When it comes to guides for faster hands, there’s no shortage of how-to’s, instant chops programs, or 30-day speed-building courses. There’s a constant influx of shortcut speed-building programs for both hands and feet readily available, but do they work? Some offer great advice, but the majority are simply junk food.
The Truth About Developing Speed
The truth is, there is no shortcut or hack to developing speed and control. If you choose to put in the work to develop solid hand technique and slowly work on your consistency, speed, and control, your reward will be healthy hands that can play any rhythm. This endless pursuit comes with small incremental gains and occasional breakthroughs.
Try these exercises to get started on the right path. They are great as warm-ups, and you can apply them to your hands and feet. Continue to revisit them for long-term gains. At the end, I’ll break down some of the mechanics of how your hands work.
12 Exercises for Speed and Control with Singles
1. Triplets in 3, 4, and 5
Here is an easy starting point. We will play triplets with all rights then lefts in 3/4, all rights then lefts in 4/4, all rights then lefts in 5/4
Open 1. Triplets in 3, 4, and 5 in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
2. 16ths in 3, 4, and 5
Next, we’ll play 16ths with all rights then lefts in 3/4, all rights then lefts in 4/4, all rights then lefts in 5/4
Open 2. 16ths in 3, 4, and 5 in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
3. Triplet Count Up Count Down
Count up, count down with triplets. Remember to count out loud to mark the time.
Open 3. Triplet Count Up Count Down in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
4. 16th Count Up Count Down
Count up, count down with 16ths. Remember to count out loud to mark the time.
Open 4. 16th Count Up Count Down in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
5. Endless Unisons
4/4 triplets with unison sticking. Use this for accurate hand-to-hand endurance and timing building by utilizing both hands in unison. Feet play quarter notes. Incorporating our feet and counting out loud are key components to exponential growth.
Open 5. Endless Unisons in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
6. Shifting Gears with a Break
This is great for training your fast twitch muscles.
Open 6. Shifting Gears with a Break in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
7. Shifting Gears in Unison
8th notes, triplets, 16ths, all with unison sticking. It’s another excellent way to train your fast twitch muscles. Endlessly loop this for 5 minutes.
Open 7. Shifting Gears in Unison in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
8. Hugga Dugga Brrr 16th Singles
16th Hugga Dugga Brrr with singles
Open 8. Hugga Dugga Brrr 16th Singles in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
9. Hugga Dugga Brrr Sextuplet Singles
Sextuplet Hugga Dugga Brrr with singles
Open 9. Hugga Dugga Brrr Sextuplet Singles in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
10. Rhythm Base Check 32nds
Base rhythm check for 32nds.
Open 10. Rhythm Base Check 32nds in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
11. Rhythm Base Check 6s
Base rhythm check for sextuplets.
Open 11. Rhythm Base Check 6s in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
12. 32nd Add On
This is a classic 32nd partials add-on exercise. Focus on even hand-to-hand sound. You can also play this backwards!
Open 12. 32nd Add On in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Here is a fun warm-up from above (SPEED BUILDER #9) and a drum corps classic, the triplet version of Hugga Dugga Brrr. I’m playing with doubles, but you can easily play along with singles or get creative and mix and match both singles and doubles to even out your stick control. I also enjoy using this for my double kick speed.
Have fun, enjoy the journey, and happy drumming! -Z