Members Mikeo Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 do you hold them tradition style with the snare hand kinda under the stick and the other HH hat with the fingers looped around the stick, or do you hold them both looped around the stick. I have been play drums and I'm having a difficult time holding the sticks in a tracditional way. What advantages are there to either method? Maybe it will take some time to get used to a traditional style. Most good drums seem to prefer it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmd_97 Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Most good drums seem to prefer it. The drums themselves do not really mind which grip you use. They'd really prefer you not hit them at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted October 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Originally posted by kmd_97 The drums themselves do not really mind which grip you use. They'd really prefer you not hit them at all. ok sorry about the piss poor garmmer, but I hope you get what I was try to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nklarow Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 I usually hold the stick in my right hand, palm down, and the stick in my left hand palm down also, a bit tighter grip, and back a little from the right. Sometimes I use right palm down and left palm up, but I'm terrible so when I'm drumming with others I don't do that. For more info, I suggest checking out the Vic Firth website, they have a TON of information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted October 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Originally posted by nklarow I usually hold the stick in my right hand, palm down, and the stick in my left hand palm down also, a bit tighter grip, and back a little from the right. Sometimes I use right palm down and left palm up, but I'm terrible so when I'm drumming with others I don't do that. For more info, I suggest checking out the Vic Firth website, they have a TON of information. Thanks man, I've owned a set of drums for a while, but my main instrument is the guitar. The drums are so much fun, I hope to get better over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WillyRay Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Yikes. I'm prepared to be pretty heavily flamed for my opinions on this: I play matched. I do not intend to learn traditional. Lots of drummers say that traditional is for a lighter touch on the snare. I can't get with that. I can play just as quiet with matched grip as anybody with traditional grip. It's not a question of how you hold the stick, it's a question of how hard you're hitting the drum, IMO. I just don't buy it. To me, the downside to traditional is huge. Not only do I have to learn two different grips instead of just one, I have to learn the body mechanics for every single stick technique twice! Double strokes, twice; Moeller technique, twice; Buzz rolls; twice. Yuck. It's much easier, IMO, to learn the body mechanics ONCE and then do the mirror image. In my opinion, the only context in which traditional is necessary is marching. Can't be on the snare line unless you're playing traditional. That's given. The only other argument that I find compelling is that traditional looks cool. Now, I think that's a very valid argument. We're in an image obsessed culture, and the music scene is worse than most. That said, I like to impress with my sound, and I don't want to go back and train my leftie to do something different from my rightie. Now, flame-on! This is purely my opinion. I wouldn't dog somebody learning traditional unless they sounded bad. ALL of my favorite players play traditional, but just because they do it isn't enough to overcome my personal opinion of the matter. /w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members the DW Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 I mainly play matched grip, but sometimes I'll use traditional if I'm playing some swing tune where I need more finesse on the snare. I find that it's easier (for me) to do some things with left palm up sometimes. But 98% matched grip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WillyRay Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 FYI, the usual drum set-oriented overhand grip is also sometimes referred to as "American Grip". History of traditional grip is that it evolved from days when snare drums were usually held on a strap around the neck/shoulder. The drum head was on a steep angle facing the drummers right. An overhand grip in the left hand was not effective with the drum in this position. Nowadays, it's not uncommon for a traditional grip player to tilt the snare drum over to the right, for the exact same reason. But generally, most asymmetrical grippers play on a drum in a more generally horizontal position. Even marching snares are held perfectly horizontal these days. I had to play an old Civil War era (replica) snare drum on a show once. It was a bitch, considering my traditional grip is pretty much completely un-practiced. /w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WillyRay Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Originally posted by the DW I mainly play matched grip, but sometimes I'll use traditional if I'm playing some swing tune where I need more finesse on the snare. I find that it's easier (for me) to do some things with left palm up sometimes.But 98% matched grip. Maybe you can expand on this a little bit? Like I say, I'm pretty sure this is not for me, but I trust your opinions quite a bit, and I'd like to hear more specifics about this. What exactly is it you find easier this way? To my ear, when you say (paraphrased), '2% of the time I use traditional. I use it when I need more finesse,' I hear, 'When I need more finesse, I switch to a grip I've practiced less.' I've always believed that there's nothing you can do in an asymmetrical position that you can't in a symmetrical position. Help me understand where you're coming from better. /w ps. Firefox 2, inline spellchecker rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cheeseadiddle Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 I can play both, but choose to stay in matched grip most of the time. I will say that certain things do feel more natural to play in traditional grip than in matched grip. Shuffles, for instance. Because I stay in matched grip most of the time, the muscles needed to play traditional grip don't get worked out enough for me to play as well as I can in matched. Sometimes I get a hair up my ass, crank my snare over, and play nothing but traditional for a couple weeks just to get it acclimated again. But then one day I go, "What the hell am I doing this for?" And I go back to matched grip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zarazabas Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 I too use matched grip most of the time, yet occaisionally find myself playing traditional grip, and i think that i'm actually doing it more and more often. I don't know why this is, sometimes things just feel right with traditional grip and sometimes not. I understand willies point about not learning two different techniques, but the reason i started to even attempt using traditional grip (i didn't try this for a long time since beggining playing drums), at least i think, was because many of the players who i look up to use this approach, and out of curiosity i guess i just started trying it out every