Things You'll Need:
- Drum brushes
- Snare drum
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Step 1
First: the stir. Hold the brushes gently--i.e. don't clasp them in your hand. Sweep the two brushes counter to each other, so the brush in the left hand is going clockwise and the brush in the right hand is going counterclockwise. You want to sweep each brush on one half of the drum, with the left brush circling on the bottom half of the snare and the right brush on the top half. You don't want the brushes to hit each other.
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Step 2
Next: the dig. This is a basic drum hit using the brush. You're never going to swing the brush the way you would a drumstick. Instead, a dig should start around two inches or less above the drum head before you strike down.
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Step 3
Combine the actions. For the sake of this example, let's look at the positioning of a right handed drummer. To continue with the description from step one, you will use your left hand--stirring on the bottom half of the drum--to make the dig. This is important because you'll be using your right hand to hit the hi-hat or ride when need be. You could stir on a ride and dig on the snare, as well as stirring and digging on the snare itself.
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Step 4
Practice your timing. You want the stir to be in even strokes each time you make a full sweep of the drum. This will make it easier to play the dig in rhythm.
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Step 5
Mix it up. A stir doesn't always have to be a smooth circle. It can be a choppy beat as well, though it's important to keep the same beat every measure.
