by Simon B » Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:33 pm
The tone of any good double stroke is never as 'pure' as any good single.
I tried the 're-bound' method for at least a year before corrected by a Cuban compadre. He did so at just the right time because I was getting constant wrist ache from the practice of this method - it is just not fast, efficient or controlled like the palm-drop way. There is a good parallel with snare drum technique. There you can just drop the stick and get re-bounds, but generally the better drummer moves into and out of the double-strokes with a controlled motion.
In terms of palm-drop technique - as with any other technique else start slowly, with exaggerated movment. The forearms doen't just go up and down, they push in and out for each double-hit. The first hit is essentially a drop on the skin like any old open tone - it's just that the fore-arm in-wards push motion produces a controlled re-bound of the wrist. At this point, the fore-arm retracts slightly while the wrist presses down-wards so that the ends of the fingers clip the skin. This is the slow 'practice' movement.
Done slowly the two tones will not be equal - the first will be more major and distinct from the second clip. However, when your technique builds up the motion is accomplished with much less movement, yet with more power, so that the two double-hits become equal in their power. If you look at Giovanni play, it may look as though he is using the 'rebound' method. In fact what I think has happened is that the palm-toe movement has become so small, so in-grained and powerful that to all intents and purposes it looks as though he is just letting his hands casually drop and rebound.
From this point triples become attainable, even quadruples. I am now working one hand rolls: don't get me wrong, these are not lightning fast, but I can do them much quicker and cleaner using the palm-dop on one hand rather than the re-bound method.
Hope this helps.
Simon B