Members badgererer Posted September 22, 2005 Members Share Posted September 22, 2005 I get muscle fatigue very quickly on my right foot, and I don't know why really...is there anything I might be doing wrong technique wise? I get it to a lesser extend in my hi-hat arm as well, but I find that as long as relax its ok. BTW I see a lot of drummers playing in a "crossover" style, i.e. right arm playing hi-hat over the left arm hitting the snare. I play left hand hi-hat, right hand snare. Is this OK? I'm self taught so I could be doing many things wrong but who knows...I've ben playing for years but never seriously (I've never practised properly) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DrumMonkey Posted September 22, 2005 Members Share Posted September 22, 2005 Originally posted by badgererer I get muscle fatigue very quickly on my right foot, and I don't know why really...is there anything I might be doing wrong technique wise?I get it to a lesser extend in my hi-hat arm as well, but I find that as long as relax its ok.BTW I see a lot of drummers playing in a "crossover" style, i.e. right arm playing hi-hat over the left arm hitting the snare. I play left hand hi-hat, right hand snare. Is this OK? I'm self taught so I could be doing many things wrong but who knows...I've ben playing for years but never seriously (I've never practised properly) Well, how you're playing is called "open-handed" but as I'm sure many will tell you; there is no "right" way. If you're comfortable, can do what you want to do then it's all gravy. Obviously there are things we can all do to improve technique (I've recently raised my throne and as a consequence all the rest of my gear too cos I was sitting too low for my height - I'm 6ft 5) but I don't see how playing open-handed would be cause for concern (in fact I think it can look real boss!). To be honest, the best thing for muscle fatigue I find is practice! I'm about 6 months into playing again after a 5-6 year break and the difference in my stamina between now and 6 months ago is unreal. Out of curiousity are you left handed? The reason I ask is most open-handed players I've spoke to are lefties who learned to play on a right-handed set up... - DM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guzwar Posted September 22, 2005 Members Share Posted September 22, 2005 Practice practice practice. A few months ago I couldn't kick for the life of me, so I started kicking no matter where I was sitting. Class, bus, work, in front of the computer, anywhere I could. I'm not Nick Barker, but I'm definitely better than where I was half a year ago. As for the open style, I do that too. It's just more comfortable because I can keep a steady beat on the hi-hat with my left a lot better than I can with my right. And like DrumMonkey said, it does look pretty damn sweet, especially when blast-beating But yes, just practice. Drink plenty of water, eat healthy -- drumming is a full-body workout, so make sure that you're pumping your body full of nutrients. EDIT: Oh, btw, I'm a righty, but I play guitar left handed. It's the only thing I do left handed, but I suppose you could call me a lefty drummer too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members organum Posted September 22, 2005 Members Share Posted September 22, 2005 well the practice thing is a good idea. When i first started playing i was ok at kick, i started doing the same thing that Guzwar said just pumping my foot every chance i got, now i can do continuoos 16th note double kick for a full 4 or 5 minute song steady. also the open handed thing, there are many great drummers who do it. carter beauford-dave matthews bandis one good example. i play closed handed (right one hh and left on snare) but i switch sometimes when a part calls for a steady beat on the hi hats and some fill on the toms at the same time.oh yeah and if you raise your throne until your legs are flat or higher then that will also help with your posture.posture can f you up when it comes to fatigue, always make sure your back is straight and you aren't tense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badgererer Posted September 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 22, 2005 Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm right handed, have just always played open-handed as you say. So it's practise practise practise then eh! Just wondered whether there was a specific way in which you should hit the pedal - i assume you should bend the foot at the ankle and strike it like that. I always play bare footed - does that make a difference? Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guzwar Posted September 22, 2005 Members Share Posted September 22, 2005 Do you keep your heel down, or is it up in the air? I play heel-up so that I'm pretty much using me entire leg to strike the pedal, as opposed to just bending my foot down. I've found that heel-down strains my calves way more than it should, whereas heel-up is nice and comfy. My thighs burn after a while, but that's good 'cause I need to tone them anyway. Heel-up is really good for speed/power players. Then again, to each his own, but from the drummers I've talked to, at least in the metal scene, heel-up is the way to go. As for the bare-footed approach -- again, whatever feels most comfortable. If you're playing for a long time while wearing shoes, your feet are gonna get sweaty, and you'll ruin whatever shoes and socks you're wearing. Barefoot gives you lots of much-needed ventilation. If you find that you sweat a lot and your feet tend to slip, consider wearing socks, or using some sort of foot powder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badgererer Posted September 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 22, 2005 I've never played "heel up" because to me it seems the accuracy isn't as good. IMO anyway...I dunno... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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