Ok, I'm just not getting it, and its pissing me off really bad. I'm looking at Tiger Bill's site to learn the Gladstone Technique http://www.tigerbill.com/drumlessons/buildingmonsterchopsgladstone_part1.htm and I cant seem to get the bounce test done correctly. I mean, I can only get my stick to bounce when tapping by holding the stick practically at the middle. I tried every stick I have. I normally use the Danny Carey Sig models because they're reverse tapered at the butt end (they get bigger), had to hold them just before the middle of the stick. My Steve Gadd sticks I had to hold them right in the space between "Vic" and "Firth."

What the hell am I doing wrong? This cant be right... I hate trying to learn things by myself. Who wants to teach me? Any volunteers? I pay well! Billy Ray, when do you have a day off?








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Right now, I'm crazy. Someday, I hope to be eccentric. The difference between crazy and eccentic is about $2 million dollars.

I'm sorry I can't help man but I like your signature... Keep it up though. Never give up.








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"We're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy" ~Seal~

Try this, lol. Defenetly, watch some vids on youtube.

When it comes to the bounce test, I'm always surprised how far up the shaft my hands need to be to get the proper bounce. But I do believe that is right. Just keep practicing, I've been practicing it off and on for month and months and still need to practice more. Actually the longer I practice it and play around with it, the more important I think it is.

okay, gotta go practice it now myself.

peace out

edit: and one more thing if the stick isn't bouncing, maybe you're gripping to tightly. You gotta get used to gripping the stick very loose, but still solid, and that can be a trick in and of itself. That's just a thought I had, hope it helps.








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www.myspace.com/xthelonegunmanx == friend me and say hi

My Gear:
Yamaha
Sabian
Remo
Vic Firth

you should see at least a bit of the butt end of the stick coming out of your hand, and you should only be holding tight enough to keep the stick from slipping from your hand. it always looks weird to me when I see folks holding the stick by the very end of it.








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www.myspace.com/alanselectronicmuse

These should help.





And also: http://www.vicfirth.com/education/drumset/domfamularo.html








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Dr. Rodney McKay wrote:

Well, I only know one thing and that is that flying darkness that eats energy can only be very, very bad.

http://www.MySpace.com/PageFive

I suppose those vids are better








_________________
www.myspace.com/xthelonegunmanx == friend me and say hi

My Gear:
Yamaha
Sabian
Remo
Vic Firth

TheLoneGunman wrote:

I suppose those vids are better

Nah, yours is more awesome, just because. I certainly wouldn't have found that on my own.

Homki890








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That other video looks like a piano/keyboard exercise.








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Dr. Rodney McKay wrote:

Well, I only know one thing and that is that flying darkness that eats energy can only be very, very bad.

http://www.MySpace.com/PageFive

I think it's just some guy showing off. I found it doing a search for finger technique. It's was random, and weird. Speaking of piano though, it's a percussion instrument, but no one talks about it. I'm thinking I need to learn it a bit.








_________________
www.myspace.com/xthelonegunmanx == friend me and say hi

My Gear:
Yamaha
Sabian
Remo
Vic Firth

Any melodic instrument you learn will make you a better drummer because you'll have a better grasp of where the drums are supposed to fit.








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Dr. Rodney McKay wrote:

Well, I only know one thing and that is that flying darkness that eats energy can only be very, very bad.

http://www.MySpace.com/PageFive

Rather than try to explain myself, I made a video detailing my questions. These came about when I was trying this exercise.











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Right now, I'm crazy. Someday, I hope to be eccentric. The difference between crazy and eccentic is about $2 million dollars.

Did that make any sense?








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Right now, I'm crazy. Someday, I hope to be eccentric. The difference between crazy and eccentic is about $2 million dollars.

It looks to me like your fulcrum is to tight, and your hands aren't loose enough.

I use what's called the control grip, this is where the stick is held between the first joint of the index finger and the thumb, the stick is resting on the tip of the index finger and the tip of the back fingers only.

The webbing between your thumb and index finger should be open, in your video it looks like the webbing isn't open enough, remember the key is to keep as little skin in contact with the stick as possible and keep your hands as open as possible.

Whether you use fingers or wrist is entirely up to you, for me the motion comes from the wrist, but my fingers open and close in time with the stick, but you can use all fingers with this technique too.

As for the bounce test, try adjusting your grip and see if that helps and you don't have to get the absolute optimal bounce point, just find a point where the stick seems to come back of it's own accord. I've done the bounce test on many many different sticks and the I've found the best point to pretty much always be about a third of the way up the stick from the butt.

Hope that all makes sense, if you want to get some more info on this try Dom Famularo's "It's your move" book, or JoJo Mayer's "Secret weapons of the modern drummer" DVD. I am gonna make a video about this as soon as I get a camera!








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To alcohol! The cause of - and solution to - all of life's problems

- Homer Simpson, legend

Of course what I described there is just the technique I use, it is a pretty common grip though, I see lots of drummers using it and Dom Famularo and JoJo both recommend that grip. I should mention that my middle finger is also a part of the fulcrum, so much so that my index finger sometimes straightens out completely and isn't wrapped around the stick at all, this started happening naturally after I'd been using this grip for a while.

EDIT

I can post some piccies of my grip if you like








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To alcohol! The cause of - and solution to - all of life's problems

- Homer Simpson, legend

yes yes!! please do!!








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Right now, I'm crazy. Someday, I hope to be eccentric. The difference between crazy and eccentic is about $2 million dollars.