Bounce Strokes
Bounce strokes are an essential technique that every drummer utilizes. Drummers use their fingers, wrists and arms when playing. In this video I outline strokes which use fingers exclusively.
Drummers gain power and speed by taking advantage of the natural rebound of the drum. Drummers can play with a minimum of exertion by staying sensitive to how to stick responds to that bounciness. To accomplish this we must maintain relaxation in our hands. Any tension will stop the drum stick from moving freely.
We begin with a wrist stroke, just like playing a single stroke. The following strokes are all played by the fingers. This is very similar to bouncing a ball on the ground. The initial push sets the ball in motion with the following pushes requiring less energy.
Bounce Strokes are an extension of the Double Stroke which I demonstrated in an earlier video lesson. Instead of playing one finger stroke following the initial wrist stroke, add two or more finger strokes to keep the drum stick bouncing for as long as you choose.
Make sure that you do not pick up your wrist after the first stroke. This is the same approach taken when playing doubles. The following strokes are played from the fingers. The wrist must stay down with palms facing the drum.
Follow the stick with your fingers as it rebounds off the drum without lifting your wrists. This is a key concept as lifting the wrist will not allow for repeated finger strokes. Once you have played the first finger stoke follow the rebound again with your fingers to play another finger stroke.
Bounce strokes are very effective on tight surfaces. The snare drum, hi-hat and ride cymbal are all excellent for playing bounce strokes. Playing them on drums with a low pitch might not be possible due to the reduced rebound.