Introduction to Quad

Drumming



CASSIEE LATSHAW

Table of Contents iii
1ab|e o Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... v
Getting Started ............................................................................................................................ v
Technique .................................................................................................................................... v
Exercises ..................................................................................................................................... v
Chapter 1: Setting Up The Quads ................................................................................................... 3
Chapter 2: Carrying the Quads ....................................................................................................... 5
Chapter 3: How to Read Quad Music ............................................................................................. 7
Quad Notation ............................................................................................................................. 7
Chapter 4: Proper Individual Practice ............................................................................................. 9
Maximize the Way You Practice ................................................................................................ 9
Always Use a Metronome ....................................................................................................... 9
Technique ................................................................................................................................ 9
Playing the Exercises .............................................................................................................. 9
Play Musically ...................................................................................................................... 10
Chapter 5: Mallet Choice .............................................................................................................. 11
Things to Consider When Choosing Mallets ............................................................................ 11
Bead Choices ............................................................................................................................ 11
Stick and Mallet Material Choices ............................................................................................ 11
Chapter 6: Shoulder, Arm, Hand, and Wrist Positions ................................................................. 13
Shoulder Position ...................................................................................................................... 13
Arm Position ............................................................................................................................. 13
Hand Position ............................................................................................................................ 14
Playing Spots ........................................................................................................................ 14
Wrist Position ............................................................................................................................ 14
Chapter 7: X-Y Planes .................................................................................................................. 15
X Plane ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Y Plane ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Chapter 8: Scrapes and Sweeps .................................................................................................... 17

iv Introduction to Quad Drumming
Chapter 9: Cross-overs .................................................................................................................. 19
Fulcrum-to-Fulcrum .................................................................................................................. 19
Wrist-over-Wrist ....................................................................................................................... 19
Chapter 10: Basic Exercises .......................................................................................................... 21
Eight on a Hand ........................................................................................................................ 21
Bucks ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Triplet Bucks ............................................................................................................................. 21
Gallop ........................................................................................................................................ 21
Double Beat (AB) ..................................................................................................................... 22
Irish Spring ................................................................................................................................ 22
Index ............................................................................................................................................. 23


Introduction v
lntoouct|on
This guide is designed as an instructional tool to both teachers and students that are interested in
improving their skills playing quads. This instructional guide will help percussionists get started
playing quads and will include various exercises that will focus on a certain technique so that
they master it before trying to incorporate multiple techniques at once. I tried my best to
structure this guide logically so that it will introduce simple techniques at first, but then start to
incorporate more advanced concepts once you become comfortable with the previous notions.
Note: The purpose of this guide is to help percussionists develop their abilities, not to actually
teach you your rudiments or how to read music. Once you are proficient at playing your
rudiments, you can use this book to master your dexterity and flow around the drums.
Cett|ng Stateo
The main portion of this instruction guide is how to get started playing quads. This includes
chapters that cover how to set up the quads, carrying them on a harness, how to read quad
notation, choosing what kind of mallets to use, and how to properly practice these exercises.
1ec|n|que
The next four chapters focus on technique. Like any other instrument, percussion requires
mastery of technique in order to be fluid in your playing. The chapter that covers your arm, hand,
wrist, and shoulder positions is essential in developing your technique since how your hands and
arms are moving will correlate directly to how you progress as a quad drummer. Once your
playing positions become second nature, then the guide describes some advanced concepts and
techniques such as the X-Y planes, scrapes, and cross-overs.
Lxec|ses
The last couple pages of this guide include basic exercises that are necessary to master quad
drumming. All of the exercises included in this guide are meant to be played on quads that have
four main drums with one additional spock drum, but you are encouraged to modify or
improvise these exercises to fit whichever kind of quads you will be playing on.
The exercises that are included in this guide will give you a sample around that you can use, but I
strongly encourage you to improvise and create your own arounds so that you become confident
with playing any kind of rhythm or passage of music, regardless of which drums it needs to be
played on.

Chapter 1: Setting Up The Quads 3
C|aote 1: Sett|ng bo 1|e uaos
You will primarily play quads on a stand unless you are marching on a drum line. Drum
companies sell various stands that you can use, but they all support the drums so that it doesnt
move while youre playing on it. It is suggested that you use a stand that is the same brand as the
quads that youll be practicing on so that theyll be compatible with each other.

