March Piccture Challenge - calling all musicians!

**Nick the DSM** · 15th March 12, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by Ryan Ross

Nick, three things-

Upper left picture is awesome, not that the upper right one isn't good too; lower pic w/pants is disturbing.

I completely didn't see that hair coming!

And finally, again in regards to the upper left pic: Thumb forward right hand grip- Good man!

But if you knew how many times I've threatened to cut off a student's little finger if they couldn't keep it on the stick, you'd never converse with me again! LOL

EDIT: Are you a twin?

The long hair is what most people know me by.

Hahahaaa, atleast the pants are bellbottoms!

Correct posture on the stick helps so much when playing. Been working on traditional grip for about a week now.

as for the last question...

**Ryan Ross** · 16th March 12, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by Nick the DSM

The long hair is what most people know me by.

Hahahaaa, atleast the pants are bellbottoms!

Correct posture on the stick helps so much when playing. Been working on traditional grip for about a week now.

as for the last question...

And yes, the bellbottoms are a redeeming quality... I think I'll have my hands on a pair of 1970s vintage bellbottoms, for use in next year's halloween costume (and just possibly in civilian life, thereafter). Greatly looking forward to that.

I've been playing traditional grip for about 13 years... section leader in my highschool days and whatnot... teaching after that... the most important tip I can give you there is to MAKE SURE YOU REST THE STICK ON THE CUTICLE OF YOUR LEFT RING FINGER, and not further down the finger. That, and drive the bus mainly with your wrist rotation and your index finger (thumb secondarily). Traditional grip is a thing VERY close to my heart.

If you ever want to talk the finer points, don't be slow to shoot me a PM.

**SlackerDrummer** · 16th March 12, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Ryan Ross

I've been playing traditional grip for about 13 years... section leader in my highschool days and whatnot... teaching after that... the most important tip I can give you there is to MAKE SURE YOU REST THE STICK ON THE CUTICLE OF YOUR LEFT RING FINGER, and not further down the finger. That, and drive the bus mainly with your wrist rotation and your index finger (thumb secondarily). Traditional grip is a thing VERY close to my heart.

If you ever want to talk the finer points, don't be slow to shoot me a PM.

Ryan's giving good advice if you want to play American rudimental drumming. If you ever want to play Scottish, you'll have to relearn everything. Placement is more or less the same, but little to no wrist action; and you could lose your index and middle fingers and still play. It's all about the thumb and you can get some real power behind it. And speed. Can't touch it. Conservation of energy, baby!

Of course, other than for aesthetics I can't see any reason not to play kit with matched grip. Unless you're going to set it up like they did in the 1930s with lower cymbals and higher, more level drums, you're going to hit everything from a more consistent angle (better for them) with matched grip.

Sorry to digress.

**Nick the DSM** · 16th March 12, 10:21 AM

Thank you, guys. I've been needing tips on that.

**Ryan Ross** · 16th March 12, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by SlackerDrummer

Ryan's giving good advice if you want to play American rudimental drumming. If you ever want to play Scottish, you'll have to relearn everything. Placement is more or less the same, but little to no wrist action; and you could lose your index and middle fingers and still play. It's all about the thumb and you can get some real power behind it. And speed. Can't touch it. Conservation of energy, baby!

I've talked with Scottish style drummers many times. Even played with them. From all I've ever heard of Scottish snare, your technique description is, of course, very good.

That said, they are two very different styles, and Scottish drumming is much more closed down... more bounce, less stroke. I've yet to find a purely Scottish style drummer that could really articulate a shirley murphy, for example. Scottish drumming seems to require rebound from the head at all times, where most of traditional rudimental drumming should be able to be "stroked" using the fingers, meaning that you could even articulate your notes on a soft surface (like your leg, for example). Also, the same low-end velosity and control is impossible with the Scottish method, for the same reason.

Really though, the two are such different animals that there's not much point in comparing them. Both are awesome in their own ways... I just knew a Scottish style drummer would come along and add to this digression.

Of course, other than for aesthetics I can't see any reason not to play kit with matched grip. Unless you're going to set it up like they did in the 1930s with lower cymbals and higher, more level drums, you're going to hit everything from a more consistent angle (better for them) with matched grip.

That's a fact, and actually something I meant to mention earlier. There's no point to using traditional grip, if you're not marching, and it's actually very inconvenient. When marching in the old days, the snare was on a sling, and traditional grip was a necessity. Aside from aesthetics, it still has an advantage in modern marching, as it allows one arm to be tucked in, meaning that you take up less space on the field... but at the end of the day, it also takes much more skill to learn, which is why some high school drumlines still march matched grip. I can't play matched very well anymore, but I can still churn out eggbeaters and flam 5s all day long, with traditional grip. So now, when I do play set, I HAVE to play traditional.