Presenting Drum Lessons by Mr. Know-It-All
#1) Today's
Lesson is the Basic Bounce. 
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80
The basic bounce is the most fundamental of all drum strokes and is known by other names such as the free stroke or Gladstone stroke.
To begin learning the basic bounce, use the whole hand to hold the stick
in a very relaxed manner. All the fingers cradle the stick and at this early
developmental stage there is no real fulcrum. The fingers are kept in constant
contact with the stick throughout the entire stroke and the stick is kept
very close to the palm. 
The starting position for the basic bounce begins with the stick tips pointed upwards towards the sky or perpendicular to the playing surface. To initiate the stroke, the wrist is turned downward with an initial burst of energy and then immediately relaxes. Force is applied exclusively by the wrist and only at the top of the stroke. As a result, the stick simply bounces freely off the playing surface and returns to starting position.
Just enough energy is applied by the wrist at the top of the stroke to make up for the loss of stick rebound due to gravity. The fingers go along for the ride and do not add any power. The basic bounce is similar to dribbling a basketball - use the first knuckle of the index finger to"cover the stick" when your wrist is in the palms down position .
Explore the basic bounce further by practicing smooth transitions between german, american and french wrist positions.
