Fulcrum Help!

W

wagonwagon13

Junior Member
Hi.

Been playing drums a really long time. Can't help my hands from slipping to the butt of the stick. If I'm on a practice pad and paying attention to my hands, this doesn't happen. On a set during my practice time, or playing with a band... it's a huge problem. Any suggestions on getting my hands to always be on the fulcrum?? Thanks.
 
The fulcrum is defined as the pivot point, which is defined by where you decide to put your hand on the stick. It's not the balance point of the stick. I hold my sticks at the end on purpose, I get the most reach, and that's where they naturally want to be with the technique I use anyway. I say don't fight it, unless it's causing playing problems.
 
jackie k said:
Sticks that slide in your hands when you are playing means you need a firmer grip on the stick and has nothing to do with your fulcrum or balance point. Just like when you drop a stick while you are playing, its about having a firm grip on your sticks and that is different for everyone and different for the different type of sticks you use. Thin, fat, long, short, your grip is going to be slightly different. Fulcrum problems are problems dealing with controlling your sticks when articulating your strokes. You need a relaxed, yet firm grip at your fulcrum point or your stick will slide or drop.
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this could not be more incorrect


your stick is supposed to twist, slide, move around ...all of the above

something that should be built in to every drummers habitual routine .....something you do without even thinking about it ...are mico adjustments

small adjustments you make while playing ...sliding up the stick ...sliding down the stick

this should be automatic and never interrupt what you are playing at all

see Tommy Igoe's Great Hands for a Lifetime for a very good analysis of this
 
moontheloon said:
this could not be more incorrect


your stick is supposed to twist, slide, move around ...all of the above

something that should be built in to every drummers habitual routine .....something you do without even thinking about it ...are mico adjustments

small adjustments you make while playing ...sliding up the stick ...sliding down the stick

this should be automatic and never interrupt what you are playing at all

see Tommy Igoe's Great Hands for a Lifetime for a very good analysis of this
Click to expand...

I agree with moontheloon.

Jojo Mayer also goes into aspects of this on his DVD. (My interpretation.)

One interesting thing that I've discovered: I used to every now and then drop a stick - it would literally fly Satan-knows-where... all over the place... Since I have worked on my hand technique, if I do drop a stick, it flies in the direction it is "supposed to" (as per Jojo's description), and I find it very easy to catch the stick before it actually drops.

Patrice
 
moontheloon said:
this could not be more incorrect


your stick is supposed to twist, slide, move around ...all of the above

something that should be built in to every drummers habitual routine .....something you do without even thinking about it ...are mico adjustments

small adjustments you make while playing ...sliding up the stick ...sliding down the stick

this should be automatic and never interrupt what you are playing at all

see Tommy Igoe's Great Hands for a Lifetime for a very good analysis of this
Click to expand...

patrice said:
I agree with moontheloon.

Jojo Mayer also goes into aspects of this on his DVD. (My interpretation.)

One interesting thing that I've discovered: I used to every now and then drop a stick - it would literally fly Satan-knows-where... all over the place... Since I have worked on my hand technique, if I do drop a stick, it flies in the direction it is "supposed to" (as per Jojo's description), and I find it very easy to catch the stick before it actually drops.

Patrice
Click to expand...

Thirded-ed. Just tight enough that they don't fall on the floor. As Jim Blackley used to say, "Don't be afraid to drop it, boy!" Words to live by.
 
You guys are awesome. Thanks for the discussion. I do believe that your hands should stay on the balancing point of the stick (fulcrum). For me it's the american flag on a vic firth 5a. My biggest trouble is keeping my grip on the American flag when I'm playing.
 
wagonwagon13 said:
You guys are awesome. Thanks for the discussion. I do believe that your hands should stay on the balancing point of the stick (fulcrum). For me it's the american flag on a vic firth 5a. My biggest trouble is keeping my grip on the American flag when I'm playing.
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dont concentrate to hard about staying on the flag


just play
 
Yes, constantly adjusting where you're gripping is how to do it. Don't think about it too much, just be aware that this is how it works and in time you should get better at it. Don't worry too much about the flag, you need to adjust based on how they feel.

My sticks move around in my hands a whole lot, they spin and move up and down, but I'm subconsciously adjusting as I go.
 
your stick is supposed to twist, slide, move around ...all of the above

something that should be built in to every drummers habitual routine .....something you do without even thinking about it ...are mico adjustments

small adjustments you make while playing ...sliding up the stick ...sliding down the stick

this should be automatic and never interrupt what you are playing at all
Click to expand...

These are instinctive for experienced drummers but a worry for beginners. Good stick grip develops over time although it does need a little conscious attention for a beginner for a while.
 
BassDriver said:
These are instinctive for experienced drummers but a worry for beginners.
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Yeah exactly. It's one of those things that the longer you are drumming the less it becomes a conscious task. Similar concept with time too I think.

The goal you have as a beginner is often to concentrate on how you're gripping the stick and if it moves how to re-position it.

The more you do this the more it becomes second nature. Before long it's not something that's really in the front of your mind while playing. You 'feel' it subconsciously and adjust on auto-pilot.

As I was saying, I think it has parallels with time too. You develop to a point where it becomes less of a mechanical structure and more of an organic flow.
 
moontheloon said:
micro adjustments are a must
Click to expand...

This is true, just as the others have said. However, that's no excuse to start getting too relaxed in your grip. It's impossible to keep the stick in the precise same spot the entire time, but trying make it stay put is important as well.

Go for the middle of the road.
 
My "grip" consists of my thumb and forefinger and nothing else. I guess it doesn't leave much room for slippage.

The rest of my hand and fingers I do of course use, but not to hold onto the stick. And while I play if I have to adjust I do. But I've been practicing on spinning and twists lately so adjustments after the action are usually required haha.
 
a thing that worked well for me is grip tapes. I got about 2 inches wide strip on my sticks at the very bottom, and about 15cm up from that: just where my hand would rest. then i put a third 2inch in between, but not as tight, so that it slides around and adjusts to where your hand likes it. i use 7A AHEAD (JJ1, Joey Jordison Model). I think i use vater drum stick grips, but i cannot remember exactly.
 
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