Do you have to stretch as a drummer ?
Short answer : YES !
Elaborated answer :
Well, a lot of drummers seem to do very well without ever stretching before playing. So why would you ?
If you’ve been into drumming for a few years, you might have understood by now that power and speed does not depend on those big guns of yours you call muscles. Sorry if you are learning this right now Mr. Universe but these won’t be of any use when it comes to speed in your drumming. About power it might not be as true but trust me, the big picture is : they’re not as useful as you think they are. I mean, if they were, how the hell would drummers like Igor Falecki achieve this level at 10 years old ? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrQxXIiuO6k)
But hey, don’t lose faith. That doesn’t mean you need to cancel your gym subscription. In fact you just need to continue working your technique with basic coordination exercises and… to stretch. It’s that simple. The more flexible you are with your forearms, wrists and fingers, the easier it will be for you to scale up that “Tick-Tack” without feeling like your muscles went under some kind of big truck (which, as you might guess, tickles a bit). Why ? Because the key to drumming is to keep all your body relaxed. And no, playing that song of AC/DC doesn’t mean you’re flexible (c’mon they’re all the same). So my suggestion is to get into 3 basic stretchs of x seconds each that you can do before playing or, even better, multiple times during your drumming sessions if those tend to never really end. Plus, it will prevent injuries. How awesome is that ?
So, no more talking, here’s the routine you can do once or twice every time before playing the drums.
- Thumbs stretch
Every drummer will tell you this: “You can’t escape from hand cramps.”
Well actually you can, by stretching them. Fingers are one of your most important assets when it comes to dexterity, so their flexibility is very important. And stretching them help increase their flexibility. And guess what, the thumb is a finger.
To stretch them, do as if you were hitchhiking (see image below). Relax your fingers and then push softly on your finger with your other hand until you have some kind of heat sensation at the bottom of your thumb. Maintain it for 30 seconds and then do it again with the other hand.
2. Fingers stretch
Now the other fingers. Place both hands at your chest’s height approximately and push each finger against its other hand’s twin. Then spread your elbows and push down your wrists (see image below). This time you should feel the heat sensation at the bottom of each finger and a bit in the palm. Hold 30 seconds.
3. Forearms stretch
One of the most sensible part of your arms when you play the drums for a long period of time is the forearm. Therefore, stretching it is particularly important. This move is almost the same as for the fingers except this time your palms must remain face to face one another (see image below). Hold 30 seconds.
4. Shoulder stretch
Most drummers tend to raise the shoulders while playing, which can be very harmful on the long term. Stretching them will help you relax them. Otherwise you will start to feel pain on your upper-back which could discourage you from playing the drums.
Raise your arm upon your head and fold it at elbow level. Then catch that same elbow with your other hand and push down softly (see image below). Hold 30 seconds and then do it with the other arm.
5. Back stretch
If you often feel pain in your back when you’re playing it means that your posture might be bad. If you stretch your back on a regular basis with the exercises I’m showing you, it will naturally correct with time as you’ll get more conscious about it. Again, hold this one for 30 seconds as you go as low as possible without harming yourself (I know, this one’s a classic).
Now that you know the moves, you just need to make it part of your daily practice and I guarantee you will see huge improvement in your flexibility and your ability to relax. But aren’t these the main criterions to improve speed ? Yes, they are.
