8 replies to this topic

[callum]

hey OLD!
i was just looking for some advice as today i picked up a pair of 7a sticks to give them a try out and it got me thinking about some things.  I thought maybe i should get a pair of sticks for the practice pad and one for the kit.  What i was really wondering though was, are there any weight/type of sticks that will benefit me more when playing rudiments?
eg.  lighter sticks are better because_____..
hopefully someone will understand what i mean, i sometimes find it difficult to explain things aha:/

[Pearldrummer07]

I would keep the same pair for both, that way it won\'t feel as different going back and forth between them. Use whatever sticks are comfortable to you, because when you go to use those rudiments on the kit, you\'re using sticks you\'re used to using and you\'re comfortable with them.

[Nate Brown]

Pearldrummer07 makes a great point. Building muscle memory is very important. Changing sticks throws off that memory.

With that said, some people swear by the heavy brass sticks designed for practice. I can't speak against them, as I've never tried them for prolonged periods of time. I'm particular in getting comfortable with my sticks in all situations. I may be wrong in that regard, but I haven't tried differently.

Curious though, anyone use different sticks for pad/rudimental exercises? How did it work out?

[callum]

ahhh i see what you mean:) would it be alright to just experiment with different weights of sticks though?
But yeah, i see where you are both coming from:)
thanks a lot guys
callum

[Tamatrainee]

I use 2Bs for practice on the pad and kit but 7As when I'm playing songs on the kit,
My theory is that practising with heavier sticks gives me more strength and stamina for playing songs with lighter sticks.
The difference in weight doesn't appear to affect my playing or timing.

[Pearldrummer07]

Tamatrainee also makes a valid point. I switch between Pro-Mark Joey Jordison Signatures which are 5a and Vater Mike Wengren Signatures, which are between a 5b and a 2b, depending on the kind of music I'm playing. If it's stuff that doesn't require a ton of hand speed, I'll use the Vater's, just because it just it more of a punch because of the weight. I find that when I switch back over to the Pro-Marks, I play faster than I normally can, just because of the weight difference. I would still recommend using the same pair between the pad and the kit, just for what Nate said, building muscle memory. If you're playing different styles of music that require different speeds or power, then I think it would be a good idea to switch sticks accordingly.

[Gannut]

Use the same pair on both. These guys are absolutely right. Muscle memory very much factors into this...I have used the same kind of sticks for almost ten years now.

[drummingbulldog]

I use Vic Firth SD1 Generals for practicing. They are fat sticks in your hands but very light due to the sugar maple wood. I think it's good to practice with a larger stick. To me it makes the smaller sticks feel faster. I use 5a or Los Angeles 5a's for the kit so the Generals are much larger diameter and length. Does it make much of a difference? Not really. As long as you are taking care to hold the sticks correctly in each hand you should be able to play with anything. Play in front of a mirror. Watch your stick height at different volume levels. The reason they make different sized sticks is because one stick size doesn't cut it for everything. Have fun.

[Rhythmaticus]

Already some great advice given but I figured I'd pitch in.

I can see two distinct schools of thought developing here; Use the same sticks for everything or change according to situation. I thinkboth have valid points, so it might just come down to a personal preference thing.

Personally though, I belong to the latter of the two groups. I love the feeling of fat sticks, not necessarily because of their weight. I have played Vater piccolo and Vic Firth SD-1 in the past, both are sugar maple so they are fat but light. These were perfect for the light jazz/restaurant gig or my electronic kit because using giant, heavy 2Bs would be either unnecessary or silly.

However for my practice pad playing I used to use a pair by Vater called "Shedder". Really fat and heavy. In my opinion they helped a lot with my technique as I learned how to use and control the bounce of a stick in my strokes, something that a light stick couldn't have done quite as well because they would have less mass, less inertia.

Bottom line is, it all depends on your situation!! You may do a lot of the same stuff and not need to ever buy a different pair of sticks. So have a bit of an objective think about, then experiment a little to help you make up your mind.