Are you playing traditional grip, or matched grip?
Are you playing traditional grip, or matched grip?
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Matched grip. I am holding my sticks at the "balance point" (I used to hold the very end until someone pointed out this is incorrect, about 6 weeks ago) mostly with my thumb and index finger, with my other fingers loosely around the stick.
I hold the stick at the very end usually in the matched grip although, depending upon the tune, I sometimes use traditional. I also use Ahead gloves. In a previous post, I stated my reasons why. Not sure what could be causing that Drummina, but you should hold the stick where it feels comfortable not in some place on the stick because someone told you to. I find it very comfortable to have the length of the stick available. As a matter of fact, I usually hold the left stick by the tip end with the tip touching the lower part of my palm just under my pinky - stronger rim shots with the butt end - more meat of the stick striking the head and rim. Not sure how to help you, tho. Just be comfortable - where you're holding the stick may be affecting the grip especially after striking the drum - it might feel kinda funny and your right hand is uncomfortable. Just a thought.
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Maybe I just need to experiment on how to hold the sticks perhaps? I held them "wrong" because that is what felt best to me, but as a beginner, I am trying to avoid bad habits so I am pretty careful about what I do, muscle memory and all that, ya' know.
In my opinion, this generation is over-analyzing everything. For God sakes, just relax and play! So what if you use a french grip or a german grip or the moeller stroke, or the timpani grip, or the George Bush grip. For every drummer that says, "you have to do it this way", I can name you 25 famous drummers that did the exact opposite and were able to play amazing things on the drums. They had awesome technique, they worked with the best musicians around, and they made lots of money. It's a big world out there folks. Why do we want to put everyone in the same little 6X6 box and say, "you've got to do it this way!" If you're dropping the stick, make your grip tighter. If you're playing is stiff, relax your grip. It's literally that simple. Don't worry about not being able to adjust later on. We are capable of change and adaptation. I went from playing flat-footed at a young age to now comfortably playing heel-up. I believe it's the better method but if I see a successful drummer playing 32nd notes flat footed and sounding great, who am I to tell him he's doing it wrong?
OK, drummer, will you be my new teacher!
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This generation? I am old so I don't think its mine you are talking about. I am just having a new problem and wondered if anyone had run into this before as I am new and thought maybe it is something someone else experienced at some time. I try to relax and play but my stick keeps flying away. I don't have a teacher so I thought maybe someone here could help.
Hey, Drummina, don't sweat it too much. I went through a period where I was dropping my right stick. It was just a period I went through as I improved my grip. I'll bet it will pass! You'll learn to adjust your grip. You're just holding a bit too loosely. A slight adjustment in pressure with you fingers will fix it.
Last edited by pastor_bob; 07-20-2007 at 02:20 AM.
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i drop my sticks alot too now. but its because I play to loose sometimes if im really bord or sick of playing weird.. most people have problems being tense.
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I usually drop my sticks too but i have a set of sticks right next to my kit so if i drop any i just leave them and take another pair from my "stick holder" i also use this thing called "sex wax" it doesnt have anything to do with the name lol you rub it on your sticks and it stops the sweat getting on to your sticks.
Well, Drummina didn't mention a sweating problem. Besides, women don't sweat, they "glow!" How's that for sexist?
Seriously, though, you might want to think about that one, Drummina. If your hand is perspiring (it is summer, and you are in Phoenix) it could shed a bit more light on the stick dropping situation.
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My sticks tend to fly out of my hands a lot. I should probably stop hitting the kit so hard.
Today, on Ethel The Frog...
I hate dropping sticks...especially during twirls...anyways, like d-r said, sex wax (or any other surfboard wax) should help your problem
The egg approves!
Hmm, my hands do not get sweaty, I think from listening to everyone, it may just be a grip adjustment problem. I used to hold them so tightly, especially when playing with others cause I get nervous, that I would have indents in my hands from fingernails. Maybe I am just going through a phase of my body trying to find the right grip. I am getting more comfortable and relaxed, not as stiff, so I bet that is it...
Well, at least we explored the other possibilities, so you could realize what the problem really was!
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I used to have MAJOR problems with stick-dropping. I didnt really change grip, it just got better eventually.
Vinny, did you just get bigger and grow into your sticks? LOL, I cracked myself up!!!
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hmmm weird, i used to sweat alot when i played, but now i never sweat, and if i do its only a little bit, i know you all wanted to know that i think its because i barly play punk anymore, im getting more into rock and stuff like that and starting to play more quietly
What i remember from my drum lessons. Ya pinch the stick between your thumb and forefinger. Thats your main grip. Then you wrap your other fingers around like a cage without much contact. Then you grip your hand to snap the stick (Playing wrist grips ) About an inch of the stick to hang out the bottom (Or a centimeter) is what our teacher said. That would be about the ballance point.
If your dropping sticks. Think about getting a gig tray or stick holder and practice throwing and dropping sticks andpicking them up
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If your fingernails are fairly long, however, you might need to trim them back a bit (tough call for you, drummina), since you mentioned you were leaving imprints on your sticks...
Since you mentioned you're getting more comfortable, sounds to me you're relaxing more...and if you're locking your sticks in a death grip, you're more likely to drop them--strange as that might sound!
keep the beat goin' ... Don't keep it to yourself!
Charlie
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." --Henry David Thoreau, "Walden," 1854
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I think it's just temporary and most likely somebody told you to loosen up your grip. I was having similar problems and had used zildjian grip wax a few times until I was able to adjust/adapt to the new grip. The wax eventually became a hindrance, resulting in a sticky feeling between the sticks and palmar surface.
i never drop sticks,I concentrate too hard when playing, so it is the least of my worries. I play using 5As, i used to use 7A's but 5A's have more bite...
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There is also a wax called Gorilla grip which i have seen used quite a bit. I have not used it, as I have not wanted to, but I did try it and it wasn't so much helping with the sweaty part, as it did having a sticky 'tack' to it like the back of a post-it note. I actually had asked about this before in another frum as I used to have more problems with it as well. ANd there is no shame in getting drumming gloves or grip tape on your sticks either. For me, I choose to focus on the strength of my grip, as I did not want to use other things. They still slip sometimes, as I think they do with most everyone at some point. Drummina, you will get it. Just keep working it.
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