drumming_2026sep02

drumming reclamation continues in tandem with the unfuckification of my brain from the erstwhile days of institutional music training and familial breakdown. Biggest shift has been moving over fully to traditional grip (burning my hand during shed play-time made it a necessity that I kept through the healing and to now): I feel like I feel the rhythms more, that I’m capable of turning off the brain more than with the matched grip (and don’t get me started on using timpani/french grip on drumset; more power to you if you can control the fucking things). Also switched from the electric Roland V7 practice kit to my Tama Cocktail Jam kit with practice pads (her name is, naturally, Kitty): have to learn its feel to express myself best – and continue learning how to do toe-down bass drumming since Kitty doesn’t allow for heel-toe positioning. Getting there, working my way through STICK CONTROL (single stroke roll section, presently) in The Shed and NEW BREED on Kitty. Only slightly dreading left-handed ride playing but I’m sure it’ll come to me once a few hundred sticks go flying into the void.