Pad Sticks

[DrumClinician10]

I'm looking to strengthen my hands and hand technique.

Does anybody know (besides Sam Ulano's metal sticks) any type of "bigger" sticks, like Pad Sticks?

[Vdrummer]

Vic Firth Dennis DeLucia's are the heaviest commonly available stick made. Easton also offers a weighted stick in a 5B-ish size. The DD's are about half the price though, and are more like the Mangini stick, only thicker and heavier.

[DrumClinician10]

Thanks for the quick response!

[Vdrummer]

Oh, I forgot to mention there are two versions of the Dennis DeLucia stick. The Lite one is, well, light in weight and color, the heavy model is a walnut brown, with stripes visible on its edge due to it's laminate construction. Another option are Diggit stick weights that will fit on any model stick, or even a bass drum beater - though I haven't tried them.

[Jean-Paul]

I know what your meaning is but I wouldn't recommend it, playing with heavy sticks to strenghten your hands. IMHO, take your normal sticks and practice focused on your rudiments. FE every individual exercise from a page from stick control. Then start reading and play the whole page of SC. Then the next page.

You train your hands and reading and I always considered, eh no, I am considering it as fun to do. I mainly concentrate on singles, doubles and the variations of the paradiddle and all the pages with exercises leading with the left. Just an idea.

And now I am playing it on top of ostinato's and divide the doubles of every exercise on tom and snare - snare and tom instead of only snare. I think it is more like a classical exercise to learn to hit the full stroke instead of bouncing the next stroke because I learned it that way from my classical teacher.

[Groovesmitty]

That is a good way to develop various forms of tendonitis.

I believe in the accents and rebounds Moeller method.

Why would you train your hands with heavier large sticks and then actually play music with normal sticks. Just pick the pair that best suites your hand and who's tip works best with your cymbals.

Also if I may ask. What is this fascination with the pad? The pad is not an instrument. If you have access to drums why play on a pad at all? What's the point other than for people who don't have access to their kits?
Are you going to gig on a pad? Record on pad?

This is beyond me. Someone explain if they can. I am saying it this way because I actually know teachers who divide up the lesson between drum kit and pad. Why not all drum kit and work rudiments on an actual snare? Very curious.

[drummin1]

PRO-MARK'S X-Beats are cool. They're a big marching stick with rubber tips so you can practice on any hard surface. They're a little expensive(like $16), but you're getting a pad and sticks together.

[Vdrummer]

Well Groovesmitty,

Different sticks work different muscle groups, as do different surfaces and force you to work your technique differently. This helps develop muscles, rather than just approaching your technical hand development with the same stick and surface, which will force your technical development to plateau sooner, hit a wall and stagnate. That's why body builders, athletes etc., vary their workouts. Your body will habituate to the demands made upon it and your progress will slow down.

Your assertion that heavy sticks cause tendonitis is false. Bad technique, genetics, playing tense and not warming up are more likely causes of tendonitis than simply playing with a heavy stick. Playing well, with good technique and using heavy sticks, pillows, pads, etc. will not necessarily cripple you.

The Moeller technique is only one of at least a half dozen ways to strike a drum, and is fine for singles, but is definitely not suitable for some purposes, especially those that require abrupt changes of speed or volume, complex rudiments, or even doubles.

Playing on a drum set, or electronic pads, a snare or practice pad can all have value to a drummer trying to develop their technique, muscle memory, coordination, etc. It does make sense to spend as much time as you can on a kit, but this isn't practical for some drummers. Practicing just on a snare to develop snare chops is okay for your hands, but very dangerous for your ears. Plus, since I was practicing Cheese Chu-chuttas and other hybrids last night at 2 am., I'm sure my sleeping girlfriend appreciated my using a quiet and soft pad over a snare.

Happy drumming all!

[Avi_drums]

I think Groovesmitty was referring to a 'classical technique' of using strength instead of rebound (sounds like a bad idea).

Playing with heavy sticks should not increase your risk of tendonitus if you have good technique (ie use rebound and swing).

[Groovesmitty]

No I meant accents and rebounds. Moeller. Allowing the stick to do all the work.
Good point about warming up. Although I can't see how constantly changing the weight of the stick from heavy to med/light can help develop muscle memory. If anything you're confusing your muscle memory. Right? I also wear ear plugs when I practice.

I still believe that drummers are the only instrumentalists who practice on something other than their instrument.
I did say in my post to mention a reason "OTHER" than practicality. I do understand how pads are convienient to those who do not have dumkit access at certain times etc. I also mentioned drummers who chose the pad when the drums are available. So you did not really address my question.
Why should a drummer practice on a variety of surfaces developing muscles for that surface when they will only be "performing" on a drumkit surface? Why not always practice on a drumkit? That was my question. You did say it was better. Obviously.
Does a bass player practice on something other than a bass?
I think my question is clearer now.
Other than convenience, why do we use the pad and different sticks. I'm beginning to believe it's psychological.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ August 11, 2005 08:21 PM: Message edited by: Groovesmitty ]</font>