Drumming Tips – How To Hold Drumsticks
So, you want to learn how to play drums, but do you know how to hold your drumsticks correctly? To most beginners this question sounds a bit silly. Sure they know how to hold their drumsticks. There is nothing special about it. There are, of course, wrong. This is actually extremely important and in this article I’ll try to explain why.
You are probably aware that playing drums doesn’t mean just hitting something with a stick. Drums are a complex instrument and one of the most overlooked parts of learning how to play them is understanding how to properly hold the sticks.
Yes, it does matter, quite a lot actually, and if you don’t learn this, you will be handicapped in a way. What can a correct grip give you? A lot. Here are just a few things: better sound, more control, more speed, flexibility, endurance, and so on. It’s also a prerequisite, if you want to learn more advance techniques. As you can see, it can help you tremendously.
It’s also important to learn this as soon as possible, preferably the first thing you learn. It will ease your learning process and you will have less chance to develop bad habits which can be very difficult to unlearn. Also bear in mind that improper grip can do actual damage to your wrists and hands.
Remember, if you tire quickly or have difficulty with speed and control, then you’re probably doing it wrong. It’s never too late to learn.
There are several different ways or techniques of how to hold your drumsticks. We’ll just mention the two most common ones. The first and also the easiest to learn is the so called matched grip. It’s called that way because both hands hold the stick in exactly the same manner – with the palms facing down. Most drummers use this technique.
The second technique, also very common, is a traditional grip which is mostly used by Jazz musicians and in marching bands. Here your palms are facing up.
For more details about this two techniques, go to how to hold drumsticks and watch the videos. Also see drum beats lesson.
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