Make Drum Work . Com Skill through struggle and sacrifice

Increasing Power Behind The Kit - Horsepower vs Handling

Disclaimer

Building power is a worthy goal. But it takes time. There are no shortcuts. It must be built brick by boring brick. And the work must be done. Oh yes, the work must be done. Don't expect any quick fixes.

With that out the way...

This is a subject I was talking about online with a few friends a while back. I've been thinking about it ever since. And, as far as I can tell, there are only 2 factors that determine your drumming power. One is strength and the other is the ability to transfer that strength to the stick. Or, to put it another way, horsepower and handling.

Horsepower

A measure of the force of your engine. How much force you can generate at the muscular level in any stroke (a more accurate term would've been torque but it doesn't sound as good).

The force that drives a car forward is generated by the explosions that take place in the engine cylinders. In simple terms: to get more power, you can make the explosions bigger or make them more frequent. The human body equivalent would be to train a muscle to contract with more force (bigger exlosion) or with more speed (more frequent contractions).

In other words: Lift heavier weights or lift the weight faster. Simple. The next one's a bit more complicated...

Handling

This is about how much of that force gets transmitted to the tyres.

Once the explosion in the cylinder happens, the force is then transported quickly and efficiently to the tyres. This happens through a chain of equipment: crankshaft, transmission, driveshaft, axle etc.

The tyres then grip the road and try to push it backwards. Of course, the road is quite heavy (understatement) so the car is pushed forward instead. In this case, increasing efficiency along the chain and increasing the grip of the tyres will both help to increase power (tyre grip is critical because, without it, the wheels will just spin and zero power will be transferred).

So, as drummers, we can increase our handling ability by devloping the efficiency with which we transmit power along our "chain of equipment": shoulders, elbow, wrist; hip, knee, ankle ie. perfecting technique.

But here's where things get a little different. Tyres must grip the road or else power won't be transferred and the car won't move. But for us, once that stick is moving at full speed, our work is done. It's time to let it go, let it do its job and then catch it when its done. Any gripping on impact will mean a choked sound, less rebound and more work for us because the stick has to be lifted back up.

Oh, I know what you're thinking. "But, Alexander, I've been working on my horsepower! Lifting a stick is no big deal for me." That may be true but after a couple of minutes of fast 1/16th notes you will notice the weight if you aren't using the rebound.

Troubleshooting

The goal here is mastery of both aspects. However, most people struggle with one more than the other. Is it horsepower or handling that is holding you back? The chances are that you already know which one but if you're unsure, try this quiz and find out:

1. My sticks are
a) broken
b) the same set I got when I first started playing

2. After playing, I mostly get
a) blisters
b) musce aches

3. I struggle to
a) play with any sense of dynamics
b) be heard at band practice

- Mostly a's
Put in more time on your practice pad. Focus on relaxation, technique and grip.

- Mostly b's
Put in more time in the weights room. Focus on full-body, heavy, explosive lifts.

No action, no outcome

Please keep in mind that power is an outcome. To chase power directly is like shouting at a foreigner to be understood. Things would be easier if you just spent some time learning the language. So, in drumming terms, stop hitting harder (at least for a while) and work on the real actions that create power:

The total force you can generate - Horsepower.
The efficiency with which you transmit that force - Handling.

- Warning:

Master only one side of the power equation and you will end up with a broken machine. Sure, you might be good but you will be robbing yourself of potential. Master neither and you may as well mount that Chevy on a set of bricks and sit it on your front lawn.

So are you an "a" or a "b"? In what area do you need to focus? Leave your answer in the comments

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