Level 1 · The Three Sounds
1-3 - First snares
The crack. Technique over volume - protect your hands.
How to practice it
Hand at the top edge of the plate: base of the palm resting near the edge, fingers relaxed and slightly cupped. Whip the fingers down so the fingertips SNAP against the plate - the crack comes from the whip, not from force. One snare every two beats, alternate hands. Slow and deliberate.
Suggested take: ~45s · start 60 BPM → pass around 70 BPM
1
S
2
·
3
S
4
·
60 BPM
Start at 60, exercise passes around 70. Legend: B bass · S snare · g ghost · - rest
Tips
- • Fingers loose like a wet towel - a whip, not a paddle.
- • The top 2-3 cm of the plate is where the crack lives.
- • If your hand stings a lot, you're using arm force instead of finger snap.
Watch out for
- • Hitting the snare with a stiff flat hand (dull sound + sore hand)
- • Chasing volume before the sound is clean
- • Drifting toward the center of the plate where snares die
Record your take
Aim for ~45s. Put the phone ~1m away, facing the front plate. You'll get Rafa's feedback within a minute of submitting.
Up next after this: 1-4 - Boom meets crack