sticks breaking in the middle: wrong technique?

[lovemysonors]

i do rim shots but am finding that i'm breaking my sticks in the center a lot more than it seems i should be.

is this due to bad technique or is this pretty normal for someone who does rim shots?

[Colin1374]

you get more of a ...I think the term is "gock" when you rim shot at the center to get a deep and fatter sound, but you get more of a higher pitched "ping" when you rim shot at the taper of the stick...I never really find my stick breaking as much when I ping shot with my stick.

[Pete Stoltman]

I usually see drummers breaking sticks when they are "slamming" the stick into the head/rim. The idea is to strike a blow to create the rimshot and rebound. It's like hitting the sweet spot of a golf ball or a solid hit with a baseball and bat. If you consistently mash the stick into the rim you will break them consistently. Short answer to your question is: yes it's bad/wrong technique.

[Dzionix]

i think you using thin sticks :D buy some new from Vic Firth. I like these and never breaks on middle :D for me (tried about 10 pairs)...

[h3r3tic]

lol

It hasn't a lot to do with the stick weight but the way you're gripping the stick.
I used to break a lot of sticks too specially those 5b but when I discovered drum lessons on the web I've realized that the problem was on grip. If you're holding the stick to tight, then you're blocking the rebound of the stick which wil make it dificult to absorb the impact.

Even on rimshots, you have to let the stick do what it wants!
Hit the rim and the head at the same time then just let it rebound (the rebound will be less than hitting only the head) and don't just "punch" the snare and let it there!

Let the stick do what it wants!
They're your best drumming friends ;)

[Vinnysimmo]

Umm... Has the thourght that you are plaing too hard entered your mind?

[Alex Luce]

I usually see drummers breaking sticks when they are "slamming" the stick into the head/rim. The idea is to strike a blow to create the rimshot and rebound. It's like hitting the sweet spot of a golf ball or a solid hit with a baseball and bat. If you consistently mash the stick into the rim you will break them consistently. Short answer to your question is: yes it's bad/wrong technique.

Hello Pete:

I believe the opposite is possible, that it can be good technique that is causing Sonors' sticks to break.

I think you could agree that it is possible to hit a rimshot/rim very hard without driving the stick into the drum. If you have a good stroke, you will essentially hit the rim with the same area of the stick every time. This will cause the stick to weaken in this area and eventually break. If you have poor technique, your rimshots could be occuring all over the sticks, and the sticks will be less likely to break.

At one time I was playing drums in a loud band and my sticks would break like Sonors'. I could literally bend the sticks over my knee and they would break cleanly in half. Nowadays, I am more likely to wear out the shoulder of the sticks on the cymbals first. However, the sticks still get pretty beat up in spot where I hit the rimshots.

Regards,

Alex

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

I usually see drummers breaking sticks when they are "slamming" the stick into the head/rim. The idea is to strike a blow to create the rimshot and rebound. It's like hitting the sweet spot of a golf ball or a solid hit with a baseball and bat. If you consistently mash the stick into the rim you will break them consistently. Short answer to your question is: yes it's bad/wrong technique.

Kenny Aronoff breaks hoops, and he definitely has not got bad technique. Sticks, heads, and hoops break in usage. Fact of life. But take up the study of great technique with Dom Famularo or another instructor. What will amaze you is that you will be able to hit much harder with relaxation and proper body usage than with pure muscle. The other day I was at Dom's practicing the loudest stroke, the so called "full Moeller" which starts somewhere behind your head, and SLAM! The sticks were flying everywhere, and Dom has all these trophies and things around the teaching area. "Don't worry", he said, "if something breaks, we'll just throw it away. In here, breaking things is encouraged!!". Surprisingly, that includes not only sticks, but also mirrors, plaques, and flower pots...DPS

[Pete Stoltman]

With no disrespect to any players (Kenny, Dom, etc.) I most frequently see players consistently breaking sticks, cymbals, heads, and equipment when using poor technique. It seemed to me the original poster was concerned that breaking sticks was a problem for him and was looking for some solutions to that. I'm just offering my opinion on a technique to play loud rimshots while avoiding stick breakage. If you want to keep on breaking sticks then my advice is of no concern and frankly it's difficult to tell what a player is doing just by what is posted on a message board. However, I find that I can play consistently loud rimshots when needed and truthfully can't remember the last time I broke a stick. So, if something I post is useful to a member here (and I hope it is) that is my purpose in posting. I really can't respond well to stuff like: "so and so is a great player and he breaks stuff all the time". That may be true but it's that players experience or technique not mine.

[Flamacue]

i do rim shots but am finding that i'm breaking my sticks in the center a lot more than it seems i should be.

is this due to bad technique or is this pretty normal for someone who does rim shots?

Right off the bat I have to ask, how often are you breaking sticks? (hours of play on a pair) Everyone breaks sticks…but the actual frequency is what determines the degree of the problem…

What brand and size are they?

