These 3 exercises will level up your finger drumming

[@ellenbritto]

I stayed here because he talked about going to sleep. That’s how learning works. Thank you for the video, been practicing for a few days now!

[@aishanvali]

When you said it's important to get phases of sleep to process what we're practicing, I was like "Ah. This man cares about the Art and Science Of Learning." Instantly subscribed at that point!

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Hahaha, yes thats so true. I once learned how to play guitar when I was young and stupid. I got there, but it took a long time. When learning finger drumming I started at 0 but used all my 'wisdom' and was (even though I already knew it) amazed by how smart practice works. You can become good at something and still have time left in the day to do other things :-)

[@johncitizen8828]

So true, so true. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I want to become good at the art of learning. Then that can be applied to many desired skills. I was even thinking that ‘Learning’ should be a subject in school. They would teach the theoretical and scientific principles of learning, and then the students could apply those principles in a series of projects in which they apply those learning in a structured way to learn a new skill and report on their progress.

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Totally agree!! I might do some specific videos on the subject.

[@johncitizen8828]

The Quest for Groove That would be awesome, I think it would make for really strong content. I think in someways, developing the skill of learning itself is the more durable and important skill than getting sidetracked in the minutiae of endless production/technical tricks. Do you have any book recommendations on the subject of learning? I’ve been meaning to read ‘The Power of Habit’, which I believe is a classic in the genre.

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Most of my knowledge from learning came from personal experience. I studied Jazz guitar over a decade ago and made all the mistakes one could make. When I learned finger drumming I decided to do it 'right' this time and I really focused on the learning process, what worked, what did not etc. The best book I read that comes close to this subject is "Range" by David Epstein. It sort of 'debunks' the notion that the best way to get good at something is always to 100% commit to that and nothing else. He demonstrates cases in which having a broader range of skills that are less extremely developed actually give you more superpowers than one highly specific skill.

[@masaomiito8603]

thank you for Japanese subtitles

[@DoctorRapper]

I’ve always just programmed my drums but finding that I can be more creative with finger drumming! Thanks for the awesome vid!

[@Martin1519]

This was way harder than I thought it was going to be, took me til the 2nd day to get level 2 down and I’m now practicing level 3. I love challenges and learning new things so thank you!

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Keep it up! And glad to hear you like the exercises!

[@TheQuestforGroove]

►► Learn all the basics of Finger Drumming for FREE on → questforgroove.com =TIMELINKS= 1:04 - Beat 1 1:22 - Beat 1 slow with count 1:40 - How to practice not flamming 3:03 - Beat 2 3:23 - Beat 2 slow with count 3:48 - Beat 2 Super Slow (this is how you should start practicing this) 4:32 - Beat 3 4:50 - Beat 3 slow with count 5:19 - Bonus assignment 5:39 - Beat 1 (bonus assignment) 6:13 - Beat 2 (bonus assignment) 6:22 - Beat 3 (bonus assignment)

[@SynthApprentice]

Is there somewhere I can get the tabs to the third beat?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

@@SynthApprentice I'm sorry, I never made those. You might still want to check out the free beginner course on my website, with some different beats but everything is written out in diagrams!

[@justwill1140]

absolute beginner here... awesome to have a clear starting point. Great lesson. Thanks

[@LacklusterOfficial]

This was really interesting. I thought I was pretty okay, but then realized I was hitting the kickdrum on every hihat, too, then when I tried to separate them so it'd be a hihat+kick, hihat, hihat+snare, brain started melting. thanks for making this video, it's interesting stuff and I really need to get right into fingerdrumming and get my head + hands used to this.

[@PettiMusicStudios]

Just got myself a Maschine Mikro MK3 based off your recommendation. I signed up for your beginner tutorial. I can't wait to dive into this. You have really inspired me to groove with my fingers!

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Hey thats great to hear! Have fun and feel free to share your progress with me (or with the rest of the community on questforfroove.discourse.group )

[@PettiMusicStudios]

@@TheQuestforGroove will do! thanks again!