Assembled tenor stand (left) and an aerial view of the quads showing the locking mechanism on the quads (right)
The quad stand will resemble a tripod base with three legs that can be used to adjust the stand
height of the quads. You will need to twist the knobs and screws so that you can move the legs to
your own height. If you have difficulty figuring out how to set the stand up properly, you can ask
your teacher or a more experienced player for help.
Once you get the stand adjusted to your height, put the quads
on the stand. When you look at the quads from above, there
should be a locking mechanism or two holes closest to you
that should be able to slide over the handles of the stand and
lock into place (as seen in the picture above). Whenever the
quads are on the stand, place your hands above the quads as if
you were about to play. Your hands should rest at a
comfortable height a few inches above the quads.
The drums should be slightly below your waist, so if it is not
at your waist, or if your hands seem too low or too high, take
the drums off the stand and adjust the height, then try again. It
is suggested not to adjust the stand height with the drums on
the stand for fear that you might knock the drums off the stand
with the weight and momentum of the drums.

Note: The way you secure your quads into the stand will vary based on the brand of both the
quads and the stand. Some quads have holes that just slide into the handles of the stand while
others may have a grid locking system to where you just place them on the stand and turn some
knobs to lock it into place. The picture above demonstrates the holes on the quads, but it is
possible for quads to be lock onto the stand by other means. As stated above, if you are having
difficulties setting up your quads on the stand, dont hesitate to ask someone to help you.
Quads on the stand adjusted to the
correct height
Chapter 2: Carrying the Quads 5
C|aote 2: Cay|ng t|e uaos
If you are interested in playing quads, there will be a chance that you will have to carry them at
one point or another. Percussionists carry the drums using a harness when they are marching in a
marching band or in an indoor drum line. Some competitions have a stand still portion where you
can play using a stand, but you will most likely be marching while playing quads, so it is
essential to you know how to carry the quads properly.
Carrying your quads will be the same as setting them up on a stand except for whenever you are
locking the quads into place, you lock them into the jay bars of the harness. The jay bars are
the handles on the harness that you place the quads on so that they dont move around whenever
you are moving around with them on.

To carry your quads, place the harness over your head so that
the shoulder pads rest on your shoulders. You should use a
drum key to adjust your harness to fit your body type;
everyones harness will be different since everyones body is
unique. Make sure that the harness rests comfortably on your
shoulders, the metal chest plate isnt cutting into your chest,
and that the belly plate rests comfortably on your stomach.
Once you have the main portion of the harness adjusted to
your torso, then you need to adjust the jay bars. The jay bars
need to be at a level where when the quads are locked onto
the harness, the drums will be slightly below your waist so
that when your hands are at playing position, they are at a
comfortable position.


Since you will be carrying a 40-pound drum for long periods
of time, it is essential that you follow a few safety tips. The
most important safety hazard is your shoulders and back.
Carrying all of that weight will cause some stress and
pressure on your back, so it is crucial that you stand up
straight and carry the drums with your shoulders and not
your back. If you use your back to carry the drums, you will
be hurting your spine and lower back, which can lead to
severe back problems later on. It sounds a little silly that you
can be carrying the drums wrong, but if you carry them with
your shoulders, you will get used to the pain faster and will
also give a more impressive and confident appearance when
playing.

A quad drummer putting the harness on

Quad drummer having the quads drums
on the harness
Chapter 3: How to Read Quad Music 7
C|aote 3: low to 8eao uao Mus|c
Although many modern tenor setups have up to five or six drums, they are still referred to as
quads since they all have four main drums that have distinct low pitches, while the additional
drums, or the spock drums, have a relatively high pitch and add color and variety to
contemporary quad music.
The general setup of a tenor drum is that are four main drums with one or two spock drums.
The exercises in this guide are meant to be played on quads with one spock drum, but they can
be modified to accommodate an additional spock drum or any additional accessories youd like
to equip your drum with.
The four main drums can be referred to by their numerical name, which is illustrated is in the
picture below. Any additional drums are simply referred to the spock drum.

