1. Christian Fellowship Pathfinder
Drumline
Handbook
Rev. 3/2010
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2. Introduction
The exercises, cadences and band signals in this book are a combination of material used by top
universities during their Marching Band seasons. More will be added as the pathfinder year goes
on. In order for us to call ourselves a drumline we must have a structured program that will
enable us to grow as drummers and have an appreciation for our talent. If we want to drum like
A&T, Morris Brown, Blue Devils we need to familiarize ourselves with their attitude and
discipline towards developing their skills.
As I’ve always mentioned before in order to get to a higher level of drumming we need to know
the basics. It cannot be ignored or skipped over. Once we know the basics we can move on to the
fun and complicated material.
This book should be brought to all rehearsals. Most of the cadences are designed to be played at
120 beats per minute (quarter note pulse). Practice slowly at first then work your way up to this.
Rudiments
Now there’s a word that we know well. The purpose of rudiments is two-fold. They
provide an important musical foundation and help to build muscle memory.
So, what is a rudiment? How many rudiments are there, really? To find answers to these
questions, we can refer to some of the well-known lists of rudiments. For example:
• Standard 26 American Drum Rudiments
• Percussion Arts Society International Drum Rudiments
• Contemporary Hybrid Drum Rudiments
In rudimental playing, there are four types of strokes. These are defined by the position of the
stick before and after a note are played:
Down stroke: starts high, ends low
Up stroke: starts low, ends high
Full stroke: starts high; ends high
Tap stroke: starts low, ends low
Accurate use of the four types of strokes assures visual uniformity and prevents wasted motion.
In fact, each stroke is a preparation for the next stroke. However, let’s take a moment to look at
rudiments from a slightly different angle and suggest that there are, in the most basic of terms,
only three rudiments.
• Tap (single stroke)
• Flam
• Diddle (multiple bounce)
Timing
This is a percussion program – timing is a very important aspect of what we do. Remember:
Rudiments are rhythms! Know your rudiments and know them well, but be sure you are
playing them CORRECTLY– meaning,
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3.  Pay attention to how certain sticking patterns affect your rhythmic tendencies.
 Don’t practice certain things at tempos that are faster than your hands can play, or you’ll
end up practicing bad habits.
 Practice with a metronome to focus on good timing and rhythmic accuracy.
To make it more enjoyable and realistic, play your various exercises along with music you like to
listen to. It’s generally the same thing as using a metronome.
Below are the different metronome ranges used to rate an individual’s progress with timing. I
will be using this to rank you throughout the year.
Bronze Silver Gold Plantinum Diamond
m.m.= 80-110 m.m.= 115-145 m.m.= 150-180 m.m.= 185-215 m.m.= 220-250
Dynamics
How do you physically create dynamics on a drum? It is a combination of your stick height and
your “touch”. Accurate stick heights promote musical and visual uniformity within the
percussion section.
“Touch” refers to controlling the velocity of the stick (the power behind the stick) as it hits the
head. You should try to maintain the same velocity at every stick height. If you succeed, you will
find that stick heights alone can give you the dynamic results you are looking for.
This chart gives guidelines for relating stick heights to dynamic markings indicated in parts.
Although the stick heights may be changed in playing situations, the chart provides a constant
frame of reference.
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4. Key to Cymbal Techniques
Ord. - ordinary crash (each plate directly into the other and away)
ch. - choke (staccato crash: plates strike each other and immediately separate and muffle into
chest)
Cr. - crunch (plates strike each other and stay together tightly)
HH - hi-hat (plates are held perpendicular to player, only top cymbal moves for
HH effect; often notated with an “x” shaped note head)
FC - full crash (cymbals prepare at a "housetop" angle)
