I'm not familiar with Cirone. You say you're having problems with "hand to hand flow" if you can be more specific about just what the problem is, maybe someone can offer some helpful advice. I'm not quite sure what you mean.

John

Hey thank you. I appreciate that but i don't mean I have a problem as such (although I did break my left hand 2 years ago and it hasn't been the same since). Only when I feel like I need to oil the system I go for the Rich book. As we were saying, it's for maintenance. Some how after half and hour going through that chapter I feel supercharged and back up to speed. I'm not sure how involved in the book he was, but those licks are very him.

The Cirone book is a collection of warm up routines from great orchestral percussionist and kit players including the likes of Louis Bellson and Joe Morello. I find I can flip the book on any page and have a great accessible routine to follow and keep my hands fluid. Oh and I think this book was listed in that infamous Modern Drummer 25 important books chart. If you can read[music] its well worth tracking it down.

I felt it was important to post this because I have always thought the world of Freddy Gruber. I agree with everything the man has to say here. It really is all about the individual and each person finding what works best for them.

A little Freddy for you... opinions may vary, but I think he was a GREAT teacher.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74Mz5FX6wG0[/ame]

John

Here is the Tommy Igoe warm-up we talked about earlier. With some moderations, it's the one I do before I play every day. This sucker works! Keeps your chops up real good if you're consistent with it.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgmQa4x2uyE[/ame]

John

I try to eat right........kind of a losing battle haha.....get rest, exercise and play daily....I usually try to do some rudiments every day....that doesn't always work out but I try.

Gary - that's why I was curious about what guys like us, (not working professional drummers,) do to maintain some proficiency on our fav instrument. I've always either been; in a working band, or in a jamming situation with other musicians (playing but no gigs,), or simply in-between bands, or other guys to jam with. Regardless of what I'm doing, or not doing as the case may be, it's important for me to keep what I do have in terms of proficiency on the drums. I at least want to stay ready for when a playing situation does come up. I make time to practice/play every day. I was wondering how many others do that and what they do to stay loose and keep their chops up. That was the original point.

It's all cool. Some guys only play for their own enjoymment at home, but even they (I am sure) care about improving their skills as a drummer. That takes committment and practice. I hope that the info being shared here helps them in that personal journey. It takes a village!

Keep em coming!

John

I've never watched the Igoe video, but this is a variation on the "Stone Killer" This is an excersise George Lawrence Stone taught, Joe Morello(who studied with Stone) features it and expands on it in his Master Studies book. Worth checking out because it moves you into "filling in" with the opposite hand. This is the excersise I studied with an ex-Army Drum teacher when I was turning Pro years ago and set my hands on fire.

This particular teacher always said "look after the hands individually first before putting them together" Yep it works!

My fav Buddy Rich quote on being asked how do you warm up before a show and he replies "take my hands out of my pockets!" BOOM LoLoLoLo

I have met some journeyman drummers. For the most part, they don't practice, but then, those guys are playing all the time anyway. No real need for it. But for the great majority of drummers, if you go more than a few weeks or months without playing, it takes a little bit of time and work to the get rust out. At least it's that way for me. I notice that the first thing to go is stick control, so I workout every day to avoid losing what ever I have left. I'm 63, not as fast as I used to was! I'm trying to retard the natural aging process by staying at whatever my 'peak' happens to be now.

Buddy and other pro's could get away with it... we can't! :p

John