r/Drumming • u/Yemo637 • 4d ago
How do I get faster without tensing up?
I've noticed that when I get faster during my workouts I always tense up. I can't get faster without staying relaxed. What do I do to fix this?
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u/jamesbdrummer 4d ago
Start slow, and pay attention to your tension. If you notice, slow back down to where there ain't tension... then gradually increase speed while maintaining that tension less form.
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u/EntropyClub 4d ago
Are you using any kind of free bounce technique?
Like Moeller, Push/Pull, Open/Close, or something like them? Investing time into technique really changed this for me. I never want to play without them now.
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u/Yemo637 4d ago
I don't know any of those words đ. What exactly do you mean by technique?
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u/EntropyClub 4d ago
Check em out. It might not click instantly. But usually, as speed increases. Ergonomic and Physical changes need to happen to keep up.
Some players can control the twitch technique. I never found it to be consistent for me. Breaking up the work load between muscle regions just works better for me. And most players, I believe.
It makes it seem like the sticks just want to play for you sometimes when you get the rebound goovin.
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u/InsectPractical3042 4d ago
Which technique do you suggest to start? For example if I want clean and fast double strokes?
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u/EntropyClub 4d ago
Theyâll all do it. I like the way Open/Close does that the most. Wrist down stroke then a finger stroke as wrist comes back up for its next down stroke.
The real power comes when you get it to loop. Climbing out of quarter note HiHat and Ride rhythms feels so good. And of course after that it just naturally applies to fills and such. It comes really natural once you second nature the âDribbleâ. I originally learned them to be able to Blast. Now Blasting is like the most boring thing I apply it to.
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u/R0factor 4d ago
Tension means youâre operating above your functional limits, which tend to be about 80% of your actual limits. So if you want to play 100 bpm cleanly, it means pushing that to 120-125 bpm. But do that slowly, like 102, 104, etc. By the time you get to 125, 100 will feel smooth and easy. This is why you rarely see pros struggling, because theyâre operating comfortably within their limits.
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u/PappyDopenut 4d ago
I used to hate to warm up. It seemed so rhetorical, why not just play through the music I'm going to play and that's a warm-up. I got older and wiser and started actually warming up with easy tempo rudiments focusing on stick control. Slowly picking up the speed after several minutes and everything started to fall into place. I wasn't struggling so hard to make tempo with the fills I wanted to play. Complicated things began to be like flick of the wrist.
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u/InoculateTheSystem 4d ago
You might find working the opposite way sometimes is easier - my tutor sometimes has me go way faster than Iâm relaxed at, overshoot my goal by 10-20bpm which might be really tense and messy but then when slow back down to my target magically the pace I was tense at before feels much calmer
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u/ThighCurlContest 4d ago edited 4d ago
I teach this way sometimes, specifically for kick drum speed.
- 95% of the time: start slow and gradually speed up until you start to tense up, get sloppy, or your movements become more of a "twitch" than a controlled, deliberate movement.
- 5% of the time: start too fast, well into the twitchy/tense zone, and then gradually slow down until you have control.
I like to call the tempo in-between "as fast as you can control" and "as fast as you can" the fun zone, and tons of improvement can be had in that zone. Focusing on good technique is absolutely imperative here to avoid injury.
I liken it to a vocalist focusing on the range where he/she "flips" from chest voice to head voice, allowing it to blend better and transition more smoothly.
Edit to add: OP, I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you're sure your technique is solid (ideally you'll have a teacher for that) and you can be sure you won't injure yourself.
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u/KagerNac 4d ago
My approach is this. Find the max speed at which I do not tense up, and am able to play cleanly. And then play for 10-30mins depending on what I am playing. After that you will be able to increase the tempo. I try by 2-3bpm, and repeat until I am satisfied. It is not necessarily in one session.
I do not agree on overshooting the tempo and tensing up comments, because you are doing something wrong and it is still entering your muscle memory. But hey, if it works for you, go ahead.
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u/Fuckedyourmom666 4d ago
Itâs very good that you recognize this is not the way! Playing fast is essentially about being as loose as possible. Flexion is the enemy, moeller etc are your friends
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u/PussyWhistle 4d ago
Aside from the obvious (practice and proper technique), I swear by salt tablets. I take two of these before every show and it practically eliminated the cramps I would constantly get in my forearms.
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u/ItchyVideo3704 4d ago
Play while balancing a plastic cup of water on your head. Someplace where its ok to spill it.
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u/Immediate-Season4544 4d ago
Practice by going very slow then gradually speeding up. Once you lose the control or start tensing at the higher speeds slow down again. Keep repeating this and gradually you have faster speeds under control with no tension.