uao lotat|on

Spock Drum Drum 1 Drum 2 Drum 3 Drum 4

Chapter 4: Proper Individual Practice 9
C|aote 4: looe lno|v|oua| lact|ce
The way that you practice music and how much effort you put into it with relate directly to how
much you improve. It is more beneficial to practice effectively for half an hour than to practice
for several hours at a time with no realistic goal.
Max|m|ze t|e vay ?ou lact|ce
You can increase your productivity of your personal practice time by
1. Using a metronome
2. Staying relaxed while playing
3. Maintaining good posture and hand positions
4. Keeping a strong fulcrum in each hand
5. Making sure you are keeping a consistent mallet heights
6. Playing each exercise on one drum before moving around the drums
7. Breaking each exercise into smaller chunks
8. Understanding and mastering one exercise at a time
9. Playing with musicality
The tips above will help quad players maximize their practice time so that they will always be
conscious of what they need to be aware of while drumming. Each tip should be considered
carefully and should be present while practicing.
A|ways bse a Metonome
The most important tool that a musician needs is a metronome, which establishes a definite pulse
for what they are playing. It is recommended for musicians to use a metronome, but it is crucial
for percussionists to always use it since the percussion section is considered to be the
backbone of the band because they keep a strong, steady tempo, and ultimately keep the band
in time throughout the performance. You should always use a metronome while practicing on
your own even if you think you have a good sense of time without it.
1ec|n|que
The next four tips above are focused on technique. You cant expect yourself to play an
advanced passage or exercise without proper technique. A general rule of thumb for playing a
musical instrument is that technique should always be your priority. Without good technique,
music can be played incorrectly and bad habits are developed. It can be difficult to focus on both
technique and musicality while playing, so many mature percussionists will play in front of a
mirror or will record themselves playing so that they can see how their hands look. This way
they can replay that excerpt and identify what they need to work on the next time they play it.
l|ay|ng t|e Lxec|ses
The next three tips are related to playing the exercises. Many beginning quad players want to
immediately play the exercise around the drum, but if you cant play the exercise on one drum,
there is a minimal chance that youll be able to play it around the drum. So it is advised to just
play the rhythm of the exercise on one drum, then move play the arounds when you are
completely comfortable with the rhythm. If the exercise is long or if you are having difficulty
with transitions within the exercise, you could break the exercise down into two or 4 measure
phrases so that you understand those phrases first before putting them together.
10 Introduction to Quad Drumming
Note: You dont want to play exercises that are above your current level of playing. If you play
an exercise that you dont have the chops for, then you will most likely either learn the
exercise wrong or play it incorrectly. The exercises in this guide are presented in chronological
order based on difficulty, so it is suggested that you make sure that you understand each exercise
completely before moving onto the next one.
l|ay Mus|ca||y
You are a musician and are creating music, so you should play with musicality! This final tip is
to remind yourself to have fun and interpret the music in your own way. Music can become
bland if you focus too much on the rhythm or which drums you need to play on. Once you
understand the exercise, be creative and add your own dynamics and ornamentation to the
exercise. The exercises in this book are basic exercises that every quad drummer should know,
but they can be easily modified to improve other rudiments. For instance, if you are struggling on
a part of an excerpt and it relates to an exercise, you can improvise on that exercise so that it
helps you play those measures in the excerpt better.

Chapter 5: Mallet Choice 11
C|aote S: Ma||et C|o|ce
The type of sticks that a quad player uses is often called a mallet, but you can also use normal
drumsticks while playing tenors. Quad players have the benefit to add various timbers while
playing by implementing different types of mallets and sticks. There are a variety of options of
what kind of tenor mallet you could perform with. Many quad players have medium-sized stick
bags attached to their drums so that will have multiple types of mallets or sticks so that they can
play different styles of music without too much hassle when changing their sticks throughout a
performance.
There is no right pair of sticks for each style of music. It is ultimately based on what you (or
your teacher) prefers, and what you think sounds better when playing. You will need to
individually try out different mallets to find the desired sound you want for a specific passage.
1||ngs to Cons|oe v|en C|oos|ng Ma||ets
Some things that you will need to consider when choosing which mallets to use are what kind of
bead and stick/mallet material you feel comfortable with. Your decision might be influenced
heavily on what type of music you are playing and how fast the excerpt is. Different styles of
music call for different types of mallets. For instance, you wouldnt want to use a mallet with a
heavy head for a ballad; instead, use a lighter mallet with a felt head, called puffs, to add a
softer tone.
ueao C|o|ces
The bead of the stick is often referred to as
the tip of the stick, and is the part of the
stick that strikes the drum most frequently.
The bead can be as simple as a wooden
material, or it could be made out of a
different material such as nylon or felt. A
wooden or nylon bead will have an articulate
sound, whereas a bead covered in felt will
have a softer tone when struck.


St|c| ano Ma||et Mate|a| C|o|ces
The stick or mallet is usually made out of either wood or metal. Wooden sticks have a heavier
tone when they strike the drum, but they dont last long since they will wear down after you play
with them for a long period of time. The most common metal material of tenor mallets is
aluminum. Some people prefer aluminum to wooden sticks since aluminum is most durable and
consistent, so they will last longer than wooden mallets.

