For this grip (and the styles below), you’ll want your hands to be about an inch (2. 5cm) or two above the snare drum head (assuming that you’re playing at an ordinary drum set). However, if this isn’t comfortable for you, feel free to move your hands to a position that is.
Though all sticks will be weighted slightly differently, normally, the balance point will be about two-thirds of the way back from the stick tip.
You don’t need to apply much pressure with your thumb, — its job is to simply hold the stick in place and provide a little extra control when playing.
American grip isn’t the only kind of matched grip — below, you’ll learn several more which offer their own advantages and disadvantages.
American grip is highly versatile. Because it offers great control and respectable power while playing, it’s a viable choice for anything from swing and jazz drumming to rock and roll to funk and even classical music!
The German grip is all about power — you shouldn’t have a hard time producing loud, ringing hits with this grip, making it great for heavy rock drumming, marching band, and lively classical pieces. However, you may find it a little difficult to control your drumming during quick, intricate passages, making German grip less-suited for jazz drumming, technical rock drumming, and so on.
Your palms should be facing each other, but they shouldn’t necessarily be close to each other. Keep your hands as far apart as feels natural — for most people,this will be about a foot or so.
You don’t need to be strict about this — as you play, you should find that your elbows naturally find a comfortable “resting” position somewhere near your sides. You just want to avoid having your arms bend outward at the elbows, which can reduce your playing power.
Because you’re using your fingers to power your drum hits, French grip typically gives the drummer the ability to play with a little extra control and dexterity than wrist-oriented playing styles. This makes French grip a great choice for drumming that demands finesse, like jazz, technical rock, and certain types of technical “Drumline”-style pieces. However, because the fingers don’t have as much strength as the wrist, French grip can be a bad choice for the loud, powerful drumming demanded by hard rock, heavy metal, and so on.
Note — traditional grip was originally used by military drummers who found it difficult to drum with a matched grip while on the march. [6] X Research source To maintain uniformity, the left hand was generally used to hold the stick with an upward-facing grip regardless of which hand was the drummer’s dominant one. However, in a modern context, some left-handed drummers reverse the typical traditional grip and use their right hand as the upward-facing one.
When gripped properly, the pad of your thumb should be resting on the first knuckle of the index finger (or as near to it as possible) while the index finger should be curved over the top of the stick.
With your index, ring, and pinky fingers curved in somewhat and your middle finger extended, it may look like you’re “giving the bird”. Don’t worry! This is OK — in fact, it’s a sign of good form.
Traditional grips are often used in jazz drumming and marching band drumming. Because it can be tricky to get the same level of power in your off hand as you would with an overhand grip, this style isn’t always a good choice for the kind of loud, heavy drumming you might find in heavy metal, for instance.
