Variations on Joe's "Killer" Exercise

While on the road over the last month I got a lot of inspiration from this clip of Joe Morello demonstrating a sticking exercise that one dedicated reader of this blog forwarded to me a few weeks ago:



I believe this is from one of Joe's instructional DVDs (which I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't checked out yet!) but it's basically the same thing as this page (from Morello's fine book "Master Studies", just a little bit different):



This is a great exercise to develop fluidity switching between your single, double and paradiddle strokes.

Now I came up with the following while playing my drum pad in the hills of Tuscany: play the same exercise in triplets !

Here's a couple of variations:


1) Variation #1

RLR LRL RLR LRL
RRL LRR LLR RLL
RLR RLR LLR LRR

LRL RLR LRL RLR
LLR RLL RRL LRR
LRL LRL RRL RLL


2) Variation #2 (this one is twice as long and changes up the sticking between the hands a bit)

RLR LRL RLR LRL RLR LRL RLR LRL
RRL LRR LLR RLL RRL LRR LLR RLL
RLR RLR LLR LRR LRL LRL RRL RLL

A couple of things to consider:

- don't be afraid to accent the beginning of each paradiddle, especially the faster you play them

I found it interesting, in that video clip of Morello playing in particular, how he's not afraid to let the single, double and paradiddle strokes sound slightly differently from each other.

- try mixing up the order of each stick grouping

ie. play singles, doubles, paradiddles THEN doubles (and repeat)

Do this with the 4/4 version that Joe plays above as well.

Just remember though, exercises like this aren't music - they are just tools we use to make music. So don't get too caught up in the mechanics of it.

Personally, when I get home and can play my drums again after a long trip, I'm happy to forget about all the chops and drum pad stuff for awhile and practice quarter notes on my ride cymbal !