i play traditional because i'm comfortable with it, but part of the reason i changed a few years back
A a player at my school i really looked up to played it
B i was just starting to get into to jazz and it has a soft feel fitting for jazz
C because of this video, i was young and hung on every word from buddy rich, i mean you cant really argue with him he's Buddy Rich!!

even if i chose trad. grip for all the wrong reasons im very glad i did because it helped me with a lot of things like week hand doubles strength and accuracy.

but in the end i agree with you there isn't much of a difference between the grips, just preference. still a cool video tho

Your statement that I have highlighted in bold sums everything up nicely, I feel.

No, I'd never argue with the way Buddy plays and what he managed to achieve during a long and illustrious career, but I would argue that his personal preferances are just that.......a personal preferance. I'd argue that one til the cows came home.

ALL Buddy vids are cool mate. The man was truely amazing and utterly inspirational. No arguments on that fact. :)
 
Seen it/heard it before........personally it settles nothing for me, save for the fact that Buddy prefers traditional grip.

I agree. I mean, carefully listen to what he is saying - what does he even mean?!? Just because he says so, plays silly stuff with matched grip, then plays faster, hipper stuff in trad, and makes fun of random people throughout - is THAT what's supposed to convince me?

As I've said, I'm a trad player, but I've spent loads of time playing matched in different styles, all around the kit, and I respect tons of guys who are killing the drums in matched full-time. Buddy's full of crap here and I'm calling him on it.
 
I agree. I mean, carefully listen to what he is saying - what does he even mean?!? Just because he says so, plays silly stuff with matched grip, then plays faster, hipper stuff in trad, and makes fun of random people throughout - is THAT what's supposed to convince me?

As I've said, I'm a trad player, but I've spent loads of time playing matched in different styles, all around the kit, and I respect tons of guys who are killing the drums in matched full-time. Buddy's full of crap here and I'm calling him on it.

Well you are totally right, I also saw that movie so many times, never understand what he wanted to say, it doesn't prove anything.
if you ask me Buddy is over rated. never liked his style (compared to other jazz players..) ,, solos - most of it is a random hits on the snare as fast as he could. very repetitive. nothing sophisticated.
 
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Well you are totally right, I also saw that movie so many times, never understand what he wanted to say, it doesn't prove anything.
if you ask me Buddy is over rated. never liked his style (compared to other jazz players..) ,, solos - most of it is a random hits on the snare as fast as he could. very repetitive. nothing sophisticated.

Yeah, I have always wondered where did his intelligence go before making that clip.
 
My favorite Buddy Rich video on the Tube of U is when he is screaming and dropping F-Bombs at his band...he makes Gordon Ramsay look like the Pope!
 
If i knew this would have turned into a Buddy Rich argument (or any argument) I wouldn't have started the thread...
 
Fair nuff too, J+S. I don't care one way or another about Buddy the man (although I agree with others here that his craziness is entertaining) but I've heard some killer playing from Buddy the drummer that swings like crazy. But we all know it ain't his trad grip that's doing it, just his personal ability.

The most interesting stuff in about threads like this comes from people who use both grips and what they find are the best applications for each grip.
 
Well you are totally right, I also saw that movie so many times, never understand what he wanted to say, it doesn't prove anything.
if you ask me Buddy is over rated. never liked his style (compared to other jazz players..) ,, solos - most of it is a random hits on the snare as fast as he could. very repetitive. nothing sophisticated.

On this statement- "if you ask me Buddy is over rated. never liked his style (compared to other jazz players..) ,, solos - most of it is a random hits on the snare as fast as he could. very repetitive. nothing sophisticated."

You need to listen more. Maybe it's your ear that not sophisticated.
 
Seen it/heard it before........personally it settles nothing for me, save for the fact that Buddy prefers traditional grip.

Buddy also tears shreads through his accompanying muso's in public: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIP3...kb5CCdg&feature=rec-LGOUT-real_rev-rn-2r-1-HM and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCF9wgMU7es&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-ssZeOZkWU&feature=related

....should I also do this?

Play what you are comfortable with my friend.....despite what Buddy may or may not have to say on the matter.
Ha ha! I don't know what I adore more; his drumming or his tirades! (okay, that one-on-one was a little disturbing).
 
playing with chopsticks is bad etiquette AND bad luck. the gods frown upon people using utensils as drumsticks...this is what my elders taught me.

and so here we are again:
traditional vs matched
heel up vs heel down
jazz vs metal
...

might as well compare these while we're at it:
hammer vs screwdriver
manual transmission vs automatic
apple vs pc
lcd vs plasma
ps3 vs xbox3
french vs english
chopsticks vs fork/knife
basketball vs hockey
etc. vs and so on

why do folks have to be either or? wouldn't it be better to be able to have both techniques/tools/utensils/sports/... in the arsenal, to be able to use/enjoy depending on the circumstance?
 
