• DRUMOMETER As a Teaching Tool
• The Progress Report and Procedure
• Downloadable Copy of The Progress Report
• INNER-CLOCK TEST™
• STICK CONTROL EXERCISES
• THE ENDURANCE TEST by Johnny Rabb
• Improving Technique and Speed with The Drumometer by Art Verdi
• Video Example of Exercises
• David Walsh Drumometer Examples

A surprise benefit of the machine is the almost feverish
addiction to practice that it causes as students
can't seem to get enough!

Photo courtesy of Ron Kestner

Drum Instructor, Allen Gentry, uses the Drumometer to
coach drum students at Robinson Middle School in
Kingsport, TN.

Photo courtesy of Ron Kestner

Knowledge is nothing more than the breaking down of barriers. No matter what endeavors one may undertake, it is the journey, not the destination, from which we learn the most. When great explorers embark on a journey, they know that there are certain instruments that they will need to make their desired destination. Music, in and of itself, is a wonderful journey, and it too requires the right instruments or tools to reach the desired goals. The Drumometer is one of those instruments. The Drumometer along with The Progress Report gives any student one of the most important tools he/she needs to reach his/her own musical destination. Naturally, a drummer's ability and musicianship are not gauged by speed alone; however, muscle and stick control can be measured by the Drumometer and progress can be quantified and guided into productive practice techniques.

The speed and technique gained are just means to an end - the end being the confidence, joy and freedom that a student receives from breaking down and going past what seemed to be unattainable goals. This is what education and music are all about.

Percussion students at Belmont University using the Drumometer

The Progress Report and Procedure

The process starts with The Progress Report as seen below. The Progress Report can be designed to track the progress of any objective, including all of the rudiments. The basic Progress Report enclosed was designed to track the student's progress of the Single Stroke Roll, Double Stroke Roll, Single Paradiddles, the Right and Left Hand individually, and the INNER-CLOCK TEST™. The basic Report is designed using three increments, 10 seconds, 30 seconds and 60 seconds.

Once the student has learned his/her singles, doubles, paradiddles and right and left-hand taps, he/she is ready for the Drumometer. The first session with the Drumometer becomes the starting point for each student and is dated and recorded as such. Each student starts at 10 seconds and is asked to play a single stroke roll. At the end of 10 seconds the Drumometer stops and the amount of strokes are captured and recorded. Next, the student runs his/her doubles for 10 seconds and the paradiddles for ten seconds. The student is then asked to run single taps with the right hand only and then with the left hand only. The wonderful aspect to the right and left-hand testing is the fact that it lets teacher and student isolate the hands to determine which is the weaker of the two. Once each rudiment has been tested at 10 seconds, the Drumometer is set at 30 seconds and the procedure is repeated and recorded. Then, it is on to the 60-second level. The information received from these increments is very interesting, due to the simple fact that endurance enters into the equation. As the student moves from 10 seconds to 30 seconds to 60 seconds, he/she quickly realizes that it is not about speed alone, but all of the other factors now come into play. At the end of the first testing session, the instructor talks through the report, explaining what happened to produce each score along the way. Example: Two of the early things the instructor points out and the student quickly connects with are the simple facts that distance (stick height) produces more volume but less speed. Additionally, the student learns that the larger muscles may be more powerful, but not necessarily faster. The instructor then has paved the way toward awareness of stick control and finesse, and when the student is ready, more use of the fingers. It also becomes apparent that any individual's single strokes are only going to be as fast as his or her weaker hand single taps (given a few points for the coordination factor). So, by tracking the progress of the weaker hand, we see the development in the overall rudiment. After this initial session and consultation on the results, the instructor can analyze each tested rudiment with the student and design a daily practice schedule for each rudiment.

Both the student and the instructor are now armed with valuable documentation of exactly where the student is at this point in time. With this information from the instructor and the Progress Report it is, of course, up to the student to go home and practice. If the student follows the instructor's advice and adheres to the designated practice schedule, the results will be evident, due to the accuracy of the Drumometer. The student knows that the machine is accurate and that if he/she truly practices in the proper manner, the results will speak for themselves. If testing is done and recorded on a frequent basis, each student will actually see his/her progress - no longer guessing as to whether he/she is improving. What a reward! The Drumometer and Progress Report are designed to be a part of every student's progress for life - from beginner to professional.

