Basic Body Motion

Holding the stick, wrist turns and the bounce stroke are the foundations for how comfortable and fast you can play. These lessons are good to review no matter how long you have been playing.

Ralph Humphrey

Ralph Humphrey is a legendary drummer and educator whose career spanned over five decades. He served as Drum Department Head and partnered with Joe Porcaro to write the drum set curriculum for both Musicians Institute and Los Angeles College of Music. This is the same curriculum used by their longtime student Mike Packer in The Drum Channel Method, along with Drum Channel lessons taught by Ralph Humphrey. He mentors thousands of students, many of whom have become top touring and recording artists. Ralph also performed and recorded with icons such as Frank Zappa, Don Ellis, Al Jarreau, and Natalie Cole, and contributed to numerous film and television productions like The Simpsons, Animaniacs, and Dancing with the Stars.

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It is important to understand that the drums are the instrument that creates the sound, and the drummer’s body is the instrument that plays the drums. These lessons show you how to use your body to motivate and follow the bounce of the stick. They are the foundation for developing your technique, time and your groove. We suggest you spend one week on each lesson so they become natural for you. At the beginning of each practice session you should quickly review the first three lessons to be sure you’re holding the stick, turning your wrist, and allowing the stick to bounce as you proceed. It’s easy to get so involved in what you’re playing that you lose focus on how you are playing it. The better instrument you make out of yourself, the more musical you will be able to play.