Traditional Snare Grip

[AliasKilla]

I've been trying to learn this technique but the only thing I seem to be having trouble with is keeping the stick from moving. It always slowlys starts to slightly rotate between my index finger and thumb and/or slide off my ring finger and out of place... I've tried holding it tight and loose but It doesn't stop it.

is the stick supposed to be resting sort of on my ring finger nail? ive had it resting kinda below the first knuckle on my ring finger. is that alright or should it be on my nail.

[Raymond Bloom]

This thread might help you! http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18253

good luck

[Pete Stoltman]

You might try this. Hold your left hand flat with the palm up, Now place the stick between your second finger and ring finger (stick pointing down). It should be between the tip of your finger and the first joint. Now just rotate your hand so the butt end of the stick lays in the crotch of your thumb. Bring your index finger over the top of the stick and your thumb resting on the first joint of your index finger. Now you will have contact points with the stick at the crotch of your thumb, the index finger and the first joint of your second and ring fingers. If the stick still is sliding around then you're losing contact somewhere. If your hand cramps up you're too tight.

[AliasKilla]

yea raymond thanks alot. only one problem i really have now.

sometimes when i play, actually often, my pinky finger will start to move and cross under my ring finger like in PICTURE 1. i dont know if im holding it wrong or what. but keep in mind that is not my grip. that is just what happenes when i play.

PICTURE 2 and PICTURE 3 are my regular grips. i have the sticks resting on my nail but im still having slipping problems.

does my grip look fine so far? what do you think im doing wrong for this to occur?

[Raymond Bloom]

yea raymond thanks alot. only one problem i really have now.

sometimes when i play, actually often, my pinky finger will start to move and cross under my ring finger like in PICTURE 1. i dont know if im holding it wrong or what. but keep in mind that is not my grip. that is just what happenes when i play.

PICTURE 2 and PICTURE 3 are my regular grips. i have the sticks resting on my nail but im still having slipping problems.

does my grip look fine so far? what do you think im doing wrong for this to occur?
this is my grip using the Moeller technique:
http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showpost.php?p=212832&postcount=13

There are some variations of the traditional grip, I prefear an open grip, I often open my hand completely up so the stick is just resting on the fulcrum, look how Dom Famularo shows the trad grip http://www.vicfirth.com/education/drumset/domfamularo/dom8HQ.mov
the idea is that you add your fingers to gain more controll or to change the sound you get out of the drum.

One thing I see wrong about your grip is that your index finger is kind of wrapped around the stick. It should be that your thumb is touching the index finger on the first joint (knuckle). Another thing I see wrong is the angle of the stick in your hand, it should be as stright as possible, watch some marching drummers, both sticks have the same angle in their hands!

[Raymond Bloom]

Also, check out Jojo Mayer, my grip is pretty much the same because I learned it from him, really cool video, he shows nice Moeller pull-outs here

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/Jojomayermoeller.html

[jazzsnob]

Definitely check out the pictures I posted in the other thread, your grip is very closed up. You are losing a lot of control and are creating tension by having your fingers curled like that. Would you ever hold your hand like that naturally? Come on. I strongly suggest you rework your grip. I don't have any advice to give that I didn't give in the linked thread, so again, check it out,

Good luck with whatever you choose, but the looser and more open, the better.

[AliasKilla]

yea thanks so far guys. not saying that your wrong, raymond, but your grip looks really awkward. i tried it like that, and i cant even keep the stick in my hand. it doesnt feel very solid. and im trying to learn this grip for my high schools drum corps that i will be in next year.i dunno how else i could change my grip.

yours doesnt look like this:
http://www.vicfirth.com/education/articles/gifs/grip/left5.jpg

[jazzsnob]

To be fair, the grip you posted is not that great either.

[vadrum]

I've been trying to learn this technique but the only thing I seem to be having trouble with is keeping the stick from moving. It always slowlys starts to slightly rotate between my index finger and thumb and/or slide off my ring finger and out of place... I've tried holding it tight and loose but It doesn't stop it.

is the stick supposed to be resting sort of on my ring finger nail? ive had it resting kinda below the first knuckle on my ring finger. is that alright or should it be on my nail.

specific detail of the trad grip may vary a bit from instructor to instructor, but in general i keep the stick resting on my finger between the first joint and the second joint of the finger. if its all the way at the tip of the finger, i suspect it would be very difficult to keep the stick from slipping. check some books like the moeller method books, haskell harr, sturtze, etc. they all have good photos of how the sticks should be held. i highly recommend the sturtze book, it is a very detailed book w/ lots of photos of grips and stick positions/heights as they relate to playing the rudiments.

[AliasKilla]

jazzsnob, i guess everyone has there own version of the traditional grip. i got a teacher and my first lesson is January 8. thats still a couple of weeks off. but vadrum, i hold my stick like you. it feels better and more controlable to me. im goin to guitar center tomorrow, i just go there to play on their sets all day since i dont have one of my own.

thanks for the help everyone.

[Pete Stoltman]

Yet another reason not to go to Guitar Center. No offense man but you'd do yourself a favor by working on your chops at home more than hanging out banging on the stores drums.

[AliasKilla]

Yet another reason not to go to Guitar Center. No offense man but you'd do yourself a favor by working on your chops at home more than hanging out banging on the stores drums.

actually i dont just "bang" i can actually play a couple of beats. and why do you care if i go to gc? is is offensive to u?

[Raymond Bloom]

yea thanks so far guys. not saying that your wrong, raymond, but your grip looks really awkward. i tried it like that, and i cant even keep the stick in my hand. it doesnt feel very solid. and im trying to learn this grip for my high schools drum corps that i will be in next year.i dunno how else i could change my grip.

yours doesnt look like this:
http://www.vicfirth.com/education/articles/gifs/grip/left5.jpg
yes, as jazzsnob stated, this is not a very good example of trad grip, one thing that I don't like about it is that the thumb is turned kind of outwards, I never ever do that, inwards - yes, but never outwards. The concept of my grip is that the thumb stays in line with the hand, just like in french grip, I find this the most natural hand position in trad grip