Finger Control & Single Strokes Drum Lesson | Authentic Drummer | Adrian Violi

[@elfordjoel]

I like your chill, no-nonsense approach to teaching! Really easy and enjoyable to listen to! Keep it up!

[@TheAuthenticDrummer]

Thanks for the comments everyone. There's definitely some dispute about the "right" technique... Honestly, it really is whatever works for you. The advice I shared in this lesson was what works for ME. I have done research on the subject though and saw some great stuff from the likes of Jojo Mayer and Dave Weckl, and some wonderful teachers - all whom I admire very much. The finger type position I was demonstrating is one of the default ways I now play. I use it for ghost notes etc but particularly for a double stroke roll. I do agree that by developing good technique, finger control will develop. However, I personally had to be made aware of what I was missing and work on it - slowly, evenly and being as relaxed as possible. I haven't looked back since. Like I said, it's whatever works for you. I do appreciate the comments and discussions though. Thanks heaps all!

[@hamet24]

Authentic Drummer why can´t we tune tight our toms heads like the snare drum heads to get more rebound? this is somethig that i can´t undersatnd and this is somethig tha i complaine as well, i think that should be onother kind of heads that allows us to have more rebound on toms. thanks.

[@Lehmann108]

+Yamm Hamet If you tightened your tome that tight you'd choke the sound.

[@HrSamstag]

+Yamm Hamet It's simple a matter of physics - "tune" up your heads like the snare on every tom of your set and then ask yourself if you like what you hear.

[@mikescott6508]

Would you mind sharing what type of practice pad that is?

[@chuckvaughn2688]

You could not have explained the finger control method any better. Thank You.... Please keep the lessons coming........

[@longfade]

Great info and nice post. I have a lesson with Gordie Knudtson in a couple of weeks and have been working his open/close technique for a while. Your video has given me a few new approaches and answered some questions that I had about practicing the open finger single strokes. Thanks very much!

[@drumyogi9281]

You just blew my mind. I never looked at single strokes this way. Thank you.

[@bigmotter001]

Great beginner's video. People like you are very inspiring and help us newbies more than you know. Keep up the good work!!!!!!

[@codywayne5571]

Excellent video! Just what I was looking for, it's a great next step after learning wrist control and the moeller technique!

[@TheAuthenticDrummer]

Yeah, think I do know what you mean. Super slow is the go to start with I reckon. Also, that's a coordination thing so you'll have to do many combinations before it starts becoming something you can just do at will. Start with a couple of grooves you do ALL the time and change bit by bit.

[@TheAuthenticDrummer]

Thanks for the comment. I had (and still do) a left hand that couldn't keep up at faster speeds. I really had to do some boring metronome work - single strokes as 16th notes sustained for 5 minute intervals switching between wrist strokes and finger strokes as like I do in the video. Gradual increases in tempo to trick your hands into thinking their still playing the same speed ;-)

[@peterphoenix6471]

Always good to hear what drummers have to say so yeah, always helpful. thanks

[@marleiserashford396]

Thank you. Really loved this video. Simple n concise. I am teaching myself to drum n teaching the kids at the community center at the same time. Thank you.

[@timothycline8336]

Excellent instruction. Kilpatrick's 7 minute remo demo is slick but lacking the depth Adrian delivers. Especially the ' 5 minute @ 16th note ' clincher tip. There are many experts vids on finger use that don't show how and where to start. I for one am very grateful for Mr. Violi's willingness to teach. Thank you so much! Awesome

[@TheAuthenticDrummer]

Thanks heaps for the comment Tim. So great to hear. Glad to hear you dig the lessons. Plan on doing more soon.

[@garyevans4264]

Good lesson Adrian. I remember watching a Dave Weckle DVD (Next Step. I think it was) where Dave explains a very similar approach. He say's, when doing a fast Single Stroke Roll, there comes a certain tempo where you need to convert from Wrist & Fingers to just Fingers only. So basically you are just changing your grip or stick technique from German grip to French grip. The French Grip is a quieter stroke than the German Grip, so if your after a louder sound, then stick with the German Grip or if you want smooth quieter fast rolls then change to French Grip. Thanks for the lessons Adrian, they're always good. Cheers from Wynyard, Tasmania, Australia.

[@FHD59]

excellent presentation. well done and thank you. Peace.

[@michaelivy9170]

Excellent demo on finger control. thank you very much!

[@paulyoung4781]

Absolutely understand everything mate,well said and makes alot of sence bud,thanks

[@LAstudio8]

Very helpful . Cant wait to practice them tomorrow.

[@filipwiman581]

amazing snare sound!

