MOLLE Technique Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Speaker: Klaus Hessler
• Topic: MOLLE Technique - Beginning Level

Origin of the MOLLE Technique

• Named after Sanford Augustus Moeller, a drummer and drum instructor.
• Jim Chapin, a master student of Moeller, often referred to him as "Gus" or "the old man."
• Moeller did not invent the technique; he discovered it through observations of army veterans in the mid-1920s.

Historical Context

• Moeller was a drummer in George M. Cohan's vaudeville act.
• Many drummers he observed were veterans from the Civil War (ended in 1865).
• These veterans were often boys during the war and were old men by the time Moeller visited (ages 70-80).
• Moeller was impressed by their speed and facility at playing.

Moeller's Observations

• He analyzed the movements of the veterans and created a system based on their technique.
• This system is referred to as Moeller Technique or Moeller System.

Notable Students

• Gene Krupa: Revolutionized modern drum set playing.
• Jim Chapin: Klaus Hessler's mentor, learned from him for over 20 years.

Key Concepts of MOLLE Technique

• Understanding hand motion relative to the direction of the hit.
• Veterans described their playing as involving a "whip" and "two taps."
  • Whip: Describes a wave-like motion.
  • Two taps: Refers to strokes without significant upward or downward movement.
• Moeller discovered a final upstroke on the last tap, leading to the core pattern:
  • Pattern: down, up, down, up (or as Jim Chapin: down, tap, up).
• Importance of practicing this pattern with both hands.

Recommended Resources

• Camp Duty Update: Explores rudimental and technical history related to drumming.
• Drumming Kairos: Created for clarification of Jim's teachings and further exploration of the technique.

Conclusion

• Looking forward to teaching more lessons on MOLLE Technique.
• Encouragement to study the history and practice the techniques discussed.

• End of Lecture