Types of drumsticks. How to choose drum sticks Drum sticks at home
Exclusive items always arouse the admiration of others and the pride of the owner. If you are playing a drum kit, your own drums sticks will become your unique highlight.
Instructions
- Go to any music store and look at the drumsticks they sell. Pay attention to the markings. Numeric designation indicates thickness sticks, and the letter - about its purpose. If you are a beginner drummer, ask the seller for a stick marked 2B and note its diameter and weight. Models with this mark are intended for use in brass and symphony orchestras. They are very handy and popular with aspiring drummers developing technique and performance.
- Purchase a wooden block at the construction market. In principle, American walnut, maple or oak will do, but it is better to buy a maple bar. This wood is light and sticks of it are ideal for fast and quiet play. When you become a superstar or professional drumstick maker, do sticks exotic woods such as bubinga or rosewood.
- Think back to the 2B model you saw at the record store and cut sticks about the same length and thickness. To do this, make the bottom part sticks thickened - it will be a counterweight with an end sticks with a head. Opposite thin end sticksused to strike a drum is called "shoulder". The length and shape of this section will affect the sound. Cut the stick so that it gradually tapers towards the head. Then her sound will be more refined.
- Head sticks make it pointed (Pointed or triangle-tipped). This is the most popular option and guarantees a mid-focus sound.
- Process the cut sticks sanding paper to remove roughness and protect hands from possible splinters.
- If you want to hold more confidently and tighter sticks, buy special anti-slip tapes and wrap them around the bases of the sticks.
If you think that nothing but your headache will come from a baby drum, you are mistaken. There are many advantages to this craft. Even if you decided on it on the instructions of the teacher from kindergarten.
A do-it-yourself drum for kindergarten is often offered not to add worries to parents. Most likely, this is done for some kind of developmental activities or matinees, which in itself is a sacred thing.
Among other useful things, there is one, not entirely serious advice, but rather a joke. But as you know, there is some truth in every joke. See how else you can use a children's homemade drum, if you already decided to make it yourself.
Look around and you will find how many all kinds of used packages, cans and other things can be turned into a perfectly knocking drum. Even if you haven't stocked up anything for the craft, everything can be found in the house.
And there are benefits for your family and at home in this activity (or you can find it, if you wish). There would be a desire, but there will always be a reason ...
Why make a drum
For instance:
- Joint creativity, as you know, brings together.
- It's fun to make such a cool toy yourself.
- An excellent occasion for developing a sense of rhythm and training in coordination of movements. Try to march yourself and beat the drum, keeping the rhythm.
- An excuse to offer the child not only to beat with drumsticks, but to try to play a familiar song in rhythm.
- You can keep your child busy in the country with a homemade drum for a long time, which is also a plus.
- If you want to take revenge on noisy neighbors in a city apartment, a drum and a child are what you need (just kidding, but ...).
Do not forget to buy for yourself beads or a pair of headphones for each family member not participating in the retaliation action.
The simplest do-it-yourself drums
Coffee Tin Can
This DIY drum is the simplest craft of all that we will now offer you. Coffee tin can with plastic cover that's all it needs. To prevent the lid from slipping off every now and then - fix it on the film and, to be sure, put it on the glue.
The holes in the lid, which will be the striking surface, can not be perforated, that is, you can not make holes in it. The sound will be dull, but it will be. And our drum will not break through.
Make an experiment and see what sound the sticks make. You can use Chinese sushi sticks by wrapping (tightly) cotton balls around them. Well, you also have to take care of the string with which your proud drummer will hang the new toy around his neck.
At least for the baby's delicate neck, it is better to take a wide ribbon or a gas mother's scarf. Here you will have to show ingenuity: attract dad and tools or tie it with a cunning clasp knot around the can.
But this must be done so that the tape does not tear off the already not very firmly seated cover. Otherwise, you won't end up in tears.
Cool plastic bucket drum with lid
A very simple and most successful drum made of a plastic bucket with a lid. (For revenge on the neighbors, it's better not to invent it (again a joke ...). You can decorate or decorate it, as your imagination tells you. You need to take a bucket of the size or make several drums of different sizes to get a whole drum kit. The covers hold firmly and take care of the fact that she will not have to fly off.