[@oldladyfalling7844]

I am a percussionist...dumbek, darbukka, etc..got quick fingers, rolls, but realized very quickly the rhythms and patterns are very different when trying to lay out drum set beats...your exercises have helped quite a bit

[@AsakuraTetsuoFolco]

A good exercise for finger indepency is switch your mouse buttons. If you switch your mouse buttons left to right, then you'll start moving more independently your meddle finger, who now will be your click for everything button. Its a great exercise.

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Good idea! I actually did this thing where I would use my left hand as my main hand when cooking dinner. That also helped.

[@BottegaBeats]

Great exercises ! Thank you ! Must do :D

[@fabiolotto7578]

Thank you

[@Antisaint13]

I really appreciate this video. Thanks man!

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Thanks! Have fun playing.

[@manfreddawg]

Great, hope this can also translate to hand independence while playing keys 😄

[@TheQuestforGroove]

To some extent for sure. I think the non-overlap will mostly occur in using different finger movements. Finger drumming mostly comes from the wrists instead of separate fingers like piano.

[@Juliano_DJOL]

Like the side stick trick

[@Havanacuba1985]

That was great ,love that porcaro shuffle Jef was the best

[@Ntinkster]

I was getting annoyed at not being able to do the first exercise at speed till you mentioned later in the video that it gets better over weeks. Like you said, even though we know it takes time and practice, we just want things to happen overnight for some god damn reason. Now i'm content with my slowness as it's only day 1! Will come back and post on this thread on day 14 if I'm still practicing. Much love and thanks for video Robert!

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Alright yes please share your progress! Taking it slow is the fastest route to success!

[@arnonuem352]

Same situation (day 1) my man, hope you just forgot to post here tho :P GL & HF also everyone else reading this

[@Ntinkster]

​@@arnonuem352 Haha, thanks for reminding me mate! This practice had a great effect on my finger drumming. I was able to play a drum fill into the riff I had recorded with ease, and I was smiling inside due to the progress I made!

[@neMgieTV]

@@Ntinkster well done!

[@kritikal3172]

i got your finger drumming exercise right here

[@aslangg]

well made.. more difficult than I expected😂 - do you have a video assigning fingers to drums?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Yeah just go to questforgroove.com and enroll in the beginner course! 100% free and very detailed about every step in how to get started.

[@sholokde4472]

Just got my Maschine, man you are the best, I ve never done finger drumming before, but now I practice everyday

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Ah thats so great to hear! Make sure to check out questforgroove.com somewhere after chirstmas. Im building a brand new website that will be an even better resource for learning! Have fun playing!

[@sholokde4472]

@@TheQuestforGroove wow! Sounds great!

[@sholokde4472]

@@TheQuestforGroove Wow, your website is great! I def joining! great work man

[@nichelcruz7749]

Thanks Matthew! I like it doing these exercises as warm up before every practice session I do! Cheers

[@MattWarb2]

I can genuinely see this working. I have an mpx8 arriving this week and this video will help me a lot I think. Thanks 🙏

[@kilasgameshorts9342]

Thank you very much for your videos it really helped me get by. I would love to see some more videos about hands/fingers independency exercises.

[@avefuqua]

Hi, would be nice if you could do this exercises with the Maschine kits ( original layout ) and show different variations.

[@jorgeinfante7752]

thanks man.

[@Gedagnors]

Wow! This is so useful!!! Thank you so much!!!

[@benpritchard2716]

Thanks.

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Thanks Ben! You're the first "thanks giver" ever, so that makes this extra special!

[@rayderrich]

Great video, Robert, and very hard to do for me as a newbie to this.

[@scribblygumsartist]

Great video as always Rob. I often think of my thumbs as being the equivalent of feet on a bass drum pedal. One extra bonus level up might be to do a pattern with a bass drum and snare hit played on one hand simultaneously with no flamming - while attempting to make the bass drum loud and the snare quiet (plus hi-hat played independently with the other hand - maybe with varying accents for independent hands super bonus!).

