Taiko Drill 63, Striking Chu Daiko

Welcome back! Let's apply the drill from last week and actually strike the drum.

My chu daiko are from http://www.katotaiko.com/

Focus: Form, Timing
Watch For:
1. When you raise your arm to strike, lift it at a steady pace, using all of the time you have to get to the top.
2. Remember to initiate movement from the elbow.

Today's drill's explanation is quite simple, but can bring tremendous improvements to basic form if done consistently and mindfully. I personally find it most useful to do this for a long period of time, past the point of exhaustion, in order to train my body to still look nice when inside it feels like I can't lift my arm even one more time. Great for endurance!

Lift your arm for 4 counts (1, 2, 3, 4) and strike the drum on the following 1. Repeat this, always striking on beat 1, alternating hands. Be sure to follow a straight path up and down, paying particular attention to the arm and bachi at your highest point. Do your arms look different? Figure out what's different and adjust to make them identical.

Then, just repeat! 15-20 minutes should do it.

Here's an example:



Extra:

I thought it'd be helpful to show you which stance I use, but couldn't figure out how to record it quite well.... Here's my attempt.

Taiko Drill 62, Chu Daiko Form

There are many versions of chu daiko form; here I'd like to share mine with you. It's an option that you can feel free to use, modify, or leave be as you like.

Focus: Form
Watch For:
1. Tighten your core and slightly tuck your tailbone as demonstrated here to reduce any back pain you may have when playing.
2. Keeping elbows rolled out to the sides will help to prevent hyperextension.

When I say "form", I'm talking about how you set up your feet, their relation to your core and relation to your drum, how you raise your sticks, how you hold and strike your sticks, and the relationship of your body's center with the drum and the audience.

Okay, that's a bit much to consider at once, but... have you? Today let's focus on how we might raise and strike our sticks. This drill is a great tool for building muscle control and focus. Use it to break down the whole movement to decide what form works best for you and your group.

Let's get started!

Set up your stance as you normally play, arms in ready position. Check each arm to make sure the elbow is out to the sides, slightly rounded and slide your shoulder blades down the back (demonstrated in the video). This is the position you want to always return to immediately after striking the drum.

From the right hand, slowly rise the arm up, adjusting the wrist so your bachi is a straight extension of your arm. Once you've reached the top, check to make sure your stick is pointing how you want it to. Carefully, moving first from the elbow, trace your striking form in slow motion. I prefer for my bachi to strike in a straight path, which I try to emulate as I practice this drill.

Repeating this for 20 minutes a day, especially if you can't drum often, will do great things for your arm muscles! Just remember to keep the pace slow and you'll notice changes in your form in a week or two!

Taiko Drill Part 51, Paradiddles Revisited

Hi! My friends from Shippu Uchi Daiko in Japan have returned home, but we had a great time together in Seattle teaching a taiko piece called Yui to Seattle Kokon Taiko. I'm still teaching through the weekend, and then I'm back to the east coast.

One thing I've not really talked about much here is improvisation. Last week I gave you a drill to improvise emphasis with, and next week I'll talk specifically about some things to think about if you're uncomfortable improvising. But, partly due to my lack of time this week, today we'll revisit paradiddles in preparation for improvisation next week.

Focus: Grip, Form

Watch For:

1. Take a few moments to check your grip for small drums.

2. The down beat is not always the beat that's emphasized--keep track of it!

Okay, so back in drill 9 we talked about paradiddles, which is a basic straight beat that alternates sticking--RLRR LRLL. I suggested that you can use them to practice improvisation, but we didn't go into how to really do that.

If you're new to improvisation or don't quite feel comfortable with it, don't fret. It takes guts to just try it, knowing you'll mess up, but it's the only way to get better at it. Please review Drill 9 to refresh the version of paradiddles I taught. And we'll move forward step-by-step from next week to add improvisation.

For fun, here's an example of members from Shippu Uchi Daiko who were here from Japan improvising on top of paradiddles played by Seattle Kokon Taiko:

See you next week!

Taiko Drill Part 45 TAIKO SET DO KON KO

I was a little torn about what to do this week... I have one more taiko set drill I wanted to share, but there's so much to think about as a result of my time in LA! I decided to jump back to taiko set for today, but be sure to keep checking for more on my STI and NATC experiences.