We make sticks from scrap materials, pencils, felt-tip pens, and a design like the one in the photo will do. Even Mom's silicone grease pan brushes will sound interesting. Let your child try whatever he wants to sound. Don't nip the celebrity fantasies in the bud.
Hanging such a bucket drum around your neck is not easy, but very simple. Therefore, this homemade drum is number one in the line of do-it-yourself drums in terms of ease of performance, sound volume and time consumption.
Corrugated drum
You will have to sit over this drum and it is hardly suitable for a keen drummer. Something suggests that it will not serve for long. Rather decorative option (for show, so to speak), but has the right to life. The main thing is that it looks good and a drum for kindergarten will be made with your own hands. For check.
Step-by-step photos of a drum with your own hands from a can
Not the easiest way to make a drum with your own hands for kindergarten. But if you can find a film that is thick enough for the impact surface, or film that can withstand the tightest possible tension, your drum will be a drum craft winner.
DIY souvenir drum
For decorating the premises of kindergarten groups for New Year's parties, a paper drum is perfect. Often they ask you to do something New Year's for New Year's decoration with your own hands.
What do parents do most often? That's right, Christmas tree compositions with cones. Your decorative drum will stand out against the general background of New Year's crafts and educators will be sincerely grateful to you. Original jewelry always in short supply.
Drum made of paper, cotton swabs and gift paper with a printed or musical print
Such a paper drum will require tape rolls or paper towel cartridges. The size of the drum depends on the size of the cardboard cartridge. Twine, wire, beads, and even leftover threads from knitting will be useful.
You can make a very small paper drum and hand it into the paws of a teddy bear or dolls. Place it under the tree or hang on the branches as Christmas tree decorations. Can be used in garlands or as an element of a winter composition to decorate a room.
A do-it-yourself drum for kindergarten can be either real, fulfilling its musical functions, or symbolic. Listen to the request of the educators and specify for what purpose they are asked to make a drum with your own hands.
Where it will be used and what quality it should be. We have offered you options. Be daring and be sure to involve children in creativity. They remember such moments for the rest of their lives, in contrast to watching the next cartoons together.
Hello. I bought nylon drumsticks out of pure curiosity about what they are and what they are eaten with. Briefly: correspond to size 5A, slightly longer, while heavier than oak sticks, unpleasantly sag and spring when playing. Compared to wooden sticks, drums sound much quieter and more muffled, but cymbals sound even louder due to the heavier weight of nylon sticks. After each strike on the cymbal, there are decent dents on the chopsticks. Hardly suited for anything other than drum pad training
What drumsticks are made of. On sale there are both classic - wooden and nylon tips, and carbon, and hybrid, with replaceable arms and heads (Ahead). But somehow I hadn’t met nylon ones, so I wondered what kind of sticks they were, how they behave.
I ordered the cheapest option that I found on aliexpress, since I visually did not notice the difference with the more expensive ones. For about a month, a parcel went to me, without a track number, in a simple package, for which you don't even need to sign the mail. The packaging was simple, a bag and a couple of turns of a bubble wrap.
This is what these sticks look like:
Comparison with Vic Firth 5A maple sticks. As you can see, the nylon sticks are slightly longer, although the shoulders are very close in shape.
The head of the sticks is pointed, I would say, too pointed:
The handles of the sticks are corrugated, apparently so as not to slip out of the hands. But for me it would be better if they were smooth, with such a surface you can peel off the skin from your hands. If the wooden sticks are too smooth, I usually lightly process them in the grip with fine sandpaper, and they no longer slip. The corrugation is clearly overdone.
Now about the sensations when playing with these sticks, and about the sound. Sticks by weight are significantly heavier than wooden ones, even oak ones of the same dimension 5A. The effect of "gravity" when playing is also enhanced, since the sticks are more elastic than wooden ones, noticeably sag when swinging and spring when struck, perhaps even stronger than bamboo roots, such as in the review, and these are the most flexible routs that I have come across.