[@pawelmorrison]

It`s a Ludwig Acrolite, which is basicly the same shell as the supraphonic, so how do you expect it to NOT sound good? :))

[@familyman10241]

Excellent video good technique

[@recordartistdyanvillavicen4539]

TNX FOR THE LESSON ADRIAN VIOLI! GREAT!

[@agdt2004]

Great tips! Thanks!

[@richardjturner08]

awesome video man good stuff

[@cszetela1]

Awesome video

[@rikardhumbla6352]

Hi! I have much more control with my right rather than the left. Is the best way to go slow and try Left Lead practises? And I feel that I am using my wrists as well, not just fingers when it comes to increase the speed, and when it comes to power I like to hit hard, so at some times I use the arm as well when it comes to simple strokes in beats etc. I suppose it isn´t anything wrong as long as it doesn´t feel tense and you are relaxed when it comes to playing it. I have also heard that some people don´t use the fingers as much but more the actual bounce.. but for me fingers + wrist gives me the best powered up strokes. I suppose the best way is to use different techniques for different styles in your playing. . .

[@pedropatricio2942]

is there any advice you can give me to improve my left hand speed because im supper fast with my right hand with the finger control but with my left hand it feel weird to do finger control

[@crazkurtz]

How do you keep your hand and thumb so still while using the fingers. My hands are moving all over the place when trying to do this.

[@GSA_Drums]

Evan MacDonald you have to relax and let the sticks bounce. If you let the stick bounce once and then move you index finger and let your thumb stay straight (as if you're wiggling a pen between your thumb and index finger)when the stick hits it should spring back and your fingers catch the rebound and tap it back down. I had this problem earlier until I started to make my hands feel as though they're heavy and almost relaxed to the point of being numb. It's like the sticks will fall out of the hands but you're just holding on. Tapping with just the index finger. I hope that helps somewhat but it is a matter of sitting down and spending a lot of time trying to feel the stick bounce and be weight of the stick. All the best ;)

[@josephgurzynski1053]

Great job!!! So informative and useful. Cheers.

[@azraygun]

Good job mate! Your lesson works for me.

[@Plydrms]

Looks nice. In a "power' situation during a song fill, would you necessarily convert to fingers, or power through using wrist?

[@whatshoes]

Thanx. Very helpful.

[@InnerBeatDrumSchool]

Nice lesson,

[@HRobertSI]

Good work! From a certain point I start playing with fingers like you show, however my problem is that at higher speeds I am not able to interchange the strokes, i.e. right-left-right-left etc. but I hit with both sides at the same time. I've been having this problem for a while and cannot get rid of it. Any thoughts on this? Thank you.

[@TheBretDark]

4:23 - Darkness, imprisoning me. All that I see, absolute horror

[@stevebuschemi2205]

Zeppelin ♫ lolooooll

[@sacredeyevisuals7976]

MY FIRST THOUGHT

[@dingbat999]

lmao one

[@4amreviews415]

Sameeeeee

[@SaytamSup]

should i use my small finger while playing singles ? it seems to me it gets in the way and the stick cant bounce that effortlessly like when i just dont use it.. pls answer. thanx

[@DeanMccormick]

Hey Authentic Drummer, nice tutorial, I agree, longer duration is the way to go, 5 minutes is a good benchmark.

[@EBthere]

Hello, can you explain the slight twisting motion with your right hand/forearm at around 5:15. Thank you for doing this helpful video.

[@JosecCuervo]

+EBthere this is when he uses the fingers, on the doubles.

[@EBthere]

+MR.Reese thanks for your comment. At 1:35 and others spots he uses the finger control also but not with the right hand/forearm twisting as he does at 5:15 or so.

[@JosecCuervo]

EBthere listen to the video before he starts doing it. he asks to see if you can spot where he is using the fingers...... and is exactly in the double strokes. When he uses fingers wrist seems to pivot because of how fast s he is going and because he is using the fingers.

[@JosecCuervo]

+EBthere like , don't even worry about that motion because it will happen naturally as you become faster.

[@EBthere]

+MR.Reese Gotchya, I'll be lookin' forward to that day lol. Thanks.

[@mrnegronis]

good lesson.

[@marconico8560]

So nice!!!

[@drakausdromgatti58]

Yeah, i have reached this point where I cant go any faster with my American grip (me personally)... I am looking for answers and I think I just found it. Thank you.

[@freddycharles]

Nice job. Awesome stuff.

[@boobizzy4173]

thanks

[@steveaustin9386]

What is the black pad on the drum and does it make it easier to practice with?

