How To Warm Up Your Hands Before Practicing and Gigging

[@jeffreywegener8841]

Thx Rick . This has been so useful. I’m been doing Igoes warm up with the rudiments but I realise now I’ ve turned it into a chop out ( which it is ) . But I’m 69 & realise the importance of the slower tempos ; the stretching ( luckily I do a bit of yoga earlier) Soooo helpful. 🙏.

[@jamessholtz6016]

Great advice you have here. I use to be a USMC Drum & Bugle Corps and a USMC Band drummer. Currently a young 65 years old. I warm up with 82 gram Coopermans. I then go down to Vic Firth Billy Cobham sticks. Just started playing again after many years. Your various videos are appreciated by many in the drum community. Thank You.

[@rickdior]

Hi James Thanks for watching Those older cooperman sticks were great.

[@kevinsimmons7630]

Thank you. This is great advice for me personally. I am in the process of refinishing a big Slingerland kit. 24” bass drum. 18” floor tom. It requires a lot of fine hand sanding. Good ol elbow grease. Which, as you mentioned, is pretty rough on a drummers hands. I truly appreciate the labor of love that you put into the making of your sticks. Which at some point in time will become pieces of drumming history.

[@uhoh007]

Your focus on health is very refreshing.

[@AldeanLeger]

The cool down is a great time to try new stuff

[@franklinhoway5958]

Thank you, great job, you are one of the real prefessional drummers out there, your knokledge is so vast, I been playing drums for more than 50 years and I watch your videos everyday, they're great to improve your drumming in so many ways, thank you so much, keep up the good w

[@tommcmichael8679]

I'm 64 and finding how important warm up and stretches are. Thanks for the good advice!

[@totogroove]

This is just amazing information. Thank you!

[@paulstix1]

Thanks as ever Rick. I’ll give this a go when my new sticks ( from you ) arrive . 🙏

[@JohnnyAvram]

Damn.. that is so impressive and honorable. I am not able to practice 8-9 hours a day unfortunately...

[@rikkyaxelrod4336]

Great ideas for warm up,thank you

[@bobweber4140]

Another great video thankyou Rick great advice

[@maximilianvonhammerstein1644]

thanks for the tips on this subject. very helpful

[@JohnnyAvram]

Hello dear Rick. Thanks a lot for your videos! Could you please specify on what exact drumsticks you are using in this video? Thanks a lot again!

[@rickdior]

Hi Johnny That info is in the description. They should be black wenge heartwood. I make these sticks and sell them. You can contact me at [e-mail] to purchase a pair.

[@ralphkolarik4115]

Most likely due to bad technique the only way i am able to do this pyramid is using a French Timpani grip. My questions / statement is, i play drum set mostly and mainly play with a hand over German type of matched grip for back beats with sort of a throw for back beats and the rest in a French grip. Will doing this warm up help this weird technique i use for set or should I do a pyramid for both techniques to warm up? I also use traditional grip occasionally. I guess my main question is should i cultivate this for each grip and do all of them before a practice or gig to properly warm up? Lastly another point is the French Timpani grip is only good for me to do singles, and even then find that my thumb travels up the shaft and I don't have that great of control. I find with my other grips i can do doubles but the rebounds come up at weird angles. Not sure if really matters but basically have little control in that area. Traditional grip is best for good doubles for me. BTW, all of these grips sound fine recorded but odd bounces etc. does is matter? Thanks for any input you have and thanks for all the info. and support!!

[@rhythmfield]

Terrific warmup guidance Rick. Even though I am a working drummer and have been playing a long time, I don’t have daily warm-up concept. This is a great place to start. Before a gig, as a rule I’ve got the sticks in my hands for at least 10-20 minutes. That usually means playing on the dashboard and steering wheel en route to the gig… Don’t try this at home kids, or while driving…

[@rickdior]

When I started gigging at age 13 my mom would drive me to the gigs. I would warm up on the cars dashboard. I destroyed 2 car dashboards during this time. My mom never seemed to care. She was the best.

[@rhythmfield]

rickdior musician parents are angels, mine were unbelievable-full set of drums in a room in the front of the house. I was always sort of a musical drummer so it wasn’t just hacking around, but man they put up with some noise in those early years. I was trying to be a combination of Ginger Baker, RIngo, Mitch Mitchell and Elvin Jones at age 13 or so.

[@gonchisifre6632]

Hi Rick! How can I buy the book you’re using on this particular video. Your playing & teaching have made realize how important REAL discipline is. Thanks, Gonzalo 🇵🇷

[@robsvibe]

Thank you sir for this wonderful channel ! Question regarding weak left hand fulcrum for matched grip. Are there any fulcrum strengthening exercises you can recommend with or without sticks ? Thank you for any advice.

[@rickdior]

Hi Not without sticks. Just play as much as possible and use as many sticking variations as possible. It is not a tight grip, but the squeeze will change depending on the type of sticking you are using. A teacher who has great technique can go a long way in helping you with this.

[@robsvibe]

@@rickdior Thank you :)

[@bluesky6449]

Rick- like training with weights, you warm up but start with the light and move to the heavier. Therefore, for older drummers, after the hands warmups, why not start with a lighter stick and work your way up to the heavier, it seems starting heavy would be more of a shock to the joints/tendons, etc. Makes any sense?

[@rickdior]

Hi Thanks for the comment. I find that playing slow with a heavier stick warms my hands up faster. Playing slow is the key. Let the heavier stick do the work and the heavier the stick the less work you have to do. This is not like lifting weights since you are actually doing less work with a heavier stick providing that you are letting it bounce.

[@gonchisifre6632]

Hi Rick! I would like to buy the book your working from in this video.How do I go about it ? Thanks, Gonzalo from 🇵🇷

[@rickdior]

Hi You can email me at [e-mail] Stay well in Puerto Rico

[@chrispalace6014]

This is very helpful. How come you keep your metronome or all 16th notes rather than on quarter notes or half notes?

[@rickdior]

Hi Chris I sub-divide beacause I want to make sure all my strokes are even. You can check this by putting the metronome on the smallest subdivision you are playing, record yourself and then listen back. The metronome should almost disappear.

[@brunomaiamusic]

2:25 I so feel like Daniel Sam right now.😆

[@rickdior]

It's pretty creepy when you just see my head and hands.

[@federicocorazzini4689]

Hi Rick, thank you for this video. I always kind of freestyle my approach into warming up, but this is more disciplined and helpful. What do you think about warming up on the kit? Should I apply this mentality with to feet/ankles?

[@rickdior]

I do. Its important to warm up your feet as well.

[@zacgauthiermusic]

Hello sir! May ask where I can purchase the initial sticks you're using on this video for warming up? Thank you!

[@rickdior]

Hi I make those sticks. If you click on my picture in youtube it will take you to the community page. Click on community and scroll down and you will see lots of info on the sticks. You can also email me at [e-mail]