The sound of strikes on drums, in comparison with wooden sticks, is much quieter and more muffled, apparently precisely because of their elasticity. But the sound of hitting the cymbals is even louder than that of wooden sticks, as I understand it, due to the greater weight of nylon ones. Therefore, when they are played in the eyes, or rather, in the ears, a discrepancy between the volume of drums and cymbals rushes, the drums are too quiet, the cymbals are too loud. That is, you cannot play quietly, like ruts, or you need to additionally muffle the cymbals. Maybe these sticks are irreplaceable in some exotic style, where the cymbals should be much louder than the drums, but I don't know that.
Here is a short video showing the difference in sound between wood and nylon sticks. Unfortunately, it was done very spontaneously, without preparation, I did not think in advance what exactly to play, so that the difference in the sound of the sticks was the most noticeable. Therefore, the demo video turned out to be shorter than planned, but I am not able to shoot the second take in the near future.
In the video, I knocked, to put it mildly, not powerfully, since the installation is in a residential building, and I generally try not to play with sticks at home. With more dynamic play, the drums would sound deeper and fuller, the snare would have less crackling strings and more tom sound. But I think the difference between the sound of wooden and nylon sticks is understandable, although the difference is less pronounced in the recording. The sound was recorded on a Zoom H4n recorder mounted on a tripod near the drummer's head.
As I said, I do not see the use of these sticks in drumming, primarily due to the discrepancy between the volume of the cymbals and drums. It is quite possible to get used to the elasticity of these sticks, but artificially forcing the feed in the drums and holding back when playing the cymbals is too much. This, of course, is possible, but why?
The following photos show the dents formed on the shoulders of the sticks, after, one might say, a dozen seconds of playing when recording a video.
Even the most substandard wooden sticks become covered with similar dents during much more dynamic play. And with nylon, I just gently stroked the plates, and as a result, such dents. What would happen to them after an hour of playing in a heavy style, I'm even afraid to imagine, most likely they simply will not stand this hour. I don't want to stage such an experience, because I'm thinking of trying to use these sticks for training hands on a pad, they seem to me to be suitable for this.
To be honest, I am a little sorry for the money spent on these sticks, since most likely I will not find any use for them. I also regret that I did not buy sticks, for example, yellow or green color, it would be funny. It wouldn't change the essence, but they would be a little more beautiful.
Thanks for attention.
I plan to buy +2 Add to favourites Review liked +24 +36In today's post, we will go back a little to the basics of drumming and talk about their structure, features and recommendations for choosing.
It would seem that sticks are essentially just an insensitive extension of your hand, which transfers the energy of the swing to the drum head, but not so little depends on this wooden twig, because your overall sound, speed, and comfort when playing.
So, let's start our educational program:
STRUCTURE OF STICKS
Butt - stick balance area.
Body - the largest part of the stick, which serves as a grip and striking part when striking a rim-shot.
Shoulder- the stick area, often used for crash cymbals and kickbacks. Alternating hi-hat strikes with the tip of the stick and the shoulder on the hi-hat creates the basis for rhythm guidance.
Thinning - there is a shoulder shape. The length and thickness of the thinning affects the flexibility, sensitivity and sound of the stick. Poles with a short, thick thinning feel more stiff, provide greater durability, and produce a stronger sound than sticks with a long and narrow thinning, which tend to be more fragile and pliable, but sound more delicate.
Neck plays the role of the transition of the stick from the shoulder to the tip and allows you to identify the point of the beginning of the tip and the end of the shoulder of the stick. In this way she serves connecting link tip and shoulder. The shape of the neck is predetermined by the shape of the shoulder and tip.
Handpiecesdrumsticks come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The size of the head determines the intensity, volume and duration of the sound produced.
There are so many tip shapes that sometimes it is not an easy task to accurately group the sticks by tip type. In addition to variations in shape, handpieces can vary in length, size, workmanship, material. There are 8 main types of handpieces.
Style, scope -jazz, funk, fusion, blues, groove, swing, etc.
Features:It has a larger contact area with plastic than a round one, which spares the plastic and, as it were, "dulls" the errors of sound production. Creates a medium-bodied sound with a wider focus. Produces a less bright and accentuated cymbal sound than a round tip. Recommended for beginner drummers.
Style, scope -Perfect for studio work, playing in a symphony orchestra, as well as for playing light jazz, both with symmetrical stick grips and traditional ones.
Features:Focuses the sound (which is clearly visible when playing cymbals) and significantly reduces the change in sound when striking at different angles of the stick.
