How to Hold a Drumstick
Point your index finger forward., Curl your index finger in., Place your drumstick under your index finger., Find the balance point., Place your thumb on the side of the drumstick., Curl the last three fingers onto the drumstick., Repeat the steps...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Point your index finger forward.
For novices, the easiest grip style to begin with is usually American grip.
This style is versatile, fairly easy to learn, and offers a good mix of power and control, making it a good choice for almost every drummer and almost every style of music.
To begin, raise one hand and turn your wrist so that its palm is facing down and its index finger is pointed out straight ahead, parallel with the floor For this grip (and the styles below), you'll want your hands to be about an inch (2.5cm) or two above the snare drum head (assuming that you're playing at an ordinary drum set).
However, if this isn't comfortable for you, feel free to move your hands to a position that is. -
Step 2: Curl your index finger in.
Next, bend your index finger at its second and third knuckles so that its tip is more or less aligned with the edge of your palm.
This will form a small "pocket" that will act as a fulcrum for the drumstick as well as its primary point of support. , Slide the drumstick into the curled-up pocket formed by your index finger.
Your index finger should comfortably wrap around the drumstick as if it's pulling a trigger. , When you play the drums, you want your sticks to have a little "spring" or "bounce" when they hit the drum head — they should rebound from the drum head and fall back onto it several times with no effort from you.
Experiment by sliding your drumstick up and down in its "pocket" until you find the stick placement that gets the most rebounds off the snare drum.
You should get about 6-8 bounces when you find the correct balance point.
Though all sticks will be weighted slightly differently, normally, the balance point will be about two-thirds of the way back from the stick tip. , When you've found the balance point, turn your wrist so that your palm is facing toward the floor once again.
Lay your thumb along the side of the drumstick.
Keep it on the side — don't turn your palms towards each other to position it on top of the stick (this is what you would do for French Grip).
You don't need to apply much pressure with your thumb, — its job is to simply hold the stick in place and provide a little extra control when playing. , Wrap your middle, ring, and little finger around underneath the drumstick.
Don't grip tightly with these fingers— they should provide good support, but shouldn't prevent the stick from bouncing back from the drum head when you hit it.
Eventually, if you study advanced finger control techniques, you'll learn to subtly use these fingers to play with delicate finesse. , The grip you use should be more or less the same for both hands.
Because your grips for each hand match, this type of grip is called a "matched grip".
American grip isn't the only kind of matched grip — below, you'll learn several more which offer their own advantages and disadvantages. , When you're ready to play, hit the drum by flexing your wrist to move the drumstick up and down.
Keep your palms facing downward so that they're nearly parallel to the floor.
This should ensure that the largest part of your wrist is doing most of the bending.
Adjust the tightness of your thumb and supporting fingers to give the stick more or less bounce as needed.
Keep your shoulders, forearms and elbows loose, but avoid moving them while you drum unless you need to move to a different drum or cymbal.
The drumming motion should come almost entirely from your wrists and fingers.
American grip is highly versatile.
Because it offers great control and respectable power while playing, it's a viable choice for anything from swing and jazz drumming to rock and roll to funk and even classical music! -
Step 3: Place your drumstick under your index finger.
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Step 4: Find the balance point.
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Step 5: Place your thumb on the side of the drumstick.
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Step 6: Curl the last three fingers onto the drumstick.
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Step 7: Repeat the steps above for the other hand.
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Step 8: Strike with a wrist and finger motion.
Detailed Guide
For novices, the easiest grip style to begin with is usually American grip.
This style is versatile, fairly easy to learn, and offers a good mix of power and control, making it a good choice for almost every drummer and almost every style of music.
To begin, raise one hand and turn your wrist so that its palm is facing down and its index finger is pointed out straight ahead, parallel with the floor For this grip (and the styles below), you'll want your hands to be about an inch (2.5cm) or two above the snare drum head (assuming that you're playing at an ordinary drum set).
However, if this isn't comfortable for you, feel free to move your hands to a position that is.
Next, bend your index finger at its second and third knuckles so that its tip is more or less aligned with the edge of your palm.
This will form a small "pocket" that will act as a fulcrum for the drumstick as well as its primary point of support. , Slide the drumstick into the curled-up pocket formed by your index finger.
Your index finger should comfortably wrap around the drumstick as if it's pulling a trigger. , When you play the drums, you want your sticks to have a little "spring" or "bounce" when they hit the drum head — they should rebound from the drum head and fall back onto it several times with no effort from you.
Experiment by sliding your drumstick up and down in its "pocket" until you find the stick placement that gets the most rebounds off the snare drum.
You should get about 6-8 bounces when you find the correct balance point.
Though all sticks will be weighted slightly differently, normally, the balance point will be about two-thirds of the way back from the stick tip. , When you've found the balance point, turn your wrist so that your palm is facing toward the floor once again.
Lay your thumb along the side of the drumstick.
Keep it on the side — don't turn your palms towards each other to position it on top of the stick (this is what you would do for French Grip).
You don't need to apply much pressure with your thumb, — its job is to simply hold the stick in place and provide a little extra control when playing. , Wrap your middle, ring, and little finger around underneath the drumstick.
Don't grip tightly with these fingers— they should provide good support, but shouldn't prevent the stick from bouncing back from the drum head when you hit it.
Eventually, if you study advanced finger control techniques, you'll learn to subtly use these fingers to play with delicate finesse. , The grip you use should be more or less the same for both hands.
Because your grips for each hand match, this type of grip is called a "matched grip".
American grip isn't the only kind of matched grip — below, you'll learn several more which offer their own advantages and disadvantages. , When you're ready to play, hit the drum by flexing your wrist to move the drumstick up and down.
Keep your palms facing downward so that they're nearly parallel to the floor.
This should ensure that the largest part of your wrist is doing most of the bending.
Adjust the tightness of your thumb and supporting fingers to give the stick more or less bounce as needed.
Keep your shoulders, forearms and elbows loose, but avoid moving them while you drum unless you need to move to a different drum or cymbal.
The drumming motion should come almost entirely from your wrists and fingers.
American grip is highly versatile.
Because it offers great control and respectable power while playing, it's a viable choice for anything from swing and jazz drumming to rock and roll to funk and even classical music!
About the Author
Rebecca Stevens
Brings years of experience writing about lifestyle and related subjects.
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