How to choose right Drumsticks

Drumsticks are like keys – without the right match, you’re not able to get home. Make sure you get it right. Having the right drumstick is very important when playing the drums. If your sticks are too heavy you could damage your wrists.

Six Steps to choose right Drumsticks

• Find a store with a good assortment of drumstick brands to choose from. Visit different stores . You can also buy drumsticks via internet, but you won’t be able to try them, so if you are buying your first sticks better go to shop.
• Have on your mind the type of music you play. Drumsticks come in many sizes – from light and thin to thick and heavy. Decide what size stick you want to use. For a beginning rock drummer, a 5A would be a good size to start with. For a jazz drummer, you might want to stick with a smaller 7A. Larger sticks 3A and lower should be used for concert or marching percussion playing only. If you’re playing heavy music then certainly a larger pair of sticks is called for but a too large pair, or too thin pair for other music makes rolling more difficult.
• Choose right material. Most drumsticks are made from hickory wood. Hickory is a dense wood and can absort a fair amount of shock which helps prevent the wrists from getting tired. Maple wood is a much lighter and less dense wood than hickory. Maple sticks will not last as long as hickory but the advantage is that you can have a much fatter stick without the weight of a hickory stick. Maple sticks are generally used for lighter music for example jazz. Oak is a very dense wood which is even more durable than hickory. The only downside is that it is heavier than hickory. *Carbon Fibre sticks* are up to 8 times more durable than wooden sticks. As odd as it may sound some sticks are made from *metal*! They have plastic sleeves and tips to prevent damaging drums heads and cymbals. They last much longer than wood sticks and they also have 50% less shock and vibration than wood sticks.
• A wooden acorn gives a warmer sound but they wear out quicker than *plastic tips* which produce a brighter sound. Shape of *tips* is also important. *Teardrop tips* give you rich, dark tones with focused lows. *Barrel tips* give you full punchy sound, they are great for louder volume situations. *Ball tips* produce clean, bright and articulate sound. *Acorn tips* give you fat and full sound. *Oval tips* produce broad, mid range sound due to tip length.
• Find a *brand of sticks* that you like the most. Some brands have softer handles while others have a rougher hickory for a firmer grip.
• Sometimes you must find a *matching pair*, because not all companies sell pairs of sticks together. So if you have to find right pair, strike the sticks down on a hard surface such as a countertop. When you find two that share the same-sounding pitch, purchase them.

If you are happy with the pair of sticks you bought, buy several pairs. Unfortunately, drumsticks break fairly often.