Breaking sticks

Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

playing hard can be fun, and called for depending on the room and band, but playing too hard (aka 'bashing') is counter productive to everything you are trying to do as a drummer, and it even diminished how much sound you are putting out. calm down and focus on technique, then build your volocity back up, to a point. and focus on how you hit your drums and cymbals. it has already been said that hitting them the wrong way can cause you to go through sticks quickly. this also is inefficient in generating volume and can break your cymbals quicker, especially if you hit hard.
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

oh and to address the sticks issue:
id recomend bigger sticks. if you play with good technique, a bigger stick shouldn't impede you too much. findsome information on the grip they use in drum corps. these guys are tougher and more badass than any metal drummer wishes he/she could be (no insult to metal drummers, for the most part). they use huge sticks (up to .710" dia, 17" long) and they can play fast with them. the basic idea to their grip is to use the back three fingers for power and control. i use a slightly looser version of that grip for kit and it works great on every stick size.
as for actual models: (im a vic firth fan) X5B, rock, danny carrey model (this one is back weighted a bit so the stick rebounds quicker), or you could look at promarks oak sticks
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

kills sticks:

rimshots
cymbals
rims
hitting too hard with thin sticks
cheap sticks
old sticks
bad wood


try to get hickory sticks.....hardest wood
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

pdp 9091 said:
try to get hickory sticks.....hardest wood


Or check out the Japanese Oak sticks from Promark..they are heavy though, but much harder than hickory.
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

ill second the promark oak, they feel great and last for ever, i just hate the way they sound on my ride
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

Nothing like getting the shock wave coming up that stick and into your body with those oak bombers...

Stu_Strib said:
Or check out the Japanese Oak sticks from Promark..they are heavy though, but much harder than hickory.
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

i used to break cymbals all the time when i played with my hi-hat really high. the angles wrecked my sticks real fast. (i personally enjoy the promark 5a japanese oak, by the way.)

my advice would be check the angles you are hitting cymbals at. i also enjoy hitting hard, and i haven't had a problem with breaking sticks since i changed my setup a little bit.
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

pdp 9091 said:
kills sticks:

rimshots
cymbals
rims
hitting too hard with thin sticks
cheap sticks
old sticks
bad wood
bad technique
bad cymbal shots
lack of study in the moeller technique
redundancy
stubbornness
punk music and the attitude it follows

try to get hickory sticks.....hardest wood

playing super hard doesn't make you good, or make the drum sound like it's being played well. it just shows that you're playing the drum too loud and most likely - wrong. let me guess, you play some sort of thick crash that you ride with a bunch of pure downstrokes with rebound?

i can guaruntee you you're holding your sticks wrong. i can get the same sound i get with my 5A nylon tips that i do with 5b wood tips. it's technique.
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

i second kaz
the real solution to your problem is to build better technique because there are different ways to be a hard hitter
hard hitter with bad technique= broken everything
hard hitter with good technique= maybe a broken stick every 3 months

when i was first starting to play drums my teacher stressed technique until i had it perfect and now when i play i can play as hard as i want with any sticks and i hardly ever break them unless i really try to\
btw i use regal tip jazz sticks which are 7a thickness and 5a lenght and i play heavy metal all the time and i break a stick maybe once every 3 to 5 months
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

I play very very hard. I beat the hell out of my drums. I have broken pinstripe heads I hit so hard. I used to go through sticks like crazy. I prefer thinner sticks too.

This is what I have found works. I use the Neil Peart sticks now (747 wood tip, pro mark) I used to break a stick or two about every hour and a half of playing, now since i have developed some technique, and wrap the tips with electrical tape, I have had the same pair of sticks to last about 30 hours of playing time.
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

ZDrums24 said:
ill second the promark oak, they feel great and last for ever, i just hate the way they sound on my ride

quick tangent, I was just wondering if promark made any oak sticks with different tips cause I hate the way they sound on my cymbals, too.
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

mlehnertz said:
Nothing like getting the shock wave coming up that stick and into your body with those oak bombers...

Hey yeah, no kidding. I just bought some Vater "Recording" models and they are even worse. These things are dense! But they shoot right up your arms and hands. Are most Vater sticks like this?
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

BigSexyPanda said:
quick tangent, I was just wondering if promark made any oak sticks with different tips cause I hate the way they sound on my cymbals, too.

The Peart models are wooden and have a tear shape, the 5as have a more normal shape, and I think you can get them with a plastic tip too (but that probably wouldnt' help your problem).
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

Stiffler said:
But do any of you have any suggestions on which sticks would be best.
(also, id rather go with skinnier sticks than bulky ones, they feel better and i play better single rolls with them)

Sean

Sean, yes I have ... how about alluminum sticks. I guarantee it won't break, however your drum will ... Whahahaha ! ...No..I'm only joking here. Don't ever use those stupid sticks.

I used Tama American Hickory H213P Sticks - Solid Sticks that are not too slim nor too thick and the feel is great with the right weight - Check it out - It's always out of stock here....but there's a Oak Version....

Cheers !
 
Re: Why do i keep breaking sticks

My only two suggestions to (like Guinness Drunk said) pay attention to how you hit your cymbals, and also pay attention to dynamics, you may be blasting the rest of the band (or whoever you play with). The best way to counter this is to watch yourself play, say, on a video, and check if your too loud throughout the whole song. Remember, dont see yourself as "drumming" to the song, but as "part" of the song (which means playing in harmony with the rest of the band).
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

T.Underhill said:
Anyone here ever break an Ahead stick? I have! Snapped that shaft right in half.

I have already broken two pairs of Ahead TLee Concert while playing rimshots! Yeah, they're all breaking right in a middle.

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Re: anybody hit this hard?

When I see a stick that is near breaking..like it's not broken, but it will break soon..I break it. I'm obsessive compulsive. I'm not kidding.
 
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