Single Stroke Roll

Learn How To Play A Single Stroke Roll

The single stroke roll is the most common used rudiment drum on the drum set. Often played in beats, fills, and drum solos. It does not matter if you are new to drums, or you have been playing for years, the single stroke roll is absolutely needed. Here is the notation of the single stoke roll:

As you can see, it's played with simple alternating strokes (R,L,R,L). It's better to practice on a drum pad. once you are able to stabilize your tempo, you can try it on the kit. Once again, don't forget with the tempo. Play it with a metronome and start with a slow tempo. Once you can lay it perfect in a slow tempo, try to speed up the tempo to increase your overall speed and endurance. Always play in a perfect tempo.

Try to keep all the stokes in even volume. Watch how your sticks come up for each stroke, and be sure that they reach the same height, and don't make it to high. Higher stick rise will produce louder sound. Practice in front of a mirror is highly recommended cause you can keep your eye to your hands while you do your sticking.

Single Stroke Roll - Drum Set Exercises

Here is how you might incorporate the single stroke roll into a drum beat:

Exercises three incorporates the single stroke roll into a drum fill:

For you that are new in drum and still confuse in reading the drum notation, don't worry. I will explain the way to read the drum notation on my next post, so stay tune. ;)

Sticking

Drum is a little bit different from other musical instrument. When others need their musical instrument to practice, (keyboardists need keyboard, guitarists need guitar, bassists need bass, violinists need violin, etc), drum does not. A drummer just need to capitalize a pair of drumstick , drumpad and a meronome.

round drumpad

octagonal drumpad

These three items are quiet cheap, and usually every drummer have it. Although you didn't have a drumpad, you can use your floor as the drumpad. However, it will produce a louder noise than using a drumpad, but it's ok. For metronome, you guys can use traditional metronome, digital metronome, or metronome app in your smartphone. For the app, I recommend you to use Drummer's Metronome by Stefan Pedl.

Digital Metronome

Metronome App

Traditional Metronome

To get started, first you should hold a right grip on your drumstick (it's free for you to choose your own style of grip as long as it it comfortable for you). Sit straightly and start to beat your drumpad. This first step is used just to make your hand flex. Do this for 10 to 15 minutes. Combine between single stroke, paradiddle, double paradiddle, tripple paradiddle, paradiddlediddle. After your hands become flex, start to practice with tempo by using metronome. Go with single stoke. For new drummer, set the tempo on 70 to 100 beats per minute (bpm) so it will not be too fast for you. Start to beat your drumpad togeher with the TICK sound of the metronome. Try to do your sticking from 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 (optional), and then back to 1/4 again.

One bar equal 4 beats

1/4: There are 4 hits in every 1 bar; 1 hit every 1 beats.

1/8: There are 8 hits in every 1 bar; 2 hits every 1 beats.

1/16: There are 16 hits in every 1 bar; 4 hits every 1 beats,

1/32: There are 32 beats in every 1 bar; 8 hits every 1 tick.
And so on

Practice without metronome for 10-15 minutes, Practice with metronome 10-15 minutes too.

Create a Unity in the Praise and Worship Team

We have heard many stories that tell about the chaotic practice, devotional dry, a praise and worship team that had a lot of pressure, also this thinking: Musicians with far age  distance will have a different styles, different expectations, different characters, and everything. Is not this all sound like a hardship?

Unity is one of the elements of victory. Imagine a professional sports team try to win a championship while they are angry and hating one another. They will never become the champion.

So if Unity is so important, how do we make it happen? What can you do today to make a difference? There will be no definitive answer, but here are some brief tips that will inspires you!

1. Convey your vision to them!

Convey your vision regularly. People will be interested when there is a vision and targets they need to accomplish, and the end result of this vision!

2. Convey your expectations.

Tell expectations that you want to achieve them, including those new potential. They will strive to achieve your desired expectations.

3. Have fun together!

Laugh with them, have fun! Do not merely talk about service, development, and targets in front. Try to sharing of personal life.

4. Remember to pray before and after exercise.

Prayer is to unite, so make sure you do not miss a part of this one.

5. Listen to the opinions of others!

Do not just focus on your way alone. Still listen to the opinions of others, because they see from a different angle.

