Choose a Drumstick
It’s easy to say a drummer has a simple job. All he or she does, after all, is take two pieces of wood and hit things to create musical sounds. This is true; however, the two pieces of wood—the drumsticks—are just as important as the drums they strike.Choosing the right drumstick is the key to any percussionist’s success. There are scores of drumsticks on the market. Most are made of wood. Sticks made out of hickory, maple, pine and oak can all be found. Some manufacturers even make drumsticks out of fiberglass and composite material. Regardless of the genre of music, there are certain characteristics all drumsticks should possess. There a few simple steps in choosing the correct drumsticks.
Instructions
Choosing the right drumstick
1. Be familiar with drumstick sizes. Drumsticks come in different sizes to accommodate different playing styles. For jazz, smaller sticks are common to keep up with often speedy timing signatures. Thin 5A sized-sticks are most common for jazz players. 2Bs are heavier and thicker and are commonly used by harder-hitting players. 2Bs are most often played by rock, pop, funk, and some country drummers who must keep up with driving and in-the-pocket punches. 5Bs, which I have found to be the most versatile and feel the most comfortable in my hands, fall between the large 2B and the 5A and jazz sticks. 5Bs are common among players with average-size hands and don’t hit their drums like an ape beating its chest or trying to knock down a tree in the frenzy of a mating ritual.
2. Test for straightness. Warped sticks will create mis-hits and are prone to break very easily. One way to tell if a stick is straight—and this can be done before purchase—is to lay the stick flat on a counter and roll it back and forth. If during any part of the stick’s rotations, it wobbles or creates large gaps between the surface of the counter and stick, it’s more than likely warped and should be discarded. Therefore, buying drumsticks from a reputable company is a must. These are the manufacturers that thoroughly test their products before they end up in stores. However, flawed sticks are sometimes missed.
3. Pay attention to how a stick feels in your hand. Some players, such as myself, don’t have large hands; therefore, heavy sticks can ultimately deter proper playing. Because much of drumming involves keen and dynamic wrist work, a properly-weighted stick should always be used. If you feel like your hand is weighted down when trying to bend your wrist, your sticks may be too heavy.
4. Avoid slippery sticks. Some drummers sweat a lot. There’s nothing worse than dropping a drumstick during a song, especially if there’s an audience. Some drumsticks are finished with very slick coats of lacquer to protect the wood. This, therefore, does not allow body sweat to penetrate the wood and may make holding onto drumsticks much like trying to hold onto a greased pig. If you find sticks that are compatible with your hand, but they’re too slippery, lightly sanding them can create a grip-like texture
5. Always test a stick’s action. Much of a drumstick’s capability lies in its ability to bounce off a surface with ease. An unresponsive drumstick will not bounce very well. This will almost always lead to poorly-sounding cymbals and dead-sounding drum notes. It will also make the player work harder to keep up with the tempo of the music. Aside from poor timing on the part of the drummer, songs that drag and contain muffled percussion are often the result of poorly-responding drumsticks.
6. Choose proper tips. Drumsticks contain wood or nylon (plastic) tips. There are benefits to both. Wood-tipped drumsticks do not create the amount of punch as their nylon counterparts; however, they do chip and splinter, often making them useless. This problem doesn’t exist with nylon-tipped sticks. These sticks are, however, not made with natural tips. The tips are glued on the ends of tip less sticks and, in some cases, pop off during performances. When this occurs, the stick becomes a souvenir or a piece of firewood. When purchasing any musical instrument, quality will always outweigh quantity. I, personally, play several lines of sticks, with sticks made by Pro Mark my first choice. Other top brands include Ahead, Zildjian, Vater, Trueline and Vic Firth. The prices of drumsticks are most commonly found in the $10-$20 range, varying with size and material.
