by taikonoatama » Tue Mar 27, 2007 4:57 pm
Most of the great players (at least in Cuba and the States) do the first stroke of the marcha with the whole hand (or at least the whole palm, with the fingers lightly touching). Changuito, Giovanni, Anga, Tomasito, etc. - they all do it (or did for Anga, sadly) pretty much the same. It's much less common to see people using only the bottom of the heel of the palm, near the wrist, with a lot of space/air underneath between the heel and tips of the fingers as I think you've been doing it. Mind you, at a certain level greatness goes beyond specific techique, and you'll come across great players doing all kinds of things beyond the accepted norm and it works for them. This doesn't necessarily mean it's best for you, though.
Although the stroke is similar to a bass, the bass is done in the center of the head and is generally much more driving, whereas the first stroke of marcha is generally more of a relaxed dropping of the hand onto the head much closer to the edge (though, sure, there are times when you might want to drive it harder).
Reasons to use the whole hand:
1. Feel. It's just more solid. It's not so much volume as it is the added lower timbre giving it a heavier, more solid feel.
2. It's much easier to go from the whole left hand first stroke to a muted right hand closed slap, keeping that whole left hand on the drum.
3. I've heard that after years of playing the first stroke with just heel of the palm (and not the whole flat hand), that the bone there and nerves around it, after getting pounded so much, can become damaged and become very painful and really mess up your hand. Just what I've heard.
It's a big challenge to overcome muscle memory if you're already locked into the heel-toe style and want to change to wholehand-toe. Think long term, though, and just do it. Set a metronome to a speed at which you're totally in control and just build from there until you can play along with some recordings. In 3 months you'll be really glad you made the switch.
Edited By taikonoatama on 1175022780