuries-old tradition of European armies using the fife and drum to signal commands. In fact, during the Revolutionary War (1775-1883), drummers of the U.S. Continental Army played many beats and signals that were identical to those of the British Army. Over a 100 year period, from 1775 to 1875, American style drumming developed in its own right as it matured primarily within the U.S. military. In that sense, the American ancient style and the traditional U.S. military style may be considered one and the same.

The ancient style is a pure rudimental system in which all drum beats are written using only the historic drum rudiments as derived from 19th century U.S. military performance requirements. Those requirements, with instruction and the collected repertoire of martial music, were issued in manuals called, The Camp Duty.5

Upon its strong rudimental foundation, another distinctive attribute of military drumming is POWER. War drums had to be loud. Beats and signals needed to be played consistently and clearly because soldiers were trained to respond instantly to the sound of the drum.

Military drummers were expected to play for sustained intervals of time and simply pounding harder to achieve power and volume was an exhaustive and impractical option. The techniques devised for power and endurance involve a relaxed but full use of the arms from the shoulder down. An efficient stroke for generating power was an up-stroke tap combined with a whipping down-blow accent. The technique has become commonly known as the “Moeller Method” thanks to the efforts of Sanford “Gus” Moeller who wrote about it in his book, The Art of Snare Drumming (1925).6

PLAYING POSITION AND STICK GRIP METHODS
Because of the hanging angle of the field drum, the grip used to hold the sticks was an asymmetric mix of grasping the left stick under-hand and the right stick with an over-hand. The elbows were out from the body resulting in a playing position described as “around the tree” or “around a barrel.”7 A typical rope drum has a wood counter hoop that is much taller than the metal counter hoops of modern drums. Consequently, the playing position of the hands relative to the surface of the drum head needed to be high enough for the strokes to clear the hoop.

Charles Stewart Ashworth (1812) and George B. Bruce (1862) taught the right hand grip with directions that the grasp is applied primarily by the little finger and that the stick should flow freely through the rest of the fingers.8 This is a very strong grip which produces powerful strokes. It requires using forearm rotation (also referred to as wrist rolling) in a manner similar to the way in which the left forearm is rotated when using the underhand, grip. A higher playing position in conjunction with the little finger right hand grip ensured that the sticks would not inadvertently strike the tall counter hoop of rope drums.

THE MODERN AMERICAN DRUMMING STYLE
Modern drumming does not replace the ancient style, in fact the modern style would not exist without that foundation. In its beginning, the modern style was identical to the ancient style with the exception that it had to be applied at the faster march tempos of drum and bugle corps. Faster tempos required modern drumming to become somewhat simplified because many of the rudiments which had been so elegantly crafted within the fife and drum genre were too difficult to play at drum and bugle tempos.9,10

For example, the seven-stroke roll was systematically replaced (in marches and cadence beats) by the five-stroke roll. George L. Stone explained why in his 1931 book, Military Drum Beats for School and Drum Corps: “Today’s cadence is much faster, 128 to 132. The expert drummer may get in the 7; the average drum corps drummer cannot. It is much better for either expert or amateur to play the 5 stroke easily and in perfect time than to cram in a 7 stroke at the expense of rhythm.”11

STANDARDIZED RUDIMENTS 
The 1920s and 30s was a golden age for American rudimental drumming. The rapid expansion of civic and veteran sponsored drum corps and the competition spawned by that activity gave rise to a vigorous interest in rudimental drumming styles and techniques. When organizations separated by regions, came together to compete for “national” honors and titles, there was some discord with regard to how certain rudiments and practices should be interpreted and judged.

The National Association of Rudimental Drummers (N.A.R.D.) was established during the 1933 American Legion National Convention in Chicago for the purpose of resolving contest drumming controversies. Through deliberation and consensus, N.A.R.D. established “standards” for what constituted the legitimate American rudiments and how they should be performed.

Creating standards had the advantage of preserving the rudiments but there was also some sacrifice in diversity. Within the ancient style, depending upon region or historic source materials, some rudiments can be interpreted differently. For example, in Charles Stewart Ashworth’s book, A New, Useful, and Complete System of Drum Beating, paradiddles are written with the first two beats accented. The rudimental drumming standards established by N.A.R.D. specify no more than one accent per rudiment as well as stipulating which beat shall receive the accent.

STRAIGHT STICKING
The simplified modern style was based upon a less rudimental method that has become known as “natural sticking” which eliminates much of the doubling of strokes and alternated lead hand sticking of the ancient style. Natural sticking is also known as “orchestral sticking” or as “Straight sticking” after Edward B. Straight, author of The Straight System, The Natural Way to Play Drums (1923).12

Another way to think of this simplification is that within drum and bugle organizations, rudiments were selected on the criteria of which of them were best suited to fast tempo playing. The modern style became deeply influenced by non-military musical sources including classical music and jazz, by foreign drum styles, and by the pursuit of new techniques and scientific methods designed to increase drumming speed and to improve stick control.

MODERN PLAYING POSITIONS, GRIP AND STICK CONTROL TECHNIQUES 
If the Ancient style could be broadly identified with the Moeller method of using the shoulder to forearm muscles to generate power, then the modern style could be characterized by wrist turning and finger control techniques for more speed. Wrist turn is applied from a playing position with the hands and wrists low and close to the playing surface.

The historic transition from using forearm rotation to wrist turning was accompanied by an abandonment of the little finger grip. The wrist turn method is most effective when the stick is secured at a fulcrum point established between the thumb and index finger or thumb and middle finger.

The concepts of the thumb to forefingers grip and wrist turning techniques existed since before the Civil War. Elias Howe advocated the thumb and forefingers grip in his 1861 book, Howe’s United States Regulation Drum and Fife Instructor.13 In 1862, Colonel H. C. Hart taught the thumb and first finger grip in his book, New and Improved Instructor For The Drum.14 However, it was the advent of screw tension drums and their low, metal counter hoops that made the forefingers grip and wrist turn techniques truly practical.

The cornerstone techniques of the wrist-turn playing style are the velocity/free stroke and the control/down stroke. The velocity stroke is sometimes called the “Stone Stroke” or the “Gladstone Stroke” because of its association with noted teacher, George Lawrence Stone, and legendary Radio City Music Hall percussionist, Billy Gladstone.

