Traditional vs. Matched Grip and Stroke (updated April 2020)

Abstract

As a member of the Modern Drummer Magazine Education Team, I was asked to write an article back in 2012, responding to the question “Is traditional grip a useful technique that drum students should learn?”

Now, with an additional 8 years of research, observation, and teaching, here is an updated version of that article.

Let me first make a general statement and say that good drumming is much less about the specific technique you use and much more about how you use it. There are examples of great drummers, strong and countless opinions, and good technique on all positions of the stick grip and stroke discussion. Recently, Modern Drummer magazine did an informal study and estimated that there are currently 2.5 million Americans who have played drums in some fashion, which would mean that there are about 2.5 million large or slight variations of stick grip and stroke. Although there are some large categories that many of these would fit into, there are limitless variations, most all of which work pretty well. Why? Because there is more sensory and motor cortex area in the brain devoted to the fingers and hands than to any other area of the body so there are many ways to use your fingers, hands, and arms to achieve similar results - our hands are smarter than we think.

Full text

Podcast: Traditional, Matched, and Other Variations of Holding and Moving the
Sticks
© 2020, Marc Dicciani mdicciani@uarts.edu http://dicciani.com/
As a member of the Modern Drummer Magazine Education Team, I was asked to write
an article back in 2012, responding to the question “Is traditional grip a useful
technique that all drum students should learn?”
Now, with an additional 8 years of research, observation, and teaching, here is an
updated version of that article.
Let me first make a general statement and say that good drumming is much less about
the specific technique you use and much more about how you use it. There are
examples of great drummers, strong and countless opinions, and good technique on all
positions of the stick grip and stroke discussion. Recently, Modern Drummer magazine
did an informal study and estimated that there are currently 2.5 million Americans who
have played drums in some fashion, which would mean that there are about 2.5 million
large or slight variations of how drummers hold and move the sticks. Although there are
some large categories that many of these would fit into, there are limitless variations,
most all of which work pretty well. Why? Because there is more sensory and motor
cortex area in the brain devoted to the fingers and hands than to any other area of the
body so there are many ways to use your fingers, hands, and arms to achieve similar
results - our hands are smarter than we think.
Stick grip and stroke are not separate issues, but interconnected with one affecting the
other. Holding the sticks is much more than simply a binary choice of using traditional or
matched grip, and matched is not just a choice of French, German, American, Hinger,
and Amsterdam grips. By the way, these five grips were developed by timpanists for
playing the timpani, which differs greatly from the drumset in many respects.
The issue of technique and the mechanics of physical movement involve numerous
physiological, biomechanical, and neurological components of how our bodies and
nervous systems work and have evolved for centuries. Again, stick grip is not an isolated
issue. How you hold and move the sticks affects, and is affected by, countless other
factors all of which are a part of drumming technique. Here are just a few, but not all:
* finger, hand, wrist, and arm position and movement;
* stick angle placement in the fingers and hand;
* the fulcrum - what is it and where is it...the 1st finger and thumb, 2nd finger and
thumb, 1st and 2nd finger and thumb, back-of-hand, wrist, other;
* the point where the stick rests on the thumb (middle, tip, either side, or maybe it
doesn’t need to rest on the thumb at all?)
* if you are holding the stick between the thumb and 1st finger, is there a gap, or
no gap?
* the point where the stick rests opposite the thumb (the 1st finger? above,
below, or in the crease of the 1st knuckle, in the crease of the 2nd
knuckle, using both the 1st and 2nd finger?);
* the height and angle of the forearm relative to the upper arm, torso, and to the
drum;
* the position of the wrist and hand (flat hand facing down, sideways facing
towards the inside, somewhere in between those two?);

