How To Get Faster At Double Stroke Rolls!

How To Get Faster At Double Stroke Roll
Get asked this so much in the sessions here!
Playing fast, smooth double strokes is a massive skill for any drummer looking to play well. How do you get faster?
The short answer is you practice it, but practicing it in the right way is really important! So many drummers just try to play fast and declare that it’s “hard”. But it’s only hard if you try to miss steps out! Start slow, keep it smooth and use your metronome at a speed where you can play it comfortably for at least a minute or so. Then notch up the metronome a bit at a time until you hit your “improvement zone” - the point where you can still successfully play the roll, but it’s just a bit of a challenge. Live in this zone, stick with it and improvement is inevitable. Go for it!
Technique-wise, there’ll be a point where wrist motions for each stroke transition into “bounced doubles”, as described and demonstrated here. I find that starts to happen at around 100bpm when playing 16th notes (4 hits per beat).
It’s definitely worth practicing the bounced double/finger control motion separately and individually alongside the metronome method. This’ll get the motion internalized and it’ll then automatically begin to work at speed for you if you stick at it.
The BEST thing about this sort of hand speed-building practice is you can do it anywhere, you don’t need access to a kit!
Have fun, work hard and please let me know if any questions,
Mike :)
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And thank you for all your lovely feedback about these videos. If you'd enjoyed them/found them helpful and wish to support this channel that’d be hugely appreciated - you can “buy Mike a coffee” here:
www.buymeacoff...
All proceeds go towards doing stuff to develop this channel and producing more videos for you. My aim is to upload a drum video each day!
Have fun and thanks so much for watching.
Mike :)

[@MS-gj7ni]

This guy is awesome! …… all his lessons are I think Mike is the best teacher on you tube without a doubt ….

[@markielinhart]

Hi Mike I finally found this DSR vid. What a great help it is too‼For ages I felt like I was doing just fast singles, but counting out 1/16th notes it dawned on me that I'm doing (slightly untidy) doubles, so thanks again. I’ll keep on practicing for smoothness... ✌🌻

[@martinarmer2388]

best double stroke roll vid I've ever seen. Great Work.Thanks Mike.

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Very kind Martin and really happy if these vids are proving useful for you. Thanks for watching!

[@sumitmaihan7413]

the best video on double strokes roll thus far. very very well explained

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Thanks for watching!

[@michaelkniess2098]

Man, others would make 4 or 5 videos out of the content here. Just like your vid on Moeller, this is the most useful double stroke session I've seen on KZbin (and I watch a ton!). You helped a bunch of things click, thanks dude!

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Thanks so much Michael, so glad you dug and thanks so much for the support on Buy Me A Coffee too. Really appreciate it man and thanks for watching 🙏🏻👊🏻

[@michaelkniess2098]

@@MikeBarnesDrums love your technique guides man, top notch! My pleasure on the coffee thing, I'm glad they have that so folks can paid for the value they bring, it's awesome.

[@pipersphynx4349]

Sweet spot ended up at 130bpm. This is so helpful

[@00wn]

I was sure my death certificate would say ~ CAUSE OF DEATH - Double Stroke Roll... But this video gives me hope. Thank You so much, Mike! I subbed. 😎

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers Joe!

[@navyaarya2910]

Can you please make a video of paradiddle, double paradiddle and para para diddle?

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Hey man, thanks for watching. I have! Paradiddles: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYDRZZdre8d1bq8 Double Paradiddles: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWSWmHWfZtmYhKM Paradiddle-diddles: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqDRanunm9Whl8k Loads more to come too. Cheers! Mike :)

[@famousace4652]

best how to video on double stroke roll! very descriptive. thanks

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Sure thing Kody, thanks for watching :) Loads more vids of this nature on my hand technique playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLcfoni8UPb9rSxcLAwNm4nzJt0YBUDstl

[@tjdrummernz814]

Thanks helped with my double strokes a lot ❤❤❤❤❤😊

[@TonyDiaz.]