George “Larry” Stone is best known for his classic drum method books, Stick Control (1937), and Accents and Rebounds (1961). Stone’s books contain many valuable exercises but he does not include much in the form of descriptive commentary to explain techniques. According to a former Stone student, Ray Reilly, Stone said he played “Connecticut Style.” A method based on “lifts and levels.”15 Much of what we know about Stone’s method is due in no small part to the efforts of his most famous student, jazz drummer, Joe Morello. During his long career, Mr. Morello propagated Stone’s techniques by teaching and by writing instruction books. He conducted drum clinics and produced videos through which he explained Stone’s methods.

The forward fulcrum point created by an overhand thumb to forefingers grip leaves the back fingers free to leverage the stick which cleared the way to modern finger control techniques.

FINGER CONTROL TECHNIQUES
The final link (or perhaps the first) in the chain of muscles used to control drum strokes are the fingers. Fingers are home to the smallest but quickest muscles of our upper extremities and it is by using finger playing techniques that the highest levels of dexterity, playing finesse, speed and control can be exerted.

Snare drumming has existed for over 600 years and throughout its history drummers have always had arms, wrists, hands and fingers. There is no specific point in time or one person in particular that we can point to and declare with absolute certainty to be the origin of finger style playing but it likely began among symphonic percussionists as a tympani technique.

A 20th century American drummer who stands out for his innovative and virtuosic playing and who is often credited as a pioneer of finger control techniques is Billy Gladstone. Mr. Gladstone was a New York drummer who was famous through his 18-year association with the Radio City Music Hall (1932 to 1950). He called his method the “finger bounce” technique.16

George L. Stone endorsed the finger bounce in the preface of his book, Accents and Rebounds. Stone wrote, “... Finger Bounce Execution, a style so effective in modern soloing, in which at speedy tempos sticks are manipulated mainly by finger action.”17

Gladstone’s snare drumming skill was admired and his techniques were studied by many great drummers including Buddy Rich and Joe Morello. Another jazz drummer who studied with Gladstone was, Paul Motian. Motian performed and recorded with such jazz luminaries as Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Thelonious Monk. In a radio interview that broadcast in 2006, Motian talked about his experience of learning from Billy Gladstone.

Motian said, “He (Gladstone) had a system of playing where he used his fingers almost more or as much as he used his arms and his wrists and his hands ... If you watched him play, you would think that he was hardly moving ... Controlling the sticks with his fingers and playing incredible stuff, like really strong, powerful strokes ... He had that system, he had developed it.”18

NEW RUDIMENTS AND FOREIGN RUDIMENTS
In the early years of the 20th century a new kind of roll technique known as the “press” or “buzz” roll19 had become popular with jazz drummers, orchestral drummers, and drummers working in theaters. Initially the press roll was met with contempt by American rudimenters who called it the “scratch roll”20 and did not consider it a legitimate technique. The press technique gained universal acceptance as drummers learned how to better control it and apply it. However, it is never an acceptable technique to use when playing from the ancient style American repertoire. The press roll was not played in 19th century American military music and even if the technique had then been known, the relatively loose playing surface of the rope drum is not conducive to the press roll.

Thanks to the educational efforts of N.A.R.D and the Ludwig Music Publishing Co., during the 1930s, American drummers received their first exposure to the Swiss drum style21 as taught by Dr. Fritz Berger.22 However, Swiss (and French) rudiments didn’t catch on in American drumming until the late 1950s and early 60s when drum and bugle corps began to make them a standard part of their expanding rudimental repertoire.23

The Swiss triplet rudiment is an example of a foreign rudiment that was a perfect fit for the modern American drum and bugle style. Musically speaking, Swiss triplets are the same thing as the American “flam accent” in the sense that both rudiments consist of a flam played on the first beat of a triplet figure. The difference is that American flam accents alternate between right and left hand leading flams while the Swiss triplet adapts to the principles of natural sticking. In a connected series of Swiss triplets, the flam will always lead with the same hand which is actually easier to play at faster tempos and will also sound more consistently even than the American flam accents.
 
MULTIPLE-BEAT STROKES (PUSH/PULL STROKE)
Mulitple-beat stroke techniques are known by many names including, “Push/Pull” and “Drop/Squeeze”, or “Open/Close.” There are various interpretations regarding the best way to achieve the multiple-beat effect, but each involves combining the ancient principle of the Moeller stroke with the modern concepts of a low playing position, the velocity stroke, and finger bounce control.

Mastering the multiple-beat stroke is considered the holy grail of the modern drumming quest for speed. The desired effect of a multiple-beat stroke is to draw more than one beat out of the effort of a single down-and-up, or up-and-down cycle of one hand. The ultimate goal is to connect a series of multiple-beat cycles to produce a continuous blend of rapid beats over a sustained period of time. In other words, the “one-handed roll.”

THE TECHNOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTION OF DRUMS
The rope drums common during the American Revolutionary War were large, approximately 16 inches deep by 16 inches in diameter. During the Civil War, 1862-1865, the official U.S. Military “contract size” rope drum retained its 16 inch diameter but the depth was cut to 12 or 13 inches to be more easily managed by young drummers.24

The first patent for a screw-tensioned snare drum was awarded to London instrument maker, Cornelius Ward, in 1837. Ward’s drum also featured a brass shell that was much smaller than the rope tensioned field drums that had preceded it.25 Ward’s design helped to usher in a new era for the snare drum as an orchestral and concert band instrument and for the creative musical possibilities and innovations in playing techniques that followed.

Modern drum and bugle corps in the 20th century enthusiastically adopted screw-tensioned drums and the new average size of marching snare drums was further reduced to 12 inches deep by 15 inches wide for senior corps and 10 by 14 inches for younger drummers. Smaller head diameter and screw-tension tuning produced a tighter playing surface for better rebound and faster playing. The number of tension rods per drum head steadily increased. Low-height, metal counter-hoops made back-sticking techniques easier to execute and facilitated the use of new techniques such as side sticking and the rim shot.

Following the invention of screw tension drum tuning, the most significant technological break-through to impact the art of drumming in every style came in the 1950s with the introduction of the Mylar® plastic drum head. No longer would drum tuning and head tension be at the mercy of changes in humidity and temperature.

