Scratching & drum pad coordination - training fingers to move at different speeds
Hi all!
Interested in any tips or techniques to help train hands and fingers to move at different speeds when scratching or for different fingers to hit drum pads with different rhythms. I think in the drumming world it is called ‘limb independence’ so I guess in the dj world it is similar - just on a smaller scale!
Over the years when I have attempted to practice scratching I have never been able to get my hands moving at different speeds - I speed one up, the other seems to want to move at the same pace. Now encountering a similar thing with drum pads where I want different fingers to play different beats independent of what the other fingers are doing.
Is anyone aware of any exercises or techniques that can assist in training my fingers to function independently? Or am I the only one having this prob and should probably put it down to a genetic defect and lack of rhythm?
Just do some exercises where you do whatever patterns you want to learn, and practice them over and over - I don’t know of any other way. With scratching it’s not total independence usually - my record hand drags slowly for example while my fader fingers move quickly but I’m gonna be keeping the same time on both – record hand goes one full note while I hit the fader four quarter notes for example. Or whatever. With flares and things it’s a little more involved since you’re counting the sounds, not the movements, which have to be a little off for the scratch to work properly, but either way it’s just a matter of practice and discipline. Force yourself to practice the one you can’t do for like an hour every day for a week, you should start to feel it becoming easier as you gain the muscle memory.
There was a recent article on the blog about practicing finger drumming. Look that up it might be just what you’re looking for. I would link it but I’m on my phone atm.