now and then and now i can actually use both grips - granted i'm no expert at either. If i'm playing something with a lot of ghost notes, i do find traditional grip lends itself quite well to me - that is not to say that i can't play it with matched grip, it just feels comfortable with traditional grip. Having said all that, matched grip most of the time, but i don't see the harm in experimenting with different techniques, as long as you dont swap and change so much that it inhibits your progress in other areas. I think the more techniques you try the greater understanding you gain of how to manipulate and control the stick towards whatever ends you seek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members the DW Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Originally posted by WillyRay Maybe you can expand on this a little bit?... I first played the snare drum in 7th grade band, and learned traditional grip. Played that way for the whole school year. (shameless self-promotion: I was first chair for the entire school!) I left band after that year, and then in 10th grade, started playing drum set using matched grip, and have used that ever since (well, the vast majority of the time anyway). I imagine that the 7th grade experience is what has kept the traditional grip comfortable for me. I find that it's easier for me to do double and triple strokes with my left hand quietly when I use traditional grip. I can do it matched grip also, but I can't play it quite as softly. Does that make sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RockBass Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 I'm forcing myself to learn both matched and tradition, as I see value in both of them and I suck at both right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theFoot Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 I play trad, mmmmmmmm, 98% of the time. I'm not sure when I switch to matched, but it ain't often. I started with both, and different teachers along the way prefered one or the other or not. (especially the teachers I had in music school, they were like, "IF YOU DON'T PLAY TRADITIONAL GRIP, I'M GONNA KICK YOU IN THE NU..." ) Even so, everything I was working on, I would try to be able to do it in trad and some variation of matched (not always to good results). I agree with WR, that it is really an image thing. Personally, I like the FEEL of playing trad. BUT, I don't think there is anything that one grip can do that the other can't. The grip comes from tilting, side-slung parade drums. As soon as you put the drum level (like modern marching harnesses), there is no functional reason to have an asymetrical grip. It just doesn't make sense. If you want the same sound and control out of the instrument, why use 2 different tools? It just doesn't make sense! Since playing the drums for me isn't about making sense, I'm gonna play trad. Again, I just like the feel of it, and I think it's more interesting to watch someone playing a kit with trad grip. I just don't understand the guys who play trad, but have the snare tilted toward them (not away). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theFoot Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Originally posted by RockBass ...and I suck at both right now. As long as you're developing evenly:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WillyRay Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Originally posted by the DW I find that it's easier for me to do double and triple strokes with my left hand quietly when I use traditional grip. I can do it matched grip also, but I can't play it quite as softly.Does that make sense? Perfect sense. You started out as a snare drummer with traditional grip, and that rudimental traditional grip feel has stuck with you. Would you recommend a beginner to try to learn both? How about an advanced intermediate? /w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WillyRay Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Originally posted by RockBass I'm forcing myself to learn both matched and tradition, as I see value in both of them and I suck at both right now. What's the value you see in it, Rock? /w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theFoot Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 I don't see any inherent value in learning trad. I think it can give you insight, and a sense of history of the instrument, but aside from that, I don't see any functional advantage. When you listen to recordings, can you hear the grip? Underhand, French, German, American, Camel Toe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WillyRay Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Originally posted by theFoot I think it can give you insight, and a sense of history of the instrument, but aside from that, I don't see any functional advantage. Add one more reason to my personal list of reasons for traditional grip that I can understand. That makes 2! (unless you want to march, then there are 3.) /w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members the DW Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Originally posted by WillyRay Would you recommend a beginner to try to learn both? How about an advanced intermediate? I don't really see why someone would need to learn both. As long as you're comfortable playing one way or the other, I can't see learning the other way 'just to look good'. It's just that I like to use traditional for the reason specified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theFoot Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 add marching, but it has to be with a sling, not a harness. although, i think this is actually part of 1 & 2 (insight and a sense of history). EDIT: i take it back, don't add marching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theFoot Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 i do like the visuals of trad being used on the drum kit, here is some classic Ringo playnig matched. he could never get that hi-hat swish playing trad. She Loves You Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theFoot Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 playing trad is great if you want to show-off your snare head to the audience. you can tilt it way forward so the crowd can see your skin. is that a good enough reason? OK, i'm done for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WillyRay Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Originally posted by theFoot add marching, but it has to be with a sling, not a harness. although, i think this is actually part of 1 & 2 (insight and a sense of history). EDIT: i take it back, don't add marching. Well... so much of marching percussion is about the visual effect... and about the unison APPEARANCE of the corps. The militaristic uniformity... and the corps plays trad. That's how it goes. "Traditional existed before the corps! So you can give your heart to Gene Krupa. BUT YOUR ASS BELONGS TO THE CORPS!" /w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WillyRay Posted October 25, 2006 Members Share Posted October 25, 2006 Originally posted by theFoot i do like the visuals of trad being used on the drum kit, here is some classic Ringo playnig matched. he could never get that hi-hat swish playing trad. She Loves You GREAT STUFF! Love those lateral strokes on the hat. And Paul is just dreamy, isn't he? /w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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