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Feel free to download and copy the Progress Report pdf!

INNER-CLOCK TEST™

This exercise checks your concept and grasp of internal time.

1) Basic Level: Start off by setting the metronome at 120 bpm.
2) Next, set the Drumometer at 10 SECONDS and play sixteenth notes. If they are dead-on, the Drumometer COUNT will be at 80 DM (DM = Drumometer Marking).
3) Take it up a level by setting the metronome at 133 bpm and the Drumometer at 30 SECONDS and play sextuplets for 30 SECONDS. The Drumometer will be at 399 DM if you are dead-on.
4) Advanced Level: Start by getting inside yourself and trying to find 120 bpm without the metronome! Again play sixteenth notes for 10 SECONDS. If you Inner-Clock is perfect the Drumometer will be at 80 DM.
5) Now, repeat exercise C without the metronome. How is your Inner- Clock? This advances to wherever you want to go say, 7's, 9's or 11's at 97 etc.

Example:
Try playing the following pattern at 120 bpm without the metronome for 10 seconds. If your Inner-Clock is accurate, the Drumometer will be at 80 DM at the end of the 10 seconds.

Once you succeed with 120 bpm, test your Inner-Clock with other tempos and patterns. The below chart shows the Drumometer Markings for 16th notes played for 10 seconds at several different tempos.

STICK CONTROL EXERCISES

This procedure can be used to increase your proficiency with any rudiment, sticking, or pattern, and can be used in conjunction with any of the exercises in George Lawrence Stone's Stick Control. For this example, the Single Stroke Exercise is illustrated.

1) With the timer set at 10 SECONDS, play your singles at a very slow pace. Be sure to take good full strokes and keep the pace even. Repeat this process three or four times at the same pace. You should hit the same Drumometer Marking (or close to it) each run if you are keeping a consistent and relaxed pace.
2) Pick a slightly faster pace and follow the same procedure as in 1.
3) Repeat the procedure in 2 until you have gradually reached your top speed. Things to remember about your top speed are this: NEVER strain your muscles or play all tensed up. Your strokes should be consistent and not flurries of playing of notes. You should have good posture and your top speed may vary from session to session, but if you follow this routine, it will have a definite upward slope over time.
4) Repeat 1 - 2 with the timer now set at 20 SECONDS, then 30 SECONDS, and so on, until you reach your peak speed at 90 SECONDS. Gradually work your way up the time ladder so as to increase your endurance in a healthy way.
5) Remember if you are doing this correctly, your top speed will be the same for every 10 seconds of time. For example, if you are running singles at a top speed of 100 DM for 10 seconds, then you should run about 200 DM for 20 seconds, 300 DM for 30 seconds, and so on as you go up the time ladder.
6) Even strokes should be your goal. You can watch the counter as you play to see how evenly you are striking the pad. If the counter stutters, you should make an immediate correction to how you are striking the pad so as to achieve the desired flow from the counter. You will notice your hands starting to look and sound more alike as you do this routine over time. (Note: Contrary look = contrary sound.) You will also notice you can play longer and more consistently with less effort which is the goal of proficiency.

THE ENDURANCE TEST by Johnny Rabb

This procedure can be used to increase your endurance and will quickly show deficiency due to a lack of endurance.

1) Set the timer to 01 SECONDS
2) Run at your top speed
3) Now set the Drumometer to 02 SECONDS
4) Run again at your top speed. The COUNT should be double what you recorded for 01 SECONDS. For instance, if you had a COUNT of 20 for 01 SECONDS and a COUNT of 37 for 02 SECONDS, you have an endurance deficiency of 3 strokes at 2 seconds.
5) Once you determine where your endurance deficiency is, i.e 2 seconds, you should continue to repeat the test until there is no endurance deficiency at this level. Once this is accomplished increase the timer by 1 second and repeat the test.