We’ve now come to a foundational exercise called the Moeller Strike.
- As you bring your hand up, picture a string pulling your wrist, which makes your hand and the tip of the stick slope forward.
- Think of a wave that rises and falls in a circular motion or a whip that ripples out as you create momentum.
- As you come up, your elbow will come out to the side slightly. It’s important however, to lead from the wrist. Don’t exaggerate this elbow movement too much (which is emphasized in other Moeller Explanations.)
- Now comes the strike. As you free float back down, the stick separates from the palm just slightly. As soon as the stick makes contact with the pad, pull your wrist back into your receiving position (atabout 45 degrees up). Striking off the drum is crucial, yet delicate to get just right. Think of your pick up exercises, where you pull the stick off of the drum. At this point, the strike doesn’t need to be perfect, just start getting a feel for it and you can return to this exercise at a later point to perfect it.
The next step is to get a light tap on the way back up. This is called an up-stroke. Think of it as a free note. No force is required here, simply let your wrist fall forward as you re-initiate the movement.
Once you are comfortable with these 2 motions, start playing consecutive eighth with the metronome at 40 bpm. As always, alternate hands.
Playing the hands together in between is a great way for the hands to mirror each other.
