11/1/2007

Teaching Technique

by Dom Famularo and Stephane Chamberland

Why strive for only good when we can strive for the best?

What is technique? Technique is the study of movement: a motion to execute an action….a way to do something. It is the how to make it happen!

There are many ways to do one action. Make observations to see all the different ways to do similar tasks. For example: walking. Everybody has their own way of walking. How they move and shift with each step is their own technique and style. Eating is also a great example. When eating we use a specific technique to hold the utensil, cut our food and feed ourselves. You will find a way to be most comfortable for you. Learning how to do this in a natural way without pain, with the best results is what the study of technique is about!

The next question is what a technique must provide to be effective and good? The main sign that your technique is not effective is pain and lack of results. Any pain is not natural and will cause short and/or long term injury. We can only know which technique is the best by the positive results we get when using it. Constant practice will teach us what works and what does not!

In drumming, watch the great legends to realize that having a good technique will last your entire career. Much like the fountain of youth, you will continue to grow creatively and musically young as long as you choose!

The opposite happens when you have a bad technique. Unnatural movement and tension will work against your joints and you will hurt your body along the way. This will affect your sound and comfort on the drum set.

Find a good teacher to help and guide you in the process. Listen to the teacher play and see and feel their ease of movement! Are they struggling? Does their sound feel tense? Is the movement fluid? Are they relaxed? Can they achieve all that they want to express?

Many books can guide you along the way. Stick Control and Accents and Rebounds by George L. Stone, Master Studies Vol 1 and 2 by Joe Morello, It’s Your Move by Dom Famularo and Joe Bergamini, Accents on Accents by Elliot Fine, The Weaker Side by Dom Famularo and Stephane Chamberland are just a few to research.

Techniques like the Free Stroke and Moeller Stroke are very important to understand. Good technique will let you use less muscular energy and receive maximum performance results! Achieving speed, power, control and endurance is the goal of good technique.

If you want to learn more about these techniques go to Dom’s cyber lessons and see and hear the techniques explained at the Vic Firth Website.

Also, go to drummerworld.com to watch and hear drummers with good technique like, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Tony Willians, Greg Bissonette, Claus Hessler, Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Smith, Danny Carey, Dave Weckl and Billy Cobham, just to name a few.

Strive for the best you can achieve with technique. It will assist you to play what you feel and express yourself every time you play your drum set! With good technique, the older you get the better you will sound! Enjoy the life long journey!