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Yes, well there you go! You came up with some next level exercise that honestly sounds like a great thing to practice. All I would say about all of these exercises is: take them on when you're truly ready. So that first one might seem easy but as long as it doesnt feel easy to do, accept that that's where you are at the moment and just patiently work on that for a few weeks. I'm personally just working on 1 rudiments exercise for the next few months I think. (Not in this video). That's the best thing to do for me because it really hits a weak spot so I have to give it all the time it needs.

[@scribblygumsartist]

@@TheQuestforGroove Yes, agree... I've recently been spending weeks and weeks on just 2 of your patterns from the Grooving and Improving course... I like to go slow...really slow! But then when I come back to it next day I surprise myself as seems to magically come together... it's like hey I'm really doing this... starting to groove! (For anyone reading this btw I highly recommend you study Robs subscription courses. They really are excellent, super well put together and the best on the internet if you are serious about getting groovy with your pads!)

[@alexmursell1758]

Thanks for this man, I'm now hooked on the world of finger drumming. This was very helpful 👍

[@NICOLAS-oe6md]

Exclente video Robert, very useful, and great quality. Gonna be practicing these myself, keep up the great work!

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Thanks! Yeah take your time with these! If the "easier" method of alternating hands is working you can already play nice things, so you can just practice this stuff on the side and really give it the time it needs until you're ready to use it!

[@simonac688.]

Great teaching...will do tks

[@thetablescratch]

Love your videos! They help a lot.

[@farrellsgaf]

Great lesson. Cheers!

[@cleekersneaker]

Thanks for this video. Now I want really long clips of each of the examples so I can play along for 5-10 minutes at various speeds. Pedagogically useful for learners, algorithmically counterproductive for youtubers.

[@cleekersneaker]

I might have to make my own private loop to help me practice. I should send you a dollar.

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Keep the dollar! I made lots of long playalong stuff for the courses on my website. Not for this exercise specifically I must admit, more like songs to play along to, and some of them use beats that are similar. That's the way I keep the whole thing running, because indeed... long form lesson content or playalong stuff on KZbin really does not seem to work. Atrocious viewer retention :-D

[@sagargupta3900]

Great video

[@Yahoomediaclub]

Great Videos ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍

[@SunnyGamingMemes]

Reggae Quest is in Melodics. Well done

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Yeah it is! They really liked that lesson (its a youtube video on this channel as well, thats how It started). So I converted the video into a lesson for them.

[@abhimalavalli]

You are cool man, your videos are quite motivating to get me started on finger drumming

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Thanks! If you take it step by step you can get pretty good at this fairly quickly. If you want you can do some free lessons on questforgroove.com for a couple of weeks to get started in an organised way.

[@abhimalavalli]

Thanks Robert, I’m still still deciding to go with pad drumming or keyboard drumming as I haven’t purchased any hardware yet. Primarily playing sax. Looking for something on the side to improve rhythm skills

[@MarioHemsley]

Excellent! Thank you!

[@SweetScaleTV]

Thanks for the tips Rob.... Look forward to seeing more vids this year!!

[@BooBassKing]

Amazin' Thanks!

[@xider_8902]

Hi man, love your videos, they very helped me to level up my finger drummin tecniques. Keep it going! ♬

[@turkking11]

Really appreciate your effort to teach, amazing channel thanks for all your efforts ❤️. Cheers

[@Jazzmarcel]

Love the content here!.......had to re search because new videos weren't showing up!

[@stevenmurdock7116]

Just discovered your channel, great videos man. I'm learning a lot, thank you!

[@TheQuestforGroove]

There's also a free beginner course on questforgroove.com in case you're interested!

[@gregbrookman]

Love this vid! Thank you 🙏

[@TheJoyofFingerDrumming]

Great job, dude! Fresh new ideas. Thanks.

[@jorjaotrio]

Thank you mate! Really helpful

[@superegobeats]

These are extremely helpful. Thank you so much.

