Drum Tips an Techniques Articles

Drumming Speed Development and
The World's Fastest Drumming Competition

This is a continuation of some of the speed drumming tips found in developing drumming speed (fast drumming tips and techniques), part #1. In this article, I discussed how, by sheer chance, I tried a Drumometer™ at a music store and ended up winning a competition that sent me to the finals of the" World's Fastest Drummer" finals at the 2004 winter NAMM, and placed third.

After my experience trying to improve myself in this discipline, I came to realize that there is much more to the term "drumming speed" then one would initially assume. First, by utilizing PROPER practicing techniques you will improve your overall kit playing time and feel. Why? Because you end up improving your sticking (and/or bass drumming technique), along with your endurance. Subsequent to the NAMM competition - and still today - many of the musicians I have performed with have said, "Steve, it seems like your playing differently? You seem to be grooving and filling better? What are you doing?" Well, hearing such things is good enough for me! The key to it all was in following a disciplined practicing approach geared toward gaining hand/foot accuracy, endurance, and ultimately, speed. In other words, I focused on optimizing the "work to reward" ratio of practicing for my overall skill set.

I am currently producing a drum DVD that includes my latest practice techniques for optimizing drumming hand/foot speed along with how theses various exercises can help you improve your hand and foot technique, your time, feel/groove, fills and solos. If you're interested in previewing/purchasing this DVD, then please CONTACT US!

Below are additional practicing tips and techniques to help you improve your speed, endurance and overall playing capabilities:

1). If you are using a "thumbs-up" matched grip (i.e., a French style grip), try practicing hitting the pad and controlling the rebound with ONLY your index finger and thumb. This is a good exercise because these two finger are the primary lever control points for this type of grip. When doing this, remain in a playing position that allows you to add in your fingers without changing your wrist position (i.e, maintain a correct wrist position). Just try and leave your remaining fingers cocked but not in contact with your sticks. You can then add in the your remaining fingers. Mike Mangini gave me the basics of this tip early on - and I forgot about it in lieu of figuring out other practice issues. I should have paid closer attention earlier on.
2). Use a mirror as you play on a practice pad (to establish and verify you're maintaining proper hand, wrist and finger position on both hands). Use one in front of you, and one on each side. Eventually, you won't need the mirror, But it's amazing to see how different you hold your sticks when you are really optimizing the fine points. Jotan Afanodar (world's 2nd fastest drummer) provided this insight.
3). Make sure that one of your warm-up exercises includes hitting your sticks (and/or feet) in unison (called flat flams). Turn on your metronome but cover the setting initially! Let your hands tell YOU where they want to start (i.e., just below the tension point). Then, after 5 minutes, adjust the tempo upwards if possible. Do this exercise for about 15 minutes. And remember, it is JUST for warming up! This tip was given to me by Art Verdi. Thanks Art!
4). Try to play as loosely as possible when playing fast. Although there is no such thing as "tension-free" playing throughout an entire 60-second speed run, you should still strive to play with as little tension as possible. Why? Because playing with tension leads to injury. Secondly, it actually restricts blood flow to and from affected muscles (which need oxygen to function optimally). You should be so loose when playing fast that a person in front of you can easily pull the sticks from either hand - truly ! This was pointed out to me by Jim Chapin; an awesome drummer and instructor who's been around a long time.
5). Find out which hand (or foot) is your slowest and concentrate on it for awhile. This is because you can only play as fast as your slowest hand or foot! Note: I list exercises to help you balance your hands and/or feet in part 1.

There are so many other techniques that I just can't cover here. But they are covered in my soon-to-be-released DVD. This is not a "greedy plug" - just the truth..

FINAL COMMENTS

Based on reviewing Jotan Afanodar's and Mike Mangini's playing history in WFD competitions (which has spanned about 6 years), once they broke the 900 beat per minute threshold, it took a year or more to gain another 100+ beats per minute. It then took them about another year to break the 1100 bpm barrier. This is because flawless technique and great endurance is needed to play over 1000 bpm. Think about it for a moment; 18.4 beats/second (~1100 bpm). This is a BIG jump from 15 beats/second (900 beats per minute). It's even a big jump from 17 beats/second (1020 beats per minute)!

BUT, no matter how fast you end up being able to play, don't forget that you really should be doing all of this to, 1) balance the accuracy and speed of both your hands and feet, 2) to become a more time-and-feel conscious drummer, and, 3) to develop your OVERALL drumming skills. Regarding point point #3, if you're a new drummer, you absolutely need proper instruction and playing experience to become well-rounded at drumming - and to develop your own style. The words "PROPER INSTRUCTION" are key too!

Return to Drum Tips and Articles Archive..