Pad Hands? I think it's a myth.

When I completed my Moeller homage pad last month, a friend warned me not to spend too much time chopping on it. "You'll get 'Pad Hands' and it will ruin your technique," he cautioned.

I've heard a lot about Pad Hands, which happens if you spend too much time chopping on the same pad and your hands get so used to that pad they can't transition to other playing surfaces.

I think that this may be a myth.

I chop on different pads every day, and mix them up to keep things interesting and fresh.
I seldom get to practice on a drum these days because of where I live (and with whom).
But even if I chopped on the same pad every day -- as I did when I was young -- I'm not convinced that it would be so terrible.
Drummers' hands can and do adapt.

When all I had was my little Remo tunable pad, and I was able to play real drums at school, there was no difficulty in adjusting to the difference in the size and feel of a real drum head. None.
The purpose of learning good technique is not only to play all the rudiments, but also to get to know your hands. Playing in all kinds of weather, in varying conditions, on days when you feel great and days when you feel subpar -- all of this informs how you get to know your body and your hands, and you learn to make adjustments depending on the variables at hand.

Pad Hands could just as well be Drum Hands, if you keep practicing but don't pay attention to the signals your hands and your body send you. If you practice smart, you won't get Pad Hands -- or Pad Brain.

Happy chopping.

(video: hanging out with the Moeller pad, just for fun.)