[@champaklalgada5110]

Woah this 60fps looks dope...

[@TheQuestforGroove]

I started doing it because if you slow down the video speed you will still see all the movements clearly. But now I do also just like the way it looks actually :-)

[@champaklalgada5110]

@@TheQuestforGroove Yup!! It works great...

[@neMgieTV]

Thanks Mathijs. Lekker bezig!

[@jezwinski]

Great video! Although, I love severe flamming.

[@TheQuestforGroove]

As long as you're in control it's fine! If it happens by accident it'll make you more versatile if you practice hitting at the same time as well. I love flams too :-)

[@sawssman965]

i know its two years old but it seems to be helping a lot. this is where im building my foundation from. is it supposed to be a little harder when counting? really appreciate the help a lot!

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Thanks! I think this info will stay relevant for more than 2 years, don't worry! It is absolutely harder to keep counting by the way. But this will make your beats more steady, so it's worth it. I did some other videos about counting while playing fills and stuff. >> kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4mqY4evn5hmesU

[@sawssman965]

@The Quest for Groove awesome. Yea I think it will be relevant as long as finger drumming exists. I'm going go thru whatever you got. Thanks again.

[@vivpic]

great thanks

[@Wojtyla666]

hey man, i found a korg padkontrol white for 50€ .Thanks for your vídeos about this things. In spanish second-hand market there are a lot of those padkontrols!

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Awesome! Im sure itll serve you well

[@George-nx8zu]

That third one with the 16th is really hard on my brain

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Yeah it sucks, but remember that learning how to tie your shoe laces was hard once too! Just a matter of repetition and it'll start to feel normal.

[@jasonchan3377]

still very useful, keep doing!

[@jonaswortmann5467]

this reminds me on my first drum lesson back then . 1 a 2 a 3 a 4 a ...

[@TheQuestforGroove]

You gotta do the basics and you gotta do them right :-)

[@fluu5258]

Bro , I ain't got words for this, apart from, thanks and you're a fucking genius 😳

[@Mystique2u]

Great video!

[@JESchomb]

Thanks Robert Mathijs

[@silvertone4493]

thanks!

[@LEOPORT5]

Awesomeeeee

[@stevenlayne6454]

What I found funny is that you had to concentrate to flam, not to play uber complicated beats :P its all in the face haha

[@TheQuestforGroove]

haha, youtube seems to have blocked some comments and shows them now. So im reading this after 3 weeks :-) Its all in the face, so true. :-)

[@Kuan216]

Man~ love your video. Already subscribed! fire up🔥 And 1 question, This is for all drum machines, we are talking about the groove. right?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Yes, its all about playing yourself and bringing your own groove to the pads and into your productions! Other stuff i talk about: gear (good sensitive pads) and just tips and tricks on how to be a better player and musician.

[@northcountry__scottbates3880]

I've been battling with cancer and I can't play The grill drum set but if I can find something to play with my fingers that would be awesome

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Hey, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you'll find a nice escape in playing drums. Send me an email if you need anything from my website. I'd be more than happy to help out someone who's struggling.

[@jeyashurbayov1100]

You are amazing mannn!! This is the best youtube lesson in my life I guess.. Thanks, a lot! Could you please also share your drum kits name? Is it acoustic or any name, please?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Hey man, sorry for the late reply. KZbin sometimes doesn't show me every comment. No idea what that's about. The kit is Black Oyster from Addictive Drums 2. I recommend getting the starter pack where you can choose your own kits and then choose Fairfax 1, Black Oyster and Funk kits. Great combo!

[@jahaynes256]

I've been having a hard time finding drums I like in Ableton Lite, what drum sounds are you using? Sounds great.

[@TheQuestforGroove]

This is Addictive Drums 2. Great realistic drum software. If you subscribe to their newsletter you get updates on sales. I'd wait for one of those and then buy the software. They regularly have these sales that go 40%, 50% off!

