If You Hear This When You Play Single Stroke Rolls, Get Help

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If You Hear This When You Play Single Stroke Rolls, Get Help
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How to play a good single stroke drum roll? I get SO many questions about how to play a good single stroke drum roll. How to make your single stroke rolls sound smooth? How to make your drumming singles strokes sound even? How to play faster single stroke rolls?
So in this quick video, we talk about how to troubleshoot your own single stroke rolls, what to look for, what to listen for, and ways that you can begin to fix it. A good single stroke drum roll takes a long time. But so do most good things in life. So be patient, isolate the problems one by one, and roll on! (Sorry, I know it's cheesy, but I just had to say that last part. The drum nerd in me wouldn't let it go.)
Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts, questions, and insights on how to play a good drum roll!
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Cymbals: Zildjian
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Snare: Luka
Sticks: Vic Firth 5A
Heads: Aquarian
In Ears: Alclair In Ear Monitors
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[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Which one gives you the most trouble when it comes to your single stroke rolls?

[@redneckshaman3099]

I've been working my wrists out since puberty 😎

[@TonyDeanDrums]

@@redneckshaman3099 Your f*cking discussing. Get help

[@terrelll.howard8660]

Can't get my one hand to corporate

[@redneckshaman3099]

I like to sit on my left hand for like 15-20 minutes, until it goes numb, completely numb, no feeling at all. Then, I rub one out. I call it "The Stranger"😉

[@TonyDeanDrums]

​@@redneckshaman3099 Your trolling I hope. This is a life destroying addiction and a weakness. Takes your dignity, social skills, physical energy, time.

[@thebluecollardrummer9032]

2:43 - Down with the Ups 4:07 - Down with the Ups (Part 2) 5:50 - Single Diddlin’ 8:28 - Keep it Straight 11:22 - The Sextuplet Scramble 15:50 - The Cooker 18:23 - Burn It Up 20:20 - Accenting the 3’s 24:16 - Moveable Diddles

[@jeffreypage9496]

One of the ways to even hands is too start all exercises with the weaker hand

[@larrystratton7227]

Thanks, great lesson Stephen!

[@RC32Smiths01]

Always appreciate this experience and guidance. It never hurts for one to learn or even to admit that you need to improve. I can also say myself that I have struggled with one or two of these at one point. Cheers man.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Oh, for sure. I am constantly learning every day

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@StephenTaylorDrums That's awesome to hear. Music is a never-ending journey.

[@Dan1loBC]

Wow, this is gold is visual form, thanks for taking your time and sharing it with us ^^

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

You bet my friend

[@rhythmantic]

Spot on rendition of Mitch Mitchell’s drumming. Great to see that the Hendrix Estate is no longer blocking covers of Jimi’s music. I covered this long ago.

[@owencampbell9202]

Thanks so much ❤, I've been playing drums for a few years now but have only recently properly started playing and your videos have helped me with my technique so much, your a really good teacher ❤

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Thanks Owen!

[@pttroe8142]

So on point for me! I saw a video from Todd, Talking about the "ringfinger fulcrum", and found that my left hand-weakness starts already with the wrist stroke. I sound excactly like your examples. 😄Thanks for the video, I got some good ideas and motivation!

[@lildrummerboy177]

Thank you man! I have a huge problem with my left hand giving out 😅 I'm gonna try these exercises out.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Hope they help!

[@lildrummerboy177]

@@StephenTaylorDrums Thank you man! You have been a huge inspiration of mine for nearly 5 years

[@Frankietomatoes6189]

This is great, thanks Steve.😊

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

You bet my friend

[@jghillstudio1857]

Very musical exercise. There are endless possibilities for drummers. Not saying to rush through however, moving this sticking around the zones. Oh man! Great video one of the best Stephen ! ❤️

[@peterevans366]

Great lesson and makes sense 👌

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

👊🏻🥁

[@mattbba8451]

Thanks for the video.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻🥁

[@eunaosabiamaseufiz]

Excellent

[@clintfraser6348]

I've been following Stephen for a few months now and just purchased the Perfect Drummer Protocol Pack. If you have been contemplating on improving your drumming skills and are on the fence, do it!! I'm so glad I did. Stephen is an outstanding instructor and has mind blowing drum skills! I will be purchasing more lessons as I progress.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Thanks so much, Clint! Makes my day to head this!

[@tagg1080]

The first timing exercise was a huge peoblem for me. Switching from bass+snare beats to bass->snare beats was so tough i used to switch bands to keep my dominant hand always on the down beat and off hand on the up beat. Thanks for the tips!

[@neekondrums]

I'm sure you meant "switch HANDS to keep my dominant hand always on the down beat...", but I completely related to the idea of being so right-handed that you were willing to just ditch your band and join a different one once there was a song that was too difficult because of your weak hand. Too funny! Cheers!🤣😉

[@sezyum]

11:29 note to myself

[@vikitheviki]

Got me a practice pad some time ago and started over after decades of absence and I noticed I have a big problem with gripping the stick in a proper way and finger strength, especially the thumb. It's very hard to hold on to the stick and I'm now working on strengthen my fingers first.

[@bradplaysdrums]

Love the green Ludwigs 😮

[@dam3430]

Great video! what about technique though? bad technique is the reason behind bad single strokes etc

[@firemenstation18]

You are a Phenomenal player & a phenomenal teacher🙏🥁 I love watching your lessons and everything that you have to offer to the world of drumming hoping you will be at the Zildjian 400th Drummer🥁 event Would love to have a chance to thank you for inspiration and shake your hand sir! Have a great day Robert

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Thanks Robert! I'm not sure if I will be able to make it due to my touring schedule this year. But, check out all of the dates that The Steel Woods have and if any come close to you, I'd love to meet up!

[@firemenstation18]

@@StephenTaylorDrums Yes sir I will

[@whyhatestrangers]

Glad that professionals are willing to sit down and explain this stuff, but hey, here’s an odd question. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a better in-shape version of Bryan Cranston?

[@oseniabiodun-lx1lw]

Ok thankz gonna try better

[@richard99580]

Since i'm left handed i've always have issue when i tried to speed it up to 190bpm for 1min 16th notes. I hope this exercise could make my right hand catch up to my left hand.

[@NikkLiberos]

7:08 DOMINATION!!!

[@La_sagne]

First take like a mfer

[@goodtimejohnny8972]

Teachers always amaze me. To be able to play something that's incorrect as a demonstration is particularly hard to do.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Lol, you have no idea how much we practice playing something incorrectly to demonstrate it

[@MyNathanking]

Hi, Stephen. I have always been curious about how drums are played --- and now that I have been watching many KZbin videos about drum playing I see the full extent of how confusing drum playing really is because of all those subtle nuances which I can't pick up. You explain one thing, but I can't tell how it's any different from something else. By the way, I have Asperger's syndrome. As an example, I just came off a video about something called "linear drum playing", but I can't see how linear drum playing is any different from regular drum playing just from watching it being done.

[@loser-nobody]