The engineering behind drum making continues to advance. The latest innovation is extreme tension tuning made possible by drum heads made using bullet-proof arimid fibers such as Kevlar®. Because of the strength of that material, drum shells are commonly made as free-floating cylinders using aircraft aluminum enforced bearing edges. The stress of the head tension is distributed between very strong top an bottom hoops instead of into the shell by lugs anchored to the side. These materials may be new but they are applied using the oldest design concept – rope drums are in fact free-floating shells with the head tension drawn by ropes between the top and bottom hoops!

Playing on the hard surface of a Kevlar fitted high-tension snare drum is significantly different from the plastic head drums of the previous generation. The difference in technique used between the two kinds of surfaces is largely a matter of touch and feel. In general, a snare drum fitted with a mylar plastic head allows the drummer to play “through the head” using the wrist and hands where as on Kevlar it is more important to play “off the head.” Kevlar heads are more conducive to multiple bounce strokes, press strokes and finger bounce techniques. The use of Kevlar and high tension tuning is the logical extension of the modern drummer’s relentless quest for more playing speed by using technology to enhance techniques.

The Standard 26 American Drum Rudiments and the Moeller method, remain indispensable knowledge for the well rounded Modern drummer. In 1984, the Percussive Arts Society (P.A.S.) revised and expanded the standard rudiments list to 40 by including modern rudiments of non-military origin and foreign rudiments, primarily from the French and Swiss traditions.26

The newest trend in Modern rudimental drumming has been the growing popularity of contemporary “hybrid rudiments.” A hybrid rudiment is a rudimental idea that is created by the combination of elements from two or more standard rudiments.27

SUMMARY
When the function of field drumming for military signaling became obsolete, the rudimental foundation of that system could have been lost to become just another curious footnote among the dusty pages of history. But the heritage of rudimental drumming not only survived in the 20th century, it flourished! The fact that rudimental drumming could be separated from its original purpose to be appreciated for its unique musical value is testament to its aesthetic status as an art form.

On the timeline of drumming history there have been many innovations, but some things never change. A drum is still just a hollow shell with a membrane stretched over one or both ends. Another fact not changed over the hundreds of years of rudimental drumming is the drummer. Ultimately, the most important component is the drummer’s musicianship, creativity and skill, not the technology of the instrument or a classification of style.

A strong tradition of musical creativity and technical expertise, fueled by the relentless pursuit of perfection have been the trademark of the American rudimental drummer. Precision, excellence and art have been the result.

WORKS CITED
1.  U.S. Marine Corps, Prologue, Manual For Drummers And Buglers (Washington D.C.: Department Of The Navy, December, 1971): viii.
2.  Jeff Hartsough and Derrick Logozzio, “George Carroll: Marching and Field Percussion Historian,” Interview, Percussive Notes (April 1996): 30-35.
3.  Jeff Hartsough and Derrick Logozzio, “Timeline of Marching and Field Percussion: Part III,” Percussive Notes 32/6 (December 1994): 30-32.
4.  Ibid: 30-32.
5.  John Beck. Encyclopedia of Percussion. (New York: Garland Pub., 1995): 290-291.
6.  Sanford A. Moeller, The Art of Drumming (Chicago: Ludwig Music Publishing Co, Inc, 1929): 12, 15.
7.  Gene Krupa, Gene Krupa Drum Method (New York: Warner Bros. Publications, Inc., 1938. Renewed, 1966): 9.
8.  Charles Stewart Ashworth, A New, Useful and Complete System of Drum-beating (Boston: G. Graupner, 1812).
9.  George Lawrence Stone, Foreword, Military Drum Beats for School and Drum Corps (Randolph, MA: George B. Stone & Son, Inc. 1931. Renewed, 1958): 4.
10.  Jeff Hartsough and Derrick Logozzio, “George Carroll: Marching and Field Percussion Historian,” Interview, Percussive Notes (April 1996): 30-35.
11.  George Lawrence Stone, Foreword, Military Drum Beats for School and Drum Corps (Randolph, MA: George B. Stone & Son, Inc. 1931. Renewed, 1958): 4.
12.  Edward B. Straight, The Straight System of Modern Drumming – The Natural Way to Play Drums (Chicago: Straight, 1923): 20-25.
13.  Eilas Howe, Howe’s United States Regulation Drum and Fife Instructor, for the Use of the Army and Navy (Boston: Howe, 1861).
14.  Colonel H. C. Hart, New and Improved Instructor for the Drum (New York: 1861): 3.
15.  Ray Reilly. “George L. Stone & Ray Reilly” Cadre. Canadian Associates Drumming Rudimental Excellence, 19 Oct. 2005. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. .
16.  Ibid. .
17.  George Lawrence Stone, Preface, Accents and Rebounds for the Snare Drummer (Randolph, MA: George B. Stone & Son, Inc. 1961): 3.
18.  “Paul Motian: The ‘Fresh Air’ Interview.” Interview by Terry Gross. NPR. NPR, 13 Mar. 2006. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. .
19.  Edward B. Straight, The Straight System of Modern Drumming – The Natural Way to Play Drums (Chicago: Straight, 1923): 20-25.
20.  George Lawrence Stone, Stick Control for the Snare Drummer (Boston: George B. Stone & Son, Inc. 1935): 4.
21.  America’s N.A.R.D. Drum Solos (Chicago: Ludwig Music Publishing Co, Inc, 1937): 59.
22.  Fritz R. Berger, Das Basler Trommeln: Aller Basler Trommel-Märsche (Basel, Switzerland: Birkhäuser, 1929).
23.  Fred Johnson. “Drum Corps & Swiss Rudiments.” Cadre. Canadian Associates Drumming Rudimental Excellence, 27 Oct. 2005. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. .
24.  John Beck. Encyclopedia of Percussion. (New York: Garland Pub., 1995): 295.
25.  Ibid: 281.
26.  Rob Carson and Jay Wanamaker, Foreword, Percussive Arts Society’s Official International Drum Rudiments (Van Nuys: Alfred, 1984).
27.  Vic Firth Inc., “What Is A Hybrid Rudiment?,” Vic Firth Presents Hybrid Rudiments. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. .

Misnomers: French and German Grip

STICK GRIP AND PLAYING POSITION

 by E.W. Flack ©2013

You may be surprised to read the following or maybe not but either way, somebody has to say it: There is no evidence of an historic connection between what American drummers call the “French Grip” to an exclusive origin for that method within a uniquely French snare drum style. Likewise, there is no direct German lineage that can be identified as the single, verifiable root-source of the so-called, “German Grip.”

