GGarrett Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 What really gets me, and it is usually seen in alumni corps lines, is a few people with matched grip and the rest with traditional. The real problem with traditional on the high school level is that the kids never learn the right way to do it, and end up not being able to play with their claw grip.Begining lines play matched, once the kids get it play traditional. Yes, it looks cooler, especially with a tilted drum. Oh yea, that is how traditional developed, with a tilted drum. Look to the percussion forum for some thoughts on the tilt. agreed. This past summer for me was a "Hello!" moment when these insane snare drummers who only aged out a few years ago were marching with us old pharts. Man, they were playing stuff that was out of control cool, and that full left hand wrist turn thing and the stick heights was sick. I couldn't play like that, but was blown away by it (in a good way!) They were like flame throwers with turbo boost thrown in with some of the stuff they were ripping. It is that symbiotic relationship (which I have spoken of before in this forum) that a drummer looks for between drum head, wrists, fingers and rebound that is the key to that control level we see todays top lines, and whether it's match grip or traditional, it's all a LOT of practice to make work right. Snare drumming is somewhat unique compared to most other instruments in that there are two ways to approach playing the instrument...and neither is really wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumcat Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 There really are good reasons for both grips. Matched makes a lot of sense when teaching a green line. Traditional makes sense when you have experienced players. Traditional also gives you visual options you wouldn't have otherwise. It does take someone with experience to teach traditional properly. Do it wrong, and you're better off not doing it. But to me, it would be a decision of talent. Drum corps most often do it because it allows for all those cool clicks, taps, visuals, etc. It looks better, and that's because visually snares are often "sardined" at one step spacing. Flared elbows on both sides makes the visual presentation differ significantly. It's fine if you have 3 high school kids. If you put 9 college kids in a line that tight, you run into problems. And yes, tilt drums. It improves the playing. 6 degrees to freedom for your left hand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarimbasaurusRex Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 (edited) Truly, there's not much worse than bad traditional grip, except maybe bad matched grip, you know the kind - thumb under, pinky flapping. Brian Callahan used to say (others prolly did too) traditional grip is good for right handed players because the rotary wipping motion of traditional grip compensates for natural weakness in the left hand. I wouldn't know from experience, being left handed, but it makes sense. And I second Geno's Frank Arsenault motion - a grip that flips off the judge with every release. ^OO^ Oh yeah, and Haskell Harr is right here on my desk with Charley Wilcoxon and George Stone. Edited November 2, 2006 by MarimbasaurusRex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted November 2, 2006 Author Share Posted November 2, 2006 (edited) ....And yes, tilt drums. It improves the playing. 6 degrees to freedom for your left hand! Boy do I remember that! I was weened on tilt. Suddenly level became all the rage, and I had to drop the left shoulder, tuck the elbow in, turn the wrist over.....you know the routine. Man that took some getting used to. Seems like more corps are going back to tilt though. Edited November 2, 2006 by Piper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted November 2, 2006 Author Share Posted November 2, 2006 ....Brian Callahan used to say (others prolly did too) traditional grip is good for right handed players because the rotary wipping motion of traditional grip compensates for natural weakness in the left hand. I wouldn't know from experience, being left handed, but it makes sense..... ROFLMAO :P :P :P . I feel like I'm looking in a mirror. Being left handed myself, I always wondered how the right handed drummers adjusted to a traditional grip with their left hand. I'm just glad it wasn't the other way around! :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bostonbuccsbass Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 I've always taught matched to my high school kiddies, less one indoor season on traditional. The learning curve was simply too steep for the snare drummers. I love the look of traditional though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGarrett Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 And I second Geno's Frank Arsenault motion - a grip that flips off the judge with every release. ^OO^ b**bs Ha- Haaaa! ::searching through all pictures in my archive to find an example of this ... starting with Bridgemen...:: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxDrumCorpsFanxX Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Unprofessional? I dont think so. If it is i guess i better start teaching my bass, tenor and pit ensembles to play traditional grip.Stick to the Oboe brother. Tony couldn't have said it better! :) but heres part of a quote from the lot patrol interview with murray... "I don't really consider the grip issue to be paramount to a drumline's success eventhough I think many people thought that last year's SCV line suffered due to the grip change" and then there was another question about grip and heres another part of his answer.... "It's OK to be different. The reason most drum corps lines play traditional is because THEY prefer to play tradidional. Pleople like the grip...it's cool. It looks cool and feels go to play. What looks even cooler to me is seeing a group of drummers that really know how to play a drum, no matter what grip they use." and then he laughed about how his decision to go matched made an uproar... go see the whole interview here.... http://www.lotpatrol.com/interviews/gusseck.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlamMan Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 The Snare Drum is meant to be played with the traditional grip. There is a completely different feel & mindset playing tradish -vs- matched grip. I played matched one season and absolutly hated it. So did most of the other guys in the line. And... DO NOT tilt snare drums...it completely ruins the look of the line. And and...play with reasonable stick heights...at least below chin level! And and and...DO NOT move your head all over the place like a bobble head doll while playing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickCogley Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Whatever, it's kind of a religious war. When I marched, in the early 80s, there were some really good matched lines out there. I sandwiched a year of traditional between a few years of matched, and there were definite differences in what you could do in terms of both drumming and visuals. Some difference in feeling and the physical aspect. Either way, a good line is a good line. I am sure there are plenty of matched players out there that can kick some butt... Actually, with my decrepit chops these days, it's easier to get various rudiments clean with traditional. My left hand is just too weak to play good matched grip, I'm embarrassed to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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