Focus: Form, Timing
Watch For:
1. Movement is initiated at the core, not the arms (do I sound like a broken record?)
2. Try to anticipate the next step as you're playing this drill. Know where your stick will hit before it's time to strike.

Today's pattern is simple as can be:

do kon ko

(red is right hand)

If you want to count this in 4, the beats fall on 1, 2, 4. There is a rest on beat 3.

What we're going to do to tease your brain a little is the first 8 times you play "do kon ko", alternate the right hand between the right and left drums. The left hand plays always on the left drum. The next 8 times, the right hand stays on the right drum and the left alternates: "kon" is on the right drum, and "ko" is on the left drum. Repeat that from the beginning, totalling 32.

Play the drill again, but only 4 times each and repeat once to total 16. Finish up with just 2 times each, repeating 3 times to total 16. Start over again from the beginning.

Remember, it doesn't do anyone good to set a metronome faster than he/she can play something well. Be thoughtful about your metronome tempo and your comfort at higher speeds will increase with regular practice.

Here's the video (if you want to match up with me, put your high-pitched drum on the left this week):



Extension:
My suggestion with this drill is to take it really slow at the beginning. Notice if you are consistently hitting the same place on each drum--try to notice discprepancies by listening as well as watching. Do you like how it sounds when the two tones are completely different? Play around to see what you like best, make sure you still look good while you're doing it, and then think about increasing speed.

If you're having trouble with where to place your eyes, try looking down to the floor, between the two drums. This way you can see both drum heads out of the periphery.

Taiko Drill Part 44, DON TSU KU (taiko set)

Hey there! One of these days I'm going to get all these posts organized, but it's a bit too busy right now. I'm leaving for Summer Taiko Institute in LA with On Ensemble in just 2 days and am looking forward to some new challenges to mind, body, and rhythm!

In the meantime, today's drill is quite simple. Hopefully you've gotten a sense of how to move smoothly back and forth between drums at a moderate pace. Here's another pattern to practice just that.

Focus: Form, Timing
Watch For:
1. Be sure to use a metronome to practice this drill. This helps tremendously with timing. Always work at a comfortable speed where you can keep the pace steady. Need a metronome? Check out my brief intro to my newest Dr. Beat.

2. Keep control from your core!


Today's pattern is 3 don tsuku, followed by do ko do ko. This basic pattern is looped. Aim for 15-20 minutes without stopping.

The initial "don" is played on your high-pitched drum, to your right. The following "tsu ku" and next 2 "don tsu kus" are on the lower-pitched drum, to your left. The initial "do ko" is played on the left drum, and the second is played on the right drum.

Check out the video for an example (I can't view the video at the moment, so I hope the above explanation is correct!):



I'll be playing next week by ear since I'll be in in LA all week for STI and NATC. I'm really looking forward to hitting a drum right now!

Anyone out there going to NATC??

Taiko Drill Part 43, TAIKO SET PATTERN 3

Hi there, and thanks for visiting.

We've been working on a set of patterns for taiko set the last few weeks. Be sure to start from the beginning if you're just joining us. Here's the final part today and then we'll put it all together.

Focus: Balance, Form
Watch For:
1. Double check to make sure that the volume of your "do ko do ko" is even from hand to hand. Checking your height and form is a good place to start if you have an imbalance.

Let's get started!

This week's pattern has two parts. First, take the pattern:

don tsu ku do ko do ko don tsu ku do ko do ko
don tsu ku don tsu ku don tsu ku do ko do ko

Red means right and black means Left. Bold is emphasized.

Remember, you can use any two drums to practice this pattern, or even play it on a single drum!

Play all of the "dons" on the right drum, which is higher pitched. On the left drum, the lower pitch, we'll play "tsu ku" and "tsu ku do ko". Any "do ko" that is not preceded by a "tsu ku" is played on the right drum.

Confused? Let's take a look at the video demo. You'll see Pattern 1, Pattern 2, and then Pattern 3 right in a row. At the end, I play the pattern on the right drum one time before repeating.

In the video, I pause to note the increase in tempo each time, but you can loop this drill for practice without stopping.

Extension:
Review the dynamics from last week and add a small crescendo to Part 3:

Pattern 1 has the normal don tsu ku dynamics, "do ko do ko" is even in volume, not particularly emphasized.
Pattern 2 has the normal don tsu ku dynamics,"do ko do ko" is even in volume, and emphasized.
Pattern 3 has the normal don tsu ku dynamics,"do ko do ko" is played with a crescendo.

Taiko Drill Part 42, TAIKO SET PATTERN 2

Thanks for coming back! I'm posting today's drill from Canada.

Let's move forward with Pattern 2 for taiko set.

Focus: Form, Dexterity
Watch For:
1. Pay attention to dynamics--this is what can make a simple pattern into an interesting rhythm.
2. Probably, I don't need to say it again, but just in case:) Move from your core, not your arms!

Okay, here's a review of last week's basic rhythm:

don tsu ku do ko do ko don tsu ku do ko do ko
don tsu ku don tsu ku don tsu ku do ko do ko

Red means Right, Black means Left, bold is emphasized.

Last week, we played just the "don" on the right, high-pitched drum. This week, we'll do the same thing, but also play all of the "do ko do ko" on the right drum as well. So, essentially, only "tsu ku" should be played on the left drum.

Here's a tip in terms of making your movements fluid. At the beginning of Line 2, we play "don tsu ku" 3 times. For each "don tsu ku" only the Right hand needs to switch drums. Let your left bachi hang out at the left drum, just to the left of center of the skin. The left bachi is always moving, up and slightly faster down, just like when you play "don tsu ku" on a single drum.

If your right drum is a shime and your left drum an oke daiko, keep in mind that "tsu ku" may sound quieter on the oke daiko than the shime. You may need to play louder than you think on the left drum in order to keep a good balance. Feel free to experiment with this.

If you loop this pattern with last week's Pattern 1, here's what should happen:

Pattern 1 has the normal don tsu ku dynamics, "do ko do ko" is even in volume, not particularly emphasized.

Pattern 2 has the normal don tsu ku dynamics, "do ko do ko" is even in volume, and emphasized.

Loop these patterns daily 15-20 minutes and don't be afraid of your metronome! Back with a video demo and the last line for this drill next week.

Extension:

Try out some improvised accents when playing "do ko do ko" for Pattern 1. This is something that should be on the spot without planning, but here are some examples ("tsu" or "ku" means non-emphasized):

• tsu ko tsu ko
• do don tsu ku
• tsu ko don tsu
• tsu ku tsu ko

Loop this with Pattern 2 as described above.

Taiko Drill Part 38, LATERAL KATSUGI DON TSU KU

Hi there! Thanks for coming back.

Just a quick note that I hope to continue posting as my living situation is in a bit of a limbo, but thanks for your understanding in advance if I have to skip a week or post late. I know I need to get these drills organized in a way that you can find the ones you like, but it'll have to wait a couple months--sorry!

Alright, we've got a couple weeks left of basic katsugi information, and then it's on to taiko set basics, as requested by Joy. I really like practicing taiko set, so I'm excited for that. As always, I take requests, so drop me a comment!

Focus: Balance, Form
Watch For:
1. Make sure the higher pitch of your drum is at the front when you play. When you switch to lateral form, this becomes the right side. (NOTE: in the videos, my drum is unfortunately the wrong direction)
2. If you have a mirror, it's really helpful when first starting to play katsugi. Because our weight is centered, but feet uneven, it's common to think shoulders and body are leveled when they're not. Check this.

Okay, we'll start with the pattern today. It's one you've heard before, but I hope you never get sick of: don tsu ku.

When we practiced don tsu ku for shime daiko the pattern was:

RRL or LLR

When you play don tsu ku on lateral kastugi, alternate hands like this:

RLR LRL RLR LRL

In addition, every left hand hit will alterate sides of the drum. I love how this pattern sounds on the drum because there's a tonal pattern, too. One of my favorite things to do on a Friday afternoon is play don tsu ku on lateral katsugi until I hit a sort of mental peace, and playing the pattern becomes part of my being at that moment.

Anyway, here's an example:



Listen to your tone. If you don't hear a repeated pattern, then perhaps you're not hitting the center of the drum. Take a moment, slow it down until your form and tone are consistent.

