Louis says:
...I use both grips because the trad grip looks cooler on some songs.  Using both grips allows me to rest different parts of my hand while playing.


That's it Louis....Amen  

Sheesh, I started tradition a couple years ago, and I'm just now becoming equal in both grips.  What's your trick!?  

I guess you're just an exception then.  It took me a smashed finger (courtesy of a truck door -- long story) and months of perseverance to even approach something that I would use in public.

If it's a choice of those two, I'd say it's God's gift! haha

I don't see how being proficient in match would help you with traditional, it's a totally different stroke, and a totally different set of muscles.

Hippie, I agree with you on Art Verdi doing something musical but you have to admit his videos of his left finger control, artverdi.com, can be very helpful in this thread.

Trad grip is for snobs if you ask me.  No offense, but I have an allergic reaction when I see guys playing it- usually I can't hear what they are doing anyways.

Go ahead and work on your trad grip for dainty needle work and brush painting ...I'll be working on my dbl bass groupings in an attempt to move some air.

I know that this is an age-old debate and the right answer is -- whatever works best for you.

But I can't resist adding just a few quick personal observations:

I was taught exclusively with traditional grip and it served me well in high school concert bands, jazz ensembles, and jazz fusion bands through college.  There are definitely subtleties with traditional grip that fit with jazz.

Over the past year I've been working hard to develop my matched grip technique.  Why?  Well part of it is that I became really impressed, actually amazed, with Carter Beauford's technique.  Specifically I was blown away by his ambidexterity.  He's always playing "open" (no crossed arms) with a left hand ride when warranted and a right hand ride when needed.  I just seems so smooth and efficient.  

So, I started experimenting with left hand ride and hi-hat patterns.  I could do this with traditional grip (Stewart Copeland does) but it just seems awkward to be up on the ride with an open left hand.

The other application where I enjoy traditional grip more is playing various percussion that I've mounted above my hi-hat.  I have a cow bell, wood block and tambourine that I use for accents and I like playing them left handed rather than taking my right hand away from the steady ride or back beat on the snare.

Some of this still feels a bit forced, but worth it and I'm enjoying it.  If nothing more it's just making me think differently.

And it's always nice to drop back down to traditional grip for lots of ghost notes and faster snare work.

I'm far from an expert, but it seems that if you can get some experience and comfort with both techniques, then you'll have more fun and at least feel more flexible in the long run.

By the way, I think the same applies for the heel-up or toe-down debate for bass drum technique.  A diversity of skills is good.

Enjoy!

Rusty

Well, I use both grips and enjoy both.  Yes, I've spent a lot of time working on both (more on traditional) and see the logic behind the redundancy factor, but a similar argument (not specifically the redundancy part) can be used when choosing to do anything (what other activity could I be doing?).  If it pays off, great, if it doesn't you now know not to pursue it anymore and the mental burden of wondering 'what if' is now removed.  For instance, what if you did focus 100% of your studies with matched grip.  Somewhere along the way, you witnessed some great drummers using traditional so you started wondering what it would be like to use traditional.  You decide to stick with the logic of not wasting time on the redundancy of learning a second grip and move on.  The years go by and you keep wondering about traditional every time you see it.  Twenty years later, you're still wondering.  Maybe you could have decided to 'waste the time' to study traditional grip a bit just to put an end to the wondering.  How much is the 'wondering part/what if part' worth compared to some (wasted) time spent on something?  I say 'waste' the time.  Nothing kills me more than constant wondering.  This is purely a personal decision, though.  Sometimes wondering is not a big deal to some people.  I actually wish I was more like that!    

I guess the point to my opinion is that if you WANT to learn something (there is an interest), go ahead and learn.  Only that person knows what they're interested in and what they want to do.  Time wasted is all relative to how they view it, not anyone else.

In fact, I think I just wasted time putting this post together as I believe I've just restated others' thoughts from previous posts/threads.....    

If the fiteen year old, inexperienced drummer may way in here...

I've been using traditional grip ever since I started and have never found something that somebody else of about the same skill and age could do much better than me. Infact I've been laughed and scorned when I pick up the sticks and sit down with them in my grip, only to leave people agaped at my ability to match older more experienced drummers.
I accredit this to the fact that traditional form is just faster and has better control, and is easier to keep up. I play with more emphasis on my left hand, but it can last a lot longer than my right. I can also play just as loud and heavy as a lot of the metal drummers I've been listeing to.
Maybe he just wants to learn it for the HECKUVIT.
I've noticed he hasn't wieghed in for a little bit. We don't know his circumstances so maybe he feels confident with other areas and wants to have a second grip. Or he just wants to be able to say he can. Nothing wrong with having two grips.
I've been trying to learn matched alittle bit but i don't have an instructer to learn from so its mostly what I see other guys doing. when I do play it my arm feels akward, i don't know how to angle my wrist, I can't get the accents and continuing loudness, or cresendos, I loose a lot with grace notes, and it seems way to sluggish.
basically he just wants to learn a new grip to see if it works better for him, that why I started dabbeling with matched.

BTW FSK,I've found that rasing the throne to full height is good so that you set farely well above your drums helps at first, and tilit the drums a little bit to make it seem sort of flat helps me. but keep your cymbal placement how they are. I've found a lot of people complain about getting cymbals and use it as an excuse to not learn the grip cause they can;t hit them hard enough. The best way is to just reach out more horzantly and let gravity help you, but you still have to force downward yourself. And go for the left side of the cymbal when your crashing, you get a more natural hit from your sticks.
Experiment for your self with different methods. I didn't really start exploring these methods until a year or two ago and it already is second nature for me to flick out and nab a crash or splash or what ever is near there with out looking at my hands, but you might want to be paying attention to them at first.

Of course I'm not really that good, or have a lot of expereince but thats sorta how I did it.