[@fynleydobsondrums7206]

I feel my fingers r loose when practicing finger control however I feel a tiny bit of tension...is this natural? I'm guessing if there is no tension near the fulcrum the stick would go flying everywhere!

[@ILikeWafflz]

If any muscles or anything start getting sore, there's too much tension. When you're properly practiced and relaxed, you shouldn't be straining to do anything.

[@jamesjett1561]

How about doing this with Traditional Grip, left hand palm up?

[@Doc2rjae07]

Enjoyed that mane keep sticking!

[@RobertBlackRueLetteLisby]

Jae Doch07​ goodlookin big bro...

[@BHAKTIBROPHY]

Brilliant lesson. Thank you! :)

[@luckyrocks1]

So it looks like as speed increases we go from American grip to French grip. I’ll give this a try as I seem to have hit a wall with rudiments.

[@davidjbricey]

nice 👍

[@ethanhoneywell]

What about traditional Grip!?

[@SadBstard]

What a great lesson! Well done, Dude. You're clearly an excellent drummer. ;-)

[@martinhrusovsky1733]

This is challenge, night mare, target and dream for me. But I never give it up. You know it amazing and you also share it away with great energy. Thank you ! :)

[@Euthyphro]

Do you still use fingers when doing fast singles around the drum kit?

[@TheAuthenticDrummer]

Darius M Yes and no. As you move around the kit, the tension on the toms (being looser) makes fingers a little harder so I tend to use the wrists more. The fingers are still there though and if I'm not just playing singles and more combinations - the fingers are definitely working. Depends on how loose you have your toms etc.

[@leonarddaniel1395]

I'm moving 4 fingers.is it right.or should we only move 3 fingers??

[@AGofur-cu8kz]

Thanq sir..plz next......

[@me-cq7wv]

I am just starting off with about 3 months under my belt and I find my right hand starts to slide along the stick and have to readjust my grip. Does this go as you get more exsperance

[@gimmedataids]

Try some Vic Grip sticks

[@mrmother141]

***** from other video i saw the index finger was i different. position. Can u help.. plzz??

[@will10messi]

how would you transpose this to traditional left hand grip

[@francotomasi]

groso! bravo!

[@johng7265]

Hi Adrian where are you these days?

[@SFUPodcast]

I’m having such a hard time with a consistent single stroke with fingers. I end up in unison almost every time.

[@stephensellers1390]

Me too. I've been drumming off and on for 15 years. I'm 42 now, and since this last March. I've been learning rudiments I've never learned. I practice single stroke rolls every day for at least 10 minutes. Start at 300 bpm for 10 minutes and do 340 for 10 minutes. And then 360 for another 10 minutes.

[@mikescott6508]

What type of practice pad is that?

[@danieljacinto8937]

I know this video is old, but I have a question. What's the name of the grip that he is using? This is the first time i have seen that grip, and it seems very effective. But when I tried it out myself, I couldn't keep it together. Can someone help a brother out?

[@anthonyverduzco3633]

He is using Match Grip, where both hands hold the stick the same way!

[@michaelrodenkirch1275]

he's using French grip when he uses only fingers

[@kimcampbell678]

Daniel Jacinto t

[@paincakes7693]

cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mikelovesdeb]

What Drum Pad is that you are using? Thnx. Mike

[@TheAuthenticDrummer]

Hey Michael. That's a stock standard Billy Hyde pad. Bout as basic as they get!

[@talexsteve1316]

What's the name of the practice pad

[@SOAD525]

I cant get single strokes down, even though i can do both hands quickly. my right hand i can do REALLY fast,but my left hand is behind. kinda pointless if i cant do single strokes. any advice to get single strokes started?

[@adrianvioli]

Need to do sustained practice. Initially, the tempo will be slower than you think is beneficial. Just stay relaxed playing singles as 16th notes with the metronome and gradually building (like 3 bpm) after each interval of playing. I do 5 min intervals but you can also do 3 mins or whatever makes you feel like that tempo is comfortable. I alternate between wrist and fingers throughout the exercise. Just make sure you stay relaxed all the time - particularly as the tempo gets faster. The idea is that by increasing ever so slightly, your brain sorta thinks it's the same tempo as the last exercise. But in reality, even though it's only 3 bpm, it is still faster. It's not the most exciting exercise but it worked for me. You can also add foot patterns etc. Just try not to emphasise beat 1 all the time in the right hand etc. Do both ways. Cheers, A

[@tootallforbaseball]

You can go faster if you bounce the stick without any finger control, thereby using less motion. Using the fingers can make it smooth, but you can do bounces by following through the drum and not using finger control at all. Using finger control is good up to a point, but after that, it slows you down. Try to make the hands do one stroke for the tap and bounce, rather than two. That way you are using less motion but combining strokes. Drum corps guys can do that.

