[von lidl]

Hello. I've been playing drums for a little while, and I gotta admit... I'm kinda bad at playing fast songs like American Idiot :/ . So does anyone have any advice how to train my speed and become more safe when playing a song like American idiot? I know the beat and all but after a while I just cant keep up with the song .

Thanks very much for a answer

/Von Lidl

EDIT: Btw, is American Idiot 8 notes?

This post has been edited by von lidl: 23 January 2012 - 11:14 AM

[AN0NYM0US]

theres no magic pill, you just have to start slow and build your speed

[Poco Askew]

Practice lots.
Play more.
Don't rush it. Quality over quantity.

[abacacus]

Poco Askew, on 23 January 2012 - 11:19 AM, said:

Practice lots.
Play more.
Don't rush it. Quality over quantity.

Pretty much what he said plus one thing:

Push yourself. Not to the point of tensing up, but push your limits (either to songs or a click, it gives you an easy way to monitor your progress).

[cogwheel]

von lidl, on 23 January 2012 - 11:11 AM, said:

Hello. I've been playing drums for a little while, and I gotta admit... I'm kinda bad at playing fast songs like American Idiot :/ . So does anyone have any advice how to train my speed and become more safe when playing a song like American idiot? I know the beat and all but after a while I just cant keep up with the song .

If you are playing along to an MP3 you could use a program to slow it down without changing the pitch. Pretty sure Audacity is able to do this. At least that way you'd be able to practice it in context.

Quote

EDIT: Btw, is American Idiot 8 notes?

Do you mean 8th notes? Probably not. Punk music is usually just standard 4/4 rock beats played really fast.

Do you mean melodically? I wouldn't be surprised. Simple melodies are another defining feature of punk music imo.

[abacacus]

Punk beats tend to be played with eighths, not quarters. I know American Idiot fairly well and it is indeed eighth notes most of the way through.

[einarabelc5]

I think I would ask first what songs can you actually play well?

And then take it from there.

Is not only PRACTICE LOTS, but practice WHAT?

[AN0NYM0US]

he probably has problems with his feet not being able to keep up with his hands

[cogwheel]

abacacus, on 23 January 2012 - 12:20 PM, said:

Punk beats tend to be played with eighths, not quarters. I know American Idiot fairly well and it is indeed eighth notes most of the way through.

Yeah i was thinking he was asking about 8th notes wrt time signature. You found yet another way to interpret the question

[einarabelc5]

I think the most important thing is Consistency. Play everyday. Download the practice Routine Generator from freedrumlessons.com and work at it.

I just listened to the song "as a drummer" I'm not into Greenday but the fill is kinda nice. It is not mount Everest of drumming, YOU CAN DEFINITIVELY DO IT!!!

Don't psyche over it or you will take yourself out. Practice other stuff and get back to it. To answer your question I will say, practice your singles. Use the Online drum lessons for single SPEED posted at the end of the 40 rudiment lists by Jared and that will take you a good long way. ALSO, make sure you learn to play doubles correctly using bounce as the lessons indicate. Then do the singles to doubles exercise that Lionel Duperon has in the OLD site. "freedrumlessons.com", that will help you with speed and control. Make sure to learn finger control. Again, Jared has a video on it.

Another idea is to play SINGLES with one hand only on one bar, then with the other hand on the other bar, focusing specially on your NON Dominant hand. Then play the singles with BOTH hands, then play the same bar with doubles, then half the bar singles, half doubles, then a quarter singles a quarter doubles. (That's basically my take on Lionel's singles to doubles exercise but with a twist to make the doubles part sound good, you will need that quick double bit for the fill in American Idiot).

This post has been edited by einarabelc5: 23 January 2012 - 08:27 PM

[tamajama]

+1 on what einarabelc5 said.

Just don't forget about the feet. Work on getting the left foot chicking on all the down beats or on two and four while working what ever bass pattern you want. Then add in the hand work on top of that. Work for endurance at a slower speed and later up the ante for a sustained period of time.

If your hand or foot technique is not up to par yet, make sure your using a good technique at slower tempos first otherwise it will be more difficult to speed up later. Finally, the less tense and more relaxed you can be while practicing/playing the faster you'll be able to go. Just find out what your limits are using a metronome and write it down (practice routine generator).

Also someone mentioned a program to slow the tempo of the song down. That's a great idea. Just record what the beat/min is that your playing at so you know how your progressing. That's a lot more interesting than practicing to a metronome.

