Learning Traditional Grip [Archive] - DRUMMERWORLD OFFICIAL DISCUSSION FORUM

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BattleArmor

11-20-2008, 01:16 AM

Trench.one

11-20-2008, 01:28 AM

I play Traditional grip( or my take on it these days) having learned from the pipe band side of things.
For power tips check out youtube/web/drummerworld for the Moeller Technique
this is an old military style used to really get some power behind the stroke by means of a whipping action.
I also play my snares and kit in general positioned pretty low so I can really get on top of the kit and attack it. still not managed to get any pics up but hopefully will soon.

Hope this helps a bit if not, good luck.

Ian Ballard

11-20-2008, 01:45 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0V4Aqs2D48

Here's what Buddy has to say about "getting around the kit".

;)

Dawson49

11-20-2008, 02:09 AM

Well for a few days now I have been trying to get more into traditional grip and here is where I am at so far.

The Good:
I notice when I use this grip, I play more tastefully.

The Bad:
I am pretty sure I have the right hold on the stick, but after a while my bone in between my second and third joint on the ring finger begin to hurt.The third joint would be where the nail begins; for reference.

If you're right-handed, your left stick should gently touch the side of your ring finger on your left hand about midway between the joint near your fingernail and the next joint. Always keep a relaxed grip and don't curl your fingers excessively.

Hitting a crash cymbal is also hard, I guess that might be a power issue, but I am not sure.

That depends on where you have your crash cymbal positioned in your setup. If it's too difficult to reach with your left hand, by all means strike it with your right.

Moving around the kit is harder too. I haven't adjusted the kit to compensate for the grip either. I am pretty sure the snare needs to be tilted a different way though.

Again, for a right-handed drummer, your snare drum should tilt slightly downward on the right side. The opposite would apply for a lefty, of course.

So my questions are. Any troubleshooting tips you guys can offer? Any tips in general? Anything I should do to my kit to compensate besides the snare?

A relaxed grip and full wrist action is a key from my experience and perspective.

Best of luck.

Hope this helps.

BattleArmor

11-20-2008, 02:56 AM

My crash is positioned low, in between the hi hat and rack tom [only 1].

I am right handed.

Thanks for the tips so far, I will adjust my setup tommarow and see i that helps.

Any advice for cymbal and tom placement? Like more flat or tilted? Or should that pretty much be the same. I am thinking the same, but just want to be sure.

Again thanks for the tips, all advice is welcomed.

MattRitter

11-20-2008, 05:05 AM

Again, for a right-handed drummer, your snare drum should tilt slightly downward on the right side. The opposite would apply for a lefty, of course.

Not exactly true. Traditional grip generally means the LEFT hand uses the cradle hold, regardless of whether the drummer is a lefty or righty. A marching "side drum" normally tilts the same way for all drummers, which is why traditional grip began in the first place. Statistics show that about 10% of the population is left-handed. Of all the people you have seen play traditional grip in your life, how many of them have you seen use the cradle hold in the right hand? I'm sure it's not nearly 10%. Honestly, I think I have seen it maybe 3 times in my entire 20 years of drumming. There is a common misconception that left-handed drummers do everything opposite to the way that right-handed drummers play. It's just not the reality.

Dawson49

11-20-2008, 05:19 AM

Not exactly true. Traditional grip generally means the LEFT hand uses the cradle hold, regardless of whether the drummer is a lefty or righty. A marching "side drum" normally tilts the same way for all drummers, which is why traditional grip began in the first place. Statistics show that about 10% of the population is left-handed. Of all the people you have seen play traditional grip in your life, how many of them have you seen use the cradle hold in the right hand? I'm sure it's not nearly 10%. Honestly, I think I have seen it maybe 3 times in my entire 20 years of drumming. There is a common misconception that left-handed drummers do everything opposite to the way that right-handed drummers play. It's just not the reality.

It's not exactly untrue, either.

OK, I went a little overboard, perhaps. So, I'll take this opportunity to rephrase my comment about snare drum tilt for traditional grip users.

If you're using traditional grip with your left hand, you'll be more comfortable with your snare drum tilted slightly downward to the right.

Oh, I'm hip to why traditional grip came into use, having played marching snare drum in high school nearly 50 years ago. I've also played with traditional grip (changing to matched grip in certain situations) for over 50 years.

Abstsbtsb

11-20-2008, 09:59 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0V4Aqs2D48

Here's what Buddy has to say about "getting around the kit".

;)

hahahaha "SH@T!"

..............................

Hercraft

11-20-2008, 03:59 PM

hahahaha "SH@T!"

..............................

hahahahaaaaa the SH!T Break, ROFL

Wavelength

11-20-2008, 04:23 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0V4Aqs2D48

Wow. This proves that Buddy didn't have a clue.

(insert smiley if you need one)

Ian Ballard

11-20-2008, 05:55 PM

Wow. This proves that Buddy didn't have a clue.

(insert smiley if you need one)

It's really kinda silly because we've all seen him use matched when he does tom-tom stuff over on the right side of his kit. But he quickly reverts back to trad however.

I think this (coupled with his alleged struggles to play straight-8th rock beats) shows that he just never played that way, so when he says matched won't let you "get around" the kit, it's really like saying, "I can't play this way". He was chastising young drummers for their lack of skill, which is fully warranted. But to say you *can't* do with matched what one can with traditional is simply absurd.

But we love him anyway!

He only got through "number 1" on his list. I wonder if he was listing the reasons young drummers suck. ;)

Bonz0

11-20-2008, 06:01 PM

About the drum arrangements i would tell you to lower the toms and lift the snare, it get easier to move around. The rest is just practice man.

BattleArmor

11-22-2008, 05:04 PM

Any more advice? All is apreciated.

joethemassacre

11-23-2008, 08:51 AM

for the record, i have not been on this in forever but i got back into drumming and im going to do traditional grip.

anyways, yeah man, i marched in one of the states best highschool marching band, and my instructer was real anal about technique so i have a good idea of whats goin on here.

but yeah dude all the is normal, the ring finger is gunna hurt, its harder to get more power because no muscles have been belt using that motion and moving around the kit is going to be hard because thats something that your muscle memory has to adujst to.

all i have to offer is keep a good pivot point, keep your hand straight (with your arm) and just practice. it will all come together. its all about the practice. i personally prefer to have the snare flat, not tilted or anything. thats because im able to rotate far enough so that i dont need to tilt the drum.

and props on learning trad. i dont know what music you like to listen to, but trad looks awsome if you can play it well.

ok thats all i got.