Drums Co ordination problems?

Question

im having trouble keeping a steady beat on the high hat when im doing a different, faster beat on the bass drum. i cant coordinate my hand and feet movement so eventually my hand copies what my foot is doing. how can i improve my coordination does anyone have any tips? thanks. also would someone be able to write or link me drum notes/tabs for the rihanna song umbrella? thanks!

Answer 1

What you are referring to is called "independence". It can be very difficult to develop. One good exercise is to play a regular 4/4 beat, snare on 2 and 4 of course, play eighth notes on the hi hat and try various sixteenth note patterns with your foot. It will be tricky at first but just hang with it.

Answer 2

Try to do it in a slow tempo. Once you find a manageable speed, keep playing until you get comfortable with it. When you think you’re already doing it right and relaxed, increase the speed just a bit. This is probably a long process but that’s how it works.

Answer 3

I don't know the drum tabs to the Rihanna song...but I can offer you some drumming advice as a drummer myself.

1. Try to slow down and master the hi hat pattern first. If you are having trouble doing the hi-hats & Bass drum pattern ....

try playing with ONLY your hands first meaning playing the Hi-hats & snare first....worry about the Bass drum later.

2. Start off slow in your rythym pattern...If you are having trouble because you might be going too fast...slow down and get the groove down. It's better to go slow and get it down then to speed up and miss the beat all together.

3. Try doing regular 4 / 4 time beats first...that would like Beatles and Rolling Stones songs...those are the easiest to play because they are so simple.

4. Get a Metronome too to help you with your timing. I have a cheap QUIK TIME one for like $15 and they are great for learning your your BPMs ( beats per minute) for your songs. The Metronome will deinfitely help you with your timing because that is the most important  #1 thing in drumming...to  keep your timing down solid all throughout the song...whether they are fast or slow. Hope this helps... good luck