Want rapid improvement? Outsmart your ears.

Even a simple paradiddle is now flipped on its head

Your thighs will thank you. Isolating your hands is an age-old trick to breakdown complex patterns or build up your weak side. So is moving one hand to your leg so you can hear the other by itself.

If you've ever tried this, you know you can only last about 30 seconds before pain sets in.

That's hardly enough time to really drill down into what your hands are doing.

Anika Nilles — she needs no introduction. You may have heard her name if you're into methodical, deep drumming that weaves through music with power and finesse.

To achieve at her level, she relies on hyper-focused practice that develops muscle, endurance, hearing, timing and creativity simultaneously. Like a full body workout, every drumming element is put through its paces.

Your senses don't tell the full story

All drummers can relate — sometimes our delivery isn't as clear as we hear it. Anika knows the most critical part of practice is pulling back the curtain to thoroughly understand and hear your own playing objectively.

She needed a pad that could isolate her hands to hear exactly what's being played in order to train her ears and mind for a better understanding of rhythms and feel.

Replicate your kit

The Meinl Split Tone Pad was developed with Anika Nilles to shine a spotlight on your interpretation of rhythms, patterns, creativity and timing through hand isolation. It also builds muscle.

The great thing about this pad is it allows you to split your hands into two sounds so you can practice your drum kit parts on a single surface while hearing the interplay between your hands.

Here's how.