[von lidl]

Thanks alot guys! I really apreciate all the answers

Finally a drum forum where you get answers

[einarabelc5]

tamajama, on 23 January 2012 - 10:21 PM, said:

+1 on what einarabelc5 said.

Just don't forget about the feet. Work on getting the left foot chicking on all the down beats or on two and four while working what ever bass pattern you want. Then add in the hand work on top of that. Work for endurance at a slower speed and later up the ante for a sustained period of time.

If your hand or foot technique is not up to par yet, make sure your using a good technique at slower tempos first otherwise it will be more difficult to speed up later. Finally, the less tense and more relaxed you can be while practicing/playing the faster you'll be able to go. Just find out what your limits are using a metronome and write it down (practice routine generator).

Also someone mentioned a program to slow the tempo of the song down. That's a great idea. Just record what the beat/min is that your playing at so you know how your progressing. That's a lot more interesting than practicing to a metronome.

I would say that you can ALSO include the different, Rock, Jazz, etc beats that are included as instructions in this site. That will get you some feet to hand coordination going. You can also do the exercises I mentioned AND add some bass and hihat to them.

[von lidl]

Looking into ''How to hold drum stick'' video helped alot! I can already feel the diffrence, it's amazing .

[Fredr1]

I recently read some advice that sounds good - haven't used it long enough to give personal tesimony. If you can manipulate the song in Audacity (you CAN, so if you DO:) do a little experimentation and find how fast you can play where you just start to make mistakes or tensing up. If the song normally plays at, say 120bpm (I don't know that particular song) but you start tensing up at 105, slow the song down to 103 (103/120 = 85.5% of full speed) and practice it. Once that becomes "easy", record a new version at 105 or 107 and practice. Rinse, repeat. This will help you build speed by always playing accurately and without tension, but at the edge of your ability.

Of course, you don't have to use that particular song. Just pick a beat and/or fill. Find that "tension" speed and back it off a couple of beats then gradually increase the speed. The point: Get your muscles to "remember" perfect play while pushing the limits.

.02

[FourPieceMetal]

Buy a hat that can hold two beer cans/soda cans in it, and you drink them through a straw. Buy two large cans of rockstar, or red bull, and place them in the cup holders. Insert straw in mouth ten minutes before playing, and start drinking. Continue drinking as you're playing. You'll be faster in no time!

This post has been edited by FourPieceMetal: 30 January 2012 - 05:51 PM

[einarabelc5]

Fredr1, on 30 January 2012 - 05:45 PM, said:

I recently read some advice that sounds good - haven't used it long enough to give personal tesimony. If you can manipulate the song in Audacity (you CAN, so if you DO:) do a little experimentation and find how fast you can play where you just start to make mistakes or tensing up. If the song normally plays at, say 120bpm (I don't know that particular song) but you start tensing up at 105, slow the song down to 103 (103/120 = 85.5% of full speed) and practice it. Once that becomes "easy", record a new version at 105 or 107 and practice. Rinse, repeat. This will help you build speed by always playing accurately and without tension, but at the edge of your ability.

Of course, you don't have to use that particular song. Just pick a beat and/or fill. Find that "tension" speed and back it off a couple of beats then gradually increase the speed. The point: Get your muscles to "remember" perfect play while pushing the limits.

.02

That works better if you bring it up to the point of breakage and then back down to the speed you're mentioned. By exerting yourself to reach right beyond your limits you're setting your body into a mode that will accelerate the process when actually playing at the speed you can control. LEARNED from guitar speed trainer.

[realscotch]

FourPieceMetal, on 30 January 2012 - 05:50 PM, said:

Buy a hat that can hold two beer cans/soda cans in it, and you drink them through a straw. Buy two large cans of rockstar, or red bull, and place them in the cup holders. Insert straw in mouth ten minutes before playing, and start drinking. Continue drinking as you're playing. You'll be faster in no time!

Simple solutions for a complex world.

[von lidl]

einarabelc5, on 30 January 2012 - 06:56 PM, said:

That works better if you bring it up to the point of breakage and then back down to the speed you're mentioned. By exerting yourself to reach right beyond your limits you're setting your body into a mode that will accelerate the process when actually playing at the speed you can control. LEARNED from guitar speed trainer.

I'm using audacity now and it's a really good program. And top of all, it makes the singer sound funny

[einarabelc5]

von lidl, on 01 February 2012 - 01:58 AM, said:

I'm using audacity now and it's a really good program. And top of all, it makes the singer sound funny

Did it changed the pitch or just the phrasing?

I've only used it for backing tracks to practice my singing so I've no idea what it does to voice.