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Beginner drummer's ?: Kick snare coordination

ElectrodeElectrode Los Angeles 3,130 Posts
edited July 2005 in Strut Central
Since there are quite a few drummers here...When in the first learning stages, what has helped you to learn how to stop making your dominant foot involuntarily kick the bass when you're "not supposed to" (such as a snare). I can do the high-hats and snare, but the kick part feels really awkward.

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  • Sun_FortuneSun_Fortune 1,374 Posts
    I'm gonna add on and slightly hijack if thats OK. I'm gonna get a few drums, a kick, snare and hihat and was wondering if anybody had any good recos for some pieces. Some metalic sounding meters shit.

    Sorry electrode.
  • volumenvolumen 2,532 Posts
    Since there are quite a few drummers here...When in the first learning stages, what has helped you to learn how to stop making your dominant foot involuntarily kick the bass when you're "not supposed to" (such as a snare). I can do the high-hats and snare, but the kick part feels really awkward.


    It's hard. Practice, practice, practice. the best thing I can say it to play along to music so your listening and just playing what they are playing. Plus, use a practice pad and get your snare licks down. When you're not fumbling over your hands you can start getting your feet in order. Plus, realize it's every drummers goal to be fully abadextreous (SP) and most never get there.
  • SPlDEYSPlDEY Vegas 3,375 Posts
    I usually practiced with just the kick and the hihat, and then the kick and the snare, and eventually your mind clicks into place.

    - spidey
  • volumenvolumen 2,532 Posts
    I usually practiced with just the kick and the hihat, and then the kick and the snare, and eventually your mind clicks into place.

    - spidey


    Good advice, I forgot I used to do that. Also just doing hi hat snare until you can bring the kick in where it goes.
  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    It's all about four. Hit your Hi Hat on 1,2,3,4 as you count. Then put the kick on at 1 and the snare at 3. Keep practising that until you can keep time. Then start putting the kick in different places. Start slow and keep the Hi Hat going at all times. Then after you master it. start getting tricky.
  • residentgiantresidentgiant 619 Posts
    The problem for me is getting the kick and the hihat to be independent of each other. My hand always wants to double what my foot's doing, when I want to just be keeping, say, straight quarter notes on the hat and getting syncopated with my foot. So the hats just like, "dis dis dis dis" and the kick and snare is like, "ki-kick, snare, kick, ki-kick snare"
    I wish I had a kit of my own because I always just start to figure this shit out when I sit down and play. I think it's all about lifting you hand up instead of hitting down on those notes, right? Shit's so basic but it drives me nuts.
  • iron_monkeyiron_monkey 985 Posts
    Rock Physical Graffiti, put on headphones and play along till you get it right. Start with "Kashmir". That's how I got down.
  • d_wordd_word 666 Posts
    I've been playin' for over ten years now - currently on hiatus cause of some apartment dwellin'

    This is the sho'fire:
    1. Go slow ('specially when learning beats - even play one beat every 2 seconds)
    2. Breathe and don't tense the muscles in your arms
    3. Try and get that 'flow' feeling.
    4. When you learn a beat - pay more and more attention to the subtleties of the sound of each hit.
    5. When you're listening to music - imagine playing the beat - with emphasis on which body part is doing what.
    6. Repeat above #9982 times and then you're Neil Peart


  • dayday 9,611 Posts
    It's all about four. Hit your Hi Hat on 1,2,3,4 as you count. Then put the kick on at 1 and the snare at 3. Keep practising that until you can keep time. Then start putting the kick in different places. Start slow and keep the Hi Hat going at all times. Then after you master it. start getting tricky.



    This is the best advice yet.





    You can't go wrong with 4 count bars. Holmes explained it all right there in slow-mo to get the hang of it.



    Here's what I used to teach my step daughter who has no rhythm whatsoever:



    Hi hat is every count (1,2,3,4 - repeat)

    kick on 1

    snare is on 2

    kick is on 3

    snare is on 4



    that's your basic rock beat right there.



    Most important (and with most things in general)



    PRACTICE[/b]



    Good luck man
  • leisurebanditleisurebandit 1,006 Posts
    somebody else said it, but i just want to emphasize- if your working on the independence of each of your limbs, GO SLOOOOOOW[/b], its the only way. Like take it retarded slow, as slow as you need to in order to play it right. Only when you can do it at that speed w/o really thinking about it, can you up the speed. But it won't take you long. I guarantee if you do it at the appropriately slow speed for, ~3 minutes, take a break, come back, you'll be SO much better.
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