Jazz and Matched Grip

Several years ago Jack DeJohnette switched to strictly matched grip; one of the finest jazz drummers one can find.
 
I saw Billy Cobham play in the 90s in LA and he played most of the set with double trad grip

it was the oddest thing I had ever seen

:)

Funny you mention that ,Anthony. In 1980 I was at a Roy Burns clinic and during it he spoke and gave some advise on grip. He was making some points about either being fine with proper technique etc..."its up to you "...etc. But then he went to a double trad grip and said, in verbatim while demonstrating same, "Just don't do this, 'cause it just looks goofy."

The whole room was in stitches.
 
Billy Cobham and Simon Phillips both use matched grip, open hand style. Terri Lyne Carrington uses both, but seems to lead more these days with matched grip. Chad Wackerman also uses matched (more jazz-fusion).

Then you have prog rock monsters like Virgil Donati who exclusively use traditional.

I've seen footage of Art Blakey using both grips, too.
 
Funny you mention that ,Anthony. In 1980 I was at a Roy Burns clinic and during it he spoke and gave some advise on grip. He was making some points about either being fine with proper technique etc..."its up to you "...etc. But then he went to a double trad grip and said, in verbatim while demonstrating same, "Just don't do this, 'cause it just looks goofy."

The whole room was in stitches.

Wait a minute - I remember something he did like that. It was at a clinic when he was working for Hanich Music in West Covina - could it be possible that we were both at the same clinic? Hmm....
 
Well Bo, we both saw the same clinic "tour" that Roy was doing, and probably within a day or so of each other. I saw his clinic at a store in Yorba Linda. Great drummer, teacher and laugh out loud funny guy.
 
I'm wondering if anyone plays traditional grip "backwards?" The reason I ask is because of open style (right on snare; left on hi-hat) and how traditional grip works with that.
 
I feel like I keep seeing people with excessive chops doing weird stuff along those lines, but normally, no, you wouldn't do that. In jazz you do most of your timekeeping on the ride cymbal, not the hihat, and it would be kind of silly to have to learn everything backwards, including the grip, just for the little bit you do play the hihat.
 
I'm 71 an have been playing for over 60 years. I actually have trouble playing matched for any length of time other than across the snare. I am a natural left handed but was taught to play right handed. I think it is just what you learn. I tried a friends left handed drum set once and fell off the stool. There are just a lot of things I can't do left handed. I think as long as you are comfortable and play well, nobody will really care how you hold your sticks. I just have trouble playing matched for other than a short time because it is not what my body is trained to do.
 
For different trad grip try Stewart Copeland‘s grip which I think is more powerful and easier. FYI: Also the stronger my matched grip muscles get they seem to help my trad grip and sticking patterns learned from one transfer to the other which surprises me.
 
Plenty use both traditional and matched-just change up on different parts-like Tony Williams.
 
Plenty use both traditional and matched-just change up on different parts-like Tony Williams.
In 1970 I got to spend an entire week with Tony and John when they had Lifetime. It was at the Jazz Workshop in Boston. My guitar player and I were just kids but Tony and John just came over and asked if they could sit with us. Of course we said NO!. Tony had me sit next to him by the stage. He said I don't care what the club owner thinks. He was a really cool guy. I watched him and he was incredible. Alan Dawson did a lot for him when Tony was a kid. I was really sad he died too young.
 
In 1970 I got to spend an entire week with Tony and John when they had Lifetime. It was at the Jazz Workshop in Boston. My guitar player and I were just kids but Tony and John just came over and asked if they could sit with us. Of course we said NO!. Tony had me sit next to him by the stage. He said I don't care what the club owner thinks. He was a really cool guy. I watched him and he was incredible. Alan Dawson did a lot for him when Tony was a kid. I was really sad he died too young.
Tony was not a big guy but he used really big sticks and he played really hard. I'm 6'2" but play with 7As. It was a great experience meeting him like that and having him just treat me like I was somewhere near his level, which even in a dream, I was not. But, I learned a lot just watching him and talking with him.
 
Bruford,Simon Phillips and Tony William all have used matched grip when needed for jazz.
 
Hey Buddy: Listen, if you want to go traditional grip, remember--you'll play matched at times anyway. I don't know how advanced you are in your studies, but I would recommend learning the music, learning to swing, before undertaking the trad grip. I switched from matched to trad with I was 20 years old. Why? Because I wanted to look like a jazz drummer. A few months later, while visiting Colorado, I saw an early edition of Weather Report in a club in Boulder. On drums was Eric Gravatt, who blew my mind. He played matched grip thoughout his career. He's a great drummer. Look at Stewart, etc. Now, you still may want to go traditional. That's fine. But get your shit together on the basics before jumping into all that. Good luck.
 
Hey Buddy: Listen, if you want to go traditional grip, remember--you'll play matched at times anyway. I don't know how advanced you are in your studies, but I would recommend learning the music, learning to swing, before undertaking the trad grip. I switched from matched to trad with I was 20 years old. Why? Because I wanted to look like a jazz drummer. A few months later, while visiting Colorado, I saw an early edition of Weather Report in a club in Boulder. On drums was Eric Gravatt, who blew my mind. He played matched grip thoughout his career. He's a great drummer. Look at Stewart, etc. Now, you still may want to go traditional. That's fine. But get your shit together on the basics before jumping into all that. Good luck.

Bruford,Simon Phillips and Tony William all have used matched grip when needed for jazz.
 
I have seen Eric Gravatt I think with both Weather Report and Herbi Hancock. Like I said it is just your comfort zone and you just have to sound good whatever you do. My bad it was with Freddie Hubbard.
 
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In this tune Vinnie switches from traditional to matched at 2:17, then switches back later

 
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