The "Bible of Drumming": Stick Control for the Snare Drummer
Stick Control for the Snare Drummer by George Lawrence Stone is the original classic, often called the bible of drumming. In 1993, Modern Drummer magazine famously named the book one of the top 25 drum method books of all-time. It remains an indispensable foundational text for drummers of all types and skill levels.
Develop Control, Speed, and Flexibility
In the words of the author, this method is the ideal book for improving “control, speed, flexibility, touch, rhythm, lightness, delicacy, power, endurance, preciseness of execution and muscular coordination.” A core focus of the text is giving extra attention to the development of the weak hand, ensuring a balanced and flawless technique.
Hundreds of Essential Rhythms
Designed to build a rock-solid physical foundation, Stick Control includes hundreds of basic to advanced-level rhythms. The exercises systematically move through critical categories, including:
- Single-beat combinations
- Triplets
- Short roll combinations
- Flam beats, flam triplets, and dotted notes
- Short roll progressions
Universal Applications for All Percussionists
While originally written for the snare drum, the applications of Stick Control go far beyond a single instrument. It is universally utilized by drum set players, timpanists, and mallet percussionists. Drum set players frequently adapt the right and left-hand stickings to the hands and feet to build complex independence and four-way coordination.