There is one main aspect that separates the drum set from most other musical instruments: we play it using all four limbs simultaneously.
A classic mistake many drummers make in their formative years is focusing exclusively on pure hand and foot technique, assuming that eventually all parts will work together automatically, just by playing.
Unfortunately overlooking the interaction between upper and lower limbs is one of the main causes of lack of groove and bad time feel in drummers.
The typical symptoms are: tension, inaccuracies, flams, lack of feel, poor balance and lack of fluidity. There are drummers that despite a high overall level of preparation, find it difficult to play smoothly and effortlessly.
The reason is that the investigation necessary to make all elements function together must be done separately.
That’s where coordination and independence studies come into play.
First of all, let’s clarify the distinction between these two terms. We often hear them used interchangeably, because of the fact that they refer to the same area of drumming and they are definitely closely related.
Coordination is that part of technique that involves two or more limbs interacting and executing simultaneous motions, either in succession or overlapping. It’s where we combine elements and make them get along with each other.
On the other hand, independence is more about complex intersecting patterns, such that every part involved needs to have a certain degree of autonomy in order to be able to function properly.
So coordination focuses more on the quality of the interaction between the limbs, while independence refers to the possibility of making different layers work simultaneously.
I wanted to write a method dedicated to both aspects, which included all the most powerful tools and workouts to help drummers of all levels reach total 4 way freedom and avoid the obstacles mentioned above.
The book is arranged in clear sections, one for each main topic, so that we are guided step by step through the most effective course of action and we never get frustrated because something is too hard to play:
– Basic Coordination and Rituals.
– Power Groupings.
– Technical Symmetry.
– Alignments.
– Balance Studies.
– 4 Limbs Linear Cells and Combinations.
– 4 Limbs Unison Cells and Combinations.
– Independence Cells and Combinations.
In total it’s more than 130 pages and 5 hours of videos, and I’m sure in it you are going to find all you need to smooth out all your coordination problems, and easily correct even the slightest friction between the limbs.
It’s cool to have it all organized, so that you can use it to work on this topic from scratch or to review things once in a while, when you feel like polishing up a specific combination or boosting a certain skill.
In this free excerpt I’d like to share with you 55 examples picked from the 1500+ exercises included in the method. These will help you quickly take your coordination and independence to another level, and also give you an idea of how effective this approach is.
You can download it here:
The transcription of all exercises, as well as the table of contents of the method, is included in this 15 page PDF.
Each example is linked to its video demo, which you can access by clicking on the transcription. If you want to check out the whole 13 minute video demo on YouTube, click HERE.
To find out more and to buy the method you can visit the dedicated page here:
‘Coordination & Independence’ – Altitude Drumming – Volume 4
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