* wrist and forearm motion (wrist stroke only, wrist with residual or intentional
forearm motion?);
* upper arm involvement in the basic stroke and in movement between drums
and cymbals;
* 3rd and 4th finger positions and their role in the stroke;
* the degree of tension in the fingers, hand, wrist, forearm, and shoulder;
* the position and distance of the elbow relative to the torso;
* posture and preferred and optimal seat height and sitting distance and angle
from the snare and foot pedals
* and, of course, equipment and set-up - the sizes, heights, angles, and distance
of the drums and cymbals.
All aspects of technique and movement must consider and may vary depending on the
instrument(s) that you’ll be playing - timpani, concert snare, drum line, small jazz kit,
small electronic kit, large tour/clinic kit with triggers, and where all of the pieces of your
instrument are positioned. The type of music and volume that you’re playing is also a
consideration...Mike Portnoy, Tommy Aldridge, Cindy Blackman, Carter Beauford, Dave
Weckl, Matt Wilson, Steve Gadd, Sherrie Maricle, Tommy Igoe, Bobby Sanabria,
Questlove, Charlie Watts, Anika Nilles, and Gorden Campbell are all amazing drummers
whose techniques are different from each other but that perfectly match their drumming
style and goals. Together, my students and I analyze grip, stroke, and movement as
completely integrated items in an attempt to identify specific elements and variations that
work best for each individual.
In addition to holding the sticks, there are also some unique combinations of moving
them. For example, some drummers use traditional grip with an outside wrist turn
(somewhat similar to matched grip), while some use matched grip with a more traditional
inside turn of the hand and wrist. The effect of stick choice is also a factor (length,
diameter, and finish), and even the drummer’s age and physique, with traits such as
hand and finger size, length of forearms, upper arms, and legs, height, and body type all
contributing. Other factors include open-handed or crossed high hat playing, the
adjustment of stroke and hand and wrist position when playing the high hat and ride
cymbal, range of loudness/volume of playing, and, very importantly, the drummer’s
intent. !
When you think about all of these things, you realize there truly are unlimited variations,
which allow for room and flexibility for every drummer’s individualized choices and
personal tastes. The most efficient and effective grip and movement for each individual
wanting to play the drumset may be different and cannot be prescribed with a one-size-
fits-all solution, nor can they be gotten out of a book, or determined only by standing or
sitting in front of a drum pad, unless of course the goal is to only play the snare drum.
Although there is no singular right, or best, way to hold and move the sticks, there are
some general choices that are more efficient. There are ways that our fingers, wrists,
and arms move naturally, our muscles, tendons, and ligaments function optimally, which
used in tandem will result in more rapid skill development, better concentration on
musical playing, and a lowered risk of injury.
Whatever choices we make, we want our grip and stroke to be efficient, effective,
comfortable, and done in a way that will not limit our self-expression and creativity as a
drummer. We also want to take maximum advantage of the physics and sound qualities

of the drums, heads, cymbals, sticks, and their heights and angles, etc. This may all
sound very ‘technical’, and it is, and isn’t. We don’t want to try and rewrite decades or
centuries of science, genetics, physiology, kinesiology, and medicine, but instead use all
of this information to our advantage.
As anticipated, we can’t get very far into this conversation without bringing up the
‘elephant in the room’ - should the fact that you think of yourself as a right- or left-handed
individual even be a part of all of this. Decades of research by medical professionals,
neuroscientists, neurophysiologists, geneticists, and cognitive psychologists firmly point
to the answer as being ‘no’. The drumset should not be cast as a right- or left-handed
instrument. Performers at the highest levels demonstrate equal facility with each hand,
regardless of specific grip or drumming and musical role that hand plays. Just watch any
of the aforementioned drummers and try to identify which hand is ‘weaker’. Your
preferred or dominant hand for writing, throwing a ball, or using a toothbrush should not
be considered when making choices about how you play the drums, in the same way
that that hand preference or dominance is not for violinists, pianists, saxophonists, pilots,
surgeons, astronauts, race car drivers, etc. As for fine motor skills, neurally, tactile acuity
varies between fingers, but not between hands, so the strength and coordination
potential of each hand is the same. All of the empirical evidence also dictates open-
handed playing for beginning students, not as a manufactured contrivance, but as the
next neurological, natural, and musical step forward. I’ll save an in-depth discussion
about handedness and brain laterality for a future article.
For millions of years, human bodies have evolved to move a certain way, and we, as
drummers, can utilize these to our great advantage. Although, you can teach your
hands, muscles, and tendons to move in some limited ways that are not the most
natural, it makes so much more sense to employ them to move normally, comfortably,
and safely to play the drumset. Again, though personal preference does play into this,
how we use our bodies is either helping or hindering our drumming development and
capability.
Accepting the fact that some ways of playing and moving are biomechanically better
than others, here is the one over-riding recommendation I make to all beginning
drummers and those who have compromised technique and facility on the drumset: use
matched grip. (Full disclosure: I began playing drums using traditional grip, but have long
since changed to matched grip for all of my playing.) Traditional grip can be mastered
and there are countless great examples of this, but it’s a much more difficult technique to
develop, with a higher risk of injury and possibly compromised movement.
When starting off playing with traditional grip, you may be handicapping yourself by
using a different stroke with your weaker hand than your dominant one (weaker only
because you may not use it as much in your life away from drumming). The weaker-
hand grip requires utilizing smaller less-used, and evolved muscles moving in ways that
they, and the tendons are not at their most efficient. In so doing, your weak arm might
never catch up to your physically more preferred/dominant arm that is using the stronger
more evolutionary developed muscles. With matched grip, you use the same strong
muscles and tendons in each arm, allowing your drumming skills to develop more rapidly
and evenly. Contemporary drumming, in all styles of music, requires bimanual facility.
When playing, our hands are coordinated but uncorrelated, meaning they share different
parts of the same or similar rhythms. Consequently, there’s no reason to learn a
completely different technique and muscular/neural movement for each hand.

