How to Play Drums With the American Grip

When you're a beginner on drums, you need to learn various on-the-stick grips. You can use the traditional grip or the matched grip when you hold your sticks. There are three types of matched grips. The German grip uses mostly wrist, the French grip uses mostly fingers and the American grip is a combination of the first two.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drumsticks

1. Lay the stick in front of you on a table or a flat surface. Keep the tip of the stick pointing away from you and the shaft perpendicular to your body.

2. Find the center of gravity, or balance point, for the drumstick. When you're a beginner on the drums, the grip is an essential and the key is balance of the stick.

3. Roll the stick up over your fingers using your thumb and curl the fingers around the stick. Your thumb should be slightly to the side and the second joint of the first finger should be on the other side.

4. Keep your wrist positioned so that the stick is on the top and the inside of the wrist is in line with the stick.

5. Repeat the process with the other hand. The American grip is a matched grip where both hands are exactly the same. Remember that the pressure to hold the stick comes from the thumb and not the fist. You can't get any finger action if you have a tight fist.

6. Allow the stick to bounce slightly as the fingers open a little to use finger action. You also use the wrist in this beginner drum grip. The wrist, mostly used in the German grip for power, and the fingers, used in the French grip for finesse, used together make the American grip.