Lv. - let vibrate
Roll - plate roll (cymbals slide-together in opposing circular paths)
scr. - scrape (the edge of one cymbal scrapes the inside of the other from bell to edge)
cas. - cascade (crash followed by arm-extension visual effect)
FA - fall-away (cymbals strike, then one or both cymbals fall [visually] to the side)
SC. – slide choke, achieved by crashing cymbals out and pulling back in to suction.
Basic Grip
Snare Grip (Right Hand)
1) The grip follows the line of the forearm with a slight slope down and to the right in its natural
state.
2) The butt end of the stick should be seen and not hidden under the forearm.
3) The right hand fulcrum: position thumb directly along the side of the stick. The index and
middle fingers wrap around the stick and even with the thumb. The stick is cradled by the
middle, ring and pinky finger. All fingers are in contact with the stick and remain free of
tension. Refer to pictures below to understand these steps.
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5. Snare Grip (Left Hand)
1) Maintain the natural curvature of the hand when moving to playing position. Avoid straight
fingers.
2) The thumb connects to the first knuckle of the index finger with no tension. In this position,
the thumb rests on top of the the index finger.
3) The stick rests on the cuticle of the ring finger.
4) The middle finger rests along the stick, relaxed and never straight.
5) The ring finger and pinky work in unison to support the stick. They should remain relaxed
and together at all times.
6) The left hand fulcrum is created with the thumb and first finger.
7) The rotation of the left hand should be just like turning a door knob.
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6. Playing Position
1) Relax with your arms at your sides.
2) With relaxed shoulders, bend the arms from the elbow so your wrists are just about waist-
level. This will determine the height of your drum.
3) Beads will be in the center of the head, as close as possible without touching one another.
Keep the beads as close to the head as possible without resting on the head.
The Stroke
Our strokes are primarily made with the wrist; however, they aren’t isolated to JUST the wrist.
The forearm does play a role in contributing weight to the stroke, and fingers need to come into
play during certain sticking patterns, like doubles. Don’t worry yourself with how much arm or
how much wrist to use. The primary goal is to make it a natural motion that uses a harmony
of wrist, forearms, and fingers. The music will dictate how much of each is necessary at any
given time.
Focus on allowing the stick to vibrate in the hand. Squeezing too tightly will choke off the stick
and diminish sound quality. If you notice yourself wanting to squeeze or choke off the stick,
eliminate pressure from the forefinger and shift a little bit of fulcrum control to the middle
finger. This will help to maintain a natural stroke.
There should be a weight to your strokes which will produce a big, full sound. Make the sticks
feel heavy in your hands. To achieve this, it’s important to realize that higher volumes will
typically require a higher stroke velocity. This is partly to ensure you’re producing a big sound,
but also to propel the stick so that it rebounds back to its full stroke position.
During the up-and-down motion of the stroke, focus on creating a CONSTANT MOTION with
the sticks. When stopping the sticks (i.e., during accent/tap patterns), don’t squeeze the stick or
choke it off. This is one instance where marching drummers have a tendency to tighten up. Make
a point of practicing accent/tap patterns slowly, focusing on eliminating tension in the grip.
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7. Tenor Grip
1) The grip follows the line of the forearm. The top of the hand should be slightly sloped down
and to the right in its natural state.
2) The butt end of the stick should not be hidden under the forearm.
3) The fulcrum is created by placing the thumb directly along the side of the stick. The index
finger and the middle fingers wrap around the stick and are even with the thumb.
4) The stick is craddled by the middle, ring and pinky fingers. All fingers are in contact with the
stick and should remain free of tension.
Playing Position
