Get a Grip

There are many ways to hold a drumstick and there are advantages to all of them

and disadvantages to all of them too. All of them are called a grip. That is because all of them grip the drumstick between the thumb and an opposing finger. There are different opinions as to which finger, but establishing a stable fulcrum (pinch) by pinching the stick is the simplest grip. What is important is not so much how you hold the stick but how you execute a drumstick stroke and it is amazing how technically proficient some drummers can become with the different grips with enough practice. The   exception is the traditional grip which is more of a cradle in one hand versus the matching grip (or natural grip) in the opposite hand, There is traditional grip, French grip, German grip, and American grip. To some degree I have played them all.  These days I play a blend that constantly shifts from one to the other and some hybrid combinations that I developed pursuing various kinds of dynamics. I am also not adverse to using my arms and even putting my back into it for shear power and volume.  Mostly the music dictates the physical grip and stroke execution of various rhythms but the goal remains the same, touch, dynamics and tone while remaining as relaxed as possible. Speed is overrated but it is fun to play fast and people seem to like the excitement. Blindingly fast rolls become a blur not a cool rhythm or beat. I have a lawn mower that can do that, but I am guilty of getting in the speed  race once in a while too.  

I started on the traditional grip and began in the typical place as many drummers, learning the snare drum   rudiments, but of course I was already playing a drum set and driving my parents crazy too.  Let’s be honest traditional grip is a snare drum grip. No other kind of drummer/ percussionist, mallet keyboard, tympani, timbales, world beat drummers from around the world use the   traditional grip. The traditional grip prevents awkward bends of the  elbow and wrist when playing a marching drum hung at an angle to the side freeing the legs do all kinds of marching steps.  The earliest drum set players imitating the street beats on snare and bass drum typical in carnival parades, jazz funerals, etc. especially in New Orleans and elsewhere were snare drummers and so snare drum being the heart of the drum set from it’s earliest days in New Orleans the traditional grip became the standard in America where the drum set was born. When you have practiced for hours a particular technique you are inclined to hold on to it. I was forced to learn matched grip to avoid injuries from playing traditional grip way too hard  and it was a lot easier to get around a very sizeable drum set with lots of cymbals and for  a while I  even abandoned the traditional grip  before I  came to my senses about throwing away all those skills.  So what is the value in playing the traditional grip on a drum set.  The distinction that arose on the drum set via the traditional grip especially when playing with just the left hand on a responsive snare drum in the early jazz drummers,( they were all jazz drummers) was the under hand strokes ( as opposed to matched grip over hand) with the fingers on top meant that by rotating the wrist( like turning a doorknob) a combination of a gravity drop, and or  controlled down stroke plus  rebound, and then catching the stick, great sensitivity developed in drummers that played this way. The fact that the fingers were on top meant the drummers could dribble the drumstick with the first and second fingers also created more speed or bounce. This finger control has some   similarities to French grip. These techniques have a lot to do with the fact that they are performed one handed on a snare drum skin with rebound as opposed to an overhand matched grip stroke on a ride  cymbal with virtually no rebound and actually moves away when struck.  With the hand on top the weight of the hand and arm is part of the energy in that kind of stroke, but with an underhand stroke that hand and arm weight is not there and a much lighter touch can be achieved. In the final analysis the traditional grip evolved on the drum set in such a way that a whole different approach to sticking and touch   evolved as drummers developed it intuitively. Anyway it looks really cool and you will never understand the possibilities unless you experience that approach. Anytime great drummers establish great drumming you can only ignore it to your loss.   The opposite hand is identical to the matched grip see or natural grip which we will examine also.

The French grip is like a matched grip as to how the stick is held, but the palms are facing each other. It is essentially a stable fulcrum (pinch  between the thumb and first finger) and the remaining fingers dribble the drums sticks with quick upstrokes from the

the   fingers. It is mainly all fingers. Tympani players are the masters of French grip.  There is always some wrist stroke on all the strokes. Nobody plays with a rigid wrist. The wrist movement it is like hammering a nail or cracking a whip and can create a little   more volume   It is not uncommon to see a French grip technique used in order to play very fast ride cymbal patterns especially as reaching over to a ride cymbal the hand a will spin out, as it is more comfortable leaving the hand in a French grip position over the cymbal. Many drummers discover underhand  upstroke finger dribbling achieves much more speed quite naturally. I use it that way on fast jazz rides though not on the hi-hat as my hand naturally returns to a palm down position and with more wrist and less fingers.