Have you experimented with other styles of sticks? What about the Ahead sticks, Metal stick with a full nylon replaceable sheath? A little expensive, but harder to break…That’s not to say it’s impossible to break them. I had a pair that was over 10 years old…just recently broke the center shaft…funny thing is, I’ve been playing much more steadily in the last year, and I have yet to break a single wooden stick in that time. I’m playing softer a lot, but if your style calls for some harder hits, so be it.

[Pete Stoltman]

Right off the bat I have to ask, how often are you breaking sticks? (hours of play on a pair)
Good question but I suspect it's probably often enough for him to consider it a concern.

Everyone breaks sticks…but the actual frequency is what determines the degree of the problem…

Well, I guess I'd disagree with this statement but that's probably a seperate discussion.

What brand and size are they?

Have you experimented with other styles of sticks? What about the Ahead sticks, Metal stick with a full nylon replaceable sheath? A little expensive, but harder to break…That’s not to say it’s impossible to break them. I had a pair that was over 10 years old…just recently broke the center shaft…funny thing is, I’ve been playing much more steadily in the last year, and I have yet to break a single wooden stick in that time. I’m playing softer a lot, but if your style calls for some harder hits, so be it.

If the player is a hard hitter and breaking sticks then I surmise that a change to more "indestructable sticks" like metal or other materials is just going to change the location of the problem. He may not break sticks as frequently but may start having more head damage or broken cymbals and other components. It's kind of like changing staterooms on the Titanic. You still have a problem it's just moved to a different place.

[lovemysonors]

Right off the bat I have to ask, how often are you breaking sticks? (hours of play on a pair) Everyone breaks sticks…but the actual frequency is what determines the degree of the problem…

What brand and size are they?

Have you experimented with other styles of sticks? What about the Ahead sticks, Metal stick with a full nylon replaceable sheath? A little expensive, but harder to break…That’s not to say it’s impossible to break them. I had a pair that was over 10 years old…just recently broke the center shaft…funny thing is, I’ve been playing much more steadily in the last year, and I have yet to break a single wooden stick in that time. I’m playing softer a lot, but if your style calls for some harder hits, so be it.
i'm using VF 5As. they're breaking after about 15-20hrs playing with them....

[Flamacue]

If the player is a hard hitter and breaking sticks then I surmise that a change to more "indestructable sticks" like metal or other materials is just going to change the location of the problem. He may not break sticks as frequently but may start having more head damage or broken cymbals and other components. It's kind of like changing staterooms on the Titanic. You still have a problem it's just moved to a different place.

Have you ever seen the Ahead sticks? They're nylon the whole way down except the grip, even have nylon tips on the but end if you were to flip the sticks around. They come with replacement sheaths. The metal rod is down the middle of the sheath. They also have some shock absorption technology that removes vibration from your hands...they're actually pretty cool. Because of the nylon, I'd have to think they are going to cause less damage overall to cymbals and rims then the wooden sticks will.

Another point to make, with larger sticks (wooden or otherwise) hard hitters may find they don't have to hit as hard to get the same volume, thus will damage the stick less.

5A isn't an overly aggressive thickness or length, perhaps experiment with a different size or quality of wood. Someone correct me, Oak is the most durable in drum sticks, right? A slightly longer stick might give you more velocity with the same stick heights, so you may find yourself able to play with less force…all stuff to consider, and try.

[ledzepjb]

Umm... Has the thourght that you are plaing too hard entered your mind?

I dont think that its possible to play ''too'' hard, if he feels confertable playing as it is then he shouldnt change it(unless he is hitting the drums really hard on purpose)

[Alex Luce]

i'm using VF 5As. they're breaking after about 15-20hrs playing with them....

15-20 hours is a reasonable amount of time for Vic Firth 5As to last. I use the same sticks.

Alex

[Cabazon]

Try to buy sticks in person to ensure the grain runs straight. Occasionally I'll get a pair as a gift or something and the grain isn't straight. Those sticks don't last me long, and often break in the middle. The tip on the straight-grained ones usually wears down to an annoying level before the stick breaks.

As for people suggesting Aheads--I believe Aheads break very easily when doing rimshots. The people who sell them say they're not for rimshots.

[d.c.drummer]

I can break my 5A's in about 5 hours. I almost only do rimshots. One day im going to have to get a pick of my stick graveyard up. My record (not really to be proud of) is snapping a stick in half cleanly in less 40 mins. Dont even get me started with ralph hardimans on kevalar heads during a parade....

[drumbuddy105133]

Generally, anyone who breaks equipment (heads, cymbals, sticks) that often needs to rethink their technique.

[oddrax]

Generally, anyone who breaks equipment (heads, cymbals, sticks) that often needs to rethink their technique.

lol

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