1) The bead of the stick should rest as close to the drumhead as possible without touching it.
2) Arms should rest comfortably and naturally at the sides so that the shoulders are relaxed.
Elbows should not be pushed away from the body, nor should they be unusually tight against
the body.
3) When in this position this position, sticks will create a natural angle of sticks that is close to
but not parallel to the floor.
The Stroke
The stroke should move vertically up and down. This may seem like an obvious point to make,
but with multiple-drum tenor configurations, it’s easy for tenor drummers to slice certain strokes.
When moving from drum to drum, the upper arms (above the elbow) should remain free to move
in conjunction with the forearm. The upper arms should remain controlled, but still relaxed as
you travel around the drums.
During the up-and-down motion of the stroke, focus on creating a CONSTANT MOTION with
the sticks. It is very important for tenor drummers to have full control of a natural stroke and
good sound on ONE DRUM before applying it to split parts around the drums.
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8. Playing Zones
Playing zones are a very important part of creating a good sound on tenors. Each drum has a
particular “target” for each particular stick to shoot for. This gives each stick the least amount of
distance to travel in any given pattern around the drums.
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9. Bass Grip
1) Hold the bass mallet along its lower end with your thumb on the top of the stick and pointing
towards the head of the mallet.
2) Make sure the back 3 fingers(pinky, ring and middle) are consistently in relaxed contact with
the mallet, cradling it all the way around.
3) Hang both arms along your side with the thumbs on the top of the mallets. The mallets
should point forward and down at a 45-degree angle. Next, b ring them up (bending at the
elbows) until the forearms are approximately parallel to the ground. This is your playing
position.
Rotation
All strokes are initiated from a simple rotation of the forearm. Let the weight of the mallet help
with the rotation. As bass drummers, we play AGAINST gravity. You can practice this by sitting
with your arms on a table, as if in playing position. The motion we use for bass drumming is
almost always legato. However, there are instances in which the music calls for a different type
of sound and, accordingly, a different stroke style.
The path that the stroke takes while playing should be a straight line that matches the angle of the
mallet. Consistency is key when delivering an equal amount of energy from each stroke to the
drum head.
When in playing position, with the mallets parallel to the bass head, the mallets are
Actually set at the 1” stick height. Rotate the forearms out (90 degrees) so the mallets are
perpendicular to the head to establish the forte stick height. The piano stick height can be
achieved with a very slight wrist rotation away from the playing surface. The mezzo piano stick
height can be achieved with a one-third rotation from the playing surface. The mezzo forte stick
height can be achieved with a two-thirds rotation from the playing surface. The fortissimo stick
height is rotated another third beyond the forte position.
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10. Table of Contents
Warm-ups
Eight on a hand- p11 Tenor Double Beat Triple Beat- p.29
16th Note Timing #1- p.12 Tenor triplet accents- p.29
16th Note Timing #2- p.13 Tenor Sweeps/Scrapes- p.30, 31
32nd note singles #1- p.14
Paradiddle Pyramid- p.15 Band Signals- p.50-51
16 Note Grid- p.16
16th Note Grid-Double Accent- p.17 Cadences
Fivelet Grid- p.18 8 on a hand- p.32-34
Triplet Grid- p.19 Accent Tap- p.35-36
Extendo Triplet Diddle- p.20 Accented 16th- p.37-38
Tap drags and fives- p.21 Double Beat- p.39-40
Flam accent break down -p.22 Triplet Rolls- p.41-42
Add-a-Flam Accent-p.23 Dut Duts- p.43
Add-a-Flam drag- p.24 Dut Duts 2- p.44
Eight dynamics- p.25 Flams- p.45
Rolls- p.46-49
Tenor Section Chug-a-da- p.52
Tenor Splits- p.27 Chee-Chee-Manga #1a- p.53
Tenor 16th Accents- p.28 Mr. Monkey Eats his cheese- p.54
Tenor 18th Diddles- p.28 Bass Drum #4 Million 12- p.55
Tenor 16th sticks Control-p.28
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11. 11