[@RWaarden]

NIce exercise, explanation and video overall! Also, am I hearing a bit of dutch accent in your English or is my mind playing tricks with me?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

I'm Dutch so you're right!

[@nympholepticmonkey352]

What drum machine is that? I've been tempted by the mpc renassaince but I'd rather something like yours. Great video btw ☺

[@TheQuestforGroove]

This is the Maschine mk3 in midi mode with Addictive Drums 2 as the drum software.

[@nympholepticmonkey352]

Thanks so much for the Info and taking the time to get back to me. Very appreciated ☺.

[@shaunmadison99]

So, how did you set up your pads that way? Did you explain that in another video? This is my first video of yours. Like what’s the logic of your setup?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Hey looks like you found it, but just to be sure, this is the summary of my pad setup and everything: questforgroove.com/basic-finger-drumming-technique-pad-layout/

[@TheNinja94a]

4:32 Beef Rapp by MF DOOM

[@DodgaOfficial]

How do you get to that view that shows what's on each pad on the second maschine screen?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

I explain in this video! You can name the pads in controller editor and then it will show up on the screen in midi mode. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZm3iaWNaLl_psU

[@calcmusico6171]

Hello... Good Chanel ... Please , subtitles in Spanish !

[@azurebeats_]

Hi I'm catching up late here again, but I'm hoping I'd get your response. I'm having issues with flamming. I use MPD218. I know how you feel about it, and I adjusted the pad sensitivity using your videos. As sensitivity increased, I'm having problems with flamming. I reduced a little bit by adding tape and screwing the motherboard a little harder but in the process sensitivity decreased again. Is there another way to reduce flamming by programming? Now I'm using my pads with Melodics, and Logic. Melodics already have a set layout for the practices and I don't want to open the whole Logic just to practice on pad controllers. What program do you recommend to practice with?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Hey, besides the tricks in my video I don't think there are other ways to make the mpd218 respond better. I personally do not have it on my list of my favorite recommended pad controllers because of this. If you want better pads, you'll need something like a Maschine mikro mk3 as I say in this video: studio.kzbin.infoyO27H_Cq7bM/comments?c=UC-YRV2TB4_nfEeFwvymZ9MQ I use Addictive Drums 2 for all my drumming. It has a standalone program so you can just launch Addictive drums and start playing. No DAW required (like logic).

[@azurebeats_]

@@TheQuestforGroove Hi, thank you so much for your reply. Yes, I saw your video on Maschine mikro MK3 but isn't it only compatible with NI instruments or something? There was some type of limitation with it that made me not choose it although the way you described it, especially about the pad sensitivity made it very tempting. Addictive Drums 2, Noted. Thank you so much.

[@Charlywoodofficial]

Very helpful, many thanks! Just one question: is this a left hander or right hander setup or does it come to the same thing at the end of the day?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Its a right hander. On my website questforgroove.com I have the option to mirror all videos and diagrams for lefties since my layouts are not completely symmetrical. Its a more efficient use of the 16 pads but it does require a flip for lefties. :-)

[@Charlywoodofficial]

@@TheQuestforGroove many thanks!

[@alexmursell1758]

That way your brain can slowly get used to this, well, mind f*** 😂😂😂

[@northcountry__scottbates3880]

What kind of drum set is that and where did you find it so I can buy one

[@TheQuestforGroove]

XLN audio >> Addictive Drums 2. You can get a 3 kit custom starter pack and I recommend Fairfax 1, Black Oyster and Funk kits.

[@JohanDaniel]

Man you look just like Alex Costa😌

[@TheQuestforGroove]

I did not know who that was, so I googled him and he's a good looking dude, so thank you!

[@JohanDaniel]

@@TheQuestforGroove ha sure mate😌 great content by the way mate👍

[@furmigadub]

nice nice

[@Martin1519]

4:51

[@DaCashRap]

Guys, I can't stress this enough. ALWAYS practice with a metronome.

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Ha yeah I'll add that to the pinned comment just for completeness sake!

