Solo · Sound-of-groove philosopher — dynamics, hand technique and Moeller in service of feel
A relaxed whipping motion that produces an accent followed by two free taps with minimal effort
Practise: Practise on a pillow first, feeling the wrist snap and rebound before adding the stick
Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — hand technique and Moeller basics
Heard in: Soulfood · Sinnation · Sensei
WorkoutThe same groove pattern played identically but at pp, mf and ff to hear how sound changes
Practise: Play four bars at each dynamic without changing a single note of the pattern
Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — hand technique and Moeller basics
Heard in: Soulfood · Sinnation · The Note
WorkoutGhost notes voiced at a genuinely different drum tone from the backbeat, not just quieter
Practise: Isolate the ghost notes alone first, listening for tonal difference before adding backbeats
Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — hand technique and Moeller basics
Heard in: Soulfood · Sinnation · Sensei
WorkoutThe snare backbeat pushed an 8th note late for one bar, then resolved cleanly back on time
Practise: Count out loud where the true backbeat is before displacing it, to avoid getting lost
Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — hand technique and Moeller basics
Heard in: Soulfood · Sinnation · Stabila
WorkoutA single rhythmic idea divided unpredictably between snare and kick for a hybrid texture
Practise: Write the full pattern first, then isolate hands-only and feet-only before combining
Comes out of: Stage 2 — Core grooves — the sound of the groove
Heard in: Soulfood · Sensei · Stabila
WorkoutA locked kick-and-hat ostinato that frees the hands to improvise musically on top
Practise: Lock the ostinato solidly for two minutes before allowing the hands to move at all
Comes out of: Stage 7 — Independence — ostinato practice method
Heard in: Sensei · Moving Parts · The Language of the Hands
WorkoutOpening the hi-hat at the exact loudest point of a dynamic build for tonal emphasis
Practise: Build a groove's dynamics slowly, only opening the hat once at the true peak
Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — hand technique and Moeller basics
Heard in: Soulfood · Stabila · The Note
WorkoutA short linear fill using Moeller strokes to get power without extra motion or tension
Practise: Play the fill slowly checking for tension in the wrists, only speeding up once relaxed
Comes out of: Stage 3 — Signature techniques — Moeller strokes in a groove
Heard in: Sinnation · Sensei · Hunger
WorkoutChoosing a crash cymbal hit specifically for how its tone completes a phrase
Practise: Play the same fill into three different cymbals and pick the one that fits the phrase best
Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — hand technique and Moeller basics
Heard in: Soulfood · Sinnation · The Note
WorkoutIsolating the weakest limb in a groove at drastically reduced tempo until it is flawless
Practise: Play the full groove at half tempo, then quarter tempo, focusing only on the weak limb
Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — hand technique and Moeller basics
Heard in: Soulfood · Sensei · Stabila
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