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There’s a solution hidden in plain sight for improving our single strokes. For anyone who’s played the ride cymbal with their strong hand, at least.
If you watch a good jazz player play the ride cymbal, it’s a study in efficiency - the stick “dancing” between hand pressure and rebound, with only minimal control required. It seems to “take off” when the forces equalize.
So why don’t we just do that with our weak hand?
So began several months of trying to “transmit”, from my strong hand to my weak one, all the “intelligence” of the way it played the ride cymbal. And in the process, I discovered two things:
First, the “hidden killer” from the title - something I’m calling “stick stall”…
…but second, and just-as-important, the unique utility of cymbals as surfaces to practice avoiding that stall, for their unique rebound characteristics.
A practice pad or tight drum will return the stick in every case.
A pillow or neoprene pad will hinder its return just as reliably, requiring some “make it happen” mechanics.
But a cymbal will rebound beautifully sometimes, and occasionally just “stall”. What’s going on there?
It turns out there’s kind of a third hidden force at play, beyond speed and power. Efficiency. How much of the rebound are you utilizing, vs how much is bleeding off because you’re “over-controlling” the stick and getting “out of phase”.
Hence stick stall - the hidden thing killing your singles. You can have speed and power, but are you sure you’re not bleeding off efficiency by getting out of phase?
Try the exercises in the lesson on a cymbal or hi hats, and you’ll see.
Anyway, hope you enjoy watching this one as much as I enjoyed making it!