Traditional Grip Finger Control Part 4: Index/Middle Combo

[@posrider2]

Watching this four part series improved my playing immediately. This was the last piece other videos were missing.

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Glad it was helpful to you. Cheers.

[@HarmonicMolecues]

Chuck, your videos on using the left hand while playing traditional grip hit the mark. According to Buddy Rich (from whom i believe the mastering of these techniques came from) this is the best way to hold the stick versus matched grip. Your technique and explanations are precise. You only need watch Dylan Elise, Vinnie Colaiuta, Joe Morello and a few others to see the wizardry that can be obtained with traditional grip.

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Thanks for the comment Big. I very much appreciate it and I'm glad you think I did a decent job. Means a lot.

[@Ranger1216]

Index finger. How do you start if your index can not get that speed? Is it the same….playing 4, 8, 16 at slower or do you have to squeeze the finger to get some muscle mass in the pocket to hold the stick…..I am not there yet…..but your video inspires me…..thanks

[@ryancox5097]

Official "okay" count for this video: 472,391

[@DrSamE]

Man you're so good. I started matched grip because, I feel like a different drummer when i'm playing with it. Only negative i have found (Versus matched grip) is that loud backbeat rimshots are little harder. I haven't played drums that much or long, but the position where your hand is when playing matched grip is almost the same when playin 3 note "power chords" with guitar, and man i have played those for SO MANY hours.

[@tubular167]

Best explanation ever..😁😁😁

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Thanks man!

[@yowner67]

Great tutorial!

[@beyondthegong]

Man, this is freakin’ hard. Nice explanation!

[@samfox1256]

Great lesson,Chuck!

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Thanks Sam. I really appreciate it.

[@natedobas6437]

I have been looking for ways to develop finger control with trad. LOVE that I found this video!!! Explanation and demo is ON POINT!

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Dude! I really appreciate the comment. It's funny but my traditional grip videos have the most amount of views compared to any of my others and the margin is quite huge. But thanks again and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Peace.

[@natedobas6437]

@@ChuckBarchuk DUDE! I study with Chaffee, and have gone through a tremendous rebirth in my playing. This is one of the missing pieces. Can't love this enough!

[@lagkeys6428]

Thx so much Chuck, I just went thru the 4 part series & it was brilliant how u focused on each successive finger, now my hand feels very free. I started w/traditional last week, & I love the level of control I already have relative to my 2 years on matched. Other videos left me confused but urs explored different ways of doing it & now I don’t have questions, rather I’m excited to find my own mix!

[@buddylove3640]

Chuck, Having some trouble putting the two fingers, plam down into the playing position. Some tips???

[@buddylove3640]

Chuck, Thank you for this great tutorial How do I develop endurance and speed. I have real trouble with the momie/ daddy. The 2 fingers I prefer. So issues getting into playing position. Please help. Thank you.

[@edoardozampetti4601]

i Chuck I really have a lot of difficulty performing this control with my fingers having seen your videos many times.. I can only perform rebounds with only my thumb and open hand without rotating the wrist but when I close my index finger everything stops I swear Chuck that I would like to learn more than other things this technique to perform rolls like marching bands

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Well there's nothing wrong with simply using your thumb. Traditional grip really is a thumb-based grip anyways. The other fingers are more like options that you can utilize or not. Pull up any scottish pipe band playing and the snare drummers are using all thumb. Check it out. Playing that way, if it's more comfortable, is totally viable.

[@edoardozampetti4601]

@@ChuckBarchuk so according to you Chuck I can also use only the thumb and rebound with the traditional Moeller whip movement.. while if I want to perform a single strokes roll I accompany the rotation of the wrist with the movement of the thumb.. right?? Thank you p.s. for the right hand there is no problem because I acquired the movement without difficulty..

[@ChuckBarchuk]

If you’ve watched most of my trad. Videos then you’ll notice the basic foundation of the grip is the thumb. Think of these various finger videos as options. Trad. grip doesn’t have a one size fits all approach. These finger videos are just additional techniques that you could tap into if you wanted. But I wouldn’t say they’re necessary.

[@edoardozampetti4601]

@@ChuckBarchuk very thank Chuck

[@leorbear]

Chuck, thank you so much for clarifying this for me- I watched Tommy Igoe, who also mentions the Bridgensn demonstrate this on his video, but he came nowhere near breaking it down the way you do!

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate that. I'm glad it helped you. :)

[@iwannabeaho1]

It's really a lot of work. And your technique is humbling. That's why I switched to matched grip. It's much simpler. And I accomplish rudiments a lot faster with matched grip.