[@youtubewatcher2006]

As a beginner should I practice with quantization (for example 1/16) enabled or should I disable it?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Practice without because that way you can work on improving your timing. But use quantize when creating songs because it will take a few years to get your timing to a level you can actually use your unquantized beats in your productions.

[@youtubewatcher2006]

@@TheQuestforGroove Thank you!

[@outlier1]

🙌

[@donlo3755]

"Weird mind fuck" lol agree

[@johncaccioppo1142]

- easily triggered American cultists have left the chat -

[@unclejuju12]

Doesnt flam add a certain level or swing? I make s lot of hip hop beats and am wondering if flams can be used to your advantage?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Yeah they do if you flam between kick and hi hat. Basically you slightly swing the offbeat hi hats and play the kicks straight. Then on every offbeat the kick will come first and flam a little as opposed to the hi hat. Dilla beats! :-)

[@LearningToFly77]

Is this the "Maschine MK3" ?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Yes

[@LearningToFly77]

@@TheQuestforGroove Is it possible to add a Kick Pedal to this Machine?

[@common9]

Is it normal to feel giddy trying it initially? As it involves imbalance beat & concentration..

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Yes very normal. This is not easy, but if you practice 5x a week for like 15 minutes it will start to feel natural pretty quickly. Usually in 2 to 3 weeks.

[@MissYouFaye]

does the beat3 have the pad diagrams? I counted, but failed...

[@TheQuestforGroove]

I don't have them right now! I'll see if I can make some soon, but I'm really busy with some other videos :-(

[@MissYouFaye]

@@TheQuestforGroove hahaa, It's ok! see which comes faster, your new videos or maybe I figure it out automatically after sleep...😂

[@ericm6633]

👍

[@Gorgo-22056]

only 3 days in, 2nd exercise is ok, but for the life of me i cant get the the 3rd beat to work... any advice? :P

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Well, first of all slow it down to baby tempo and stick with it for another couple of days. And then another tip would be to for example do some courses on my website. Not because they will actually tackle this issue (only my bossa nova course actually does this) but just because it will develop your drumming brain and then after a month or two you can try this again and theres a big chance that itll work, even though you havent actively practiced this.

[@jakebloor]

Anyone else prefer the flam example?

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Haha, Dilla fans :-) My advice would be, learn how to have total control over your flams.. so get them exactly even and then practice flamming whenever you want to. It's not that flams are bad, it's just that you want to be able to choose if you do them.

[@jakebloor]

The Quest for Groove truth! I’m here because I’m no good haha. I trust your advice, thanks dude!

[@timosee]

this was super helpful man! thank you so much. recently got a midi fighter. definitely mind fucked my brain >_> random, but is your hair silver brown? i have specs of white hair, but they look dead and shriveled up instead of straight like yours 😂

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Thanks! Im just getting more and more white hairs, but they feel like the other hairs. Not shriveled up at all :-)

[@timosee]

@@TheQuestforGroove i dig it!

[@gersonvargaschipana7838]

hello! what pad is that? greats from peru:)

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Thats a Maschine mk3. Its the bigger brother of the almost just as good Maschine mikro mk3!

[@shayjones9540]

Omg we hav same last name. Mines spelled mathis. Aww we were meant to meet lik this.

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Haha, awesome! Mathijs is actually my second name. My full name is Robert Mathijs 'Veugelaers'... that last name is the most terrible name for an international youtube presence so I kept my two first names :-) Very cool to meet someone who actually has my 'stage name!

[@Fonkemman]

What drum software do you use? 🙂

[@TheQuestforGroove]

I use Addictive Drums 2 mostly. My favorite kits are: Fairfax 1, Black Oyster and Funk.

[@lijothomas8398]

Great lesson again man. Also are you ever planning to return to the Harry Potter franchise ? lol jk. Top notch video !

[@TheQuestforGroove]

Haha, (jk Rowling)!

[@tobiasantolini1052]

Waaaaaay to easy! But thanks anyway, I'm giving it a try. Thumbs up as usual