The use of French and German as adjectives began to infiltrate the glossary of snare drum terminology during the late 1970s. They were so convenient for identifying existing but previously unnamed techniques that nobody seemed to notice that these newly assigned labels were unexplained.

The terms have become so ingrained to the mainstream of modern drumming discussions that authors of new drum method books simply repeat their use with no effort made to explain how or why they have earned those designations.

There is no denying that as labels they have been useful for teaching these clearly important concepts by ensuring the techniques would be studied, remembered and used. That said, they are misleading because it implies that the selection of one over another is made for reasons of “style” rather than for any particular playing advantage.

In busting this myth no disrespect is intended toward the distinguished and historically rich French and German drumming traditions. In fact, it could be argued that improperly using those titles in such a narrow context is disrespectful by creating an uninformed and overly simplistic impression about what might actually define those styles.

Attaching the word “grip” to these descriptions is correct but also somewhat misleading for a couple of reasons: it insinuates a narrow either-or-choice between only two grip techniques and it overlooks the primary value behind the concept which is to help drummers learn the advantages of optional playing positions.

Learning and teaching the art of drumming is complicated enough by the fact that a particular technique may often bear multiple names while in other instances, techniques which are not the same can sometimes be known by the same name. Why confound matters by introducing the use of irrelevant terminologies?

What are the underlying concepts of the erroneously named German and French grips? The following explanations are offered using titles intended to more accurately reflect their true characteristics.

WRIST TURN POSITION: Wrist turn is the motion of the wrist bending to raise or lower the bead of the stick while keeping its butt end low. The wrist turning position requires holding the stick with the palm facing down on a plane that is parallel to the drum head.1 This is a relatively modern innovation that became the dominant method during the 20th century.

European and American military drummers of the 18th and 19th centuries used “traditional grip” but the momentum for both sticks was initiated using forearm rotation. To accomplish that, the right hand stick was grasped primarily between the little finger and the palm, not between the thumb and forefingers.2

Forearm rotation refers to a twisting motion (supination and pronation) like the way the forearm rotates to turn a doorknob or to twist a screw driver. Wrist turn (flexion and extension) is like the motion involved in knocking at a door or revving the throttle of a motorcycle.

The historic transition from using forearm rotation to wrist turning was accompanied by an abandonment of the right hand’s little finger grip. These days, except by those seeking to authentically perform ancient music, the overhand grip is controlled using wrist turn and not forearm rotation.

The wrist turn method is most effective when the stick is secured using the thumb and forefinger or thumb and middle finger. Using either of these grip techniques allows the stick to run at an angle that is diagonal across the palm which aligns the stick almost as if it were a linear extension of the forearm.3 With this alignment and the palm turned down, the wrist joint acts as a hinge point – perfect for raising and lowering the strokes.

Who invented the thumb-to-forefinger grip and the wrist turning method is an open question but there is evidence it had been in some use by American drummers since before the Civil War. In 1862, the thumb and first finger grip (used with wrist turn) was taught by Colonel H.C. Hart, in his book, New and Improved Instructor For The Drum. According to Hart, “The right hand stick should be held snug, with the whole hand closed, the ball of the thumb against the side of the first finger joint, the stick just balancing where the thumb and first finger grasp it.”4

Regarding the movement of the arms, Hart wrote, “I would insist that the pupil beat square upon the head of the drum, and as near the center of the head as possible, make no drawing strokes or sideway beats in no case whatever... Care should be taken that all motions of the sticks, or blows on the drum, be performed by turning or rolling the wrists, and not by motions of the arms or shoulders.”

Note: “rolling the wrists” is interpreted to mean forearm rotation and is not the same as “turning” the wrists. Colonel Hart makes exceptions for using the arms to play accented strokes or higher volumes (e.g. Moeller). He wrote, “In some cases, where a little exertion is required, a slight up and down motion of the forearm, and an outward motion of the elbows from the hips may occur.”5

FINGER CONTROL POSITION: With the sticks or mallets held in this position, the forearm is rotated with the thumb to the top. A fulcrum point is established between the vertical arrangement of the first finger and the thumb.6 The rest of the fingers align behind the fulcrum where they can apply upward leverage effort to control the strokes. Wrist turning (flexion and extension) is not an important factor in this position because the hands are turned with the palms angling toward each other and the wrists bending back. Higher volume strokes played from this position will require forearm rotation or a bending of the elbow to raise the stick or mallet.7

Because of the enhanced finger control from this position, it is traditionally associated with tympani techniques. If you have not studied tympani there are a couple of basic things you should know to help you understand why finger control works so well with that instrument. First, all rolls played on the tympani are single stroke rolls, never double strokes and never pressed or buzzed. Second, because the tympani is a pitch-tuned instrument its playing surface is subject to dramatic changes in the amount of rebound produced from the strokes played.

To raise the pitch of a tympani, a foot pedal is pressed down which increases head tension. A tighter head surface returns more energy from the strokes to assist with mallet rebound. As the pitch of the tympani is lowered, the head loosens which absorbs more of the energy from a stroke rather than returning it to the mallet in the form of rebound.

On a low tuned tympani, rolls are played with a wider time interval between strokes (slower) and as the pitch rises and the head tightens, the interval between strokes is shortened (faster).8 Finger control techniques are extremely well suited to the tympani because fingers are so sensitive to tactile changes in rebound feedback. Adjustments to the degree of finger control needed can be easily and immediately applied.

WHAT ABOUT THE AMERICAN GRIP? If you need more evidence that using national names to label playing positions is arbitrarily imagined then look no further than the “American Grip.” Originally this was promoted as a hybrid technique intended to split the difference between the palm down wrist turning position and the thumb-to-the-top finger control position.

The obvious assumption is that some angle between the two combines the advantages of each into one awesome general purpose grip. Not only does that sound like a fantastic idea, it also boosts the self-esteem of American drummers by naming the technique in their honor. Unfortunately, there are problems that can result from that hybridization.

The reason the finger control and wrist-turn positions exist is because they are extremely effective. Splitting the difference between the angle of the two does not necessarily unite the advantages of each, rather it can negate both.

The risk created by rolling the forearm from the wrist turn position half-way toward the tympani grip is that the trajectory of the stroke is moved off angle. In essence, the stroke is aimed to ricochet across the head instead of directing with a solid impact down and up along the same arc. The result can be a sideways, hacking motion referred to as “chopping wood.” Of the many great American snare drum masters who have written drum method and instruction books since 1812, none has ever recommended hacking and chopping as an acceptable stroke technique.

