Michael Bremo

PRACTICE PAD MONDAY: Single Flammed Mill.

This week we’re working on the Single Flammed Mill.

To simplify it, start by getting comfortable with a backward single paradiddle. Once that feels solid in your hands, then add the flam.

With rudiments like this, you’ll quickly realize that stick height is everything. The process can feel challenging at first, but simple hand exercises focused on controlling stick height will make a noticeable difference.

One thing I consistently encourage my students to do is get comfortable playing rudiments (or any hand combination) across multiple subdivisions. A solid starting point is binary and ternary subdivisions, which will make it much easier to handle more complex phrasing later on. In this example, I’m working through 8th notes, 8th note triplets, and 16th notes.

If you are curious about the click track, it’s called Mapalé. Mapalé is a rhythm and dance from the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, it’s a fusion of African musical traditions developed by enslaved Africans that were on the land in the 16th century.

Watch the hand motion.�Same pathway every time.�This builds real independence.

I’ve got 2 open spots in my teaching schedule right now. If you’re ready to clean up your technique and actually feel the difference in your hands, send me a message and let’s get to work.

Practice Monday: Flam Tap.
This week’s Practice Pad Monday was delayed… apparently my rudiments needed a rest day too....
Building on last week’s flam work, here’s the flam tap. This one is all about stick height when it comes to executing clean, consistent flams. It can feel awkward at first, but once you lock in the motion, that’s when things start to open up.
The flam tap is a great rudiment to expand your vocabulary and control. You’ll notice my sticks are coming up higher off the pad, but it took some time to get there, so don’t rush it.
As always, these are short flows. Once you’ve got it memorized, plug it into your daily routine and start building from there.

Have been wanting to play the drums or brush off the dust off your chops?

I currently have two open slots in my teaching schedule

Reach out and let's get you going!

PRACTICE PAD MONDAY:
Single Stroke Four

It’s the end of the day, but I couldn’t skip getting a Practice Pad Monday video up before the clock ran out.

The Single Stroke Four is a great rudiment. You can use it for fast passages, or slow it way down and use it to build endurance, control, and consistency. Simple on paper, not always easy in the hands.

Once you’re comfortable leading with the right hand, switch it and lead with the left hand. Then mix it up!

One of the main goals with these Practice Pad Mondays is to give you short, easy-to-memorize exercises you can drop straight into your daily practice without staring at sheet music. Learn it once, keep it forever.

Give them a try!

I currently have one 30-minute lesson spot open in my teaching schedule.
Shoot me a message!