Do you agree with me?
- Thread starter Jazzim
- Start date
Push pull stroke
Platinum Member
Medium sticks are the easiest to control, for me. Especially short sticks. Really light sticks and really heavy ones tend to throw me off. And long sticks are harder to control, if you’re playing fast stuff on snare.
Over50drumguy
Member
I see where your coming from , but no not really . Completely dependent on the player. Hand size , finger length, amount of muscle , the over development or underdevelopment of slow twitch and fast twitch type muscle fibers In the hand, fingers, wrist, forearm, tri and biceps and more than likely the whole upper body for that matter. So many variables come into play . I’ve always preferred a med to med heavy stick on the longer side as I’ve got big hands with long fat sausage fingers and long on the muscular side lurch type arms lol !
GetAgrippa
Platinum Member
No it's sorta like Goldilocks a 2 too big, a 7 too small, and a 5 (5A or 5B if want junkier) just right LOL. I'd argue the style of tip plays a bigger "roll" (snark) than stick size for most (some like nylon, or prefer specific tip shape). Now I use to play 7s and I like a 2 sometimes but 5 has got good jui jui and I've learned to not mess with that unless you want bad jui jui. Then there's the ole saying "2B or not 2B-that is the question" so that gives some "weight" to the argument for a larger stick. Hmmm. But then again remember 7 comes 11 so 7 has a good luck factor going for it too. I guess it boils down to personal choice "2B or not 2B, 7 come 11, or 5 golden rings" and a partridge in a pear tree. My choice keep the bird, not 2B, 11 is my lucky number, and 5 golden rings would look great on me.
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Odd-Arne Oseberg
Platinum Member
It's all personal, but I will suggest an SD-2 Bolero as a first stick from a similar point of view as the big fat pencils we start kids off with.
MrInsanePolack
Platinum Member
I went from a VF SD1 general to a VF HD4. The SD1 is a fat, long, maple stick while the HD4 is a skinny, short, hickory stick. The fat stick is much harder for me to control. It has more size, and weight. It's will to do what it wants is greater than the skinny stick.
The skinny stick is the complete opposite. It's easier to move around the kit. It's easier to switch between singles and doubles. It seems to bounce easier. I like it much better. Been using it for about 5 years now. It was like night and day when I switched.
If it matters my fingers are long and skinny and I can palm a basketball.
The skinny stick is the complete opposite. It's easier to move around the kit. It's easier to switch between singles and doubles. It seems to bounce easier. I like it much better. Been using it for about 5 years now. It was like night and day when I switched.
If it matters my fingers are long and skinny and I can palm a basketball.
Just like a baseball bat. What you like and get used to.
Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX
Well-known member
I am very used to having marching sticks in my hands, so for years I struggled to find a stick that felt big like that in my hands, but more bouncy on the set. Normal sized set sticks felt too small in my hands. I finally settled on VF 3A's, and really like them. I was also using Pro Mark PW808's for a while b/c I liked the feel of the beads on the ride cymbal. I sort of float between both now...
Jazzim
Active member
I've started to look for thin sticks at this point (for their sound). I just found them hard to control. They are kinda "faster", yes. But i feel i lose articulation and cleaness(lack of control), as they wanna do what they want on their own. I do practice at home with VF rock sticks and such.
Swissward Flamtacles
Member
Do you play Hickory sticks? Maple is lighter, so you could still get a thicker stick. Smaller tips and a less top-heavy stick might also help.
Any drum corps drummers here that also play drumset? How do you find going from corps snare sticks to "normal" drum set sticks.?
cbphoto
Gold Member
Disagree. It depends on hand size & strength.
My conundrum: 5A sounds great on my cymbals. I play them well with that size stick. 5B feels much better in my hands but my cymbals get crushed by the heavier stick.
Jazzim
Active member
I have played thin and thick maple sticks. Same with hickory. Even thin hornbeam "jazz" sticks.
Perhaps greater control is required by the 5B, especially when playing cymbals. I pull my punches on cymbals quite a bit, to not overpower or take up too much sonic real estate. I play and prefer 5B.
Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX
Well-known member
I am in this situation, and it took me a long time to find set sticks that felt good in my hands. I teach band in high school as my 9-5, and spend about 80% of the time with marching size sticks in my hands, so all drum set sticks feel like pencils to me. Many sizes are so small, I can't even feel them in my hands. For the longest time I used Vic Firth SD1's, but just didn't like the feel of them on the ride cymbal. About 3 years ago, I found that Vic Firth 3A's feel the best. I also find that Pro Mark PW808's also feel good, but the 3A's are better.
GetAgrippa
Platinum Member
I use to play a 5B but trying jazz switched to a 7A and it’s weird how it seems “faster” but it seems it “don’t have enough “meat in it” ( in my best Slingblade voice) so seems my hands were bearing more shock or doing more work but in either case my hands (and thumbs in particular) were killing me. I switched to 5A and some practice with 2B and hands doing better. The larger sticks seem to bear more shock and oddly seem to take less energy to play. You’ll wear yourself out wailin’ on a song with 7 A’s but not even break a sweat with 2Bs. Still I like the 5A’s for more controlled stuff and you’ll wear yourself out trying to control those 2B’s so it’s 5A or B. I’ve asked all the scientist globally who play drums and what stick they prefer and 99.99% stated 5A or B. So it’s the “scientific” consensus and like climate change a fact with impunity 5 A or B. There is always “I know for a fact “ argument - it’s been popular on another thread LOL. I’d play what I like is my suggestion-I’m sure everyone has a reason why.
cbphoto
Gold Member
Yes, I need more control, that's not the issue. The difference in sound from my cymbals is more ping, less wash with the 5A. Less ping, more wash with the 5B.