Extension:

Try playing 8 don tsu ku while walking with your drum (RRL RRL x4), then stop walking, switch your stance to lateral and play 8 don tsu ku (RLR LRL x4).

It takes some practice to get the timing right and to keep the drum from bouncing around. You'll notice that you need to initiate the change in stance while simultaneously finishing up the final don tsu ku.

Questions? Email me or comment!

Taiko Drill Part 37, LATERAL KATSUGI

Focus: Balance, Form
Watch For:
1. Make sure the higher pitch of your drum is at the front when you play. When you switch to horizontal form, this becomes the right side. (NOTE: in the videos, my drum is unfortunately the wrong direction)
2. When playing for a while in this position, be sure to ground yourself, but relax, keeping your weight centered even though the left foot is slightly forward as mentioned last week.

When you play with the drum sideways, there is a slight alteration in the grip. The one I use is like this:





If you're new to katsugi, take a moment to practice switching between the two stances as in last week's drill and simultaneously switch between the two grips. The original grip was explained here.

Now, check out the video for an example of form when playing the basic pattern, do ko do ko:




When striking with the right hand, it hits consistently at the center of the drum.

Notice that the angle of the left wrist changes from an outward position when hitting the left, to inward when hitting the right. When the left hand hits on the right side, it should strike just forward of the tip of the right bachi. When the left hand strikes on the left side, the hand stays closer to the front of the drum than the middle and the bachi aims back toward the center of the drum. Accomplishing this will make it easier to reach high speeds.

Now, just how do you get your bachi to hit the center of the drum when you can't see it?? It's simple, really--use your ears! Through practicing regularly, you'll soon be able to hear when you get the full, solid sound from striking the middle and your body will memorize how to get you there consistently. So--gambarimasu!

Time to practice! Use your metronome, 15 minutes a day. Increase the speed just slightly each time, but never to the point that you can't play it comfortably. Until next time...

do ko do ko!



Extension
So, you feel comfortable with all that and you want to get faster? First, remember to relax. This is important. It's also important to make sure your arm is moving in an arch forward, away from your body and close to the drum, rather than up and over. This reduces the distance traveled from side to side.

Taiko Drill Part 36, CHANGING KATSUGI STANCE

Before you read this post, check out the Prelude with Ryo Shimamoto here.

And, here I am bringing you a drill that I have trouble with myself--again! You may know that the two most common ways to play katsugi are on a diagonal angle and then horizontally, with the drum across both legs.


Focus: Balance, Form
Watch For:
1. Don't strike the drum or think about striking the drum. Be aware of your stick placement, your grip and where your body weight lies.
2. Even though it may seem boring to practice, it's important to be able to move between these positions without the drum swinging out of control. Repeat this drill until you have control over the drum.

Let's practice switching the drum between these two positions before we aim to strike simultaneously. Starting in the basic position taught last week, the drum stays anchored on the left thigh. From there, move the left leg forward and wide so that the drum's center is lined up with your body's center.

Because the place where the drum is anchored on your thigh just to the left of the center of the drum, you must compensate for this by placing the left foot on the floor, slightly in front of the right leg. So, while the drum is directly horizontal across your body, your left leg is front and the right leg is back. Keep that right leg planted in the ground.

Last week I talked about having most of your weight forward when playing in a slant form. You'll notice in the video here that my weight doesn't seem to be shifting out of my right leg. When you're playing both styles back and forth, this keeps the drum from moving around. If you're settling in to play in the horizontal style for a while, then let your weight center and ground yourself.




Notice that the right hand moves with the drum, keeping the stick's point at the center of the drum head. The left hand switches to the left side, aiming to keep the point at the center of that drum head. We'll explore further next week how to get that stick to the center and how the grip of the left hand should adjust.

Gambarimasu!

Taiko Drill Part 36, Prelude with Ryo Shimamoto

Hi there!

I was quite a bit frustrated last week that I posted videos with terrible form. Hopefully you understand that I'm on a learning journey. Maybe I'm in a little over my head with these katsugi videos, but I'll keep trying my best!

