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Fastest Way To Get Faster #6: The Illusion Of Speed

Jared Falk  /  UPDATED Aug 22, 2022

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Sometimes you’ll hear a drummer playing a beat that sounds extremely difficult and fast, but when you break it down it’s actually shocking in its simplicity. This actually happens to me quite a bit when I read song transcriptions for what my favorite drummers played for famous songs.

Today’s set of exercises is all about playing things that sound crazy fast, but can be very simple when you add your feet! You can play this starting with the bass drum or hands – it’s up to you. Just make sure to alternate hands to really test your balance and speed.

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Start off just practicing the first exercise a lot before moving on. It’s likely that the next two will be much easier once you get the basic feel for the pattern. Just keep an eye on the later two: they look similar but the hand patterns change to double strokes and a single paradiddle. I’m sure you’ll get the idea.

Practice each exercise individually for 5 minutes, then play them in sequence for 15 minutes.


Jared Falk is a lifelong drummer, drum teacher, and the co-founder of Drumeo. For over 18 years, Jared has been a leader in the online music education industry, publishing his first online video lessons in 2003 and founding Musora in 2005.

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