drumming secrets

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Every time I play drums during rehearsals, recording sessions, concerts or teaching, I really enjoy playing the drums, and snare drum in particular. When I take a little moment and think of it, many times for me it has to do with he comfortable feeling of having the right piece of tools in your hands: the drum sticks.

But how do you know you’re using the right sticks for your personal way of playing? 

As I  have mentioned on this site before many times, every year again I feel fortunate to teach at the Rotterdam Conservatorium and meet young and extremely well talented drummers from all over Europe!

During 4 years my goal is to develop them into professional musicians with great skills, sound and mentality, far better than just good enough to survive in the music business of today. Because they aim for a high level, as a teacher/coach I have to aim high as well. I focus on every little detail to help them to develop as A-class Top Performers!  

However still, every now and then I get worried when I see that our students all use the same sticks, even if it doesn’t fit to their natural way of playing. Some drummers’ physical way of using techniques show me that they use sticks that shouldn’t be in their hands, not to speak of the sound that doesn’t come across when they perform. When I asks students politely why every one uses he same sticks, very often ‘copying behaviour’ is the case, next to the lack of money to try out what model sticks would fit the best! This bothers me a lot you know….. 

From when I was little (10 till 15 years old), my teacher told me to experiment as much as I wanted and as much as I could to change sticks as possible. In his words: “Never get used to one model when you’re young! In the end you will have had the opportunity to try out various models and brands and only then you can make you’re choice for the right sticks.” 

I remember I started with Premier E, followed by Pro Mark’s 7A, and after that Vanwood and Regaltip followed. When I started to use Pro Mark 5A, I must have been about 15 or 16 years old. I got really used to this model and played many studio gigs and concerts as a young professional. A few years later (when I got 18 years old) the local shop couldn’t supply me with Pro Mark but they offered me different brands. Of all the brands I choose “Hands Hickory” 5A, that felt comfortable and good to me. Later I learned from former Pro Mark CEO Maury Brochstein that “Hands Hickory 5A” was in fact a ‘B’ selection brand of Pro Mark!... Can you imagine how glad I was to hear that I had made the right choice just by feeling the stick in my hands and simply play with it! 

Today as a teacher I feel obliged to give my students a chance to try out different models of sticks of the brand Pro Mark. Simply because of my experience playing this top brand throughout the years, and also because their concept of constant quality improvement; it is really unbelievable how they managed to grow from a little brand to one of the world’s biggest drum stick company! I am so proud to be on their side from the first pair I bought when I was 15 years old, and now as a serious endorser for more than 18 years now (wow! Time goes really fast!) 

Anyway, I’ve just invested some money in buying an extra stick bag with different stick models that I will always bring to class, to clinics and tuning workshops! My students can simply ask if they can try them during class. This way they don’t have to invest any money in finding the right stick model  that would suit the best for their personal playing.

These are the models I took on board:

Marching models:

-SD1 Maple

-SD4 Maple

-SD9 Maple

-SD531W Maple

Drum set models:

-TXDC1W Hickory

-TX5AW Hickory

-TX5BW Hickory

-TXPCW Hickory

Of course I will always have the TX739JvE with me, which is the model that I have designed for Pro Mark many years ago.

So next time be wise….Don’t ever hesitate but simply ask me and try the feel of these sticks, ok? Never forget that the rule for finding the right drum stick is simple: there is no rule for the right stick! We are al different people with different needs…..but you need to try before you buy, ok?

Enjoy playing drums all the time!