6. Ask for their opinion.

You also need to be active to ask their opinion. Thus they will feel involved in the team.

7. Give praise

When your partner do something good, give praise to them. Especially when they are the new potential. It will motivate them to increase their capacity and explore their talent more.

8. Conduct periodic Fellowship

You should encourage your team members to fellowship together. You can invite them to eat together, watch a music concert, or just hang out and chat.

9. Sharing the Word of God.

You can also invite your team to share the Word of God and mutually reinforcing.

Those are some few tips to create a unity in the praise and worship team. You can try to apply those tips to your own praise and worship team in your church. Hope it help. God bless you :)

Honesty

Proverbs 19:1
Better to be poor and honest
      Than to be dishonest and fool. (NLT)

One afternoon, I found a fried seller. I stop there because I was so hungry and I think I can fill my stomach with some fries. I stopped and buy some fries there. After I finish eating, I asked to the seller, "How much should I pay mam?" She answered, "7,500 rupiah sir." I search for my wallet and took a piece of IDR 10,000 banknote. She tried to search for the change, and after she found it, she gave it to me. I receive it with a smile and say thank-you to her. I directly go to the parking field and take my motorcycle to go home. I just sat on my motorcycle and try to click my helmet when I heard that someone is calling my name. I wonder who is calling me. I turn my body and found that the same lady that sell fries is running to get me. After I ask why she run to get me, she told me that she gave a wrong change. After I checked it, I found that the she is wrong in giving 500 coin with 100 coin. She replace the 100 coin with the 500 coin. I wonder why she is so honest. Actually she can keep it. Anyway, it was just 400 rupiah. Because of this, I make I always buy fries from this lady. Her honesty gave me a secure heart to buy her fries.
The same as us. Our honesty worth more than our appearance. Of course we didn't want to marry a beautiful girl or a handsome guy that has a habit to lie. We would like an honest person. The same thing in the workplace. A boss would like an honest worker. Honesty makes us more valuable. Remember that a person's value is not determined bi his/her appearance, but by his/her honesty.

Choosing a Drumstick

By definition, drumstick is a stick for beating drum. A drumstick has some part in its body, the tip, the soulder, the body, the balance point, the model and size, the butt.

Part of a drumstick (click to enlarge)

There are many kind of drumstick. Start from the brand (Vic Firth, Pro Mark, Vater, etc), the size (7A, 5A, 5B, 2B, 3S, etc), the kind of the tip (oval, accorn, teardrop, round/ball, barrel, nylon, etc), and the type of the wood (White Hickory, Red Hicckory, Maple, Oak, etc). In this post, I will discuss it one by one.
Basically, choosing a drumstick is up to the user of the drumstick. The point that should be noticed in choosing a drumstick is the size of the palm of your own hand. If you have a small palm, I recommend you to use a small-sized drumstick. If your palm is large enough, I recommend you to use large-sized drumstick. One more point that should be noticed in choosing a drumstick is the straightness. Don't ever choose a stick that is bent. To test it, try to roll it on a flat platform. When it rolled smoothly, so the stick is straight. However, if the stick roll unsmoothly, the stick is bent.
Now, we will discuss the size of the drumstick. Drumstick mostly have numbers and letters as size. Four which are the most widely used is 7A, 5A 5B/2B, and 3S. 7A is the small-sized drumstick, it usually used for music that is calm, and soft like jazz or pop, 7A size is also ideal for a new drummer who just learn to grip a drumstick and who has never held a big stick. 5A that the most widely used measure for rock music, but it also can be used in almost any genre of music. 5B/2B size is very large and heavy. Usually much stronger and more durable than that of small stick. 3S is the largest size of all drumstick. It produced heavier and thicker sound. There is also customizable drumstick sizes that vary greatly. This size can be adjusted according to your needs. The numbers that are used to label the size is showing the diameter of the stick. If the number is bigger, the smaller is the diameter. There are also 4 letters that are often used to label the size of a drumstick. The 4 letters are A, B, S, N.

A: Used for a smooth music (jazz usually) and band. The smallest size of all the letters above

B: A medium-sized stick. Usually used for band, symphony, and live concert.

S: Drumstick with a large diameter. Usually used for marching band.

N: Drumstick with a nylon tip.

