21st Century Sanford Man (2021) is a truly fundamental way to work on double beats and to connect double beat fundamentals to the doublestroke roll. Segments of the exercise must be performed with a “maximum rebound” (or “pause at the up”) approach, whereby the performers focus on allowing every stroke to return to the attack height and simply stay there before the next attack. This extreme approach to emphasizing rebound allows performers to work through their issues in maximizing both rebound and velocity (sound production) in both double beat and doublestroke roll contexts.
Double Hang Time
Double Hang Time (2021) focuses on the concept of “hang time” as it pertains to connecting the “Sanford” approach to the doublestroke roll. Second-note rebound is especially important in doublestroke rolls, so it is great to have an exercise that challenges this aspect of doublestroke fundamentals. Unfortunately, the aggressive feel of the Sanford-type pattern often translates poorly into doublestroke roll fundamentals because of the difference in “hang time” (the time between the second note of a doublestroke and the very next note on the same hand, during which the stick is rebounded but not being thrown into the drum). This exercise juxtaposes the Sanford pattern with an inverted roll breakdown so that the aggressive, high-velocity, high-rebound approach facilitated by the Sanford pattern can be applied with the increased hang time of a doublestroke roll pattern.
A common tendency is to lighten up on the doublestroke roll in order to more easily fill the hang time with motion; less velocity into the drumhead means a slower rebound, which means your hand is not awkwardly paused at the attack height during the hang time. The challenge is to play with high velocity, allow a lot of rebound, and be comfortable waiting for the next attack. In this manner, the benefits of a Sanford-type exercise can be best applied to doublestroke roll patterns.
Syncoparadiddles
Syncoparadiddles (2021) is a paradiddles warm-up that employs a repeating syncopated motif to cast paradiddles in various revealing situations to help you better apply great fundamentals to paradiddles. The beginning is all about understanding the application of rebound and maximising the efficient use of rebound while also playing aggressively into the drum. Measures 5–8 are all about consistently even taps before the accents are added in the latter half of the exercise.
