Pipe Band Drummers--

[TheOfficialBren]

Hello! I primarily play modern rock music but I dabble in Celtic music occasionally.

I am curious as to why drummers in pipe bands often use a shorter stick than other marching drummers? I gave noticed this about various drumlines withpipe bands.

When I marched with a snare drum my go-to stick was the Ralph Hardiman Jr. Signature by Vic Firth, a smaller diameter marching stick. What kind of sticks do you guys use?

On drumkit I usually use 5A or 5B wood tips, occasionally 2B or 7A or (rarely) nylon tips, all depending on the application.

Thanks very much, drummers.

[Nick the DSM]

They're going to be much thicker and longer than the 5A or most drum kit sticks. Some are over 16" long and at .700 diameter. The pipe band snares that I know use Jim Kilpatrick sticks, which are bigger than drum kit sticks.

[TheOfficialBren]

Oh! I see. I was approached to do a marching gig with a pipe band some time back. They made it abundantly clear that they use a stick that is about 14 3/4 inches long-shorter than a drumkit stick, much shorter than the sticks I was using for drumline at the time.

Perhaps it is an ensemble-to-ensemble decision?

.7 diameter is HUGE!!! That is really unusually large for a performance stick--even for marching. We used sticks called "Bully's" for our warmups. They were about that size. You have to be careful with bulky and dense sticks so as not to develop neurological problems. Technique is key but stick weight, density, a nd length matter, too. Not to mention the drumheads. Drumkits use mylar plastic...marching snare drums use Kevlar. Vastly different tention (like a wooden countertop) with the Kevlar heads.

Thank you for the heads up, Nick. I really appreciate it, man. Sorry so long-winded. I love a good drumming conversation.

:-)

[Nick the DSM]

Oh! I see. I was approached to do a marching gig with a pipe band some time back. They made it abundantly clear that they use a stick that is about 14 3/4 inches long-shorter than a drumkit stick, much shorter than the sticks I was using for drumline at the time.

Perhaps it is an ensemble-to-ensemble decision?

.7 diameter is HUGE!!! That is really unusually large for a performance stick--even for marching. We used sticks called "Bully's" for our warmups. They were about that size. You have to be careful with bulky and dense sticks so as not to develop neurological problems. Technique is key but stick weight, density, a nd length matter, too. Not to mention the drumheads. Drumkits use mylar plastic...marching snare drums use Kevlar. Vastly different tention (like a wooden countertop) with the Kevlar heads.

Thank you for the heads up, Nick. I really appreciate it, man. Sorry so long-winded. I love a good drumming conversation.

:-)

No worries. I checked a catalog and marching sticks are commonly bigger than regular drum kit sticks. Usually at 17" and .7 dia.

The playing I believe is different with the bulky sticks, using more rebound than wrist to compensate.

No apologizes, I like talking drums too!

[OC Richard]

Here's our local top drum section... the sticks look pretty long. What band did you march with?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHf9W...=results_video

and here's the man back in his prime

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPmhr_0vykA

and here's the sticks he sells

http://www.jimkilpatrick.co.uk/onlin...turesticks.htm

[Chas]

And here was me thinking that drumsticks were - just drumsticks. Who knew that there was so much technology or choice involved.

Regards

Chas

[Nick the DSM]

Well, I went to pipe band practice last week and I asked one of the snares to let me see his sticks. I was wrong, they are a bit shorter than kit sticks, but they ARE much thicker. The shortness allows for finesse and ease of rolls and rudiments. Hope it helps more.

[plaid preacher]

I'm with Chas. I thought the size of the drumstick was directly proportional to the size of the turkey.

[TheOfficialBren]

Thank you, all, for your insight. I marched with my high school drumline for a few years. I started playing drumkit after that. Then, when I was about 18 I entertained the idea of marching with a local pipe band but decided to pursue rock music instead. Iremember bringing my Vic Firth Ralph Hardiman signature series sticks (the standard by which all marching sticks are measured) and the drumline leader showed me their sticks...shorter and fatter.

Back to the leading question...am I to assume that it boils down to player-preference versus uniformity of the ensemble, like any other drumline?

[unixken]

Technique is key but stick weight, density, and length matter, too.

That's what she said.