Sticking Technique

So you've picked your sticks, set up and tuned your drums and now you're ready to play. The thing is though, there's a lot more to holding drum sticks than just grabbing one.

There are two primary ways to hold a stick - traditional and matched grip.

Matched grip

Most contemporary rock and pop drummers use matched grip, and it's the one most people are familiar with. Chances are, if you give anyone a drum stick they'll hold it matched.

Matched grip basically means that both hands hold the sticks in the same way:

Lay a drum stick in the palm of your hand, with the tip pointing out between your thumb and index finger.

Now close your fingers around the stick. Your index finger and thumb should be where the grip is, with your other fingers closing more gently around the stick.

View from underneath.

This is where things get a little more complex. There are three main types of matching grip:

German, French and American.

The German grip

Your palm should be parallel with the floor.

To strike the drum, use the natural up and down motion of your wrist.

This grip gives you a lot of power whilst using minimal energy.

The French grip

Your palms should face each other, so your thumbs are directly on top of the drum stick.

To strike the drum, you still use the motion of your wrist, but with much more emphasis on your fingers to control the stick.

This grip gives you more control and typically faster strokes.

The American grip

This is basically a mix of the French and German styles, with your palms at a 45 degree angle to the floor.

To strike the drum, you should evenly use your wrist and fingers to control the stick.

This grip gives you an even mix of power and control.

Because of the way the human body is built, I think the German grip is the best matched grip type - it uses the strengths of your wrist joint and is less likely to cause any ligament damage further on down the line. To gain better control of the stick, you'll just need to practice endlessly, until your fingers (specifically your third and fourth) are playing more of a role in the movement.

Incidentally, a good exercise for this is to hold the stick vertically between your thumb and index finger, and try to move the stick back and forth with only your little finger. Then, try with only your ring finger. Repeat this often and you'll soon see the benefit.

Traditional grip

The traditional grip is commonly associated with jazz drummers (although rock drummers like Cozy Powell have also used it to great effect). It comes from military snare drummers who had to play their snare at an angle, and so couldn't use the matched grip comfortably.

The traditional grip means that your dominant hand holds the stick in the matched position, but your other hand is different:

Lay a drum stick in the palm of your hand, with the butt pointing out between your thumb and index finger.

Now move the stick at a slight angle so that it rests in-between your second and third fingers. Close your fingers around the stick so it moves in a sharp but fluid motion when you flick your wrist.

View from the side.

Although I've heard people say that the traditional grip means you lose a lot of power in your non-dominant hand, just looking at the Cozy Powell (a drummer famous for his hard hitting) video above, and the likes of Jojo Mayer and the drumming God that is Buddy Rich, I can't really see their proof. Like everything, you just need to practice.