[@CarelessPrecision]

Looks like he only playing piano. What about mezzo forte or forte??

[@LuvLuvRegilanda]

Thank you soo much "Authentic" I believe I get it like a teeter-tottering motion on back 4 fingers... but does this work with rolls?? If Soo Will You KZbin It Please! Or Show Me Where To Go! Thanks again!(✿◠‿◠)♥

[@TheAuthenticDrummer]

Thanks for the kind words! I use this technique for rolls for sure! Though usually just singles or doubles. I do use multiple strokes though on occasion.

[@CalTalbot]

Very good lesson, however, when 'I' have to make the switch over to just the fingers, for some reason?, I can't hang on to the drumstick when I try to drum with 'just' my fingers. Where's the happy medium?, or is there even a happy medium? I have been playing for over 40 yrs now, 20 of them were semi-pro and professionally, however, when I was younger, I guess I faked it pretty good because once I acquired a computer and the internet. Then I found out all of the "bad habits" I had acquired by being self taught and I did have 'some' drum instructional video's. Then in the yr 2000, I had a drug induced stroke (clean now for 10 yrs or so, don't even smoke cig's any more) and then I did not even pick up a drumstick until 2006, which is when I got the computer and the internet. So, even though I have been "Extremely Diligent" at practicing and learning proper technique now since 2006. Practice on my practice pad for about 2 hrs 30 min, and then I practice on my kit, starting with foot exercises for about 1 hr, and then I play with recorded music to finish with. I have been having a very hard time though because of my age for one, I have many health ailments and things that are coming back to haunt me. Like, my left wrist was broken in 2 places when I was younger, and my hand and arm, as a result, do not line up properly, and due to 20 yrs in the Martial Arts, I have dislocated both thumbs several times, and I have broken my index finger knuckle's and the one next to it on both hands at least 12 times. My neck, shoulders, spine, low back, hips, knees, ankles, feet, wrists and hands are all full of Osteoarthritis and I also have Osteoporosis. Plus, Fibromyalgia/Myofascial Pain/Chronic Fatigue Syndromes, Hep C, Chronic Sciatica, Chronic Pain, Chronic Delta Level 4 Sleep Deprivation/Insomnia, Depression and Anxiety Disorders, but I don't have any trouble with the depression any longer. Anyway, to make a long story short, I am having "such" a hard time trying to get my hand technique down properly to make the switch from wrists to fingers, and therefore I'm "stuck", and I can't seem to increase my speed past the 160 mark on the metronome with many of the rudiments. So all that being said, do you have any advice on how to make the switch from wrists to fingers without dropping the stick? When I hang on to the stick tight enough with just the fingers, I start tensing up and that's a no-no!, staying lose is also a must for increased speed is it not??? Any advice I would greatly appreciate. Thanks man.

[@TheAuthenticDrummer]

I know what you mean when you say, you can't hold onto the stick if you try the fingers thing. It actually took me a while too to get the balance right. I did try firstly just using the thumb and forefinger only and then adding one finger at at time. I did have to consciously work on not moving my whole hand. From my understanding, the thumb stays put and only the fingers move. Keep at it though. Metronome and relaxed tempos to start!

[@asokan0015]

+Cal Talbot, Hats off Gentle man. You are an Amazing person an Example of Enthusiasm & perseverance. You can achieve anything with that attitude. Wish you all the best.... from an old man & Beginner Drummer.

[@CalTalbot]

Thanks guys for the compassion and advice, I sure do appreciate it. God Bless.

[@whenmountainsmove]

I get messed up when its time to do grooves where you hit 3 strokes on the ride/ hat while your grooving. Fast like 2 hits then the third is harder. You know what I mean.

[@preciouslouse]

Warning for newbies - hold on to your sticks, do it all from the wrist. You *must* develop those wrists, there's no shortcut. Finger control will naturally follow.

[@gabesuarez3474]

That’s not how to build up chops but it’s good to👍🏻

[@gsdota]

sub'd

[@AussieMadDog1]

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!!!

[@jivadaya6439]

My gurl recommended I watch this but I guess she didn't see what it actually was about :/

[@kxq5]

iphone X : handsome

[@realcucus]

they are called french & german grip respectively

[@AA-yx2tn]

crrap. yes you have some experience. copy other utubes. but not confedance!!👎👎👎

[@BrianDoherty-kf3zz]

Very helpful! Thank you!!

[@clarkewi]

Good job.

[@davidjbricey]

nice 👍