Michael Bremo

Practice Pad Monday: Flams

When I tell some of my students that way back when I first started learning how to develop a better understanding of stick control and rudiments, the flam was the one that took me the longest to get comfortable playing with both hands.

It was a struggle.

One of my teachers at the time wrote out something very similar to the notation I included with this short hand flow. Let me tell you, it took me close to nine months before it really started to feel natural. I remember being pretty frustrated with it, but I stuck with it.

At some point the light bulb finally went on.

That exercise helped me understand something simple but really important. Stick height matters. A lot. Once I started paying attention to the relationship between the grace note and the primary stroke, everything started to make more sense.

Flams are about spacing.
Not big, but controlled. The grace note stays low, this is all touch.

Take it slow and really listen to how the notes sit together.

Side note: To this day flams is of the first rudiment that start with anytime I sit to work on on my hands.

I have one open spot for lessons if you want to work on things like this and get your hands moving a little more efficiently.
Reach out if you are interested

PRACTICE PAD MONDAY:

Double Strokes

This week we are working with a short sequence that is easy to memorize and designed to help your double strokes feel more natural and connected. The exercise moves through four different permutations of the double stroke roll, first over eighth note subdivisions and then over sixteenth note subdivisions.

The main focus here is evenness between each stroke and maintaining a smooth, relaxed transition from one sticking to the next. Pay attention to how the sticks rebound and aim for consistency in sound and feel between both hands.

This flow also works great as a quick warm up. It is simple, efficient, and easy to recall, making it something you can come back to daily to get your hands moving and centered before diving into more demanding material.