Suitable for bright playing and clear sounding.
The small round tip produces a highly focused sound and is especially delicate with cymbals. Sticks with a larger rounded part of such a tip produce a fuller sound.
Such a tip “does not tolerate” mistakes in sound production and is suitable for use by drummers with the right beat.
Style, scope -light rock, jazz, funk, fusion, blues, groove, etc.
Features:It has a larger contact area with plastic than a round one, which spares the plastic and, as it were, "dulls" the errors of sound production.
Creates a medium-bodied sound with a wider focus.
Produces a less bright and accentuated cymbal sound than a round tip.
Recommended for beginner drummers.
Style, scope -An excellent choice for drummers playing different styles - from rock and metal to jazz and pop music. Often used for styles such as: rock, rock'n'roll, hard rock smooth jazz, swing, ambient, easy listening, etc.
Features:Primarily designed for powerful, rhythmic and loud playing.
Due to the large area of \u200b\u200bcontact with the plastic, they emit a dull, muffled, open, diffused, not harsh sound.
Also suitable for soft, calm play. Produces a dull, medium sound attack.
Style, scope - trash metal, gothik metal, hard metal, rock, jazz, fusion, swing, etc. with a lot of down-hits on cymbals.
Features:Due to its rounded shape, it shows itself perfectly when playing fast speed metal. This tip is recommended for teaching primary hand positioning.
Great for alternating fast up-down and slow-motion playing with concentrated (directional) hits on both cymbals and drums for soft, focused sound reproduction.
Due to the "bulge" it allows you to control the sound and the area of \u200b\u200bcontact with the surface of the instruments in a very wide range, depending on the angle of inclination of the stick to the instrument surface.
This tip produces a full low sound, spreading energy over a wider area (compared to a round or triangular tip), thus extending the life of the plastics. A good choice for those who play hard. Produces a rich sound when played on cymbals.
Style, scope -rock, metal, pops, marsh, etc.
Features:Suitable for loud, heavily accentuated playing with powerful sound attack. Recommended for marching drums, for performances on large stages, in stadiums.
Style, scope -swing, jazz, blues, fusion, etc. Often the choice of jazz drummers. Lightweight and fast, this tip is the perfect choice for orchestra and jazz ensemble.
Features:Produces a full, high-pitched sound, diffuses energy over a narrower area; produces a rich cymbal sound, gives a focused sound attack.
Recommended for dull-sounding accents when played at a slow to medium tempo.
It has good rebound, designed for clear and sharp impacts.
Great for soft, accentuating sound, especially with an unconventional grip.
With a straight grip, ideal for dimming a ride cymbal with up-down kicks, such as swinging with a stick head.
Also recommended for heavy speed-metal and especially for training exercises.
Style, scope - rock, metal, pops, funk, swing, jungle, blues, etc.
Features:Produces a fairly bright, powerful sound on low attack. Shows a good degree of clarity and articulation when hitting a ride cymbal.
Good for sharp transitions from powerful loud playing to quiet, rhythmic dull pulsation.
Great for both traditional and parallel grip.
CHOICE OF STICKS
The choice of sticks depends on what kind of music (rock, jazz, metal, pops or classical) you play. The choice of material, size, shape and tip is mostly personal preference.
- The wand should feel comfortable in your hand and be suitable for producing the sound you want to achieve. For example, 7A sticks may be good for a small venue concert, but totally unsuitable for a street drum orchestra.
- Choose sticks that are comfortable for your hands and suit your playing style. Feel the sticks. Hold them in your hands.
- The stick should be sized to fit your hand, both in diameter and length (often the length of a suitable stick is determined by the distance from the inner bend point of the elbow to the tip of your ring finger). If the sticks sit comfortably in the palm of your hand, then you can get the sound you want from the drum.
- Try a few different models chopsticks for comparison before you decide to buy something specific. Once you have enough experience with drumming, you are likely to find a specific brand and ideal model that suits you best.
Factors needed when choosing sticks:
Wood species. From the right choice wood will depend on the sound and durability of the sticks. The texture of the tree should not be pronounced, otherwise such sticks will quickly break.
Wood structure (dense, soft); the wear of the sticks depends on it.