You're not incapable, just confused. Most of what you're discussing is not intended to be unique in any way to the listener. Ideally, the opposite, any identifiably discrepancies would actually be mistakes to fix. All these concepts are solely intended to improve the player's practice, not necessarily tools to be used in songs or the steps of music generation at all. Drumming is mentally all about equally sub-dividing the duration of a beat/measure to time each note. Physically, it's about performing that division with synchronized individual limb motions (finish reading to understand that definition). Linear drumming is, only hitting one thing at a time and it's only worth defining for practice purposes. To the player, it's cognitively unique from standard playing by giving each limb and note its own position in time with no cross-over with another. Playing casually, the brain is highly efficient in combining motions together into one cognitive process through repetition - taking the path of least resistance to accomplish a goal. One limb will cognitively synchronize with another (usually tends to be opposing L/R sides of hand/foot, i.e. snare stick synchronized with hi-hat pedal or bass pedal synchronized with hi-hat sticking). Practicing a synchronized motion solidifies it as its own concept, distinct from each motion done separately. While we do want it to solidify but not at the detriment of the individual skills. So every single iteration of LH, RH, LF and RF has to be distinctly practiced for the brain to accurately recall and perform in real-time. You might be able to simultaneously pat your head, rub your belly, and stomp your foot to a rhythm, but try reversing the direction or timing of just one of those without changing the others. Practicing this and nothing else will improve your technique and rhythm and other useful drumming skills but anything you can't keep count of means nothing to a band. Simply counting the numbers in a measure is literally child's play. However, I'm going to suggest musicians also learn to physically count with their bodies, distinct from the symbolism such as the name of the number. If you're playing a kick drum every 4 beats it doesn't matter what number that beat is, it will always have the same rhythm and technique. So why specifically practice playing a kick drum on 1, and then practice playing it on 2 or 3 or 4? Well, even without a song or other instruments to reference and synchronize with, you should practice every iteration of [LH, RH, LF and RF] just like before, assigned to every division of a measure therefore every beat/number, in order to remain fluid and flexible putting notes wherever you like! Here's a simple exercise for anyone sitting at their computer keyboard who hasn't counted song measures or even played an instrument like this before: Imagine you hold your fingers out and drop your hand on your keyboard to spell out a word in one efficient motion, determined by the order your 4 fingers strike the keys. Perhaps they land 1,2,3,4 from pinky-pointer; or perhaps they land 1,3,4,2. You could practice dropping your hand while holding your fingers out in every iteration of these 4 numbers to type different words. That's also a decent analogy for how musicians consolidate entire measures/rhythms into second-nature muscle-memory. (I'm guessing our brains are similar though I'm completely undiagnosed. I've had a drumset for nearly 15 years now, and came up with this explanation on the fly. Thanks for the mental exercise!) Anyway, I see where you're coming from and I agree most of these videos is wasted time that could be saved by communicating that the patterns should be practiced in every iteration. Perhaps: "Just push the pattern one beat forward or back and play that 4 times. Then repeat that process." But many students probably appreciate the instructor suffering through the tedium along with them and gives them something to follow along with if they get lost.

[@dukeburgundy8919]

Omgg I’ve never been more bored so quickly in my entire life. I’ve been playing drums for 30 years, if someone put a gun to my head and told me to play a rudiment, I’d be dead. Who fuckin cares. Just play and have fun.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Totally get it. Not every lesson is for everyone. Although, singles (what this video is about) and Doubles are not just rudiments, they're the basis of ALL our drumming. So if rudiments disappeared tomorrow, we'd still have to deal with singles and Doubles. Some people need a little more help than "just play and have fun". This lesson is for those players. We're not all on your level of playing so we need to respect every person's journey and support how they learn best.

[@mozzatheboz]

I’ll let you know when I’ve nailed all of these🎉

[@platterjockey]

For me, it has a lot to do with the way one holds their sticks. I use the traditional method.

[@MyNathanking]

Hi, Stephen. I have a real big problem with music. I am interested in the technicalities of music as though musical instruments were machines with all their buttons and keys and otherm what-not, but for me, music is an absolute dead science that I just cannot love for its own sake. I took some piano lessons when I was 19 years old beginning in August of 1989, but I felt like a complete fake because I enjoyed learning about the theoretical technicalities of things like sharps and flats and key signatures and time signatures, but I just did not love the music itself like my piano teacher Bonnie Witmer did. I got to the point where I just couldn't do those piano lessons anymore and Bonnie was very disapointed, telling me that I was one of her best students --- but I knew better because I felt like nothing more than an imposter acting it all out, playing the piano felt like awkwardly manipulating the keyboard with two ten-foot long robot arms, the intimidating musical tones of the piano seemed to come as though from a parallel dimension of the universe without any feeling like I was the one doing it, and I could never get over treating the piano keyboard more like a typewriter than a musical instrument. I wish I could enjoy music because it is such an "in" thing in society, but I just can't. By contrast, the one thing which I have never felt like an imposter in is plumbing. But I have Asperger's syndrome and have learning difficulties, so I wasn't able to get into plumbing. Consequently I rejected everything else people tried to get me into, and here I am at age 52 on disability benefits since age 24 because I am unable to work Part, though not all, of my inability to work has come from deflated motivation. So I experience an "inability to enjoy" kind of syndrome in which I see other people doing and enjoying the things they love doing, and it's not their talent that I envy, but instead I envy their ability to enjoy their thing and make a career out of it when I couldn't get what I wanted from what I enjoy --- and other people like musicians get what they want from what THEY enjoy. I hate that that's the way life has always worked for me.

