Hey there! One of these days I’m going to get all these posts organized, but it’s a bit too busy right now. I’m leaving for Summer Taiko Institute in LA with On Ensemble in just 2 days and am looking forward to some new challenges to mind, body, and rhythm!
In the meantime, today’s drill is quite simple. Hopefully you’ve gotten a sense of how to move smoothly back and forth between drums at a moderate pace. Here’s another pattern to practice just that.
Focus: Form, Timing
Watch For:
1. Be sure to use a metronome to practice this drill. This helps tremendously with timing. Always work at a comfortable speed where you can keep the pace steady. Need a metronome? Check out my brief intro to my newest Dr. Beat.
2. Keep control from your core!
Today’s pattern is 3 don tsuku, followed by do ko do ko. This basic pattern is looped. Aim for 15-20 minutes without stopping.
The initial “don” is played on your high-pitched drum, to your right. The following “tsu ku” and next 2 “don tsu kus” are on the lower-pitched drum, to your left. The initial “do ko” is played on the left drum, and the second is played on the right drum.
Check out the video for an example (I can’t view the video at the moment, so I hope the above explanation is correct!):
I’ll be playing next week by ear since I’ll be in in LA all week for STI and NATC. I’m really looking forward to hitting a drum right now!
Anyone out there going to NATC??