Hey mates!
A fan that just got his first doublepedal asked me today about exercises to get control with your feet. Here you got some exercises of double strokes and paradiddles with your feet in order to strengthen your left foot and to get control. In the past I have asked before about this and here you have it if you are interested.
These are exercises I usually warm up with. I will if I have the time make a drumvideo later this year and I will have more exercises like this on it and some ANATA songs as well.
Exercise 1:
This is an ordinary right right left left rudiment but it's changing to four different patterns. After a few right right left left then do just one right foot and continue.
After two times doing just one stroke with the right foot the left foot is leading and that will make the left foot to do the one stroke in order to change the Pattern.
Also every other time the hi-hat will be on that one stroke. I hope this make sense.
Example: R is right foot L is left foot and S is snare x is Hihat and big X is when the pattern changes:
x x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x (X)
S S S S S S S S
RRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRL(R)
Exercise 2:
You can also just practice the normal paradiddle that is:
R L R R L R L L
And then you can put and extra stroke between the double right and the double left:
x x x x
S
R L RLR L R LRL
Exercise 3:
Also try with only the left foot filling in between the two rights:
x x x x x x x x (x)
S S
R L RLR L R L R L RLR L R L R L(R)
Exercise 4:
A example of the right foot fillin in between lefts:
x x x x x x x x (x)
S S
R L R L R LRL R L R L R LRL R L(R)
Exercise 4b:
Another variation of the right foot fillin in between lefts:
x x x x x x x x (x)
S S
R L R LRL R L R LRL R L R L R L(R)
Exercise 5:
Here is the basic pattern from Children's laughter from TCD
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
S S S S
RLR L R L R L RLR LRL R L R L R LRL R L R L R LRL RLR L R L R L
Exercise 6:
You can do the simple variation first with no foots filling in between the doubles like this:
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
S S S S
R R L R L R L R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R L L R R L R L R L
Exercise 7:
You can try exercise 1 and fill in randomly with the foot
that doesn't do any double like this:
R R L L RLR L L R R LRL R R LRL R and so on randomly through exercise 1
Exercise 8:
Do the whole exercise 1 and fill in with the foot that doesn't do the double stroke.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
S S S S
RLR LRL RLR LRL RLR LRL RLR LRL R LRL RLR LRL RLR LRL RLR LRL R
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x (x)
S S S S
LRL RLR LRL RLR LRL RLR LRL RLR L RLR LRL RLR LRL RLR LRL RLR L(R)
Exercise 9:
This exercise has 8 th notes, 16th notes and eventually triplets and will also make you lead with your left foot every other time.
I have written below the bassdrums what is 8notes and 16 notes.
First basic exercise before using the triplets. Right foot leading.
x x x x x x x x x
S S
R L R L R L RLRLR L R L R L RLRLR
( 8 notes) (16th)
And left foot leading:
x x x x x x x x x
S S
L R L R L R LRLRL R L R L R LRLRL
Exercise 10:
I have written below the bassdrums when triplets starts.
After the 5 stroke in 16th notes the triplets begin on the last stroke of those 5.
The triplets also ends with 5 strokes of 16th notes that will make the left foot leading and then the other way around. It starts with two rounds of 8th notes and 16th notes to make it comfortable for the triplets.
x x x x x x x x x x x x
S S S
R L R L R L RLRLR L R L R L RLRLR L R L R L R L R L R
(triplets begins)
x x x x x x x x x x x
S S S
L R L R L R L R L R LRLRL R L R L R LRLRL R L R L R
(Left foot leading)
x x x x x x x x x x x x
S S S
LRLRL R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L RLRLR L R L R
(Triplets begin still left foot leading) (right foot lead)
It's important that you do all these exercises with the left foot leading from start also.
You can play your favourite songs with your left foot leading.
Start simple by for example playing Metallica's black album competely through only leading with your left foot. Any pattern you know, play it with your left foot leading and this will get you quite far in order to get both your feet equal.
Cheers/
Conny