[@havespacesuitwilltravel9607]

hmmmm...I went through a similar thing. I decided to build stave drums and that kept me going until I found some "enjoyment" again. Something about the technicality and solitude of building instruments and observing how the various tweaks you can make to the design objectively affect the action and sound was more interesting to me than playing.

[@MyNathanking]

0:36: Hi, Stephen. You explain about uneven volume, but in this example of playing drums I can't see what's wrong even with you having explained what you're demonstrating. That's what I was just saying --- all these subtle nuances in drum playing are what make drum playing so confusing.

[@rayboreham2648]

What left hand??!!

[@SMHH]

Would much appreciate if you put the notes in the video at bottom.

[@mickmutante]

OMG... I have the top 3 problems on sigle stroke rolls... 😅😅

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Me too 😁🥴

[@MD-zo7cl]

SOME DRUMMERS/PERCUSSIONIST, HAVE NATURAL TALENT. OTHERS ARE BOOK TAUGHT OR SHEET MUSIC TRAINED. I CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE, A MILE AWAY. I HAVE GOD GIVEN NATURAL BORN TALENT.AND HAVE BEEN ON THE DRUMS SINCE AGE 5. AMEN🙏❤😁. AND PLAYING IN A BAND SINCE AGE 11. AMEN🙏. TALENT GIVEN BY GOD TO MAKE MUSIC TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY.❤🙏😁.THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE!!!!!!!

[@TealGaming-fb8bs]

Cool story bro

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

We could dive into the myriad of study that has happened the past 20 years on the subject of "inborn talent". It doesn't exist. Early exposure, early interests, etc. have a massive compounding affect, especially when a child at an early age latches on to something and becomes obsessed. That's an extremely important learning time for a child. Any linguist will tell you the easiest time for a person to learn a language is in early childhood, especially if it's incorporated into their daily life. But that would take away from your story that you feel you were somehow born "special" in the category of drumming. So, instead, I'll just say...congrats on winning the genetic lottery. The rest of us plebs will continue to practice and try to reach your level of genetic superiority before we die utter failures. This is a ridiculous conversation btw.

[@guywhoisaguy67676]

Give me your reason for every snare stand having a tilt.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Every snare stand has a tilt option. Every snare stand does not have a tilt. They have a tilt option so the player can set up how they are most comfortable. Some play matched and like a slight tilt. Some play trad and like a big tilt. Some play trad and like it flat. Look, I'm a fan of trad and matched. But there's no way anyone will ever convince me trad makes anything easier or is "better". Better is a subjective term. To say that playing a single stroke roll will be easier in trad is simply not true. The important thing is that we play how we feel comfortable. Learn to do a single stroke roll THAT way. That is the easiest path forward. The path that makes you the most comfortable. Matched is not superior to trad and trad is not superior to matched.

[@morbidmanmusic]

issues?? wow. BR fans get lost in some glass house filled with drum ignorance.

[@mensenvandekempen1019]

You lost weight , looking great 😊

[@Sakeroz]

Curse you left hand

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Story of my life...

[@lildrummerboy177]

that's what im sayin 😅

[@xrybgfyuknnderhn9567]

Yeah my right hand is 'better' than my left

[@jonboydiego999]

Unrelated...is that a Levis shirt?

