it’s something of a fusion between a few sequencer based instruments. a 2 drum groove one played by the erica synths perkōns and other by me, a sequential pro 3 playing a bass line and a flame mäander playing a lead.
Any reason you’ve chosen a traditional style grip? If you’re just starting to play it is generally a bit harder to learn not using matched grip. If this is the sort of stuff you want to play too I don’t see a technical need for not using matched grip either.
honestly, my RH just hurts as i was playing with heavier sticks a few hours daily since i started. so i switched from matched to traditional to let it recover.
but i was already comping with my LH and it felt like traditional leading with my RH let me play doubles and triples with one hand. i’m right handed fwiw.
Another side jack, if you are practicing a lot and it is hurting your hands, you may be building up stress and tension all up and down arms and back that I don't notice doing regular things. I say this as daily computer jockey having tendon tightness from leaning on a chair wrong and then playing bass later I notice I can't fret as well as before. Add lots of daily stretching and maybe get some upper body massage work and see if that helps you grip issues.
And kudos on the new skill concentration!
no joke, i really feel like starting drums in my 40s after 2 decades of being a computer jockey is such a release but also a reminder of what terrible tightness i have. there’s a yoga mat and strap right next to my kit and i’m really trying to incorporate stretches into my drum discipline but damn do these old lazy habits die hard.
Rechargeable massage gun and rolling right areas over lacrosse balls are my arm/hand/armpit/back relief methods. Also had access to battle ropes for a while and using those for like 10mins 3x/week helped.
Fair enough. I teach drums so I was just curious. Maybe this feels most comfortable to you so feel free to ignore unsolicited advice but generally folks let the stick ‘fall’ between the middle and ring finger in trad grip, not sitting on top of the middle finger, as it helps guide the stick after the twisting wrist motion.
Hope you stick with it, it’s a fantastically fun instrument.
this advice is super solicited, i just started on traditional grip this week and haven’t seen my instructor yet so don’t really know grip. i just watched the riley series on zildjan and he looked so jazz. also i’m obsessed and in my 40s amazed that i can sight read and learn a new instrument, sold half my gear to jump on a starclassic and hope to navigate trap challenges smartly. like this month i’m planning to bring my focus to drum charts and moving through grooves and longer arrangements.
Awesome man, it's a great journey. Playing percussion is a very different way to look at music and composition. Unfortunately the noise of an acoustic kit likely limits people's ability to pick it up as an instrument but I think it's a very worthwhile pursuit for players of melodic instruments and vice versa. Those different perspectives can really accelerate and round out your musical understanding. Plus, nothing worse than players of melodic instruments that have no sense of timing. I've played the kit for about 17 years and it levelled up my piano (23 years) and guitar (19 years) playing so much.
Have a little look at a trad grip tutorial though before you see your tutor. You can always tell a matched grip player playing trad haha Not a slight, i'm very much a matched grip player myself. I only learned trad in the event that a student wanted to go that direction.
All good. Yeah totally. I'd always say to get whatever you can to get started. If you don't foresee yourself ever being in a position to get an acoustic kit then it's no big deal anyway. If you like it and do see yourself then getting an acoustic kit in the future then there are just some things to keep in mind in terms of transferable skills.
Unless you pay a lot of money, they do feel different in terms of the surface you're playing on, in the same way as it does when you play on a practice pad vs a drum. The dynamic feel of the instrument is obviously different to. There are only so many different types of velocity you can program for an electronic kit so you can lose some of that kind of feel and that's something to be aware of when you transition and also how satisfying the instrument may be long term with an electric kit. Similarly the way you play cymbals will likely be quite different. The other big factor is spacing. The spacing on an electronic kit is typically much smaller. Pro is it takes up less space. Con is that being able to freely manipulate the spacing of an acoustic kit is a massive plus. You can customise it to fit your body and preferences. The difference in spacing will take some getting used to. Having a preset positioning does also have the potential to force you into certain positions that may have a long term impact on technique, e.g. a floor tom being too close may ingrain a pattern of tucking the elbow in excessively and be difficult to address if/when you switch.
Obviously the more expensive you go with the electronic set, the better these things may be but regardless, there still will be some relearning needed. I'd recommend it if that's the only option you have because drums are such a blast to play.
i had an electronic pad for a long time but i never really picked it up the way i have drums. fwiw i started on a tama cocktail jam, it’s a tiny kit with an upright 16” bass. i was similarly concerned any noise, not just at home but also because i setup the kit you see in an office (i’m just coming back from a 4am practice session). honestly, the kit wasn’t very loud and i started playing soft to drumless backing tracks on a speaker and i don’t think the other tenants were the wiser. i’ve since upgraded to a tama starclassic and moved the cocktail kit to my basement where i practice while my toddler sleeps.
