Different Strokes Part II - Combined Strokes

The combined strokes are your work-a-day strokes and are combinations of the basic movements outlined in Part I. There are no hard rules for these, so I've had to use something of a best guess approach when deciphering conflicting opinions.

1. Moeller Stroke/Method
Sanford “Gus” Moeller (1886-1960) studied old-school rudimental drummers and early jazz drummers to discover how they managed to combine power and speed. He noticed that, at the end of the first stroke, they kept the stick close to the head -- a down stroke. Then as they were lifting the stick, they'd tip it downward to play another note on the way up. So, a down stroke followed by an up stroke. This is ideal for playing 'diddles' when you need volume and/or speed and is also great for ride cymbal work.

2. The Pump
A pumping action is essential for playing sustained notes as in a ride pattern. Begin with a down stroke but keep the hand and fingers very loose and let the stick fly up. Then merely close your hand to execute a second stroke and a lift to facilitate the next stroke. This is a great way to lock in a pulse with little effort. It's also great for speed and articulation.

3. Jim Chapin's "Moeller Triplets"
This technique is a very efficient way to play multiple strokes. With a relaxed hand, begin with a throwing motion and allow the stick to rebound half-way or less. Next comes a bounce stroke using just the fingers. Finally, tap the head as you begin to lift the stick, so tap - bounce - lift. Note that you can add more bounce/dribble strokes in the middle (I like to warm up with 5s: down - bounce - bounce - bounce - up).

4. Push-pull
A.k.a. "Buddy's secret weapon", this one applies to the traditional left hand grip and enables impressive speed by controlling the stick between the first and third fingers. The first finger throws the stick down and the third finger quickly throws it back up with some assistance from the wrist, the idea being that the hand can throw the stick back up faster than a rebound can.

5. Two-finger Roll
A trick sometimes used by rudimental drummers is to play a roll with the left hand using traditional grip. The action is to play diddles with just the thumb and the forefinger, two bounces with the thumb and two with the finger. It can also be done with the first and second fingers. This can result in a very convincing roll that leaves the other hand free for other missions. It also looks very impressive.

Next: Other Strokes