[@drummerboy4778]

Your tempo setting is not 50bpm

[@guywhoisaguy67676]

Viewers should keep in mind that playing snare using matched grip makes it so very much harder than it needs to be. But if matched grip is your image driven style,.. This guy explains well the troubles you will encounter.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Ok, so I'm gonna weigh in on this. I learned both grips, trad and matched. You are incorrect that matched makes it harder to learn a proper single stroke roll. Having learned both, trad is much more difficult to get the underlying fundamentals down for stroke and grip. The main reason being it is not a natural way to grip a stick. Trad came about as a work around to get over the rim of a snare drum that was being carried slung over one shoulder. You can't play the drum matched when it's carried in that manner. So they developed trad grip. But it is an incorrect assumption that matched is inferior to trad or that trad is inferior to matched. Again, this is coming from someone that is well versed in both. Of the two grips, trad has a much larger learning curve. This is from my experience and from teaching MANY students over the years. Now, does it matter which you play? Absolutely not. But to say a single stroke roll is easier to play in trad than matched is an incorrect statement. Totally get it if trad is your preferred grip though and I can see why you would like it more. Your initial statement is just incorrect.

[@guywhoisaguy67676]

@@StephenTaylorDrums Is is for me and I can do a single stroke drum roll with one hand as Rich did. I think it was much harder to learn matched grip because you have no, pivot or brake, you only have the three fingers under your thumb with matched grip. Matched grip is limited. I can do matched grip just as well as anyone else and I find you have many more options with traditional grip than with matched. Double bass and double taps is what a lot of drummers define as Metal today and matched grip is fine for that so that must be the way to go, Right ? So you know, I like to play drums, cymbals, rims, door knobs, kitchens, furniture, car parts things in Nature like rocks, trees, ice, and their is no way you can convince me that matched grip is as equal as traditional., When you have reached you best of the best you can do with matched grip, there is only one way left for you to go. Even Neil Peart went traditional after 30 years of matched grip because he reached the limit. Matched grip is fine for rack toms or tympani but not snare. You need that elbow against your ribs.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

​@John Owen it's totally OK that we disagree about this John. I have given this an incredible amount of energy and thought over the years. For me, matched is my preferred. For you, it's trad. And that's totally fine.

[@guywhoisaguy67676]

@@StephenTaylorDrums I'm cool with that.

[@morbidmanmusic]

oh That is such crap. Physics says otherwise. the end.

[@bretdorton]

You are playing 1 e &?

[@jpardoa94]

As someone who can't even afford a single snare idk why i am even watching this

[@corazonmanosypies2]

¡No nos muestres como "no debe hacerse" porque eso ya lo hacemos! Muestranos de forma directa "cómo debe hacerse" y se gana tiempo! Y voy a decirte algo que le digo a todos los que publican contenidos: habla menos y demuestra mas!!!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

So there are multiple educational studies I can point to for demonstrating the incorrect way versus the correct way. Students learn better when they see the incorrect directly against the correct. They are able to hear and see the difference. The best format is actually to show the correct way, the incorrect way, and then the correct way again. Newer students have undeveloped ears. They have to see things in context directly juxtaposed, correct against incorrect. I speak as much as is needed. If you time map this lesson, you will find most of my speaking is directly related to demonstrating the exercises. The video should be as long as it needs to be and no longer. For a lesson, it takes equal parts demonstration and explanation. I get that some players are more advanced and don't need the explanations. That's why I also make the sheet music available. Skip the lesson, download the sheet music, and get started. Hope that helps!

[@MyNathanking]

15:20: Your 95 BPM demonstrations are completely meaningless and undecipherable because you're COMPLETELY ignoring the metronome beat. How'bout taking your own advice when you teach that one of many drumming mistakes is that of "ignoring the song"?

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

I'm not completely ignoring the metronome. The accent pattern in the exercise moves. So the accents then do not line up with the downbeat. But it is with the metronome. I think as you learn more and more with drumming, your ears will also improve and you will be able to hear the nuanced things you're missing that you spoke about in your previous comments

[@MyNathanking]

@@StephenTaylorDrums What makes me think you're ignoring the beat rhythm is that you are sliding in and out of it like a five-year-old who merely THINKS he knows something about beats but is just counting 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8....." and going boom-boom-boom completely at random. Once again --- confusion confusion confusion. Without being face to face I can't explain to you what makes me think you're ignoring the beat rhythm.