Dropping sticks.. but not always

N

NickDrums

Junior Member
Hey guys, sometimes I drop my sticks, it's not all the time. On songs I have worked at really well, it never happens, but I find it happens if I try to throw something in a song in the middle without ever rehearsing it. Any tips? Should I just not try to add anything special in the middle? Have you had this problem? How'd you get over it? Thanks.
 
for years i kept a stick taped to my leg (electrical tape.) those years and many shows brought confidence, not with keeping the sticks in my hands - but with grabbing a replacement quickly and flawlessly - without freaking out. just give it time.
 
Agreed. If you're constantly working on your technique, not losing sticks will come in time. Perhaps right now you're playing either too aggressively or your technique isn't where it should be for what you're trying to do?

Go back to that practice pad and drill!
 
I have some bad tendonitis in my thumbs, particularly my right one, and i can't seem to hold the sticks for long periods of time, so i used to drop them alot while practicing. Funny thing is though, i NEVER dropped one during a gig. One thing i learned to do, and i know it's not the best thing to do, was to flip the stick in between my index and ring finger for a few lines or so, to relieve the pain/ache/tension of the tendon. My point is, try different grips and techniques until you find something that works well for you. It could all very well just be in your head also, so maybe find the right thing to concentrate on while playing. Maybe instead of thinking about what your hands are going to do, think about what you're going to do with your feet and let your hands do what they do naturally.
 
Working on the precision of grooves helped me with this. When something new comes along or some odd twist in the scene (guitarist goes way off time, drunk chick jumps on stage to "sing", roof tiles fall on the band, etc.), you start thinking more, causing your groove to get destabilized a bit, and oh crap there's a stick on the floor all of a sudden. Bringing your hands and body to the same position when playing hat/bass/snare grooves for instance cleans up a lot of that, so when things are iffy, you and the band can count on you being rock steady no matter what.

Also, when going for something extra like a fill with added zip, you can try making your body quiet and smooth instead of uncorking the flailing monster. Tommy Igoe's Groove Essentials videos illustrate groove precision well, when he's playing a certain groove, he's committed to it very intently, not just hanging out waiting to lay down the killer fill of doom.

Or, on a real droppy night, pull the hat and ride a little closer. :)
 
I always laugh when I lose a stick....

I'll be playin along and all of a sudden my stick will go flyin
and it's just hilarious to me....

Ever go to do something and whack your hand with the stick?
...ouch not funny lol
 
i don't drop sticks very often, but i've learned one thing. if you drop a stick, keep the backbeat going on the snare at all costs!
 
I just recently started dropping my sticks. And by dropping, I mean throwing across the room. But I have a bag of sticks right next to me plus a set in front of me on the bass drum, and so far I have yet to upset the song, it's just a little embarrassing.
 
dairyairman said:
i don't drop sticks very often, but i've learned one thing. if you drop a stick, keep the backbeat going on the snare at all costs!
Click to expand...

This man speaks the truth.

I don't drop sticks much, but I break them fairly regularly, so it's pretty much the same deal. Keep the kick and snare stuff going and get another stick as fast as you can. I keep my stick bag leaning against my floor toms and I shove a couple of sticks into the hihat stand tripod legs for easy access to fresh sticks on both sides. I should probably get one of those stick holders that clamp onto my hihat stand, but no rush.
 
Technique, Technique, Technique!

Just relax when you play, keep the wrists calm and use elbows too. I use wrists and elbows alot, well, not really moving elbows, but for speed I do it sometimes.
Check your grip, you might be holding them too loose. That used to be a problem for me the first 2 years of my drumming, then I started watching Dave Grohl and focused on how he held the stick, read Jojo Mayer and Buddy Rich stuff too and now I barely ever drop it, and if I do it just slips, and that's rare.

My dad has a poor technique, when he plays all you hear is sticks dropping ever 2 minutes (exactly every 2 minutes! I'm not joking you!) When he plays he strains, looks up at the ceiling, causing his posture to fail (he has broken his back before too because his posture is bad) and when you watch him he has no pedal technique and when he plays it sounds horrible, especially on my Mapex kit. I feel like taking the sticks away from him because he'll just drop them or throw them at a window or something.
So technique is a life-saver, and a benefit to your drumming :)
 
Stalwart_Pandora-Chris said:
Technique, Technique, Technique!

Just relax when you play, keep the wrists calm and use elbows too. I use wrists and elbows alot, well, not really moving elbows, but for speed I do it sometimes.
Check your grip, you might be holding them too loose. That used to be a problem for me the first 2 years of my drumming, then I started watching Dave Grohl and focused on how he held the stick, read Jojo Mayer and Buddy Rich stuff too and now I barely ever drop it, and if I do it just slips, and that's rare.

My dad has a poor technique, when he plays all you hear is sticks dropping ever 2 minutes (exactly every 2 minutes! I'm not joking you!) When he plays he strains, looks up at the ceiling, causing his posture to fail (he has broken his back before too because his posture is bad) and when you watch him he has no pedal technique and when he plays it sounds horrible, especially on my Mapex kit. I feel like taking the sticks away from him because he'll just drop them or throw them at a window or something.
So technique is a life-saver, and a benefit to your drumming :)
Click to expand...

A lot is not just technique but very real physical problems with the fingers, hands and wrists. With younger, less experienced drummers, I would imagine technique being somewhat more of a factor.

Dennis
 
Don't worry too much about losing sticks- it can become a little like walking down the street constantly afraid the next person is going to punch you. It's hard to relax with that mind set. Instead, practice recovering gracefully when it does happen.
 
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