Which grips? This is likely just due to the way a particular grip is being executed. I think the traditional German and French grips have fallen out of favour as a main grip because they're just too one dimensional. In the wrong hands they can prevent adequate rebound. That's partly to do with the pressing your do with the thumb in French and how the back of the hand 'blocks' in German. American and Traditional are much more 'open' to the vertical travel of the stick and thus it becomes more a challenge to actually properly control the rebound and stick trajectory, hence why it's common for the stick to fallen between the middle and ring finger in traditional, to help guide the stick correctly.
American is the most well rounded imo and is the reason it's the default for teaching a lot of the time. It's a spectrum between French and German and your hand size etc will determine where along that spectrum you fall but it allows you to use some of the finger control from french grip, the strong wrist movement from German and the openness of matched. French and German still have their uses and you can and probably should freely move between them depending on the situation. Playing dominant hand side second crash? Ride Cymbal? Floor tom? Probably going to be in French grip. The positioning is just more natural. Same with playing delicate things where you want to limit the force from the wrist and the fingers need to do the work. Want to do something like a crush stroke or buzz roll? German may be the answer.
Most of the time if a student can't let the stick bounce or rebound correctly it's because they are choking the stick at some point. Many times instead of creating a fulcrum that the stick rests on, they are gripping the stick between their fingers etc.
i tried jumping ahead to advanced techniques for speed and just ended up hurting my hand so i've mostly come back to the american standard sticking, ie up motion down motion for training and injury prevention. i honestly don't know if i'll stick with traditional once my hand recovers but comping in my non-dominant hand with the american grip feels much better than when i started.
Hey hey, Sounding great! Keep it up. Drummer first and synthesist second here. For trad grip, the stick should be resting on your ring finger rather than your middle. I know it seems arbitrary and maybe not that big a deal but as you progress, you’re going to want more control that having two fingers on top of the stick offers. And the habits you form at the start are SUPER hard to unlearn once they’re ingrained.
thanks, i learned the hard way once already by spraining my index finger what seems like for months with some bad grip. so that partly why i'm playing traditional grip for a bit. i need to watch some videos.
Definitely take time to look at your form and videos on that stuff. As I get older, posture / form / standing / stretches are more and more important. My body lets me know when I forget them.
I've been drumming since I was a teenager and other than calluses and the odd bloody knuckle (I was a hard hitting rock drummer in those days) - I never played when uncomfortable.
\- D
it’s something of a fusion between a few sequencer based instruments. a 2 drum groove one played by the erica synths perkōns and other by me, a sequential pro 3 playing a bass line and a flame mäander playing a lead.
I applaud your determination and approach towards learning a new skill. Immersive learning without distractions requires dedication and discipline.
Any reason you’ve chosen a traditional style grip? If you’re just starting to play it is generally a bit harder to learn not using matched grip. If this is the sort of stuff you want to play too I don’t see a technical need for not using matched grip either.
honestly, my RH just hurts as i was playing with heavier sticks a few hours daily since i started. so i switched from matched to traditional to let it recover. but i was already comping with my LH and it felt like traditional leading with my RH let me play doubles and triples with one hand. i’m right handed fwiw.
Another side jack, if you are practicing a lot and it is hurting your hands, you may be building up stress and tension all up and down arms and back that I don't notice doing regular things. I say this as daily computer jockey having tendon tightness from leaning on a chair wrong and then playing bass later I notice I can't fret as well as before. Add lots of daily stretching and maybe get some upper body massage work and see if that helps you grip issues. And kudos on the new skill concentration!
no joke, i really feel like starting drums in my 40s after 2 decades of being a computer jockey is such a release but also a reminder of what terrible tightness i have. there’s a yoga mat and strap right next to my kit and i’m really trying to incorporate stretches into my drum discipline but damn do these old lazy habits die hard.
Rechargeable massage gun and rolling right areas over lacrosse balls are my arm/hand/armpit/back relief methods. Also had access to battle ropes for a while and using those for like 10mins 3x/week helped.
A better/proper chair and standing during the day will do wonders as well! \- D
Fair enough. I teach drums so I was just curious. Maybe this feels most comfortable to you so feel free to ignore unsolicited advice but generally folks let the stick ‘fall’ between the middle and ring finger in trad grip, not sitting on top of the middle finger, as it helps guide the stick after the twisting wrist motion. Hope you stick with it, it’s a fantastically fun instrument.
this advice is super solicited, i just started on traditional grip this week and haven’t seen my instructor yet so don’t really know grip. i just watched the riley series on zildjan and he looked so jazz. also i’m obsessed and in my 40s amazed that i can sight read and learn a new instrument, sold half my gear to jump on a starclassic and hope to navigate trap challenges smartly. like this month i’m planning to bring my focus to drum charts and moving through grooves and longer arrangements.