It is possible to combine finger control with wrist turning without compromising the wrist turn position. To do that, a pivot point is established between a side-to-side orientation of the thumb and first finger rather than the top-to-bottom relationship that exists with the tympani grip. The stick can then be leveraged under the palm using the middle and fourth fingers.
Whether you lever the stick using fingers behind the fulcrum point, or propel the stick from your wrist, the trajectory of a stroke should remain consistent, moving down and up along the same path.

SUMMARY: The most important thing to keep in mind regardless of playing position, grip techniques and the labels used to identify them is the quality of the strokes. Once you have internalized a solid understanding and control of proper drum strokes, then you can devise personal methods to “bend the rules” of grip and position techniques while preserving the integrity of the strokes. To arrive at that level you need to start by learning and practicing the established principles of good form.

END NOTES 
1. Haskell W. Harr, Drum Method, Book One: For Band & Orchestra (Chicago: M.M. Cole Publishing Co., 2006): 9.

2. Charles Stewart Ashworth, A New, Useful and Complete System of Drum-beating (Boston: G. Graupner, 1812): 1. 

3. Haskell W. Harr, Drum Method, Book One: For Band & Orchestra (Chicago: M.M. Cole Publishing Co., 2006): 9.

4. Col. H.C. Hart, New and Improved Instructor for the Drum (New York: 1861): 3.

5. Ibid: 3.

6. Benjamin Podemski, Podemski’s Standard Snare Drum Method (New York: Mills Music, Inc., 1940): 90.

7. James Blades, Percussion Instruments and Their History (London: Faber and Faber, 1970): 359-360.

8. Ibid: 359-360. 

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES
George B. Bruce and Daniel D. Emmett, The Drummer’s and Fifer’s Guide (New York: Firth, Pond & Co., 1862): 5.

James Coffin, The Performing Percussionist (Oskaloosa: C.L. Barnhouse Co., 1972): 4-5.

Thom Hannum, Championship Concepts for Marching Percussion (Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation, 1989): 4-8.

Sanford A. Moeller, The Art of Drumming (Chicago: Ludwig Music Publishing Co, Inc., 1929): 4-5.

Rich, Buddy, Henry Adler, and Henri Klickman. Buddy Rich’s Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments. (New York: Amsco Publications, 1942): 4-6.

Gardiner A. Strube, Stube’s Drum and Fife Instructor (New York: 1869): 7.

Earl Sturtze, The Sturtze Drum Instructor (Ivoryton: reissued by The Company of Fifers and Drummers, orig. 1956): 8-9.

Charlie Wilcoxon, Charlie Wilcoxon Drum Method (Cleveland: Ludwig Music Publishing Co., Inc., 1981): 6.

Alternative Notation Methods: George L. Stone and The Dodge Drum Chart

by E.W. Flack ©2013

Why are there so many different ways of writing identical sounding snare drum rhythms? The audible life of an individual note played on a snare drum, whether it is written as a sixteenth note, an eighth note, or a quarter note is in effect exactly equal to every other note played on the snare drum. It boils down to this, every beat played on a snare drum, however it’s written, is staccato. This means that what the written notes actually represent is not the audible duration of drum beats but the amount of time separation between them.

The audible duration of a note played on brass, woodwind and string instruments can be controlled by the player’s breath or by the bowing of strings. Because those instrumentalists (and vocalists) can sustain their sound, the ability to write rhythms which indicate a note’s time duration is essential. There are certain notation symbols that are specific to drumming but beyond those few exceptions drum rhythms are written using the same notation system as every other instrument.

The way a drum rhythm is written may be because it is intended to match the notation of a corresponding melody played by other instruments or it may simply be a matter of the composer’s personal writing preference. Snare drum scores written for concert band and orchestra commonly incorporate abbreviated roll notations and because standard orchestral sticking is based on the natural or “Straight” system, hand-to-hand sticking sequences are usually not specified. Classical composers and conductors are rarely concerned with how a snare part is technically executed as long as it is musically well performed. On the other hand, scores written for marching drum lines are more explicit regarding the actual sticking sequence and are less likely to incorporate abbreviated notation because it is extremely important that all drum parts be precisely unified.

Drum method books often include reading exercises with alternative notation examples. A classic specimen of a drum book that is completely dedicated to explaining alternative notation is the Dodge Drum Chart For Reading Drum Music, by Frank E. Dodge (1908). More about Dodge's Drum Chart to follow but first a bit of background history about Frank E. Dodge.

Frank Dodge was the founder and proprietor of the F. E. Dodge Company, a manufacturer of drums in Boston, Massachusetts (1868-1912). An accomplished rudimental snare drummer as well as a schooled concert percussionist, Dodge performed with the Boston Opera Orchestra and the Boston Festival Orchestra. The year following publication of the Dodge Drum Chart, he authored a comprehensive drum method book titled, The Dodge Drum School (1909).

In addition to his work as a business man, a drum maker, performing percussionist and author, Frank Dodge was a teacher. One of his students was George Lawrence Stone, who became famous in the world of drumming for his book, Stick Control for the Snare Drummer (1935). Evidence of Stone’s respect for Frank Dodge is conveyed by his use of the iconic “Continental Drummer” graphic on the cover of Stick Control. That artwork is extracted from an original F. E. Dodge Company logo and had also been used by Dodge on the cover, The Dodge Drum School.

The original publication of the Dodge Drum Chart is long out of print but, in 1928, George L. Stone arranged and published a new edition which was marketed with the claim, “This book is a veritable dictionary of orchestral drumbeats.”

Stone’s revision of Dodge’s work illustrates 400 rhythmic notations displayed in rows and columns for easy cross referencing. The first 207 examples are duple meter rhythms based upon the flam-a-cue rudiment in 2/4 time; the remaining 197 examples are triple meter rhythms based on the flam-accent rudiment in 6/8 time. Stone said that these “well known rudimentary beats” were selected “... so that the right hand is always on the first of the measure with the bass drum beat.” 

On page 13, Stone explains and musically notates how the drum chart rhythms written in 2/4 can be adapted to 3/4, 4/4, and 5/4. On page 21, he offers a similar explanation of how the chart rhythms written in 6/8 can be adapted to 3/8, 9/8, and 12/8.

