Combined Drumming and Locomotor Movements

Drumming with locomotor movements often involves moving from your “own ball” or “drum set” to your neighbor’s ball to the right or left or front or back of you. Listed below are the abbreviations we use to notate where on the ball or drum you are drumming or which ball or drum set you’re drumming on:

Key to Ball Drumming

SB = Single Beats

DB = Double Beats

RB = Right Ball

LB = Left Ball

OB = Own Ball

MB = Middle Ball (own ball drumming on the middle top of ball)

BB = Back Ball

FB = Front Ball

SiB = Side Ball

SC = Side Clicks

RSB = Right Side Ball

LSB – Left Side Ball

LNB – Left Neighbor Ball

RNB – Right Neighbor Ball

Split Ball Position= Standing in between OB and drumming on your own ball or your right or left neighbor ball depending upon the side one is standing on.

Front Split Ball Position

Right or Left Side Split Ball Position

Back Split Ball Position

Grapevine & Drum

This step is very simple if broken down properly. Begin moving to the Right Neighbor (RNB) Ball with step, together, step. Drum – 1x Double Beat (DB) on RNB. (cts. 1-4)

Repeat moving back to OB beginning with the Left foot then 1x DB. Stay in this position and Basic Drumming until participants are ready to repeat the pattern to the Left. (LNB)

When participants are ready change the step together step to a grapevine.

Hand-Eye Coordination

The Hand-Eye Coordination is a step that could be difficult to learn and teach. Therefore it will be broken down per count for simplification:

Base Position

1 – step out to right ball, Single Beat right arm (drumstick) on right ball (RB)

2 – step back to own ball, Single Beat left arm on own ball (OB)

3 – Single Beat right arm (drumstick) OB

4 – Single Beat left arm (drumstick) OB

(Repeat 3 more times)

1 – step out to back ball (BB), Single Beat right arm (drumstick) on back ball (BB)

2 – return to own ball, Single Beat left arm on own ball (OB)

3 – Single Beat right arm (drumstick) OB

4 – Single Beat left arm (drumstick) OB

(Repeat 3 more times, then return to RB to start the first pattern again as follows)

1 – step out to right ball, Single Beat right arm (drumstick) on right ball (RB)

2 – step back to own ball, Single Beat left arm on own ball (OB)

3 – Single Beat right arm (drumstick) OB

4 – Single Beat left arm (drumstick) OB

(Repeat 3 more times)

1 – 4 – Side Clicks Overhead 4 x – (see Side Clicks Overhead)

The full pattern begins at RB, goes then to BB, then returns to RB. Repeat same pattern to the left. This pattern can be done in 4 repetitions as listed above for newer students. For more advanced students, cut it first down to 2 repetitions, then just 1 repetition. As you become more comfortable with the pattern, try to double the speed.

 

Hand / Eye Coordination Pattern

Facing Front – Drumming on OB and RNB

Facing Side – Drumming on OB and Back Ball (behind you)

Facing Front – Drumming on OB and RBB

Repeat Pattern to the Left:

You can see a demonstration of the Hand / Eye Coordination Pattern at time stamp 12:49 of the following video: