There has always been a need for widely-known exercises that drummers can practice individually or together. Drum warm-up and workout exercises that everyone knows about but nobody seems to know where they came from are called “universals.” Some of the most popular include Eight On A Hand, Sanford Doubles, Sanford Triples, Irish Spring, and Dugga Dees. Old-school check pattern exercises abound, consisting of standard rudiments played in repetition, usually alternating between paradiddles to allow lead hand changes.
Universal arrangements create an opportunity for drummers who may not have previously played together to organize and get to work quickly on establishing an ensemble, such as a drumline. Universal arrangements provide the individual drummer with a study plan and a way to develop techniques.
There are many universally known warm-ups and workout exercise patterns. The most successful are long enough to be fun and engaging to play but short enough to be memorable.
Most exercise patterns are written in even number sets of 4, 8, or 16 measures. There are no creative restrictions, but they should not be too long and complicated to have practical use. Successful exercises include ways to apply all fundamental strokes: singles, doubles, flams, drags, diddles, and rolls.
RELEASE THE SWARM
I’ve written two warm-up routines using combinations of universal exercises: one in 12/8 for a swinging triple pulse practice; another in 4/4 time for an even duple feel. It seems easier to remember two extended compositions than it is to remember ten individual short workouts.
