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44Ronin
Guest
Sticks break because they are made from a natural material with grain. Get over it. Bigger sticks are not the answer.
I've the exact opposite experience. Sticks with many grains always started splintering in a couple of hours of playing and never lasted more than a few hours after that. On the other hand, a 2B pair with some three or four grains I have at the moment have lasted me at least 40-50 playing hours and are just starting to splinter in the rimshot area.Take a 2b stick with 2 to 3 grains and a 2b with 6 or more grains the 2b with more grains will last
longer It'll take longer to look at the sticks but you're sticks will last longer also.
Good luck,
Bonzolead
What is bad technique, hitting the cymbal on the edge too much hitting rim shots. Could someone clarify for me?
I've the exact opposite experience. Sticks with many grains always started splintering in a couple of hours of playing and never lasted more than a few hours after that. On the other hand, a 2B pair with some three or four grains I have at the moment have lasted me at least 40-50 playing hours and are just starting to splinter in the rimshot area.
Less grains make for a denser and heavier stick in general.
Another factor is pitch of the stick. A stick with a higher natural pitch will in general have higher moisture content, which in turn means more weight and durability.
It's really worth it to spend some ten minutes extra in the shop when buying sticks.
Yeah, I used to use those vic firth rock sticks, and I found they tend to splinter pretty quickly. Maybe it's just the diameter to length ratio or something. I find the pro-mark hickory 2b's to be a great heavy stick. They tend to wear down over time, rather than split.
I can't believe some of you guys have never broken a stick. However, I probably wouldn't either if I only hit cymbals on the top, and no rimshots. But, I find with heavier music, hitting the cymbals only on the top just doesn't cut it for me. And I agree with all of the points Brundlefly made, as alot of those are true in my case.
There's a difference b/w hitting and pounding your cymbals. Also there is a difference with how you hit your cymbals (ie: the stroke) I don't hit my cymbals on the top and my sticks last as long as my tips don't wear out.
True, but if you're hitting the edge of a cymbal, and your not wearing sticks down, then you must barely be hitting those things. It amazes me how many people think they hit hard, but in reality they really don't. You may be getting volume, but you're not hitting hard. When playing heavier music, you're gonna hit harder to put on a show and the emotion of the music makes you do it as well; at least when playing live. Now, in practice or recording, good techniques are easier to stick to, but wearing down sticks is just a factor of playing heavy music, and I'm okay with that. Sure, we'd all love to have perfect technique and not bash equipment, but when you're playing live and getting into a song, that stuff tends to go out the window.
You are singing a different tune now, earlier in the thread you said you can't believe some drummers haven't broken a stick , now your saying that wearing down a stick is invevitable. No one said it isn't inevitable its imminent. Most are made of wood and they wear, fact of life.
Regarding technique during practice, recording and live. there really should be no difference. Ok a live setting may induce you to play a tad harder but it shouldn't be night and day b/w practice and live. Technique and stuff should not go out the window.....
"but when you're playing live and getting into a song, that stuff tends to go out the window"
Your technique should not go out the window when your playing live, if it does then you are not practicing effiiciently. It sounds like your playing to songs the whole time and ignoring the fundamentals such as dynamics, stick height, rudiments etc.
Disciplined drummers play at approx. the same volume regardless of the application, (live, practice, recording.)
If your kit is mic'd properly in a live setting you don't need to bash to be heard.
I always use a monitor, so if the stage is loud on a particular night, I can still hear kick snare etc. maintaining my normal volume level. I don't have to bury my kick drum to be heard.
idk. i think i play right, i mean, ive never been corrected on my technique by my teachers. Maybe i just hit too hard. Not really sure though
If you go through heads, my guess is that yes, you probably hit too hard, but more specifically, you hit at too steep an angle. Are your drums very angled towards you? When the stick hits the drum, it should be pretty close to parallell to the drum head.
How is that contradictory? The reason I said I couldn't believe that some people haven't broken sticks is because of the inevitability of sticks wearing down, at least when hitting the edges of cymbals, regardless of hitting them hard.
I agree that technique should be consistent regardless of playing situations, but we're not all Steve Smith. You did make a point that rings true about proper kit miking. If you're playing high end clubs all the time, your gonna get great sound, and hear everything great. But, some of the places I play have poor sound systems, or no system at all. In those cases you have to hit harder or you won't be heard. You may have a poor stage mix with no monitors, and 2 half stacks on either side, and it will feel like you are playing under water. In those cases my technique doesn't go out the window, it just gets altered. In all of this I'm referring to playing heavy rock/metal. If you're playing pop, country, jazz or something lighter, these points don't apply, because it's much easier applying "technique" when the stage volume is lower and you can hear everything better.
You're damn right I'm playing to songs all the time! That's what rock n roll is all about. Songs, showmanship, and driving the band. I do agree with the dynamic aspects, as I am perfectly capable of dynamics. Rudiments? Are you a jazz player or something? Rudiments have no place in the kind of music I'm talking about IMO. Do you think John Bonham was worried about technique and rudiments playing all of those arenas with Zep?
No, he had to simplify his playing and concentrate on having adequate volume in a loud environment, and putting on a show, not wether or not he was breaking sticks or cymbals, and denting up drumheads. I also agree you don't have to bash to be heard, but sometimes you just feel like it when the adrenaline is pumping.
No, I'm not a jazz drummer, wish I was though I would be a better drummer today.
I play ethnic (greek specifically). On an average night we'll flip about 10 different time signatures.
Jazz is not the only genre where you have to know your rudiments. I don't know all of them but I have an arsenal of rudiments that I have built in to my playing. ie: single stroke, double, paradiddle, 5 stroke, 6 stroke 7 stroke 9 stroke etc. For me and the music I play these seem to help me get where I want to go and some. I wish I had the time to learn all the rudiments, but I don't have the time I work for a living.
I find it hard to believe that one can become a good drummer without practicing and utilizing rudiments in their playing, there's no way it can be done.
This statement makes me doubt that you even play drums. wow.
"Do you think John Bonham was worried about technique and rudiments playing all of those arenas with Zep?
No, he had to simplify his playing and concentrate on having adequate volume"
NO, I don't think he was worried about technique and rudiments. The reason he wasn't worried is because he knew his rudiments and had great technique. To some it may seem that Bonhams playing was trivial (some that don't know about drumming) but it wasn't, it was very focused and premeditated for the most part. Its just that he was so great that it looked like he was just banging away aimlessly but he wasn't.