I won’t try to change the grip of my students, but it is my responsibility to point out and
explain all of the issues related to choices about technique, including sensorimotor
movement, physics, and sound, in order that they become knowledgeable and capable
of making informed educated decisions for themselves. Instead of handing down
absolute edicts on technique, I prefer to help students think through issues in a more
examined and objective way. Sometimes I’ll ask a student why they’re using a specific
stroke or a particular technique and they’ll say something like “that’s how I learned”,
“that’s how it’s done”, or “that’s how (name of favorite drummer) does it.” These should
not be the primary reasons of how we choose to play.
Drumming can be a complicated and difficult skill to develop, especially to a professional
level, but also an incredibly satisfying and rewarding one at any level. The skill,
technique, dexterity, coordination, and musical mastery required to perform in most
settings today, exceed those that were required 50 or even 20 years ago. The musical
circumstances and equipment limitations that gave rise to choices about technique have
changed, and as the music and equipment has evolved, so should we, continuing to
grow and learn and improve our playing, learning, and teaching.
Finally, there are those whose perseverance, love of playing, and indomitable spirit
transcends all norms of technique. They are proof that desire and dedication are the
most important ingredients, and which technique you use is less important than how you
use it. Here are just three examples of drumming heroes whose determination, strength
of character, and great playing is inspirational:
* Daniel Potts, who doesn’t have arms and holds the sticks with his feet and plays
incredibly well;
* David Segal, was born with arthrogryposis, affecting the development of his hands,
legs, and feet, and required 20 surgeries. He has no right-hand wrist-flexion and a
virtually non-functional left hand. (David leads Can-Do Musos, Inc., an organization that
provides guidance and hope to all musicians with challenges);
* Ray Levier, a world-class jazz drummer who had to learn to hold the sticks without
most of his fingers after losing them in a fire;
* and the thousands of others who fight every day to overcome debilitating injuries, birth
defects, and other physical and emotional roadblocks in order to do what they love - play
drums.
In closing, technique and physical motor movement is a multi-dimensional, multi-variant
prospect, with a high degree of latitude for individual choice and preference, ideally after
full consideration of each choice and its consequences. Each choice we make produces
certain results, but there is no one-way to play.
Feel free to contact me with your thoughts - I’d love to hear from you. Good luck and
have fun!
!
Marc%Dicciani%is!a!University!Dean!at!the!University!of!the!Arts!in!Philadelphia,!a!
Professor!of!Drumset,!and!an!international!touring!artist!and!drum!clinician.!He!can!
be!reached!at!mdicciani@uarts.edu http://dicciani.com/ !