Various drum playing questions.

M

misterx

New member
1) I'm jammin in a cover band, we will be playing 40 songs a night. My fingers sometimes become "numb" and stiff. Any tips to avoid this from happening?

2) Trying to improve my bass drum skills. I find myself playing with the top part of the foot or toe, and not the whole foot. Is this good or bad?

3) I'm comfortable with only socks on, but is there a better drum "shoe" out there for those of us who like to play without shoes?

4) We're doing songs like "Working for the weekend" , "Everybody wants some", where there "seems" like a constant bass drum hit on every measure, think I can get away with just playing every other bass hit and not a constant 4/4 bass drum? Less tiring... bass,snare,bass,snare instead of bass, bass/snare, bass, bass/snare

Thanks for any advice or tips.
 
If your fingers become numb or stiff (and assuming it is not an actual medical problem) it is likely that you are holding the sticks too tight - which normally means you're hitting too hard or playing too fast and as a result are tightening up.

Obviously I don't know what type of grip you are useing, or where your are holding the sticks - but some basic suggestions are 1) try different size sticks 2) make sure to stretch and do warm up exercises 3) drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration 4) practise various rudiments to condition your hands and improve your technique

Playing heel up (useing mainly your toes) is a very common technique - maybe even more common than heel down - although many drummers can do both (depending on what is needed - speed vs. power). If it feels right and you are getting the notes your going for - play what ever way is best for you.

Many players play in bare or stocking feet. If you are loooking for an option to "shoes" moccasins may work for you. I know a drummer that wears some kind of ballet slipper. Again - if it feels right - do it.

If a song has a steady bass drum (lets say 1/4 notes) you could perhaps use 1/2 notes instead - but seems to mee if your in a "cover" band you should learn it and play it the way it was originally recorded. If you can't keep the 1/4 notes going (in your words tiring) it suggests your technique is weak - in stead of "cheating" you need to build up you strength and speed.
 
Thanks for the comments, it's been a long time since I was in a cover band, I'm actually a vocalist but as something fun to do other than singing, I joined this cover band, they have no idea I can sing, anyway, agreed warm up and stretching is important and it looks I need to go back to the rudiments for a while. Yah, the 1/4 beats on the bass drum for 4-5 minutes straight is boring a little tiring but like you said, no cheating!! Thanks for the tips.
 
I'm a self taught drummer and an advocate of the "feeling right" circle of thought. Every drummer can't play by "the rules". It's definitely up to the individual to work out their own technique for the music that they play and their own comfort.

I 've had the same problem with my hands tightening up after playing a while, usually during second set. Stretching and hydration help with this, but it's most likely a bit of bad hand technique. I would try loosening or relaxing your grip and let the sticks do the most work where appropriate.

I'm also one of those guys that plays heel up and down depending on what I'm going for. Why limit yourself to one way of doing it when there are many different sound scenarios to achieve?

You might think this is a bit weird, but I play drums exclusively wearing wrestling shoes. They are just like a tight sock with a thin rubber soul, perfect for drumming if you ask me.

Hope this helps

:)
 
I had the same problem you do with my fingers getting numb after playing for a while. I was playing hard, but the problem was complicated by carpal tunnel. I'd go get your hands checked out. Something that has helped me a bit is using Trueline drumsticks. They have this bulge in the stick right where your palm goes, which seems to help reduce the need to grip tightly when playing hard.
 
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