How to hold drumsticks: matched grip for beginners

Almost every school band teaches matched grip: both hands hold the sticks the same way. A good grip is relaxed, lets the stick bounce, and keeps your hands from getting tired. Here's how to set it up and the habits to watch for.

Finding the fulcrum

The fulcrum is the spot where the stick pivots in your hand. It's between your thumb and the first or second joint of your index finger, about one-third of the way up from the end of the stick.

• Hold the stick loosely between your thumb and index finger only, and let it bounce on a pad.
• Slide your fingers up and down the stick until it bounces the most freely. That's your fulcrum.
• Your thumb should be flat along the side of the stick, not on top of it.

The back fingers

Your middle, ring, and little fingers wrap around the stick loosely. They stay in contact with it, but they don't squeeze. Think of them as guiding the stick, not holding it. There should be a little space inside your palm.

Which way your palms face

Hold your hands with the palms mostly down, turned slightly toward each other, as if you rested them flat on a table and then rolled them in a little. This is often called American grip. You'll hear about German and French grips later, especially on timpani.

Letting the stick rebound

A good stroke is a throw, not a push. Drop the stick toward the pad with your wrist, and let it bounce back up to where it started. If you hold the stick down on the pad after you hit, the sound is choked and your hand works twice as hard.

• Start with the stick tip a few inches above the pad.
• Throw it down with a relaxed wrist, and let the rebound carry it back up.
• Both sticks should come back to the same height.

Common grip mistakes

• Squeezing. A tight grip kills the bounce and tires your hand. Hold just firmly enough not to drop the stick.
• Index finger on top. Pointing your index finger along the top of the stick makes it hard to bounce. Wrap it around.
• Flying pinky. If your little finger lifts off the stick, your back fingers aren't helping guide it.
• Elbows out. Let your arms hang naturally at your sides with the elbows relaxed.
• Sticks too far apart or crossed. The tips should be close together, with the sticks making about a 90° angle.

Practice

• Play eight strokes on each hand, slowly, letting each one rebound to the same height.
• Check your grip in a mirror or film yourself with your phone camera. Both hands should look the same.
• Play slow single strokes (R L R L) with a metronome, staying relaxed the whole time.

When your grip feels relaxed, start learning rudiments. See drum rudiments for beginners, then tap them along with a click in Percussion Trainer.