Stick Grip

[TAFL]

That's actually EXACTLY what I discovered when I paid attention after watching the videos and trying the MFF grip. I'm all about back finger control, always have been. The only thing I really noticed that was different was that with the MFF I was much more relaxed and things seemed to flow a little better.

I went back and watched the videos again (I didn't get to watch all of the second one the first time 'round). I suspect that the improvement in sound he speaks of arises, not from the stick being able to vibrate, but from the amount of time the stick spends in contact with the head. A tight grip, I suspect, keeps the stick in contact with the head a fraction longer and thus the head doesn't get to vibrate fully; the looser grip allows the stick out as quickly as the head can throw it out and the head gets a stronger vibration.

That, at least, explains why I couldn't hear a difference between my regular grip and the MFF--my regular grip is fairly loose, so the stick can vibrate freely. (I wonder if that comes of being a tenor player....)

I'm going to toss that triplet exercise into my practice time. Yeah, I'm practicing again, as I now have to run some battery rehearsals and have to be able to keep up with the snare line. I keep hearing "Tenor players!" comments when I stumble on reading a new exercise (the saddest part: I wrote the exercises) because my poor, rusty, old chops haven't had to do anything like that in years.

Now that I'm old, that relaxation thing is very appealing. I used to get busted on gripping too loosely and find it amusing that new trends are coming 'round to embrace my loose grip.

[08Hawkeye]

I suspect that the improvement in sound he speaks of arises, not from the stick being able to vibrate, but from the amount of time the stick spends in contact with the head. A tight grip, I suspect, keeps the stick in contact with the head a fraction longer and thus the head doesn't get to vibrate fully; the looser grip allows the stick out as quickly as the head can throw it out and the head gets a stronger vibration.

That, at least, explains why I couldn't hear a difference between my regular grip and the MFF--my regular grip is fairly loose, so the stick can vibrate freely. (I wonder if that comes of being a tenor player....)

I might be able to roll with that. -- my question then.. can you have one without the other? Can you (not that I want to... yikes) have a tight grip AND be able to pull it off the head that fraction of a second faster such that you produce the same sound as a loose grip? they seem to be handcuffed.

[TAFL]

I might be able to roll with that. -- my question then.. can you have one without the other? Can you (not that I want to... yikes) have a tight grip AND be able to pull it off the head that fraction of a second faster such that you produce the same sound as a loose grip? they seem to be handcuffed.

Yeah, I think they are. For the head to have its way with the stick and kick it out freely, there needs to be as little force as possible slowing the movement of the stick. I'd wager the more pressure on the sides of the fulcrum, the more resistance to that movement. A looser grip allows the easiest movement of the stick, in that regard. So, I imagine that with any given tuning, a drum will sound better with a looser grip. Whether that difference is noticeable to most listeners or noticeable across a line is a different question.

[drumno5]

Yeah, I think they are. For the head to have its way with the stick and kick it out freely, there needs to be as little force as possible slowing the movement of the stick. I'd wager the more pressure on the sides of the fulcrum, the more resistance to that movement. A looser grip allows the easiest movement of the stick, in that regard. So, I imagine that with any given tuning, a drum will sound better with a looser grip. Whether that difference is noticeable to most listeners or noticeable across a line is a different question.

I don't know if it's so much a "looser" grip that allows the stick to vibrate, or minimizes contact with the head, or whatever, and whether that looseness can specifically be better achieved with the middle finger as opposed to the first finger (or vice versa). And in any case, there's fine line between keeping the grip "loose" and getting to the point where strength/control become diminished. That's the challenge: to allow the stick to move easily while still maintaining control.

I think it's more about controlling the rebound - getting your hand/wrist to move "in phase" with the natural rebound of the stick, so that the motion/direction of your wrist isn't fighting the "bounce" of the stick when it hits the playing surface. First finger, middle finger... I heard a guy talk about getting good results with his fulcrum somewhere back by his ring finger and pinky. There's lots of theories out there, each one as valid, I suppose, as someone's ability to make it work. Thumb and first finger for me. But whatever floats your boat. If you can get a good sound and execute cleanly, I say go ahead on, by all means.

respectfully,

Fred O.