Thought it might be time for a drummer question . . .

I know traditional grip is more "old school" looking, and looking at the first wave band photos, most of the drummers are using traditional.

Must be due to their jazz education, or maybe that's just the way it was taught in school then (maybe still?).

I know Alex Aqua plays traditional grip. Any of you other drummers here on the forum?

(BTW the way you grip a can of beer or anything else is for another thread.)

In all four years of high school I played drums in the band. We were taught to use the traditional grip. I have always used it. But I have tried the grip refered to as 'matched'.
I could never get a great roll or par-a-dido going without useing the traditional grip. There never was enough bounceback with the 'matched grip' <u>for me</u>. I have watched some very good drummers play with the 'matched grip'. But have often wondered why they expell so much energy doing so when they could save a huge amount of energy by useing the traditional method.

Joel

I think matched is easier for starting or not or liittle educated drummers. I thimnk people started playing matched cause it can get much louder. it's also easier because you get to hit harder. Seeing a drummer play trad. grip (I know it as "pen-grip"?) is a beautiful sight!

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I was taught traditional sticking in high school band, for playing just snare drum. Joel is right, para-diddles and double strokes are initial much easier with traditional grip. But through practice would can build them up with the matched grip. I moved over to "matched" sticking when I concentrated on the drum set.
My style isn't exactly rooted in jazz drumming rather punk, ska, reggae other stuff; so it'd be pretty uncomfortable for me to use the traditional grip. Also, I like to play really loud. Just following my idol Keith Moon.

I will switch over if I'm playing lighter stuff sometimes.

It's great reading a drum thread. Nice break from all the guitar geekery.

Science friction burns my fingers.

I was also taught trad grip throughout school. My first drumset lessons were from a jazz stylist, so he also encouraged trad grip. Trad grip never felt right to me on the drumset, though. It seems awkward when moving around the kit with any drgree of speed or volume.

As far as I know, the only reason trad grip was invented was because, in the days of old, marching snares were carried over the left hip. This placed the drum head at a difficult angle for the left wrist to match the grip of the right hand.

This grip was carried over to the drumset in jazz because that's how everyone was taught to hold the sticks. You will notice some drummers with trad grip actually tilt the snare forward in their kit to approximate the old marching angle. Most jazz playing doesn't need to be loud because of the acoustic instruments. (I didn't like jazz band because I was ALWAYS too loud.)

For true pros, it doesn't really matter which grip is used or how the drums are positioned (see Steve Smith, Niel Peart, etc.).

I think it all depends on how you were taught (or if you weren't taught - how you learned). I think many of the guys from the early days obviously had the traditional grip - either from lessons or watching their peers. Whatever works for you to get the job done, should be good enough - its all about comfort level and the ability to execute whatever the song calls for. You have the same muscles in each hand/wrist/arm, so however you train them is up to you.

Double bass? hey - if the music calls for it, why not? Just don't force it into a style or a song, just because you know how to do it. Kind of like thumb-slapping a bass....

tonybologna
I was taught traditional sticking in high school band, for playing just snare drum.

I use to play quads & snare in High School dam killer pops of those drums
and learned trad grip but after that it's been matched ever since and when I get my hands on the kit it's hard now a days with the demand to play louder but with control and skill, at the moment I own a cheapo Jr Jazz kit but my dream kit would be a Ringo Star Ludwig, I used the Jr Jazz kit for the last three tracks on The Verbtones 2004 "Vampiro Classics" cd "Matador" "Ghost Wave" "The Spider"

I rarely get to play drums at home or live or practice for that matter and it just comes back to one like riding a bike but I did get a chance on our SoCal tour for Jason Lee, thier drummer was under age and the venue would not let him in even to play drums so the three of us stepped up to the plate Steve Lewis, Jason's sax player, and little ol' me fun shit!
The snare was killer one of those "Pork Pie" I never had the chance to try one till that night and I really dug it, very alternative-metal sound'n good for fast pop tunes I was diggin' it!

-Kyle

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I use both grips, depending on the situation. Matched grip is certainly required for power and volume in fills around the Toms - IF the song requires it. Nobody appreciates a "Heavy Hitter" overpowering the rest of the band. I use Traditional grip for more intricate patterns on the High Hats and snare. And, it adds authenticity, and a bit of novelty these days, when playing the "Surf Beat" on songs that do not require lots of heavier fills.

As a teacher of beginning drummers, I teach both. We use traditional grip for stick control exercises, and mostly matched grip when learning grooves and fills on the drum set. I challenge my drummers to be adept at both in either situation as much as possible.

I find that my students enjoy being able to pick up on the "Surf Beat" groove fairly quickly, and we follow soon afterwards learning tight 16th note rolls and fills. Again, developing both grips as much as possible. I teach "Wipeout" early on to demonstrate the placement of controlled accents within the 16th Tom pattern, and then switch back to Surf. Not to mention that it is a time-honored beat that is instantly recognizable to anyone alive during the sixties!

Good Thread!
Drumsdick
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I think a whole drummer forum would be a bit much. I think a few threads are fine. There's only so much drummers can talk about. The lack of electronic components might be a factor in this. I also haven't met a lot of drummers who love to talk about equipment, me included. And those who talk on and on about it kind of bug me, haha.

Science friction burns my fingers.

I really appreciate all the thoughtful replies. I'm a little embarassed now though. I began looking at some drummer forums for more info on this, only to find that among drummers this question is like asking "Jaguar or Jazzmaster?" is over here . . . So much for originallity!

Anyway as a beginner, left hand traditional feels a little awkward, yet in some ways, easier. Of course, when you are learning--ANYTHING--can feel awkward. (Remember making your first guitar chord?)

I will just continue to explore holding the sticks both ways in the beginning. As has been said here, there is nothing inherently superior in one style over the other except where issues of volume vs. finesse come into play, and even then these will be largely subjective from player to player.

Just as an aside, I just got the new JoJo Mayer hand techinque "Secret Weapons" dvd. He plays mostly traditional grip, but explains that for him it's because he feels it make him think more asymmetrically, as though each hand has it's own personality. "Jeckyll and Hyde" he even refers to it as--but he does not advise it as preferable to matched grip.

Surfabilly, I hope that those in the know will reply, but in my "research" I have read many good things about the Gretsch Catalina line as a great price/performance option.