How to Play Drums With the German Grip

When the drum sets were developed with stands that allowed angles of the drums, traditional holds for the sticks were no longer mandatory and drummers developed the matched grip. When you play drums and use the German grip, one of the matched grips, you use it mostly for times you play a lot of high hat, snare and right cymbal. The grip also lends itself to the tom.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drum sticks

1. Find the center of gravity on the stick. You can lay the stick out on the table if you choose, with the point facing away from you, and lift it between two fingers until it balances.

2. Put the thumb on the center of gravity and the back of the fingers on the table. Allow the thumb to push the stick onto the first two fingers.

3. Close the fingers around the stick very loosely. The fingers should be wrapped around the stick and allow it to sit on the first bend of the finger. The second section on the first finger should be on one side of the stick and the thumb on the other side of the stick.

4. Keep the pressure on the stick with the thumb. When you play the drums, whether you use the German grip or another matched grip, make sure the pressure remains there.

5. Point the back of your hand upward when you play the drums with the German grip. This is one of the main differences between other matched grips. The finger action of the grip is not as great as either the American grip or the French grip.