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Step 1
The type of drum sticks you need will depend on what kind of music you play. Rock and Roll drummers need medium to large sticks with some weight to them, and Marching Band drummers need even larger sticks that are on the heavy side also. Jazz drummers need small to medium sticks that are lighter, with sizes starting at 7A. Brushes work well for jazz and Hot Rods (made of small wooden bundles bound together with what is basically duct tape, and covered with wrapping) are great for acoustic rock, folk or jazz gigs. Rock drummers can go with a medium stick with sizes starting at 5A. Graphite or Aluminum sticks are great for building strength used with a practice pad (never use Aluminum or Graphite sticks on an actual drum head, the possibility for breakage is high). Low quality wooden sticks are fine for beginners, or for an extra pair if you play heavy music where drum head breakage might be a possibility. Top quality drum sticks are made from pure maple, birch and occasionally pine. Well known drummers have their own lines of sticks with the differences between their lines and regular sticks being weight placement (in the body or tip or back end of the stick), width and sometimes, tip material: plastic or wood, and how it's shaped. If you are in marching band or drum-line, those sticks are heavily weighted with sizes such as 2B, all the way to 5B's.
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Step 2
If you know what kind of sticks you need, ordering from websites such as Musician's Friend, Sam Ash or Guitar Center could be a way to go. If you don't, visit your local music store and ask for the drum section clerk. He or she will be able to help you determine what you need. If you want a custom made stick, look on the Internet or in the phone book for a drum shop, as opposed to one that is part of a bigger music store such as Sam Ash or Guitar Center. A smaller drum shop will give you the one on one attention needed to design a custom stick for you.
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Step 3
Once you figure out what kind of sticks, brushes or rods you need, buy one or two pairs and get to practicing.