It has been over 100 years since the original publication of the Dodge Drum Chart, but it remains a useful resource for students who need help interpreting written rhythms and it serves as a handy reference aid for writing. The book is meticulously and logically arranged and its compact size makes it travel-friendly.

Click on these images to enlarge.

REFERENCES:

The Boston Drum Builders, F. E. Dodge Co. From:
http://www.bostondrumbuilders.com/dodge.html (accessed February, 2013).

Stone, George L. The Dodge Drum Chart For Reading Drum Music. By Frank E. Dodge. 1908. (Randolf: George B. Stone & Son, Inc., 1928).

Von Steuben’s Regulations

Regulations, Chapter XXI, “Of the Different Beats of the Drum.”

by E.W. Flack ©2013

The first United States Army drill manual is, Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States. Also known as “The Blue Book” because it was bound in a blue cover. The manual was prepared during the winter of 1778-1779, by Frederick William Baron Von Steuben, while he was the acting Inspector General of the Continental Army. On March 29, 1779, the U.S. Congress ordered that Von Steuben’s Regulations “... be observed by all the troops of the United States, and that all general and other officers cause the same to be executed with all possible exactness.”

Regulations did not allow verbal commands, soldiers were trained to respond instantly to drum calls and all beats and signals are stipulated in, Chapter XXI under the title, Of the Different Beats of the Drum. Chapter XXI is surprisingly brief, containing no instructions on the techniques and methods of drumming, it uses no musical notation system and offers no explanation of music terminology or theory. However, some calls are specified with narrative directions.

In Chapter XXI, the drum calls and their functions are identified by two categories: beats and signals. Drum calls intended for the whole camp or which are sounded at regular daily intervals are called beats. Drum calls intended to specific divisions of command or to portions of the camp are called signals.

Regulations specified what beats and signals should be performed, when they should be played and why, but the critical details of how the drum calls were to be played was left unattended. General Washington was keenly interested in music and is reported to have been an accomplished flutist. He recognized the need to enforce the standards of Chapter XXI and understood that this would require expert musical instruction.

Lieutenant John Hiwell, “Inspector and Superintendent of Music in the Army.”
Washington assigned the responsibility for implementing Regulations, Chapter XXI to Lieutenant John Hiwell, a fife major in the 3rd Regiment of Artillery. Hiwell had served at Valley Forge and knew how Regulations applied to musicians. He was appointed, “Inspector and Superintendent of Music in the Army.” Hiwell received explicit orders from General Washington, directing him to ensure that “... exact uniformity in the different beats prevail throughout the army.” Lieutenant Hiwell supervised fife and drum majors, organized rehearsals, set performance standards and enforced discipline.


About General Von Steuben
General Von Steuben trained Washington’s ramshackled militia at Valley Forge, establishing the order and discipline needed to stand toe-to-toe against the mighty British Army, the world’s most modern and powerful military of the time. He is considered by historians to be the second-most-important military leader of the American Revolution next to Washington. An inscription beneath a statue of Von Steuben in Washington DC reads:

“Frederick William Augustus Henry Ferdinand Baron Von Steuben

In grateful recognition of his services to the American people in their struggle for liberty.

Born in Prussia, September 17, 1730 and died in New York, November 28, 1794

After serving as Aide De-Camp to Frederick The Great of Prussia, he offered his sword to the American Colonies and was appointed Major General and Inspector General in the Continental Army.

He gave military training and discipline to the citizen soldiers who achieved the independence of The United States.”

Chapter XXI, Of the Different Beats of the Drum.

The different daily beats shall begin on the right, and be instantly followed by the whole army; to facilitate which, the drummer’s call shall be beat by the drums of the police, a quarter of an hour before the time of beating, when the drummers will assemble before the colours of their respective battalions; and as soon as the beat begins on the right, it is to be immediately taken up by the whole army, the drummers beating along the front of their respective battalions, from the centre to the right, from thence to the left, and back again to the centre, where they finish. 

The different beats and signals are to be as follows:

The General is to beat only when the whole are to march, and is the signal to strike the tents, and prepare for the march.

The Assembly is the signal to repair to the colours.

The March is for the whole to move.

The Reveille is beat at day-break, and is the signal for the soldiers to rise and for the sentries to leave off challenging.

The Troop assembles the soldiers together, for the purpose of calling the roll and inspecting the men for duty.

The Retreat is beat at sun-set, for calling the roll, warning the men for duty, and reading the orders of the day.

The Tattoo is for the soldiers to repair to their tents, where they must remain till reveille beating the next morning.

To Arms is the signal for getting under arms in case of alarm.

The Parley is to desire a conference with the enemy.

The Signals.

Adjutant’s call – first part of The Troop.

First Serjeant’s call – one roll and three flams.

All non-commissioned officers call – two rolls and five flams.

To go for wood – poing stroke and ten-stroke roll.
    water – two strokes and a flam.
    provisions – Roast Beef.

Front to halt – two flams from right to left, and a full drag with the right, a left hand flam and a right hand full drag.

For the front to advance quicker – the long march.
    to march slower – the taps.

For the drummers – the Drummers Call.

For a fatigue party – the Pioneers March.

The the church call – the Parley.

The drummers will practice a hundred paces in front of the battalion, at the hours fixed by the adjutant general; and any drummer found beating at any other time, (except ordered) shall be punished.


REFERENCES

US Army Element, School of Music, A History of U.S. Army Bands (Norfolk, 2005): 15-16.

Von Steuben, Frederick William Baron, Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States (Boston, 1794): 89-91.

Ward, Harry M., George Washington’s Enforcers: Policing the Continental Army (Southern Illinois University Press, 2006): 173-174.

Beck, John. Encyclopedia of Percussion. (New York: Garland Pub., 1995): 291.

Charles Stewart Ashworth

The Father of American Rudimental Drumming

by E.W. Flack, 2013

Charles Stewart Ashworth learned drumming in England where he was born and raised.

As a young man, he emigrated to the United States and in Boston on December 13, 1802, at the age of 25, he enlisted in the U.S. Marines. He was 5’ 6” tall, with blue eyes and light brown hair, he reported his occupation as “drummer.”

He became a member of the USMC Band which had been established by an Act of Congress on July 11, 1798. He was promoted to Drum Major on November 24, 1804, becoming the band’s second leader following William Farr who had served as Drum Major since January, 1799.

