Primarily, Let's turn to the terms in the title of the article itself - "position" and "articulation".
The term "position" in drummer's terminology refers to the position, condition. And the musical term "articulation" (from lat. articulo - articulate) - associated with various methods: hand movements, shoulder or wrist, finger control, etc.. In other words, it is the formation of control in a position. The term "control" is used to mean "MANAGE THE PROCESS". So it comes out, that "positional articulation" depends on the coordinated actions of our limbs and the control of these actions.
In the 30s of the last century, American Association of Rudimental Drummers NARD (1933 Mr.), presented a coherent system 26 drum rudiments (40 - this is already modern at the Percussive Arts Society, blind. NOT).
The NARD Association clearly controlled everything, what is connected with the rudiments - their designation (name), interpretation and specialized terminology. They jealously followed every smallest detail in the playing of rudiments and the formation of drum terms. It will take a lot of time to post here a description of all the constructive work of this organization.. Suffice it to say, that as a result of their work, a brilliant generation of unique drummers has grown up in the USA, as an authoritative American teacher put it, reformer, educator and percussionist. Ludwig: "Military conductors, as well as drum teachers realize the importance of drum rudiments. As a result, modern America can justifiably be proud of, that we have the best drummers ... "
Are they really the best?? YES! And we? Yes, because, what do we have, Unfortunately, profile incompetence with exorbitant ambitions flourishes.
And now about the most commonly used terms in the system of learning to play the drums..
So, consider the terms Upstroke and Downstroke, their etymology (origin).
The terms Upstroke and Downstroke are misinterpreted by many drummers in their explanations..
Usually, our immature, forever green teachers (language does not turn to call them teachers) explain them simply: Upstroke - "upper stroke"; Downstroke - "bottom blow". Well done! And funny, and sad. Well, if you think about it, based on the logic of the Russian literary language, then we, As always, we begin to squint towards the "Americans", like they figured it out, but they play correctly ... Yes, not at all! Just about the “meaning” they are completely fine! They don't make sense, but form an image!
Now let's figure it out in order. Up - up, + stroke – movement, move, blow. Now let's combine these concepts, and it came out - a blow of a stick when moving the hand up or a blow on the backswing of the hand, or a blow when the hand reaches the top position. After all, originally the term stroke (move, movement) formed in drum terminology together with the term blow (blow) written with a slash: upstroke/down-blow
Later "blow" (stroke-blow) organized into a single term “stroke”, meaning by this "the blow of the corresponding movement"; All that remains is to set him in the right direction (Up - up or Down - down). Agree, that no impact can occur outside the movement, as the saying goes: "You can't cook scrambled eggs, without breaking eggs. These positional formations are similar to the classical concepts - arsis (Up) and thesis (Down).
It will not be superfluous to look at the "positional articulation" of Moller himself, made from his frame photographs from his own book "The Moeller book" (1925). Here you won't see it at all., what our adherents position- "mollerists", attaching the name Moller to a high position strike like a la "Moller strike". I think, that Moller himself would have been indignant at such an interpretation ... for it is known, that his method (not technology) was a compilation and formed for military drummer. Take a closer look at the game of Moller himself:As for hitting from a high position, which is now called "Moller", then he was known to us long before we got acquainted with the work of Moller, and we met his name only with the advent of the Internet.
Well, and now everyone will understand, that the term Downstroke is not defined as "downstroke" (where should he be?), a DOWN HIT (from top position). You can also touch on the term "angular velocity of the stick" (velocity), denoting at all movement from a rectilinear forearm, as some domestic "instructors" believe, and the angular velocity of the stick, its dispersal by hand when swinging, from which the impact dynamics is formed.
Along the way to the formation of terms, I want to note, that in accordance with copyright law, any derivative term in the native language is the intellectual property of the author, what should be recorded by a copyright certificate or the issuance of an appropriate manual. The internet doesn't give you that right.. Therefore, the release of my first two books "Technique of playing the drum kit" 1 and 2 parts (1989-91 years) legalized this right. Besides, their value lies in adapting a rudimentary system of learning, classification of Western European terminology in the domestic educational field and the creation of an integral educational and methodological concept for the education of musicians-drummers. Take a look at the table of rudiments:
