Buy The Right Drumsticks that will suit your drumming style!

Buying the right drumsticks for your drumming style or the type of music you play is more of a challenge than you might think.  If you want to become a great drummer you need buy the right pair of drumsticks.  Get the wrong ones and you may be on the road to tough times ... ok well not quite but you get the point.

Selecting the right drumstick for you..

Firstly, if you are a beginner playing on a beginners drum set don't just assume you should go for the cheapest sticks you can find.  Cheap can sometimes mean your drumsticks won't last long or may break easily when played with any power?  They may also not be completely straight which can effect your playing and technique.  Read the following to help you buy drumsticks ...

Elements of the drumsticks

Stick Elements - Taken From Drum Lessons Beginners free e-course. As you can see the above is self explanatory and should be easy to memorize.  The tip and shoulder are both used to create different tones / sounds of attack when striking a drum head.

Selecting the right drumstick size for you

I would suggest trying out the three most common drumstick sizes.

Which are ...

1. 7a - This drumstick is thinner and slightly smaller than the others. 7a's are perfect for jazz drumming and other styles of music that require a softer drumming approach.  7a will also be a good option for the younger drummers amongst us as they are not only smaller drumsticks but lighter to.
2. 5a - Probably the most common drumstick choice with comfortable stick size (medium diameter) and good strength.  5a's are common among rock drummers but can be used for almost any style of playing.  A great all round drumstick!
3. 2b + 5b - These drumsticks are larger in diameter and much stronger.  So you'll get a long lasting stick with a louder bang for you buck.  If your music is loud, punchy and in your face these might just be the ticket.  However if you have small hands they might not be your best option.

5a tends to be the most popular choice when drummers buy drumsticks.  This is not because I use them(!) but because they provide a good balance for all drumming styles and the drumsticks also tend to be the most comfortable size for most drummers.

Selecting the right drumstick wood for your playing style

Drumsticks are made from three main types of wood.  Buy the right wood and you greatly improve the sound and style of the music you play.

Typical wood used for drumsticks are ...

1. OAK - Creates a hard wearing but heavier stick.  As the wood is so dense you might feel every whack from that drumstick though.
2. MAPLE - A light wood makes for a flexible but strong drumstick.  Good energy response due to the drumstick having less density.
3. HICKORY - A very popular drumstick choice with good response medium flex.

Buy the right tip for your drumsticks

As a beginner selecting the right drumstick tip isn't essential to the making or breaking of you as a drummer,  there are a couple of points that you might be interested to learn though.  The tip really only matters once you start playing live and even more importantly when deciding what sound you want from your drums when you enter a recording studio.  However it is worth considering which type of drumstick tip you want and there are two man types.

1. WOODEN TIP - Great for all styles especially rock.  A wooden drumstick tip produces a warm but clear sound.  Wooden stick tips come in a variety of shapes from the round tip which has a sharp attack and bright tone to the oval tip which has a larger impact area producing a lower and warmer tone.  Oval tip are more durable than round tips.
2. NYLON TIPS - Good drumsticks for electric drum kits but equally good on acoustic drums especially cymbals.  They produce a bright clear tone ideal for getting that ride cymbal to cut through the music.  Nylon tips are hard wearing durable and do not chip.  They are a good choice if you are after a long lasting tip or one that will provide a consistent tone.

I hope you find the above information useful when considering which drumsticks to buy.  Remember the most important thing to do is try out different sticks to see which feels most comfortable for you and which drumsticks best suit your drumming style.  One point worth considering is that many drummer over time build a small collection of drumsticks to suit the different demands of drumming live or in the studio, so buying a few different pairs which a made with/of different materials can serve you well.

Now all that is left to do is learn the which are the most popular ... Drumstick Brands