Last week my teacher mentioned to me that he's been checking the blog out periodically. I thought it might be helpful for you to see his form and he agreed to make an appearance. So, for today's special treat, I introduce my teacher, Ryo Shimamoto to you:



So, I've a long way to go as you can see. That left hand is what I'm practicing this afternoon!

Please click here for today's drill!

A little background on Ryo Shimamoto:

嶋本龍　和太鼓講師・和太鼓奏者。和太鼓指導のほか作曲も手がけている。1976年生まれ.11歳から和太鼓を始める。疾風打太鼓のリーダーを15年経験、2008年ソロ活動開始。近藤克次氏（元 鼓童、鬼太鼓座）に師事。レッスンでは、自力整体をとり入れた入念なストレッチを行い、和太鼓に向かう時は 力まかせではなく、身体のバランスとしなりを活かした打ち方を指導している。

Ryo Shimamoto of Wakayama Prefecture, Japan is a Japanese drum instructor, performer, and composer. Born in 1976, he began playing taiko at the age of 11. His solo career began in 2008, after 15 years as the leader of Shippu Uchi Daiko. Shimamoto currently studies under Katsuji Kondo (formerly of Ondekoza and KODO).

From Carrie: He's an amazing resource for stretches and drills that will help to balance your form and ability. Most of what I write about here, I know because of him and I'm very thankful to him for that. If you're ever looking for a great teacher with the intuition to show you "how" and answer all your "whys", I highly recommend him!

Taiko Drills, Part 35 BEGINNER KATSUGI OKE DAIKO

Hi there!

Well, I just realized I tried too many new things this week, which may have resulted in an overall failure. But, I won't fail to bring you something, so my apologies.

I got a new camera. I was very very excited because it has audio capabilities. But, I failed to configure the sound in a way so you can actually hear what I'm saying. Then, after dealing with the technical difficulties, and running out of recording time, I watched the videos and immediately heard my teacher's criticism in my head: KATAI! You're too stiff--relax!

So, bear with me this week and I'll try to figure it out by next time.

Also, this is my first time teaching katsugi okedo in any form. So, please please ask questions if something's not clear. Alright, here goes...

Focus: Form, Speed

Watch For:

1. When you strike with the right hand, initiate from the elbow. When you strike with the left, initiate from the wrist.

2. Keep your weight a bit forward; I think of it as 65-70% forward.

Okay, let's start first with how to place your feet. Your heels should be in line with one another, right foot points forward and left angles outward. Mine are about 4 inches apart from one another.

The drum is going to rest on your left thigh. You'll notice in the photo below that the center of the drum lines up with my belly button and the drum is angled up only just enough so I can barely see the head by looking directly down.

The grip for each hand is completely different. The right hand is nearly like making a fist and sticking the bachi right in the middle. For the left hand, the bachi sits between the middle and ring fingers. Your actual grip is between the pointer finger and the thumb (further illustrated in the video).

Here's an example of ready position. The left bachi rests with its tip at the center of the drum, while the right is just next to it. Each stick is angled in toward the head of the drum, not parallel to it. Note that the left elbow stays tucked in to the body somewhat, while the right arm is rounded, out to the side.

Now, let's hit the drum! Think of it this way: right hand is rounded, left hand is linear. What I mean is that the right arm swoops around away from the body before striking, and the left arm moves in line with the drum in an upward motion, coming down with a relaxed wrist.

And, finally, today's drill. This drill is meant to help you increase speed when striking the drum. If you think about it, if you bring your arm slowly toward the drum your sound will be much weaker than if you strike quickly. By following a small hit with a big hit, you're forced to bring your arm quickly off the drum and back down in order to stay on tempo. This will help your body learn how to make big sounds on your katsugi drum.

Here's the pattern:

tsu don tsu don tsu don tsu don

You'll strike twice with the right, twice with the left, twice with the right, twice with the left, and repeat!

It's difficult to get a balance between the left and right hand with katsugi, so listen carefully to your sound and aim for evenness in volume, particularly with the louder hits.

Extension:

If you've played katsugi before, then try alternating the basic pattern in this drill and really focus on keeping good form, while increasing the speed of the drill. (i.e., slightly increase your metronome pace daily)

tsu don tsu don

don tsu don tsu

tsu don tsu don
don tsu don tsu

Gambarimasu!