Drummer Cafe Community Forum

Hello guys!!! I´ve to do a little clinic on "traditional grip" next week. 8) How do yo would approach it? . Any suggestions will be appreciated.

 8)

If it's a drumset clinic, demonstrate the benefits of traditional grip, as you see them, vs matched grip for different styles of playing.

Well, I'll approach it the way I was taught about a hundred years ago.   ::)  In your left hand keep moving the stick until you get a feel for a balance point with you hand straight and the thumb clamped against the stick. Then leave your top two fingers straight out and curl the bottom two under against your palm. Control the bounce with the curled fingers. The right hand is the matched stick way with knuckles pointed up. I hope this helps.....Tilting your snare like an old marching drum helps to get great rim shots and better feel with this style. The action is with the wrist more than the fingers. But after a while you'll get a feel for using both the wrist and the fingers. Strictly old school....A Haskel Harr book would help you. Your local library may have one.  ;)

Who is the clinic for?  Public school students?  Drummers at a local store?  Teachers?  Some combination of all of these?

Generally speaking, if I were to attend such a clinic (BTW, if it's open to the public, maybe you'd could mention the spec's here, perhaps some Cafe members could check it out?), I'd hope to hear the clinician address some of these issues:

• The history of the grip - how it came to be (drums on slings, etc.)
• How the mechanics differ from those of the matched grip
• The perceived benefits of using the grip; we don't carry drums on slings any more, so why do so many drummers still use it?
• applications of the grip on drum set (brushes, f.i.)
• Does the choice of trad' vs. matched grip affect how one sets up a snare drum or drum set?

Perhaps you could research some interviews, where well-known drummers discuss their opinions regarding the pro's and con's of the grip?

Playing demonstrations would be great, as well as suggestions for ways to develop traditional grip techniques.