The Use Of The Fingers In Technique: The One-Stroke And The Two-Stroke | Part 1 of 2

There are three hand positions relevant to finger technique: the closed position, the open position, and the finger-stroke position when alternating between open and closed motion. Fingers are used in conjunction with the wrist-and-arm motion, independent of (or in place of) that motion, or to change the tone, volume or speed of the stroke.

For the 1-stroke motion, start in the up position with the fingers open and close them as the wrist turns and the stick strikes the drum; as the wrist returns to the up position, the fingers open again. This method adds velocity to the stroke as the fingers close at the point of impact, and changes the articulation (and possibly the volume) compared to a strict wrist stroke. The opposite approach — fingers closed in the up position, opening as the wrist turns and the stick strikes, then pulled back into the palm with the fingers as the wrist returns up — follows the method associated with Joe Morello and others, where the upstroke’s velocity is aided by the fingers closing, emphasizing getting “out of” the head rather than playing “into” it (Supplement 29A). Practice the “open” fingers downstroke followed by a “close” fingers pullout stroke, and then the reverse, starting with a “closed” fingers downstroke followed by an “open” fingers upstroke.

The 2-stroke motion — often called the “open-close” or “reverse finger” method — can be played two ways. First: start with fingers open in the up position, close them on the downstroke, then open them again as the stick rebounds to a low position and the wrist turns for a low tap stroke (or pull the wrist back up for a full stroke), continuing to alternate open-close as the wrist turns in the low tap position; letting the stick rebound higher adds stress to a note without changing the finger motion. Second: start with fingers closed, open them as the wrist turns and the stick strikes and stays down, then close them again as the stick rebounds to a low position for the wrist’s next turn, continuing to alternate the same way. The fingers work in conjunction with the wrist turns studied earlier, and you can add stress to either the open or closed stroke regardless of whether that motion falls on or off the beat. Using the fingers affects speed, articulation, phrasing and dynamics, and the fingers need to sit far enough from the palm for best results — with traditional grip, the thumb and index finger bend slightly on the upstroke and extend on the downstroke as the fingers open and close (Supplement 29B). This 2-stroke motion is often used for fast one-handed 16th notes, double-stroke rolls, changes in articulation, and doubles on lower-tuned drums like the floor tom — it isn’t meant to replace the Moeller 2-stroke motion learned earlier. Start slowly to be sure the fingers are moving properly, then build tempo gradually; daily practice improves both motion and speed.