A tenor mallet that is normally used when playing
Chapter 6: Shoulder, Arm, Hand, and Wrist Positions 13
C|aote 6: S|ou|oe, Am, lano, ano v|st los|t|ons
Percussion, like other instruments, requires long hours of practice in order to become proficient
at playing, and the only way for you to become a master of drumming is by having good
technique. Techniques are fundamental concepts that will help you develop your skills easily if
followed properly. Students find concentrating on technique tedious, but it is necessary for
serious and mature musicians to develop the proper technique. You can always look to see how
your technique is by practicing in front of a mirror, so that you can check that your shoulders
dont move when your hands move around the drums and that your hand and wrists look the way
theyre supposed to. Whenever you are drumming, you should focus on your shoulder, arm,
hand, and wrist positions.
S|ou|oe los|t|on
Shoulder position is something that is frequently overlooked when practicing, especially if you
are using a tenor stand. Whenever you are carrying the quads on a harness, you tend to forget
about your shoulders because however your shoulders move, the quads will mimic that motion
since theyre on your shoulders. But whenever you are practicing on a stand, people tend to focus
on primarily the music without any regard to how their shoulders are moving.
A general rule for playing quads is that your
shoulders should have minimal movement. It is
difficult to keep your shoulders completely still
especially when you are moving around the drums,
but you should only move your shoulders when
necessary. Moving around requires more energy, so
you are working harder than you need to, and will
look unnatural when youre playing. This idea ties
back to you when you are carrying the quads: you
will perform how you practice, and if you practice
while moving your shoulders a lot, then the quads
will move a lot since as stated before, the quads will
go wherever your shoulders go. Therefore your
performance will look sloppy since your quads will
be moving in such a way that you didnt practice
since theyre always moving.



Am los|t|on
Whenever you are playing the quads, your arms should be relaxed at your side. You should not
tense up and use minimal movement when you are moving around the drums. Your elbows
shouldnt be sticking out, but they also shouldnt be resting on your sides. Keep your arms 2 to 3
inches away from your sides in a natural and relaxed position, such as the picture shown above.
14 Introduction to Quad Drumming
lano los|t|on
Your hand position is determined by which kind of drum you are playing on and by how your
teacher wants you to look like. Quad drumming requires you to play matched grip, which is
whenever you normally hold drumsticks. For quads, your hands should be mostly flat, with a
slight turn on your wrists outward. If your hands are completely flat with no rotation at all, it will
be difficult for you to comfortably change drums when playing.
l|ay|ng Soots
The most important part of playing music is
getting the best sound quality, and as
drummers, we achieve the best sound by
playing in specific spots on each drum. Each
drum has a sweet spot where it produces a
rich tone when struck. The optimal playing
spots on each drum are about 1-2 inches
away from the rim as pictured to the right in
red. Hand position is important, but you also
need to make sure that when you are
actually hitting the drums, you are striking
them in the proper place.

v|st los|t|on
As a drummer, all of your playing
consists of moving your wrists with a
stick in your hand to produce sound.
Just like normal drumming, you want
your wrists to be turned slightly so that
you can bend your wrists comfortably.
You shouldnt have to strain your
wrists in order to get a full stick height
(90 degree angle between wrist and
forearm). Moving your arm when you
bend your wrists is a common
misconception of drumming, so make
sure that you are actually bending your
wrists when you want a loud dynamic
and not using all of your arm.
Picture of good hand and wrist position while not playing
Chapter 7: X-Y Planes 15
C|aote /: x-? l|anes
As a quad drummer, you will be playing on four or five (possibly even six drums) during an
exercise or excerpt, so you need to focus on two distinct planes: the X and Y planes. Think of
these two planes as a graph that you see in math with an X and Y axis; the X plane will be how
you move your arms around the drums horizontally and the Y plane will be how high your
mallets should be when playing based on your hand and wrist positions.
x l|ane
Whenever someone refers to the X plane in quad drumming, they mean how are your hands
moving when you are moving around the drums. When you play on more than one drum, you
focus on your playing spots (as mentioned on page 14), and you want to keep your hands at a
relatively consistent level whenever you move around the drums. Your hands, wrists, and arms
should not be rising, as you are moving around the drum. Keeping your hands at the same height
when moving around the drums looks cleaner and helps you not move as much as shown below.

