Posts Tagged ‘Drum Articles’
Types of Drumsticks
Traditional wooden sticks are the tool of choice for most drummers, and are available in many varieties depending on the player’s preference. One of the most important factors in choosing a drumstick is the size; sticks can have different lengths and weights. The ‘5A’ stick is the most common, and should be used if you are a new player. Other stick sizes include the heavier ‘5B’, and the lighter ‘7A’. The other key element to creating a drumstick is the choice of wood. Hickory is the standard wood used in a stick, while Oak is usually more expensive but more durable. Beware of Maple sticks, as although cheap they can break easily and do not offer the same quality of sound as more expensive woods.
Conventional drumsticks are also available with nylon-tips, which protect the stick from damage when striking cymbals and drums, as well as increasing the brightness of cymbals when struck. In addition, some players prefer to use sticks which are created out of plastic, acrylic, or even aluminium, as they can produce an alternative sound which may suit a specific style of music better.
Brushes are a staple of jazz music, and are used to the present day to obtain a specific sound and style of playing. The brushes are used to create unique patterns on the snare drum in a circular motion, and because of their light weight they can be used to play much more quietly and delicately on cymbals. Because of the low volume of traditional jazz and blues music, the quiet nature of wire or nylon brushes are very useful, but they do not suit playing heavier styles of music. To simulate the effect of brushes at an even lower volume, some players use their bare hands on the drum kit.
Although primarily a percussionist’s tool, mallets can be used with the drum kit to create special effects. This can include complex cymbal crescendos, and the use of large/deep toms to create timpani-style sounds and textures. Mallets do not suit conventional playing styles, and those who use them for this purpose often end up breaking them.
‘Rods’ (also known as ‘hot-rods’) are somewhere in-between sticks and brushes, as they are of similar size to a wooden drumstick, but are comprised of approximately a dozen thin wooden rods bundled together. This gives them a unique bouncy feel as rods are not a solid object, which can make playing very fast difficult. Furthermore, when playing vigorously the small plastic holder that keeps the rods together can fly off. The advantage to using rods is that they are much quieter than normal sticks, making them especially useful for gigs when you need to keep it down. They are available everywhere through many manufacturers, including Pro-Mark who produce several versions of rods, such as the louder ‘Thunder Rods’ and the quieter ‘Cool Rods’.
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