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 WALKING WITH KATSUGI

Welcome back!

Let's move on with a bit more katsugi fun.

Focus: Form

Watch For:

1. Take the time to walk around with your drum for a while without hitting it. This will make the next step much easier.

2. Even though the rest of the body is relaxed (and having fun!), be sure to keep control of your sticks and their placement.

Let's take a closer look at the grip for the left hand we learned last week.

Start by grasping the bachi between your thumb and pointer finger:



Then, place the bachi between the middle and ring fingers:



Finally, be sure to relax the bottom three fingers. If these fingers are not relaxed, it will restrict movement.



The first step to walking with a katsugi okedo is, well, taking a step. It's important to practice walking! The drum rests on your leg and keeps the same point of contact. Obviously, the drum is going to move because your leg is moving, but it should not slide side to side or up and down on your leg.

When you practice walking, hold your bachi in their ready position. If you have a mirror, make use of it. Keep your left stick so that it's point is near the center of the drum and the right stick is just next to it. Arms stay relaxed and move a bit with the drum.

Have a look:



So, we talked last week about initiating the left hand from the wrist when preparing to make a big hit on the drum, and the right from the elbow. The same is true if you're making smaller hits. Check out the video:

And, here's today's drill:

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Line 1

don

tsu

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(x2)

don

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ko

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Line 2

don

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(x1)

don

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Line 3

don

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(x1)

don

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ko

Extension:

Are you ready to put it all together? Try the pattern above while walking:
(See if you can tell what's wrong in this video. Check below it for the answer.)



If you think my criticism lies in the left hand, you're on the right track. My hands are not balanced in volume AND my do ko do kos are not even--can you tell? See if you can do better than I did!

Gambarimasu!

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!