[@ChuckBarchuk]

I agree that matched is easier. At the same time I didn't have that experience myself because I started out playing traditional so it's the main grip I've always used since the beginning. But to learn from scratch, without a teacher, matched is definitely easier.

[@iwannabeaho1]

I also noticed that with matched grip, I'm using all of my fingers and thumb I followed Jo Jo Mayer by strengthening the ring and pinky fingers. And I'm able to play cold turkey without warming up. Rim shots hurt my thumb with traditional. There's more cushioning with matched. But you are really, really amazing. I'll need another life time to do what you're doing.

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Oh man I appreciate the thoughts. But ultimately traditional grip was designed for field drums that strapped around the persons body and slanted down to the right. That's it. That's the only reason the grip exists. As far as I'm concerned you should play with whatever grip you prefer. It's not like you're missing out by not playing traditional grip. Matched makes a lot of sense anyways. But I like the asymmetrical approach that traditional offers. It changes how I approach the instrument and makes me think differently.

[@cresk]

So now I know why it isn’t quite working for me, because my hands are big with thick and short fingers. On the other hand I guess my thick & shorter fingers hold a lot of power opposed to long and thinner fingers, but I just need to find the right way to utilize the extra strength they have.

[@ChuckBarchuk]

That's exactly right. We have different size hands and fingers so pick the method that works best for you. Good luck.

[@BwithanE]

I've been playing traditional grip for decades, but always felt my left hand was never quite where I wanted it to be. This series was well done and easy to understand and with work made a huge difference. As a side as I got more into this, I broke out my Stick Control Book and did all the exercises in the first few pages with my left hand (substituting the thumb for the L and index for the right)

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Awesome Brien. I'm glad these videos helped you my friend. It's much appreciated.

[@buddylove3640]

And speed. Thank you!

[@dylangatenby9928]

What other advice do you have for playing a one left handed roll? I can play one but not at a very steady rapid pace. I need to practice some more. Thanks .

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Well I'm the wrong person to ask because I can't do one myself. :)

[@iirespected5596]

New sub

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Thank you my friend. I hope you find some valuable info on my page here that will help you.

[@bobmcentyre3607]

Excellent!

[@buddylove3640]

Thank you. How do you increase the endurance of the fingers

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Hi there. Repetition my friend is the only way. It's just like working out or running long distances. You have to build up your endurance. With drumming it's the same.

[@robertboney4493]

building up left-hand single stroke speed is tough, takes practice.

[@ChuckBarchuk]

It does Robert. It is indeed the left hand that determines your overall speed. Keep at it.

[@jimmyreid235]

Damn great lesson on all the little nuances of traditional grip. Especially like the manner in which you went from thumb to index to turning the hand over and finally with that 1/2 turn with both index and middle finger. I've seen Steve S. do this in many videos. Appreciate and thanks... Jimmy R

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Absolutely Jimmy. Thanks for the comment! Traditional Grip is kind of like a swiss army knife and many ways. And Yep Steve does this, Weckl does and even Joe Morello used this method sometimes as well.

[@jimmyreid235]

Chuck Barchuk, Hi Chuck, could you please transcribe that Samba groove ? It sounds great and I want to make sure I'm playing it the same way... it's the the tamborim pattern that I'm not sure I'm getting right .. thanks man, your videos alone will be a study for me. I was off the drumset for many years after a self-imposed crisis. I'm woodsheading like never before now. Truly enjoy your videos as I know what it takes to get where you are as a really good player and teacher I should add. Thanks Chuck

[@ChuckBarchuk]

I'm humbled by your comment Jimmy. Thanks a ton and knowing that you're back on the horse again and playing is awesome. I'll give you any insight I can. As far as the samba groove, goes which video was it?

[@jimmyreid235]

Chuck Barchuk, Hey Chuck and thanks for responding. It was I guess your first video on samba beats. You broke down the bass drum and hi-hat - then the ride cymbal pattern as in 1+a2+a and so on... I got the the very first part of the snare drum ( tamborim ). I believe it started 1+. "E+... "=2.... I heard 1 and ( rest on2 and you played e+...I couldn't differentiate the rest...

[@ChuckBarchuk]

I'm going to have to shoot a quick video. I'll do for ya. Give me a sec.

[@mithuarup1]

Thanks a lot for sharing and sharing.

[@mithuarup1]

Thanks a lot for showing and sharing the proper technic.

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Absolutely! My pleasure.

[@SG-fm6jw]

thanks bro!!! it really helps me!!

[@ChuckBarchuk]

You're welcome my friend!

[@SG-fm6jw]

Can you film some traditional techniques like push-up, moller or something else!

[@SG-fm6jw]

It really helps!

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Yes! I'll tackle those techniques next week.