Fast Drumming

While I’ll admit I am totally blown away by some of the fast drumming out there today, I will also say that it is just one technique that a good drummer should have in his skill set. It can often be overused and relied on too much. Of course, certain genres of music are dedicated to nothing but ridiculously fast playing. And, I must say, it’s impressive to see someone on stage drumming fast non stop for 45 minutes.

However, a lot of the fascination and awe is reduced when you learn some of the techniques that you can use to pull off fast drumming speeds. Below are a few of the techniques you can use to make drumming faster a little bit easier on your limbs.

These are just two hand techniques used for fast drumming. I know there are more out there, like the Moeller Method which helps decrease your fatigue. I need to get a lesson up on that I suppose. If you have any drumming tips or tricks you would like to share, feel free to send me an e-mail, or post it in the Drum Forum.

Flying Fingers:This lesson will show you how to use your fingers to snap the stick fast. Pictures and video will show you step by step how to pull it off.

Gravity Blast:You can play ridiculously fast with this drumming technique. It can be used for fast blast beats or for performing one-handed drum rolls. Pictures and video too.

Want to be fast on your feet? These drumming techniques can improve your speed and control. And you may find yourself preferring one over the other or even switching back and forth between them depending on what the situation calls for.

Heel Toe:This one is great for speed. You’ll learn how to get a double stroke from one swift movement and you should be able to pretty much double your top speed and perform a roll on your bass. Once you get the hang of the motion, it’s a pretty simple trick.

Swivel Technique:This one is more about control. If you have trouble controlling your pace at fast speeds, this method works well for correcting the problem. It’s good for situations that may require slower, but longer periods of double bass work.

Now that you know which tricks to practice, you’ll want to know how to get the most out of your Drum Practice.

Pillow Method

As promised in previous drum lessons, here is the pillow method for building your drumming muscles. Are you ready?…Here it is….”practice on your pillow instead of your drum”. What this does in increases the resistance and makes you have to do more of the work (use your muscles) yourself. With drum heads and even practice pads, the rebound can be used to your advantage, as you’ll see in the Flying Fingers and Gravity Blast lessons above. If you combine the pillow with the grip technique I showed you in this fast drumming lesson, you’ll get quite a workout.

See More Drumming Techniques