The German grip is essentially a method which is mainly wrist strokes and which works well when you need more volume and speed but the fastest single stroke drummers rely on French grip at the sacrifice of volume.  Also sometimes other fingers other than   the first finger right up to the third  finger is used to grip the stick against the thumb. As I mentioned practice can make almost anything work for you and the debate on which is best is irrelevant as there are enough good drummers to demonstrate amazing techniques. At times I played really big drums tuned very low in a very loud rock setting. Other times I played very small tightly tuned jazz drums in a   very soft totally acoustic setting. Obviously the same technique would not work in both settings.  You have to think about these things and not get hung up on only one way. The music is the determinate.

The American grip is a matched grip that uses wrists and fingers in varying degrees, but once you leave the snare drum how are you going to get around a drum set unless you use your arms. If you play loud rock and you want the drum tone to be fat you have to hit the drums hard and for that you need to use your arms. (Don ’t forget earplugs)Using your arms with matched natural grips   is  done  with the elbows  at approximately a 90 degree angle and they should always be held up and  away from your body anyway. then spinning your arm from your shoulder will cause an all arm upstroke. If you bend your wrist up and extend your fingers out to the end of your little finger arcing all the way over your shoulder to behind your back, to maximum extension and then point your elbow forward the stick will actually be pointing at the ground behind your back. The full arc is about three feet! I sit on the edge of a small firm drum throne and feel as if I am balanced on the tip of my spine. Those big cushy saddle seats restrict leg action when playing pedals from hip rotation. That maximum arm extension can be felt in the muscles in the small of your back when sitting up straight. Never hunch over. You will get shoulder blade cramps. Even some of my lightest playing activates all those muscles  a little bit and it   is very conducive to relaxed playing with much endurance and avoiding injury. Think of a runner sometimes a hundred yard dash or sometimes   a mile but the legs extend from the hip and the arms swing from the shoulders. Same in   soft dynamically    balanced drumming  all the way out to maximum extreme power drumming. You play from your core.  Funny cartoon, Broadway show drummer in a big easy chair, refrigerator  in the floor tom, television in the mounted tom , drink holder on the hi hat  and a magazine on the music stand. Hey it pays. I am not knocking anybodies preferred style. 

Developing a stroke that can go from the softest ghost notes to the loudest punches

is really a combination of all these techniques and they easily flow into each other without thinking about it to much by just playing dynamically and responsively. Rotating your normal practice   routines with the different strokes is usually enough to get comfortable with them and get the feel of them. They will evolve naturally just by playing them till  you have a bit of muscle memory on each of them. There is no real right and wrong and I am sure there are techniques around the world we have never heard of that work great too. The one thing that doesn’t work is pushing your technique beyond your skills and forcing execution. That defeats playing in a relaxed manner even at the greatest speed and volume so build up slowly and always play a little bit under your capacity. Ok almost always. Think about the fact that drummers get repetitive motion injuries, tendonitis, and even broken bones from hitting one hand with a drumstick. This is mostly totally avoidable by playing very relaxed at any tempo or volume.

As I mentioned practice can make almost anything work for you and the debate on which is will remain irrelevant as there are enough good drummers to demonstrate amazing technique all kinds of ways. At times I played really big drums tuned very low in a very loud rock setting. Other times I played very small tightly tuned jazz drums in a   very soft totally acoustic setting. Obviously the same technique would not work in both settings.  You have to think about these things and not get hung up on only one way. 

Two of my favorite clinicians each have DVDs demonstrating incredible technique. In essence one is saying firm grip, no finger control , no bounces. Everything controlled!

The other is showing every way possible to bounce a drumstick and manipulate your muscles. They work for the same company. Shredders are fun to watch but groove masters get the gigs.