The size of a drumstick (click to enlarge)

Next, we will discuss about the tip of the drumstick. In earlier times there was only Wood Tip sticks. The problem is the tip is too often broken and chipped. In early 1950 Joe Calato make a Nylon Tip sticks that now become one of the standard in a drum stick.

Nylon Tip is suitable for electric drum, it can protect our electric drum from scratches and debris.

Wood Tip is best for rock music. However, it can also be used for other types of music.

Drumstick's tips come in various shapes, so you need to experiment to see which one is best for you.

OVAL TIP: dark, warm tone suitable for all musical genres and it can make the drumhead more durable *a drumhead is a membrane stretched over one or both of the open ends of a drum

ACORN TIP: dark, ringing tone. Suitable for acoustic perform

TEARDROP TIP: full, rich tone. Suitable for the type of rock and full band play

BALL/ROUND TIP: bright, clear. Suitable for a beat that much wear cymbal bell

BARREL TIP: Width / broad, solid tone, ideal for live performance.

Type of drumstick tips

The last part is choosing the type of the wood. There are three main wood, Hickory (White and Red), Maple, and Oak. These are a brief description off each wood:

White Hickory: Wood which is most widely used, strong, responsive, withstand vibration, clear voice, can also absorb large amounts of vibration (shock resistant), and can reduce hand fatigue and wrist.

Red Hickory: Almost the same as White Hickory, but Red Hickory was founded closer to the center of the tree and slightly denser and heavier than the White Hickory. Approximately 85% of all wooden drumsticks made of Hickory (Red and White).

Maple: Not so heavy and flexible, suitable for a big stick without the weight. Maple widely used for rapid play with small volume. 14% of all drumsticks are made of maple.

Oak: The wood is hard, solid and heavy, very durable and usually last longer than other types of wood.

And that is the guide to choose a drumsticks. Hopefully this can help you to make a better decision in selecting a drumstick. :)

Journey to Become a Drummer

To be a drummer is one of my dream, When I was a little boy, I see a drummer on my church and I think that he is awesome. I said to myself that one day I should be a drummer. Few years had passed and there is no opportunity or me, even just to touch a the drum. I has forget my childhood dream to become a drummer. However, God has a different plan for me. In 2005, my church open a regeneration program for the musician and I join it, but I join with the guitarist's group. I join it for few weeks, but I didn't feel good in playing guitar because my fingers are still too short and I cannot hold the chord well. I was transferred to the drummer's group where for the first time I touch a drum! I learn some basic rhythm to play drum such as 4/4 and 3/4. I also learn some basic sticking skill such as single stroke, double stroke, paradiddle, etc. Finally, I could play some simple songs.

While learning, my teacher recommend me to start my service on Sunday School. If I am not mistaken, it was in 2009 when I start my ministry as a drummer on my Sunday School. I keep playing and stop learning because my teacher should move to Jakarta. However, it was not a big problem for me. With the lessons that I have learned and individual practice everyday, I can keep playing drum. I also hear many songs to learn the arrangement of certain songs. I feel bored with my Sunday School service (although I know that it was not right) and I want to increase my capacity. I desired to serve in the Sunday Service but, I didn't brave enough to nominate myself as a drummer in the Sunday Service. I thought that my skill is still far below the skill of those who already start playing in the Sunday Service. I just buried my desire and try to be faithful with the ministry that God has given to me.

In 2012, I already can be regarded as a senior drummer in my Sunday School. I was appointed to play at the Christmas Celebration of my Sunday School. Fortuitously, the arranger was one of the pianist that play in Sunday Service. At that time, I didn't think anything. I just think to give out my best. Precisely on March 2013, that pianist call me to serve in Sunday Service. I was very happy, and I directly say yes to his offer, but I try not to leave my ministry in Sunday School. I start again as a junior, because the genre of music that was played in Sunday School and Sunday Service was completely different. I learn much from my seniors.

As the time goes on, I didn't join Sunday School anymore and I trust my ministry to the junior drummer there so there could be a regeneration. I'm focus to my ministry on the Sunday Service. At first, I made many mistakes in my playing, but my seniors always support me and teach me how to play it well. Finally, now, I can play much better than the first time I play it. Until now, I still can't be said perfect, although my seniors can't. We all are still learning to give the best in our ministry.