On January 15, 1812, Ashworth deposited a copy of a manual he had written for military musicians with the District Court of the District of Columbia under the title, A New, Useful, and Complete System of Drum Beating.

Pages 3-5 of Ashworth’s book included notation for a series of concise drumming techniques which he listed under the heading “Rudiments for Drum Beating in General.” This is the first known use of the word “rudiments” to describe these essential drumming skills previously known as “lessons or exercises.”

The book was approved by the U.S. War Department and during the War of 1812 it was ordered for use by the Army, Navy, and Marines. Ashworth’s book is the earliest compilation of U.S. military drum and fife performance standards to include musical notation. It established a template for all subsequent editions of U.S. military musician performance manuals, also known as The Camp Duty.

On August 24, 1814, after defeating the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg, a British force led by Major General Robert Ross occupied Washington, D.C. and set fire to many public buildings. The facilities of the U.S. government, including the White House and U.S. Capitol were burned.

On that fateful day, when the British searched for fuel to start the fire that burned the White House, they found unbound stacks of Ashworth’s book. It was those pages, the product of a British expat turned American Marine, that were used to ignite the flames.

In 1862, George B. Bruce recognized the importance of Ashworth’s work in the preface of his book, The Drummers’ and Fifers’ Guide. Bruce wrote, “After carefully examining all the drum books that have been published during the past twenty-five years, the author finds none to compare with Ashworth’s Rudimental School." George Bruce may have been off on his date estimates (Ashworth’s book was fifty years in advance of 1862) but his assessment of its value was spot on.

REFERENCES

Some of the historical details regarding the service of Charles Stewart Ashworth is from a foreward written by George P. Carroll in supplement to a facsimile reproduction of Ashworth’s original work. Mr. Carroll includes with his commentary, transcriptions of Ashworth’s drum beatings using modern musical notation.

Bruce, George B. and Emmett, Daniel D., The Drummer’s and Fifer’s Guide.
(New York: Firth, Pond & Co., 1862): 3. 

Carroll, George P. Forward. A New, Useful and Complete System of Drum-beating. By Charles Stewart Ashworth. 1812. (Alexandria: G. Carroll, 1966).

Carroll, George P. “The Rope-Tensioned Drum In America.” Encyclopedia of Percussion. Ed. John H. Beck. (New York: Garland Pub., 1995): 281-294.

United States Marine Band, History of the Directors. From:
http://www.marineband.usmc.mil/learning_tools/our_history/directors_history.htm
(accessed February, 2013).

DRUM RUDIMENTS and THE NARRATIVE METHOD

by E.W. Flack ©2013

Drum rudiments are traditional lessons and exercises that were developed over hundreds of years for the purpose of teaching drummers the snare drum techniques required to play military marches, songs, beats and signal calls.

A typical rudiment consists of three components: a rhythm, a specific sticking sequence and accenting.

Drum rudiments are often defined by comparison to the scales played on other instruments. If an analogy must be used then it would be more accurate to compare rudiments to a code language. Like code words, each rudiment name conveys a meaning. The names given to rudiments often verbally imitate the sound created when the rudiment is played (onomatopoeia). Named rudiments were used as mnemonic devices, serving to aid in the teaching, learning and memorization of the required military repertoire.

Specified rudiments proved to be an extremely efficient system for the training of military drummers, not only because they facilitate learning but also because drumming standards could be taught without the need for written music.

Teaching drumming through verbal explanation using the rudimental system is known as a “narrative method.” The rudimental vocabulary has proven so effective for teaching drummers over the centuries that it remains a common means of instruction to this day. 

The word “rudiment” was first applied to a series of specific drum exercises by Charles Stewart Ashworth in 1812. At that time, he was the Drum Major of the United States Marine Band. He included “Rudiments for Drum Beating in General” in his ground-breaking book, A New Useful and Complete System of Drum Beating. Ashworth’s book is the earliest detailed collection of written musical standards for the drum and fife to be approved by the U.S. War Department. It was ordered for use by the Army, Navy, and the Marine Corps during the War of 1812.

For historic accuracy, it should be noted that Charles Ashworth did not invent the rudiments presented in his book. He simply coined the word “rudiments” to describe a class of drum beats previously referred to as “lessons or exercises.” That fact notwithstanding, Charles Stewart Ashworth has earned his place in American history as the “Father of Rudimental Drumming.”

REFERENCES 

Ashworth, Charles S., A New, Useful and Complete System of Drum-beating

(Boston: G. Graupner, 1812).

United States Marine Band, The History of Marine Band Directors. From:
http://www.marineband.usmc.mil/learning_tools/our_history/directors_history.htm
(accessed February, 2013). 

Image below, Page 3 from A New, Useful and Complete System of Drum-beating.
(Click to enlarge).

TWO-FOR-ONE “PUSH/PULL” DRUM STROKES

by E.W. Flack ©2013

Push/pull techniques are known with some modifications as the squeeze and release, the drop/squeeze, drop/bounce, reverse stroke, and open/close. All push/pull concepts are a hybridization of the Moeller upstroke/downstroke principle in combination with the free stroke plus finger control techniques. The specific execution of push/pull techniques can vary between drummers but the common aim is to maximize the speed and control of multiple-beats played during a single up-and-down, or down-and-up cycle of one hand.

The origin of push/pull is unclear but its basic principles have been known for a long time. A highly regarded percussionist and teacher, Murray Spivak (1903-1994) is credited with teaching the technique he called “squeeze and release” since the early decades of the 20th century. Squeeze and release has been further popularized by two of Mr. Spivak’s most talented students, jazz artist Louis Bellson, and funk aficionado, David Garibaldi. In 1995, Louis Bellson produced an instructional video which included some discussion of this technique, Murray Spivak, A Lesson With Louis Bellson. In that video, Bellson associates squeeze and release with “the fingers style of playing” explaining that it is used to play accents.

These days, push/pull techniques are gaining an increasing awareness through the efforts of 21st century instructors including, JoJo Mayer and Gordy Knudtson. Mayer teaches an interpretation he calls the “Abbreviated Moeller/Mayer” in his 2007 video titled, Secret Weapons For The Modern Drummer. Knudtson has also produced video lessons on the technique which he calls the “open/close” and he has authored books explaining its advantages, Single Stroke Rolls and The Open/Close Technique, and Morphing Double Strokes with The Open/Close Technique.