12. 12

13. 13

14. 14

15. 15

16. 16

17. 17

18. 18

19. 19

20. 20

21. 21

22. 22

23. 23

24. 24

25. 25

26. Tenor Section
Refer to this general zone diagram to view different sticking scenarios. It’s very important to
practice patterns around the drums SLOWLY, striving for accurate zones before increasing
tempos
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27. 27

28. 28

29. 29

30. 30

31. 31

32. 32

33. This exercise works on full rebound strokes. Here are a few things to look for during your daily
rehearsal.
• Start at a slow tempo, working with a metronome or play-along track (mm=90), then move to
medium (120) and fast tempi (140+) for 2-3 minutes per tempo.
• There should be no “stopping points” in the path of the stick as it travels up and down.
• The motion of the stick should be smooth on each stroke.
• Stick heights should match player to player.
• Keep the hand that’s not playing (the free hand) in the proper playing position.
Option 1 provides variations for all instruments except snares.
Tenors: This option includes a different “around the drums” part. Watch for proper beating area
on each drum. In measures 3 & 4, the free hand should be at rest outside the path of the opposite
mallet.
Bass Drums: Includes split parts (often helpful when tempo gets fast). At a slow tempo, play
every 8th on the right hand. At a fast tempo, alternate the two 8ths (R L).
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34. Cymbals: As an option, the cymbal players can work on exercises to build strength. This will
help them to build stamina necessary for long practices and performances. Hold the cymbals
above head, horizontally in front or horizontally out to side – or do pushups.
This option provides a variation to work on alternating single strokes.
Snares/Tenors: The rebound stroke from measure 1 to 2 (and 3 to 4) should remain consistent.
Listen & watch for consistency of stick heights from hand to hand.
Tenors: Practice first on one drum, then play the exercise as written around the drums. Work to
minimize the motion of the forearms by relaxing the wrists.
Bass Drums: Practice this exercise in unison before splitting the parts (applying the same
sticking as the snares). On the split part, play both 8ths with right hand and alternate the four
16th notes.
Cymbals: Split parts with a hi-hat technique. If only 2 players are present, split quarters and
eights 2 ways instead of 4.
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35. This exercise works on two height control. Here are a few things to look.
• While the velocity - or stroke speed - will increase, there should be no extra tension in the
hand, wrist or forearm. Avoid trying to “hit the drum harder” on accented strokes.
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36. • Play the unaccented notes at 3” with a wrist directed stroke into the drum. Strive to relax the
hand, wrist and fingers on the soft taps. The taps, while soft, should be played with a full
sound (play “into the drum” at a 3” height). Keep the hand that’s not playing (the free hand)
in the proper playing position.
Tenors: Play first time on one drum, then apply the written exercise the 2nd time through. Try to
limit the amount of forearm motion when playing accents out on a different drum by allowing a
slight side-to-side movement of the wrist.
Cymbals: The timing of the even numbered measures is more difficult than you might think.
Because of the accent placement on the “and” of count 2 in the drum parts, the quarter note hi-
hat on beat 3 needs to be hit exactly in time with the left foot.
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37. 37

38. 38

39. 39

40. 40

41. 41

42. This exercise works on triplet roll patterns. Here are a few things to look for.
Snares/Tenors: Measures 1-4 should be played at a consistent 6” height, measures 5-9 at 9”/3”.
Even though the pattern moves from “hand to hand” on each beat, strive for a consistent sound
without pulsing each downbeat.
Tenors: Practice on one drum before playing the written exercise. In measure 8, you will cross
the left over right on beat 2 and beat 4. Strive to minimize the angle of the forearms on the cross-
overs and work for a consistent triplet motion of the wrists. Be careful to not crush the diddles
under the cross-over.
Bass Drums: All notes should be alternated (RLR). Listen to the snares and tenors to match note
spacing.
Cymbals: This exercise incorporates full crashes with follow-through. Measures 5-6 is A/B
divisi with follow through. Meas. 7-8 is a 4-way split. If only 2 players are available, repeat
measures 5-6.
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43. 43

44. 44

45. 45

46. 46

47. 47

48. 48

49. 49

50. 50

51. 51

52. 52

53. 53

54. 54

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