How to Hold a Drumstick Traditional

Most people hold drumsticks match grip, but playing a marching snare drum is better done holding traditional since the snare drum is tilted.

Steps

  1. Image titled Hold a Drumstick Traditional Step 1
    1
    Hold a drumstick in your right hand like you would match grip. Your thumb on the left side and your other fingers wrapped around the stick.
  2. Image titled Hold a Drumstick Traditional Step 2
    2
    Open your left hand, palm up. Put the back end of the stick between your middle and ring fingers.
    Advertisement
  3. Image titled Hold a Drumstick Traditional Step 3
    3
    Slide the stick into the "L" shape that is made between your thumb and pointer finger.
  4. Image titled Hold a Drumstick Traditional Step 4
    4
    Close your hand, not very tightly. Put your middle finger about 1/3 of the way down the stick, and your pointer about a centimeter and a half behind it. Your ring and pinky fingers should be underneath the stick, with your pinky under your ring finger.
    5. Advertisement

Community Q&A

  • Question
    Is it still traditional if I flip it?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    The traditional hold was often used in war by drummer boys. They would keep it uniform by using a normal matched grip on the right side and traditional on the left. However, it is still traditional if you switch it so that it fits your dominant hand.
Advertisement

Things You'll Need

  • Hands
  • Two drumsticks

You Might Also Like

How to
Play Drums
Play the Drums Like a Pro
How to
Play the Drums Like a Pro
How to
Double Kick Fast on Drums
How to
Hold a Drumstick
Make a Homemade Drum
How to
Make a Homemade Drum
How to
Play Tabla
Make a PVC Pipe Drum
How to
Make a PVC Pipe Drum
Amplify Electric Drums
How to
Amplify Electric Drums
Build an Eight Tone Drum
How to
Build an Eight Tone Drum
How to
Twirl a Drumstick
Play the Bongos
How to
Play the Bongos
Play a Kick Drum
How to
Play a Kick Drum
Make a Drum Kit
How to
Make a Drum Kit
Make Your Own Drum Practice Pad
How to
Make Your Own Drum Practice Pad
Advertisement

References

  1. Thanks to Uryah for taking the photos for this article. They came from Commons, here.

About This Article

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 114,419 times.
119 votes - 65%
Co-authors: 26
Updated: July 1, 2021
Views: 114,419
Categories: Drums
Advertisement