Since picking up Jojo Mayer's incredible Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer DVD, I've become obsessed with investigating and incorporating the Gladstone technique, which employs a very loose grip and a middle-finger fulcrum (as opposed to a index-finger-and-thumb fulcrum) to allow maximum stick rebound and resonance.  It's pretty hard to argue against the merits of this approach.  I've become so obsessed that I find myself flipping through new and old copies of drum magazines to see if photos of drummers' hands show the tell-tale sign that they use a Gladstone fulcrum: the index finger nearly detached from the stick and almost pointing downward, or in a loose curled position but not wrapped around the stick.  Is this the "secret weapon Jojo is referring to?  Is this the rarely discussed key to speed, endurance, and, ultimately, musicality on the drum set? 

I was most curious to find out if my favorite drummer, Neil Peart, used this technique, so I popped in a recent Rush live DVD.  There it was: that detached index finger and what appeared to be a Gladstone grip propelling those brutally tiring (at least for me) sixteenth-notes on the hi-hats through Tom Sawyer and plenty of other tunes.

Man, it is hard for me to get used to this grip, as I have been using a index-finger-and-thumb fulcrum for over 25 years.  But I keep plugging away because I know I'll be rewarded with a new level of endurance, which will allow me to focus on making music and not so much on how tired my hands and arms are!

To satisfy my own curiosity, I'd really like to know how common this grip is among forum members.  Do you use the Gladstone grip (or something like it) as your primary grip?  For the most part, is your stick rebounding freely off your middle finger when you play?

Is this what you're referring to?

I guess I use that grip unconsciously, but that's not how I play "legit" snare drum or classical percussion.

I have no idea what fulcrum I use, but I can assure it is not Billy Gladstone's 

Thanks!  Playing with Kevin is great.  He's an incredibly talented and prolific songwriter, and he's also hilarious!  For someone like me who was raised on punk rock, it's really great to be playing with someone who made such an impact on that scene.

I've been struggling with the Gladstone grip for a short while. For most applications, it's been working wonders for me. However, when it comes to quiet playing (particularly ghost notes, it is much more difficult. It DOES really clear up ghost strokes, especially fast diddles... but it's really taking a lot of work.

I've been incorporating this fulcrum(middle finger/thumb) into my playing for the last year. I've gained some speed, especially at higher volumes.

I am also working on other hand techniques that use different fulcrums. I rented JoJo Mayer's DVD from Netflix and started getting into some of the things he's doing.

Now when I say "getting into" - I mean I'm practicing them. I've started to form a new overarching concept about both foot and hand technique. The quick summary is that all of these methods and techniques such as Moeller, valving, Gladstone, etc for hands and heel-toe , heel down, Steve Smith stuff for feet should be given attention. They eventually coalesce into an organic reality of how you play. I know some players are always gong to be heel down or up and some players will always use French grip or traditional. I'm trying to spend time in different areas, especially with my feet right now, in hopes of all of these specific approaches coming together and complimenting each other.

I started thinking about this when I noticed that even though I tend to play heel up most of the time, when I practiced heel down, my general bass drum playing became more fluid. Same thing could be said for practicing with bounce or no bounce on hands stuff. Both approaches figure into the the big picture so I go for both.

There is the danger of dilution due to constriction of time for practcing.So far I haven't encountered that (although I never feel I have enough time to practice). I do believe at pne point I'll have to  spend more time on one area or the other to nail certain aspects.

My .02

Jim

I highly recommend Jojo's DVD.

BTW:  Jojo says that with proper technique you won't have calluses -- and your heads won't get dented up, and you'll break far fewer sticks (at least this has been his experience).

When I went to the master class tigerbill put on a couple of springs ago he said it was harder for older drummers to incorporate the gladstone technique; old bad habits die hard I guess.  Compared to Tiger Bill or Jo JO I have terrible hand technique but compared to most players it's ok.  I know what I should do but I don't!

I personally don't think about how I play other than I throw the stick down and it bounces back up.  Sometimes I have to pull the stick with my fingers.  Sometimes I whip the stick and sometimes I play with my fingers and sometimes wrists. Whatever, for me it boils down to, the more I play the easier it is for me to play.

I really don't want to have too pretty or jazzy of a technique.  It's not something I want to spend alot of time on.  As long as I can play without breaking a sweat and looking good that's cool.

Judging by my callouses, I use my forefinger and thumb...but I now may have to start tinkering with that...Bob

Holy mother, Bill's hands are insane. There's some video on his site of him doing ungodly fast strokes in one hand that to this day are mind-blowing.

I've been trying to adopt Gladstone since I got back into playing this summer -- but as you said, old habits die hard. However, I'm noticing I don't have the endurance I want and get hand pain if I'm doing prolonged uptempo stuff, especially in my right hand -- to the point that it's definitely becoming an issue in my playing.

Maybe over the next few weeks I'll get to finally spend some quality time with Jojo, Bill, Joe and Danny (and maybe Steve while I'm at it) and drill this stuff into muscle memory with stone killers and whatnot.

Elements have snuck in finally but not the key ones.