? l|ane
The Y plane focuses on how your wrists are moving when you are actually moving the stick up
and down. Your wrists work as the primary movement of how high your stick height is, so they
will ultimately dictate how loud you are playing. A fundamental principle of drumming is that
when you are about to strike the drum, your wrist should only be moving vertically; moving it
horizontally will get a swiping motion, and you wont get a full tone since you arent striking
the drum straight down. Tenor players tend to forget these principles when they are moving
around the drum since theyre hands are already slightly turned, but they shouldnt continuously
be rotating as you move around the drums. If you rotate your wrists too much, then you will
develop wrist problems, which will eventually inhibit your drumming abilities.
Chapter 8: Scrapes and Sweeps 17
C|aote 8: Scaoes ano Sweeos
As a quad drummer, you need to master each of your rudiments before implementing them
around various drums. Some rudiments require multiple strikes by the same hand before
alternating. For instance, the rudiment paradiddle is played like Right Left Right Right (or
RLRR for short hand) where there is a double right, or double left depending on which hand you
start on (called doubles). Quad players can add the visual effect of playing the first note of the
double on one drum and the second note on another drum, which is referred to as a scrape or a
sweep. Scrapes can add simplicity to playing if used properly, but can also be used to impress
others with difficult arounds. You can implement scrapes with exercises that require you to use
doubles such as the exercise Gallop on page 21 to increase your fluidity around the drums.
Many drummers use scrapes when playing double strokes rolls, rudiments that implement
doubles, or fast sixteenth notes that cause problems due to the arounds.

A quad drummer performs a scrape by hitting one drum (left) then hitting a different drum with the same hand for
the second note (right)

.
Chapter 9: Cross-overs 19
C|aote 9: Coss-oves
Cross-overs add additional musicality and visual appeal to your audience while playing tenors.
Cross-overs are techniques where one of your hands or sticks cross over the other to add some
visual or musical effect. It does not matter which hand goes underneath when doing cross-overs,
so it is encouraged to try doing cross-overs with both your right and left hand underneath so that
you are comfortable with both options.
There are two types of techniques that quad drummers must master to be confident with playing
around their drums: the fulcrum-to-fulcrum technique and the wrist-over-wrist concept.
lu|cum-to-lu|cum
Your fulcrum is the place on the
stick where your thumbs and index
fingers are physically gripping the
stick. The fulcrum-to-fulcrum
technique is applied whenever you
want to play with your sticks
crossed over two adjacent drums.
Whenever you apply the fulcrum-
to-fulcrum technique in your
playing, your hands should not be
crossed; only the sticks. Your
thumbs will be close together, but
not touching. You should not use
this technique when the hand that
is underneath needs to travel a
further distance than the other hand
immediately after.
v|st-ove-v|st
The wrist-over-wrist technique is
needed when you are crossing your
sticks over two drums that are not
adjacent to one another. When you
are implementing the wrist-over-
wrist technique, one of your hands
is completely underneath the other,
stopping where your wrists are
crossed as shown below.
Note: Cross-overs add visual
appeal to your audience, but they
are only impressive when the sound
quality matches the appearance.
Keep in mind that you are a
musician, and that the sound
quality is always your first priority.
Chapter 10: Basic Exercises 21
C|aote 10: uas|c Lxec|ses
The next couple pages consist of basic exercise that quad drummers need to know in order to
succeed and become confident in their playing abilities. Each of these exercises focus on a
certain skill, rhythm, or rudiment. The best way to progress effectively is to learn one exercise at
a time. Master each exercise before moving on to the next one. If you are having difficulty
learning an exercise, break it down into smaller chunks so that you have time to focus on one
thing at a time. Remember to always use a metronome when practicing to achieve maximum
precision.
Once you master the rhythmic aspect of each of the exercises below, then you can start to
improvise and make up your own arounds. It might be fun and challenging to create difficult
arounds that are meant to be visually appealing, but it will be more impressive to be able to play
the exercise flawlessly with an easier around than a difficult one that you stumble through.
L|g|t on a lano

uuc|s


1|o|et uuc|s


Ca||oo

22 Introduction to Quad Drumming
Loub|e ueat (Au)


l|s| So|ng


Index 23
lnoex
Arm, iii, 13
Cross-overs, iv, 19
Exercises, iii, iv, v, 9, 21
Hand, iii, iv, 13, 14, 21
Metronome, iii, 9
Practice, iii, 9
Quad, 1, iii, 7, 11, 14, 17
Quads, iii, 3, 5
Scrapes, iii, 17
Shoulder, iii, 13
Sweeps, iii, 17
Technique, iii, v, 9, 13
Wrist, iii, iv, 13, 14, 19
X Plane, iii, 15
Y Plane, iii, 15