Like the Moeller technique, push/pull offers the efficiency of producing multiple beats from the effort of one complete stroke. Observed in action, push/pull can be mistaken for a low Moeller but there are differences in the way it is initiated and controlled.

To review, the classic Moeller upstroke is engaged from the shoulder to raise the hand high in preparation to “whip” downward for a very hard accent. The elbow moves out from the body to raise the forearm and lift the stick as it makes an “upstroke tap.” Moeller is necessary when a hard accent must immediately follow a softer tap played on the same hand. The sequence of the upstroke and down-blow is always “tap-up, whip-down.” The tap can be withheld from striking the drum but its upward motion must precede the downward whip. Using the fingers other than to hold the sticks is not an essential component of the Moeller technique.

In contrast to Moeller, the push/pull technique depends on the smaller, faster muscle groups of the fingers, hand and wrist which remain efficiently stationed close to the playing surface. Push/pull does not offer the level of power that can be achieved by the Moeller whip but it has advantages for speed and for the control of multiple beats.

Gordy Knudtson explains open/close as essentially the reverse of the Moeller “tap-up, whip-down.” He teaches a “down-open, close-up” sequence that initiates from an upturned wrist position like a free stroke. Knudtson calls the downward component of this free stroke adaptation an “open stroke” because when the bead strikes the head, the hand is turned down and the fingers are “opened” behind the stick’s fulcrum. At that moment, the fingers can be engaged to take advantage of rebound and extract additional beats if needed. Finally the upstroke beat is played when the fingers “close” while the wrist turns back and up from the open position. The cycle can repeat either separated by a space of time or continued without separation. Knudtson calls these two options, “separate mode and continuous mode.”

Other than differences in nomenclature, Knudtson’s open/close technique is essentially very similar to the right hand application of Moeller/Mayer. What makes Knudtson’s approach unique is his claim that it is “a new system” for applying and synchronizing open/close between both hands. He says, “the key to doing it is to have one hand chase the other.” However, Knudtson restricts his explanations to the use of an overhand (match grip) method.

Mayer teaches a push/pull technique for the traditional left grip using a low Moeller pumping action combined with a forearm rotation that he describes as “swiveling.” To effectively employ the swiveling action Mayer says, “the impulse for the downstroke is generated from the elbow.” According to Mayer the technique can be further “streamlined” by eliminating the elbow motion and relying on the rotational action of the radius and ulna bones of the forearm. The next level involves a greater transfer of control to the fingers using a “drop/bounce” technique that Mayer attributes to the late jazz drumming phenom, Buddy Rich.

Regarding the left traditional grip use of squeeze and release, Louis Bellson demonstrated the release position with the fingers open to play lighter tap beats. At that stage of the stroke, the left forearm is rotated with the thumb to the top while the wrist swings inward (to the right) and the fingers stretch out (release/push) toward the stick’s bead. When the fingers are extended in the release phase, additional beats can be inserted using the forefinger to control downward leverage by dribbling the stick like a basketball. The fourth finger (ring finger) can be used to assist rebound with a springboard lifting action. To complete the cycle, the fingers contract (squeeze/pull) as the wrist rolls back at the exact instant an accent beat is played with a sharp snap. The word “squeeze” should not be interpreted as excessive tension. The fingers remain relaxed as they pull in and close. In Bellson’s words, “Everything is loose, everything is relaxed.”

SUMMARY

The degree of mastery achieved using push/pull techniques, like any other playing technique, can vary widely from drummer to drummer. Every individual has unique physical characteristics and different abilities with regard to coordination, dexterity, natural flexibility and muscle quickness. In addition to those variables, different people have different ways of learning and of thinking their way through technical challenges.

Each of us experience drumming and express musical ideas in our own very personal way and that fact may be most responsible for why there is such a variety of names, interpretations and explanations for push/pull techniques.

Case in point, in a Joe Morello instructional video, Drum Method 1–The Natural Approach to Technique, he spoke of his friendship with Louis Bellson and how Louis taught him the squeeze/release technique using finger control with the left hand traditional grip. Morello said, “... he (Bellson) came over to my house one day ... he showed me this thing and again, I individualized it.” In other words, Joe learned it as Louis taught it but then adapted it to his personal strengths and style.

Few drummers reach the level where they can play one-handed multiple beats with the kind of sustained rapidity and control of individuals like Buddy Rich or Jojo Mayer. As cool as it would be to have that kind of ability, it is not a necessary skill when it comes to playing the vast and overwhelming majority of percussion music.

You may never master “the one-handed roll” but you will benefit from studying and learning push/pull techniques. At a minimum, it will enable you to play alternating single strokes faster and with less fatigue. Understanding push/pull will improve your ability to control single handed multiples of three, four, five and six beats which will enable you to play advanced rudimental concepts, especially those involving rhythmic permutations of flams and accents.

REFERENCES

This article is intended to serve as an informational overview on the topic of multiple beat techniques. Some drum techniques can be learned through written or verbal direction but push/pull techniques are difficult to explain without the aid of an actual demonstration. The most effective way to learn drumming techniques is through a one-on-one interaction which includes the feed-back and critique of a qualified instructor or experienced drummer who is willing to spend the time to work with you. Absent of that, the following list represents the excellent video resources that were drawn upon to compose this article.


Thompson, M. (Producer), & Feldstein, S. (Director).
(1995). Murray Spivak: A Lesson With Louis Bellson [DVD]. United States:
Available from Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc., P.O. Box 10003, Van Nuys, CA

Knudtson, G. (Producer), Knudtson, G. (Director).
(2002). The Open/Close Technique [DVD]. United States:
Available from GK-Music.com, P.O. Box 645, Wayzata, MN

Newmagic Communications (Producer), Mayer, J. & Lyssy, E. (Directors).
(2007). Jojo Mayer, Secret Weapons For The Modern Drummer [DVD]. United States:
Available from Hudson Music LLC., P.O. Box 270, Briarcliff, NY

Morello, J. (Producer), & Roth, A. (Director).
(2006). Joe Morello, Drum Method 1–The Natural Approach to Technique [DVD]. United States: Available from Hot Licks Productions Inc./Music Sales Corp., New York, NY

See also, "Essential Drum Strokes" at this link:
http://thedrumslingers.blogspot.com/2010/07/essential-drum-strokes.html