I'm super stuck on doubles and paradiddles. I've been developing speed by inventing fills but I do need to nail those two at least at a decent speed. Will practice this and see how much time it takes me.

[@fairygothmother774]

Brilliant double stroke roll vid! Has helped me a great deal!

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Moon Queen Brilliant man, really glad! Thanks for tuning in!

[@TheDanimatorsChannel]

This is fantastic. Thank you!

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers man, thanks for watching!

[@kikiashton]

Hi Mike as i said before you are a great teacher… do you have an online school or something?

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

www.buymeacoffee.com/mikebarnesdrums

[@Rijo31000]

Thanks again! This time I used my credit card and bought you 3 coffees 😉 👊

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

So I saw! Thanks so much Richard - I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support, and I promise to put it to good use. Thanks again man :) Mike 👊🏻

[@tomfox2020]

Great video thank you. Could you name a couple of Beginner / Intermediate songs to then start to practise this alongside please?

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Hi Tom, glad you dig man - pretty much anything with a steady pulse in 4/4 - Billie Jean?!

[@tomfox2020]

@@MikeBarnesDrums Great thank you

[@hankigoe829]

Is this what people mean by 'push/pull technique'?

[@lorenzojw04]

Hey Mike, i’ve noticed that you have been showing us this on a practice pad. I just wanted to ask, what’s a good practice pad to buy? There are many different types and i’m really not sure which one to go for. Thanks :)

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Hi, am using a Roland Rhythm Coach here and I use that as my main practice pad, has a great feel and lots of useful features. But tbh most practice pads would do the job just great! :) Mike

[@markhenderson1119]

Hi Mike I’m trying to keep my palm of my hands facing downwards toward the snare but find as I get quicker my palms are turning inwards a little facing each other and fingers are taking over which doesn’t sound as even. Do I need to to keep my palms facing downwards ? Thanks, great vid

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Hi Mark, not necessarily - french hand position is very much a thing! (see here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3epk3aMe9-fntU) Obviously though the sound should be even whatever hand position you use. Playlist about bounced doubles here: kzbin.info/aero/PLcfoni8UPb9q2nNqDB6TXprHhMS6yGxqj Hope that's useful! and thanks for watching :)

[@Fucklesticks]

Man... doubles frustrate the hell out of me. I've wasted so much time practicing doubles with the wrong finger technique, now finally i've fixed that and noticing improvements, but progress is sooooo slow. Do you think it's a waste of time if you haven't 100% perfected single strokes with the weak hand?

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Thanks for watching man. Do I think it's a waste of time if you haven't perfected single strokes? No! (who has perfected singles strokes?!) Good progress on a physical skill always takes time, see here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqu3npijaNx8jK8. Just get into your improvement zone each session (kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmiZZpSYjMqSq9U) and build that skill. A few months to a few years to get smooth doubles happening at speed I'd say 👊🏻 My view on technique for bounced doubles is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXqsgqSIl6uVsM0

[@Fucklesticks]

​@@MikeBarnesDrums I can't believe it, since i wrote that comment, out of nowhere i started playing double stroke rolls naturally! I think my brain made a click last night with a RLRL RRLLRRLL excercise

[@tuddler]

What kind of practice pad would you recommend for that bounce back?

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

FlumpsyBumps Hi, am using a Roland Rhythm Coach here, but tbh most practice pads would do the job just great! :) MB

[@tuddler]

@@MikeBarnesDrums nice one thanks!✌️

[@wannabeadrummer]

More sound advice

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

I try Paul!

[@scaramanga86]

That a recording custom i see 👀

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

It is!

[@wreckbot4278]

I got 110 bpm

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Great, keep working!

[@njkdrums6241]

Alright so I’m playing them pretty fast but they keep coming out in burst and kind of sound like a laundry machine. Or a car trying to start up after not being run for a long time

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Maybe slow down a little and take some time to get them sounding smooth! Cheers :)