Ask an Expert: Archive

Q: How can I get around my set of tenors faster?

First, pick a specific playing area on each drum and use that as your target rather than the whole head. Often times, tenor players use an inconsistent playing area, playing too far away on the outside of the drums. Avoid lifting your arms; use them for side to side motion across the drums and use your wrists to gain height to make the vertical strokes. When dealing with crossovers, cross at the thumbs for adjacent drums, and at the wrists for playing 2-3 drums apart.

James Campbell
University of Kentucky

First of all remember that quality is more important than speed. Assuming the quality is not an issue, the main focus should be the amount of motion or distance you are using on the instrument. It is important to identify the best playing areas on the drums and make sure you using them. Many young players move much farther then they need to, in order to accomplish the music and produce a good sound. This study of motion is very important. The next step is to remember that the most important aspect of sound production and speed on the drums is the vertical motion into the drum and how you use that energy. If the stick is coming back to you and you are moving horizontally with the arms, your speed should gradually begin to improve. I also recommend using a metronome to keep track of tempos. This will allow you to know when something gets 2 beats faster. This may seem small, but to your attitude and psyche it can improve inspiring.

Bret Kuhn