How to Hold Drum Sticks Properly in Traditional and Matched Grip
What is the proper way to hold different drum stick grips? Which should you choose, and how can you improve it?
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Beginner drummers often find themselves at a crossroads when it comes to choosing a drum stick grip and learning how to use it properly.
The two prominent grips, traditional grip and matched grip, have been used by drummers for generations, and both have advantages.
Choosing a drum stick grip is as fundamental as choosing the right drum sticks, and learning to master it is a vital part of your drumming journey.
In this article we look at the differences between traditional and matched grip techniques, and show how to play them correctly.
Ready to choose a new pair of drum sticks? Check out our guide to the best drumsticks for beginners, and our guide to products designed to improve your drum stick grip.
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How to Play Using Traditional Drum Stick Grip
What is Traditional Grip?
Traditional drum stick grip comes from early military drumming and marching band drumming.
It was originally designed for drummers to march while playing, and has evolved into something drummers in many genres use.
Is Traditional Grip the Same as ‘Jazz Grip’?
Traditional grip is sometimes called ‘jazz grip’.
Many jazz drummers use traditional grip, and it is more commonly found in jazz and marching styles, but that doesn’t mean it’s exclusively for jazz. Some rock drummers use traditional grip, but it is rarer in modern music.
How to Hold Drum Sticks in Traditional Grip
A man holding a drum stick in traditional grip with his left hand.
As you can see in the picture, the hallmark of traditional grip is the asymmetrical hand position: your left and right hands hold the sticks in different ways to each other.
Your Left Hand in Traditional Grip
Your left hand grips the drumstick underhand, with the palm facing upwards.
The stick rests in the gap between your thumb and forefinger, and is supported along your ring finger.
Your thumb and wrist do a lot of the work controlling the stick and stroke action.
Your Right Hand in Traditional Grip
Your right hand adopts a more conventional overhand grip.
The stick pivots between the flat of your thumb and forefinger or middle finger, being supported, and often tension applied by, the other fingers.
Traditional grip gives drummers excellent control and sensitivity in dynamics, particularly on snare drums.
How Long Do I need to Practice Traditional Grip For?
While there’s no specific number of hours, consistent practice is key to feeling comfortable in traditional or matched grip.
Practice rudiments, especially simple single strokes with different accents, every day for at least 30 minutes if you can. Techniques described in these books are great for training your hands in your chosen grip.
Using a Heavy Stick to Build Strength
Use a heavy stick to practice on a pad, such as a 3A to build up your strength, stamina and drum stick grip. I use the Vater 3A Fatback when I practice rudiments.
You should aim to feel like your arms, wrists and fingers are relaxed.
At first you will be tense as your body gets used to playing, but over time you will be able to relax which helps you to play faster, longer and more expressively.
You don’t necessarily need to be at a drum kit to practice your grip. Check out our guide to practicing without a kit.
When Should Drummers use Traditional Grip?
Traditional grip is naturally at home in genres like jazz, orchestral music, and rudimental drumming.
This is because it allows drummers to use intricate stickings, rolls, and rudiments fluidly and with finesse.
Many drummers also like how traditional grip looks, as it adds a touch of elegance and historical charm to their playing.
It is sometimes seen as a more delicate grip, allowing drummers to play lighter strokes.
But traditional grip doesn’t achieve power as easily as matched grip with your left hand.
Which Famous Drummers Use Traditional Grip?
Many famous drummers have played using traditional grip.
Many legendary jazz drummers have opted for traditional grip such as:
Buddy Rich
Elvin Jones
Max Roach
Art Blakey
Jimmy Cobb
And many others.
However some rock drummers also opt for traditional grip, although it is less common in modern music.
For example legendary rock drummers who have played in traditional grip include:
Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones
Mitch Mitchell of The Jimmy Hendrix Experience
Keith Carlock of Steely Dan
Stuart Copeland of The Police
How to Play Matched Grip
What is Matched Grip?
Matched grip is more common in modern music, and is probably the drum stick grip you have seen most drummers use.
Your left and right hand are in the same position, unlike traditional grip.
Why Did Matched Grip Start Being Used?
Matched grip emerged as the drum kit became the central focus of a drummer’s set up, rather than a marching snare set up.
As drummers explored new techniques and expanded their repertoire, matched grip gained popularity due to its simplicity, adaptability and ability to achieve power with a back beat: a key part of the rhythms of rock n roll and beyond.
How to Hold the Sticks in Matched Grip
A man holding a drum stick using French style matched grip with his left hand.
In matched grip, both hands hold the drumsticks the same way, with your palms facing downwards or inwards (German and French style respectively).
Matched grip uses a balanced and symmetrical hand position, which allows drummers to achieve consistent, even strokes, precise control and more power due to the force of all the fingers moving the stick along with the wrist and arms.
