These are some various exercises I use to obtain endurance and technique. These are very important attributes for speed drumming or anytime you have a need to play fast. The byproduct of training these two attributes is an increase in speed. It is extremely important that you practice these exercises with the intension of playing them perfectly. If you play them too fast you will simply be training yourself how to play sloppy. The best way to train your muscle memory is to play using proper technique and form for long periods of time.

I call the first exercise the pyramid. The exercise is based entirely off the triplet. The exercise starts off with a single stroke roll playing exactly 3 notes on each hand. The hands plays 1 triplet together and then one triplet by itself. Next, the hands plays 2 triplets together (single stroke role) and then 2 triplets by themselves. Continue adding triplets played together first then apart until eventually there is a continous stream of triplets. Each level of the pyramid is played twice so that both hands get a chance to lead. This is a great excercise because it works on four different things at once. It trains you to use your hands together, you practice leading with each hand, it isolates each hand for focused technique training, and you get to practice counting while playing. Try and see how high you can climb the pyramid. I only went to the the 6th tier of the pyramid (6 triplets in a row) in the example video for the purpose of demonstrating the exercise. In this video I angled the camera at my hands to show you what my technique looks like. Notice how I'm holding the sticks loosely, and there is a gap between my thumb and index finger. You should have a relaxed look and feel. Any tension will end up slowing you down later on. My fingers wrist and forearm are all working together to move the stick.

Here is the exercise written out. Each measure is played twice before moving to the next one. The first time each measure is played use the sticking pattern I have on the top of the measure. On the second pass follow the sticking pattern I have below the measure. This written example goes only to the 4th tier of the pyramid. You would continue the pattern of adding triplets and try and climb as high as you can go. Make sure to log your progress on paper so you have your next goal to beat.

Another exercise I like to do is interval training. This is something that athletic racers use to train. Basically, it is sprinting at close to top speed for a period and then slowing down to a jog for a quick rest and then picking it back up to sprint again, over and over. This cycle is repeated for a given training time. The point of interval training is that it teaches your body how to move at a faster pace. The bottom line is that if you don't practice running or playing at a higher speed for some amount of time, then you will not gain the ability to keep up at those speeds for an extended amount of time. With proper interval training you will push into the higher tempos without completely breaking down from over fatigue. The resting or jogging periods allow you to recover and this allows you to keep good form, posture, and technique without playing sloppy (which should never be done).

Set the metronome to relatively fast tempo, but not so fast that you can not keep up with it for a period of time. Begin your single stroke at a jogs pace to warm up first. Then push it up to speed with the metronome for 10 beats, and then slow to a jog for 10 beats. Repeat until your training session is over. 5 minutes is a good starting time, but as your skill increases, you can push this to 10 minutes and more.