There are lots of ways to become a better drummer. Practicing consistently, playing with other musicians, learning multiple styles, and learning rudiments, for example. All of these will make you a better overall player. Well, there’s something else that can really give your drumming a boost – something that’s too-often ignored, even by experienced players. It’s practicing slowly… and maybe more slowly than you think.
Practicing at slow tempos isn’t always fun. In fact, it can sometimes seem pointless. After all, why not practice grooves up to tempo and practice techniques at your fastest speeds to really push your limits? There are great reasons, which we’ll get into. We’ll talk about this ‘secret weapon’ of practice techniques and why it should be a part of your routine. The irony is that you’ll typically end up reaching your drumming goals faster by mixing this slow practice in.
The great Steve Smith discussed this idea way back in 2002 in a DVD set called ‘Drumset Technique/History of the US Beat’ (a great product if you have a way to watch DVDs). In that, Smith mentions how he practices specific techniques at extremely slow speeds, as well as practicing patterns and grooves in the same way. This is a man who has more chops than almost anybody in the world, yet he finds great value in slowing WAY down!
You may not have the time to practice at 20 beats per minute for months like Steve Smith mentions on the DVD, but you can gain a lot from embracing the same habit of slowing down.
Techniques
When it comes to learning and perfecting techniques, practicing slower than your top speed can be a huge boost to the foundation of your drumming. These techniques could be Moeller strokes, foot slides, heel-toe techniques, or even short rudiments like double-strokes, flams, flam-taps, etc. Each can be analyzed in great detail when you practice them at a slow tempo.
For hand techniques, pay attention to your grip, hand position, stick angles, and even your body posture. Are your hands relaxed? Does your grip get overly tight at some point during the process? Watch the tips of your sticks, too. Many times you can spot unwanted motion by focusing there. You’ll usually want the stick tips to follow the same paths on the way down as they take on the way up.
For foot techniques, you’ll want to focus on your position on the pedal, ankle and shin angles, and overall fluidity. Is your posture good? Is there unwanted horizontal foot movement? Does it feel better further back on the pedal, or closer towards the front? When sliding during double-strokes, pay attention to the distance of the slide. Is the first (and maybe second) stroke rebounding freely?
You’ll understand what’s required of these techniques when you can understand every element that goes into them. Even the simplest rudiments consist of many smaller movements. Your brain will be able to process these various details when they come slowly, and when repeating the process. Then, as you gradually speed up, you’ll have a super-solid foundation to build on.
Keep in mind that stick rebound will feel different when playing things very slowly. You may have to compensate a bit by keeping the sticks from dropping, but that shouldn’t usually take away from the value of most exercises.
Grooves and Patterns
When it comes to learning grooves and patterns, learning slowly may be the single most important thing you can do. Here we’re talking about longer phrases – tom fills, linear hand-foot patterns, multi-limb grooves, or even full song sections. Really, anything that combines technique and coordination over a longer period. That can be a lot of information to fully grasp on a deep level.
When you learn these patterns slowly, you’ll gain a much better understanding of which limbs and muscles need to move at what time. Are you hesitating at certain points? Is there a hand or foot position that feels more natural? Which limbs line up with each other? Are you using the best sticking patterns? Are you relaxed?
Your subdivisions will also be very exposed. The faster you play, the more the drum sounds blend together. This makes it difficult to accurately judge your precision. Slower tempos allow each note to stick out from the wash of sound. Are those subdivisions (eighth-notes, sixteenth-notes, etc.) clean? Are they placed a bit too early or too late?
All of these questions are so much easier to focus on at slow tempos. Inefficiencies become obvious. Then as you gradually increase the tempo, the quality of your playing will increase along with it. In the end, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of these patterns, rather than just knowing them on a surface level.
How Slow?
The best tempo to start learning at depends on the situation. Every drummer is different and proper speed depends on what you’re learning. Sometimes the drawbacks super-slow tempos have on stick rebound will make certain types of exercises difficult. For example, if you’re working on your back fingers playing single-stroke rolls, a medium tempo might be better than ultra-slow. Stick rebound is everything in that particular case.
The main goal is to work out the kinks at a much slower tempo than your ability, whenever possible. If you don’t know where to start, try 1/4th speed or so. Look for the small flaws in your technique or overall approach. When you can play comfortably, efficiently, and consistently at that tempo, gradually increase the speed and reassess. All of that is especially helpful when learning something you’ve never tried before.
Conclusion
Hopefully you can find some value in working some slow practice into your routine. If you’ve tended to neglect this in the past, try it out! Dig deeper into your playing, analyzing down to the fine details. That type of patience can go a long way. You’ll find your drumming technique and overall feel sounding better than ever.
By Peter Treuden – About the Author
Want a few more practice tips? Check out our 4 Practice Tips For Drummers!