How
to Select Drumsticks
How to select your drumsticks.
Choose Drumstick sizes, and more.
Learn how to pick drumsticks from a whole slew of choices.
Selecting your
Drumsticks may be more involved than you think. First off, what
type of band will you
be playing in primarily? This will help you select the correct size.
If it's a heavy metal band or a marching
band, you'll need thicker drumsticks to withstand the heavy abuse
they will take. Drumsticks come in all different sizes. Larger drumsticks
sizes are normally a 5B or 2B size (2B is larger) and will usually
last much longer than thinner sticks. If you play in a jazz band or
light volumed pop band, you will want to go with a smaller stick size.
Either a 7A (very thin) or a 5A (standard) will suffice. Of course,
if you play many styles, you may find that a 5B is the most suited
for you because a 5B drumstick is versatile. Of course there are also
custom drumstick sizes that vary due to the artist's individual custom
specifications (found under "signature drumsticks").
Are your drumsticks
straight? When you get ready to choose / purchase new drumsticks
from a store,
it is important to roll them. Do this by putting them on a flat countertop
and gently rolling them.
If they wobble, you may want to select another pair. While a slight
wobble won't really hurt anything,
you will notice the feel of greatly warped drumsticks in your hand.
Avoid those at all costs.
What type of
tips for the drumsticks? In the old days, there were only wood
tip drumsticks.
The problem was that they often chipped and spintered away with wear.
So a gentleman by the
name of Joe Calato developed a nylon tip for drumsticks that are now
one of the standards in drumming.
Will you be
playing hard? Soft? Medium volume? This also helps determine the
right drumsticks
when trying to pick the right pair. The harder you play, the beefier
the stick you need to absorb the shock and abuse they will receive.
If you're playing in a quieter setting, smaller/lighter drumsticks
give you just that right touch.
How do the
drumsticks feel? This is one of the most important questions about
drumsticks and
probably one of the main determiners in how drummers go about buying
drumsticks. There are many different drumstick sizes so it can be
difficult to choose. Ultimately, we want them to feel good in our
hands. Drumsticks become a part of us when we play. They are an extension
of your limbs and they much "feel" right or we won't be
comfortable behind the drums.
Varnished or
Lacquered? If you sweat a lot, you may want to buy drumsticks
that don't have a
slippery coating on them. Drummers that sweat profusely tend to even
sand their sticks down with sandpaper
so that it helps them get a better grip. Otherwise, varnished sticks
not only look good but they tend to give the
average drummer a nice subtle gripping feel. There are also rubber
grip models in different drumstick sizes.
DrumSticks.org
What type
of wood for your drumsticks? There are advantages and disadvantages
to various
wood types for drumsticks. The most common are Maple, Hickory, and
Oak. Some lighter-weight maple sticks
tend to snap a little easier so many drummers don't like them. Oak
or Hickory on the other hand are a
bit more sturdy and widely accepted as reliable and able to hold up
to long term, rigorous drumming.
Novelty drumsticks
- If you want to try something a little different, check out some
of the unique
drumsticks on the market like college team drumsticks, glow in the
dark or illuminated drumsticks
or even custom, personalized drum sticks with your name or band's
name on them.