Your statement that I have highlighted in bold sums everything up nicely, I feel.

No, I'd never argue with the way Buddy plays and what he managed to achieve during a long and illustrious career, but I would argue that his personal preferances are just that.......a personal preferance. I'd argue that one til the cows came home.

ALL Buddy vids are cool mate. The man was truely amazing and utterly inspirational. No arguments on that fact. :)

yea hid did have i really bad temper, but if i was buddy, by far the most talented drummer in all of history, and my band couldn't find one from after the 1st two bars until the end of the song, i would be pissed too. not that pissed two.
 
playing with chopsticks is bad etiquette AND bad luck. the gods frown upon people using utensils as drumsticks...this is what my elders taught me.
Oh man, that perfectly explains why I never hit the rock star lotto! The wait staff frown on this, too, especially at the spendier establishments. Truth be told, I actually prefer a couple butter knifes because of the bounce, but I do matched with those.
 
I feel as if I get more bounce with traditional grip, which is good because my left hand is pretty weak.

But on the other hand, I feel I don't have to move my arms as much to get around the drums with match grip.

So I end up using both.
 
Most drummers seem to play one of the matched grips, usually the american grip, whenever they play drumset. I think that is their folly. Traditional (in most cases) is better, at least I think so. Traditional gives better angles, stays out of the way, and is just as fast as matched, if not faster. But, matched is easier to master and you usually learn it first. I am not saying everyone should play traditional, matched does have its uses, but I think that more drummers should have traditional grip in their arsenal. So, I was wondering what other drummers thought was better, matched or traditional?

honestly i think traditional is out dated. used still because of the tradition, the influence of previous greats ect and because its taught. if you learnt a certain way its likely you're going to continue to play that way. same goes for genre culture and the influence of your peers.

traditional is not better. using traditional is not needed to have in general, thus many don't. but people who play that way will tell you it is. i haven't come across something that made me go 'i need to play traditional to be able to play that."

many many many players have proven across genres that grip really doesn't matter. the player matters. being relaxed is probably the most important thing in the hands and playing out of the drum, not into the drum.

notice i didnt say matched was better. just that i really see no arguement for traditional to stand on, to be considered better.
 
honestly i think traditional is out dated. used still because of the tradition, the influence of previous greats ect and because its taught. if you learnt a certain way its likely you're going to continue to play that way. same goes for genre culture and the influence of your peers.

traditional is not better. using traditional is not needed to have in general, thus many don't. but people who play that way will tell you it is. i haven't come across something that made me go 'i need to play traditional to be able to play that."

many many many players have proven across genres that grip really doesn't matter. the player matters. being relaxed is probably the most important thing in the hands and playing out of the drum, not into the drum.

notice i didnt say matched was better. just that i really see no arguement for traditional to stand on, to be considered better.

not out dated, my teacher told me its because jazz drummers want the flattest angle to the snare drum with both hands because the flatter you are the more bounce you have, and that many drummers find the set up required to achieve this in matched uncomfortable because the snare needs to be almost up to your belly button to achieve this in matched with-out ruining wrist technique , this is also why jazz drummers tilt the snare away from them,, and a little to the right in some cases
 
I play mainly Trad. I use matched primarily for open handed playing.
Grace notes and flam playing is better with Trad.
When I play crossed handed on my hats, the Trad grip keeps my left hand out of the way. I can reach from my snare to my small rack tom much easier. I can also go to the floor tom with my Trad left hand very fast.
I also switch to matched sometimes when playing a harder rock tune.
I can lay down a fat 2 and 4 on the snare with matched. Snare rim shots work well with matched grip too.
I think that every drummer should use both grips.
I also use the French Grip on my ride frequently for Jazzy tunes.
Being fluent in grips is a good thing. It adds color to your performance.
 
not out dated, my teacher told me its because jazz drummers want the flattest angle to the snare drum with both hands because the flatter you are the more bounce you have, and that many drummers find the set up required to achieve this in matched uncomfortable because the snare needs to be almost up to your belly button to achieve this in matched with-out ruining wrist technique , this is also why jazz drummers tilt the snare away from them,, and a little to the right in some cases
This makes no sense whatsoever. Setting up the snare flat is no problem for drummers using matched grip. It doesn't have to be too high either, though a few drummers do find it comfortable at around belly button height or even higher. Also, how much bounce a drummer wants to get out of the snare drum has next to nothing to do with the genre of music they play.
 
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