How to Practice the Right Hand Velocity Stroke on the Snare Drum

Learning to play the snare drum is a fun experience. There are many different exercises designed to teach different techniques and sounds that can be played on the snare drum. The right hand velocity stroke is one of those key exercises.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Hold the stick correctly. For the right hand, this should be with a hold called fulcrums. There is a front fulcrum and a back fulcrum. The stick needs to rest between knuckle 1 and knuckle 2. Put your right thumb straight across from halfway in between your first 2 knuckles. Then wrap your bottom 3 fingers around the stick. The bottom fulcrum is your pinky finger.

2. Set the proper positioning and spacing with the stick to the drum. This is done with your wrist, arm and elbow positioning. It is very important to maintain a slight angle of the stick onto the drum. To find the correct angle, place 2 fingers on the edge of the drum and rest the stick on top of them to find 2 finger widths. This is about where you will want to keep the stick.

3. Understand the purpose of the right hand velocity stroke. As it sounds, it is for maximum velocity, which needs to be conveyed through the bead on the stick driving down to the head and coming back up. Start it at 12 inches and end it at 12 inches.

4. Maximize the amount of velocity so that the stick comes out of the head sooner. This will generate more sound and give a better sound quality. Practice this stroke a few times to find your ideal grip and strike for the maximum velocity with each stroke.