The stick is held between your thumb and index finger, which becomes the balance point or pivot, and your other fingers support the drum stick.
What is French grip?
French grip is a style of matched drum stick grip in which your hand faces inwards as if in a handshake position.
In French grip the drummer’s fingers do a lot of the work to manipulate and control the stick.
What is German Grip?
German grip is the other prominent style of matched grip.
Unlike French grip your hand faces downward towards the drum.
This means the two sticks make a ‘V’ shape when played together. The wrists do a lot of the work to move the stick here.
What is American Grip?
Many modern drummers use a grip that’s half way between French and German, sometimes called American grip, where the palms are at a roughly 45 degree angle.
When Should Drummers Use Matched Grip?
Matched grip has become the dominant technique in contemporary drumming styles such as rock, pop, and fusion.
Its even-handedness is great for powerful and consistent hits on a variety of drums, which is great when speed, endurance, and accuracy are important.
Many drummers find matched grip easier to pick up quickly, making it a good choice for beginners.
Comparing Traditional and Matched Grip
While both traditional and matched drum stick grip techniques have their merits, they differ in some important ways.
Here are the key things to think about:
Is Traditional or Matched Grip More Comfortable?
Traditional grip puts your left hand in a less conventional position, which can mean making adjustments and feeling unnatural at first.
This can potentially lead to hand fatigue if you’re playing for an extended period of time.
Matched grip can feel like a more natural and ergonomic hand position at the outset.
In both cases you’ll need to practice for it to feel natural. Try our guide to must have books for honing your technique.
Drummers find that with practice traditional grip feels fluid moving around the drum kit and making nuanced hits.
But it takes work!
I recommend practicing with a heavy stick such as a 3A to build strength and make lighter sticks feel very comfortable.
Read more in our guide to choosing drum sticks.
What Styles of Music Are Best Suited to Traditional or Matched Grip?
Traditional grip shines in genres that require nuanced dynamics, such as jazz and orchestral music, where the emphasis is on subtlety and expression.
Matched grip, with its balanced hand position, suits genres that demand power and consistency, such as rock and pop.
Drummers can be subtle with matched grip (see Mark Guiliana for example) or powerful with traditional grip (see Buddy Rich, Elvin Jones or Art Blakey), so which ever you choose practice the whole dynamic range holding the drum sticks using that drum stick grip.
Why Did People Start Using Traditional or Matched Grip in the First Place?
A soldier playing a snare drum using traditional grip
Traditional grip carries a rich history and tradition, deeply rooted in military and marching band drumming.
Its legacy connects drummers to their historical predecessors and pays homage to the origins of drumming as an art form.
Matched grip is a contemporary approach that embraces innovation and versatility and has adapted to the modern use of the drum kit.
Should You Choose Traditional or Matched Drum Stick Grip?
Ultimately, the choice between holding drum sticks in traditional grip and matched grip comes down to personal preference, musical context, and your desired playing style.
Each drum stick grip has advantages described above.
Whether you embrace the elegance and historical resonance of traditional grip or the balanced simplicity of matched grip, the drumming community benefits from the diverse techniques that drummers choose.
One thing is certain: both traditional and matched grip take time and practice to achieve consistency, speed, dynamic control and articulation.
Drummers have to train the relevant muscles to play effortlessly and feel relaxed.
Changing grip is no substitute for putting in the practice hours.
Choose a grip that best suits the music you want to play, and practice, practice, practice with a heavy stick to get it feeling smooth and easy.
How to Improve Your Drum Stick Grip and Technique
There are a number of ways you can improve how you hold drum sticks in your chosen drum stick grip.
Check out our guide to products designed to help improve your drum stick grip.
Using Drum Stick Grip Tape
In gigging and practicing situations you may benefit from innovations such as grip tape, that helps to hold on to the drum stick, or stop you from dropping it.
Improving Your Finger Strength
Overall improving drum stick grip is about improving your strength in your fingers.
I use an egg shaped finger strengthener like the one below, which is great because I can use these exercises while I’m doing other things like watching TV or cooking.
There are other types of finger strengtheners that you can also use to improve your drumming grip such as these:
Another technique for strengthening your grip is to practice rudiments (which you can even do without a drum kit), and practice manipulating the stick in the air one finger at a time as in the video below.
A key piece of advice here is to use a heavy stick to build strength such as the Vater 3A.
After using this other sticks will feel light and agile in your hands.
Try some of the quiet and drum-less practice techniques we’ve shared in this video:
Beginner and experienced drummers all need to work on technique constantly to maintain their ability as well as to improve.
One of the best ways to learn is self-guided, focussed practice.
We recommend using books such as these examples in our list of key technique books for jazz drummers: many of these books also apply to building your technique in any style.
Whether you want to play in traditional or matched grip these books will guide you through key ways to ensure you sound your best and can prop up a gigging band as a trustworthy drummer.
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