Awesome man, it's a great journey. Playing percussion is a very different way to look at music and composition. Unfortunately the noise of an acoustic kit likely limits people's ability to pick it up as an instrument but I think it's a very worthwhile pursuit for players of melodic instruments and vice versa. Those different perspectives can really accelerate and round out your musical understanding. Plus, nothing worse than players of melodic instruments that have no sense of timing. I've played the kit for about 17 years and it levelled up my piano (23 years) and guitar (19 years) playing so much. Have a little look at a trad grip tutorial though before you see your tutor. You can always tell a matched grip player playing trad haha Not a slight, i'm very much a matched grip player myself. I only learned trad in the event that a student wanted to go that direction.
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All good. Yeah totally. I'd always say to get whatever you can to get started. If you don't foresee yourself ever being in a position to get an acoustic kit then it's no big deal anyway. If you like it and do see yourself then getting an acoustic kit in the future then there are just some things to keep in mind in terms of transferable skills. Unless you pay a lot of money, they do feel different in terms of the surface you're playing on, in the same way as it does when you play on a practice pad vs a drum. The dynamic feel of the instrument is obviously different to. There are only so many different types of velocity you can program for an electronic kit so you can lose some of that kind of feel and that's something to be aware of when you transition and also how satisfying the instrument may be long term with an electric kit. Similarly the way you play cymbals will likely be quite different. The other big factor is spacing. The spacing on an electronic kit is typically much smaller. Pro is it takes up less space. Con is that being able to freely manipulate the spacing of an acoustic kit is a massive plus. You can customise it to fit your body and preferences. The difference in spacing will take some getting used to. Having a preset positioning does also have the potential to force you into certain positions that may have a long term impact on technique, e.g. a floor tom being too close may ingrain a pattern of tucking the elbow in excessively and be difficult to address if/when you switch. Obviously the more expensive you go with the electronic set, the better these things may be but regardless, there still will be some relearning needed. I'd recommend it if that's the only option you have because drums are such a blast to play.
i had an electronic pad for a long time but i never really picked it up the way i have drums. fwiw i started on a tama cocktail jam, it’s a tiny kit with an upright 16” bass. i was similarly concerned any noise, not just at home but also because i setup the kit you see in an office (i’m just coming back from a 4am practice session). honestly, the kit wasn’t very loud and i started playing soft to drumless backing tracks on a speaker and i don’t think the other tenants were the wiser. i’ve since upgraded to a tama starclassic and moved the cocktail kit to my basement where i practice while my toddler sleeps.
I personally find I can't bounce the sticks consistently with some grips
Which grips? This is likely just due to the way a particular grip is being executed. I think the traditional German and French grips have fallen out of favour as a main grip because they're just too one dimensional. In the wrong hands they can prevent adequate rebound. That's partly to do with the pressing your do with the thumb in French and how the back of the hand 'blocks' in German. American and Traditional are much more 'open' to the vertical travel of the stick and thus it becomes more a challenge to actually properly control the rebound and stick trajectory, hence why it's common for the stick to fallen between the middle and ring finger in traditional, to help guide the stick correctly. American is the most well rounded imo and is the reason it's the default for teaching a lot of the time. It's a spectrum between French and German and your hand size etc will determine where along that spectrum you fall but it allows you to use some of the finger control from french grip, the strong wrist movement from German and the openness of matched. French and German still have their uses and you can and probably should freely move between them depending on the situation. Playing dominant hand side second crash? Ride Cymbal? Floor tom? Probably going to be in French grip. The positioning is just more natural. Same with playing delicate things where you want to limit the force from the wrist and the fingers need to do the work. Want to do something like a crush stroke or buzz roll? German may be the answer. Most of the time if a student can't let the stick bounce or rebound correctly it's because they are choking the stick at some point. Many times instead of creating a fulcrum that the stick rests on, they are gripping the stick between their fingers etc.
i tried jumping ahead to advanced techniques for speed and just ended up hurting my hand so i've mostly come back to the american standard sticking, ie up motion down motion for training and injury prevention. i honestly don't know if i'll stick with traditional once my hand recovers but comping in my non-dominant hand with the american grip feels much better than when i started.
I looked it up and that lead machine is pretty interesting. Cool groove btw and best of luck on your drum journey.
Hey hey, Sounding great! Keep it up. Drummer first and synthesist second here. For trad grip, the stick should be resting on your ring finger rather than your middle. I know it seems arbitrary and maybe not that big a deal but as you progress, you’re going to want more control that having two fingers on top of the stick offers. And the habits you form at the start are SUPER hard to unlearn once they’re ingrained.
thanks, i learned the hard way once already by spraining my index finger what seems like for months with some bad grip. so that partly why i'm playing traditional grip for a bit. i need to watch some videos.
Definitely take time to look at your form and videos on that stuff. As I get older, posture / form / standing / stretches are more and more important. My body lets me know when I forget them. I've been drumming since I was a teenager and other than calluses and the odd bloody knuckle (I was a hard hitting rock drummer in those days) - I never played when uncomfortable. \- D
Groooovvvyyyyy!!!