Visual Approaches to Improving Technique

We all learn in different ways. You've probably heard some people tend to focus more on visual sensing and thinking when learning, while others tend to tune into auditory channels, or lean more heavily on movement based sensing and thinking. We actually use all of these modes when we learn, and we may rely more on one approach than another, depending on what we're learning.

Regardless of your preferred method, I recommend consciously exploring ways to practice that utilize these different modes to discover what each can offer you.

Today, let's talk about some visual approaches you can take to your technique practice.

Visual Observation of a Model

Watch a video of the technique(s) (see the list of links to Instructional Videos in the sidebar on the left). Concentrate on identifying every specific characteristic you can discern visually - you might even turn off the sound while watching. (Hint: if you download videos to your PC, you can use Windows Media Player to watch them at a slower speed, or on your iPhone, pause the video then tap and hold the fast forward button).

• At what angle is the drum held?
• Where does the non-dominant hand rest on top of the drum? If the face of the drum were a clock, at what hour does the hand rest? The fingers?
• At what angle does the arm, hand and fingers intersect the edge of the drum for the Dum? The Tek? The Ka? (The Cha?)
• What spacial relationships exist between the finger and the drum edge?
• Where exactly on the drum is each stroke placed? What does that look like?
• How do the fingers move after they strike the drum?
• Are the fingers straight? Cupped? Fingers together or apart?
  
• Where and how does the arm, elbow, wrist, hand, or fingers bend or move?
• Where do you see tension? Where do you see relaxation?
• What stays relatively still? What has the greatest motion?

Visualizing the Dum, Tek, and Ka (and Cha)

With your eyes closed, visualize a Dum as you saw it in the video, but in slow motion. Picture what your Dum would look like in slow motion from another person's perspective, then visualize it from your perspective.  

If something in your imagining isn't in clear focus, go back and watch the video again, noticing specifically the details you need to make your visualization crystal clear.

Repeat this for the Tek and Ka (and Cha)

Getting Visual Feedback

Set up a mirror so that you can see your drum and hands clearly from the outsider perspective. 

Play your Dum and really look at it from both your perspective and in the mirror.

• Does it look like the model in the video? In what ways does it look the different? In what ways does it look the same?
• What do the angles look like? The angle of your arm, hand or fingers?
• Where and how do you bend or rotate?
• Do you hold the relatively still parts relatively still?
• Do your fingers look like the fingers in the video?

Keep tweaking until your stroke looks like the stroke in the video.

When you're satisfied with the Dum, move on to the Tek and Ka (and Cha).

Many thanks to Philip Johnston and his chapter on visualization in his book Practiceopedia for some of the techniques and inspiration for this post.

Happy practicing!

-- Tara Severns