Snare Drum for Beginners : Learning a Height System for Drum Sticks

[McDiddy9999]

someone hand this guy a tissue.

[TIMEDISORT]

You said 15 inches, not 8 feet.

[noobicus2]

Why, you ask? Because using your wrist and fingers is so much more efficient than lifting up your whole arm to play a f or ff note. I don't have to march with a drum corps to know simple 8th grade physics. Guys who write for professional drum lines aren't idiots. Using the technique he describes here limits your ability so much. I'd love to get a link to a video of Thom teaching the technique the way this guy explains it and/or using it in a performance.

[AGS1987]

@noobicus2 You don't need a video of Thom teaching it. Go to UMASS and the first thing you will learn is how to use your arms at higher dynamics for more power. In fact the entire "rudiment ritual" described in Thom's book is done up at 15" with the beads together.

By the way I think you might be confused. The beads together is more a way to set heights to check them. It's true when we play there is more space between the beads but we still use a LOT of arm for power. Watch UMASS play Threes.

[noobicus2]

Alright, I can see that many people are getting upset about my comment. It was brought up by a few people that it's taught by Thom Hannum and used by the Cadets and UMASS. Now, I watched several videos by UMASS and the Cadets, and this is NOT the technique they use. They use a [variation] of this technique, but once they get to about 10-12", (especially in fast sections) guess what? Sticks are traveling in an arc.

[AGS1987]

@noobicus2 How is this not the technique they use if he was the section leader of UMASS in 2006, 2007, and 2008. He marched Cadets under Thom Aungst and Colin McNutt in 2008 and 2009 (both Thom Hannum Students and Colin teaches UMASS as well). You may have watched videos but I marched right next to him at UMASS 2005. So once again, who has more credibility? You, who watched these videos and think from that that you "know the technique", or I who was actually taught this technique verbatim?

[PeanutButterGorilla]

if there's than much of an angle on the stick at tap height, good job you're hitting the rim with the back of the stick. I'm pretty sure that the sticks have a slight downward angle at set, and are about flat at tap. Just like they say in every corps audition packet ever.

[noobicus2]

Ok seriously? The beads should only be together in the starting position. The drumstick doesn't move in a straight vertical line, it moves in an arc. Who is he refering to when he says, "Alot of groups do it with the beads together"? I have never seen any professional line (or sucky line for that matter) play like that. That is horrible technique and will produce a horrible sound.

[AGS1987]

@noobicus2 It works pretty well for UMass and the Cadets. This is the technique taught by Thom Hannum who happened to achieve a perfect drum score in 1987 with the Cadets, then high drums with Star in 1993. Then he wrote BLAST. So you're opinion might say one thing, but the facts disagree with you.

So I have just listed championship drumlines and a professional one (Blast). It would appear you don't really know what you are talking about. Where do/did you march again?

[NHSxDRUMMERx69]

WRONG ! dude this is a fail. yu dont lift yur arms. yur bend yur wrist back. 12 inches yur sticks shud be pointin to the ceiling. not having yur arms at yur face

[AGS1987]

In you're opinion it may be "wrong", but your high school drumline's technique isn't the ultimate authority. Different instructors prefer different technique. This technique is taught by

Thom Hannum, Tom Aungst, Lee Beddis, Colin Mcnutt, and many others.

It seems to work for all of their championship winning groups. What's your basis, your high school? Where else do you march?

[outlawedman]

what the fuck is a bead, is this guy a retard.

[omartor8]

i think hes refering to the tip of the drum stick dude

[DrumlineArchives]

You're right, you don't need to use your arm at all to get the stick up to 12 or 15 inches.

[dtgodportnoy]

wow this guy has awful technique...and hes just lifting his hands...ur supossed to turn at the wrist and keep ur hands in the same spot