Hardness of wood - resistance of wood to change in shape (deformation), or destruction in the surface layer under force. Hardwood gives a brighter tone, more attack and spread, which many people like.
Density - the ratio of the mass of wood (the amount of woody substance) to its volume. Density is the most important indicator of strength: the heavier the wood, the more density and strength it has.
No two trees are the same, hence the density of the tree differs from log to log and even within the log itself. This explains why some sticks feel solid and powerful, while others feel hollow, even though they are the same make and model.
The density of wood also depends on its moisture content.
Treatment. There are sticks for finishing:
Sanded, without any cover. During the grinding process, significant irregularities are removed from the surface of the sticks with abrasive materials, usually emery. At the same time, the natural roughness of the wood texture is preserved, which contributes to a better grip between the hand and the stick, as well as the absorption of excess moisture. But at the same time, such sticks are more susceptible to destruction, unlike varnished ones.
Lacquered. Varnish transparent coatings protect wood from moisture and dust, give the surface a beautiful intense even shine, and the texture - contrast. Coating the sticks with varnish makes their surface more durable. Lacquered sticks look slightly worse than polished ones.
Polished. The highest class of finishing of sticks is polishing - smoothing of previously applied varnish layers and giving the wood a distinctly visible texture. When polishing, the surface of the sticks becomes durable, mirror-like and shiny by applying the thinnest layers of polish on it - an alcohol solution of vegetable resin.
Some drummers dislike lacquered and polished sticks, as they can slip out of sweaty hands when playing.
Wood moisture - the percentage of moisture in the wood.
As a rule, a newly felled tree contains up to 50% - 60% moisture, then it itself dries out by 12 - 16%, after which the moisture content of the wood stabilizes once and for all. That is why it is extremely important before the wood is put into processing, to subject it to artificial drying to the optimum moisture level. Typically, wood for the production of sticks is dried in the range of up to 6 - 14% moisture. On average, the entire drying process takes two weeks. But exact time holding and drying is not prescribed anywhere, and this is the secret of each manufacturer, who himself determines what degree of wood moisture he needs in order to process it on machines and obtain desired quality chopsticks.
At the exit from production for sticks, low humidity is required, since the tree "breathes", and the amount of moisture in it will constantly change depending on the humidity of the ambient air. Thus, the sticks will shrink and swell following changes in climate and humidity, but to what extent depends on how the wood was dried prior to production.
Poorly dried wood before processing will subsequently peel off, warp, shrink, dry out, crack, bend and deform.
Stick length. Longer sticks have more leverage and the advantage of better drum reach, but are more difficult to control. If you want more power with the same diameter, choosing a longer stick is a good solution.
Diameter. Larger diameter has more mass, which develops greater sound projection and loudness.
Stick weight. Weight affects sound, strength, and your ability to control sticks. In general, heavy sticks sound thicker and louder. If the sticks are lighter, they make a "thin" and soft sound.
Heavy sticks have more inertia, so their trajectories are more consistent and they “forgive” most mistakes, making them easier to handle for beginners. In addition, playing with heavier sticks develops the drummer's stamina regardless of his natural ability. So it's a good idea to have some extra heavier sticks in your arsenal to expand your sonic capabilities. You will notice that when you switch to lighter sticks, they are more difficult to control.
Evennessis an important indicator that contributes to an even feeling of the balance of the sticks. In the initial stages of stick production, the most important is to control the drying process of the blanks. But since wood is a living "breathing" material that absorbs moisture, the shape and size of the sticks will always depend on external conditions... Therefore, two sticks will never be perfectly straight.
Recoil absorption depends on the shape of the stick and the type of wood. The more the drumstick absorbs the recoil, the less stress in the hand and joints, and therefore easier to play.
The feeling of "balance" (center of gravity) and a comfortable grip depends on the type of wood, its drying, the shape of the stick and the structure of the drummer's hand.
MARKING
Traditional model numbering such as 3S, 2B, 5B, 5A, and 7A was the earliest common drumstick numbering, with a number and letter indicating the size of the stick and its purpose. The exact specification of each model varied slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer, especially where the wand tapers and the tip.
Digital position figuratively indicates the diameter (more precisely, the thickness) of the stick. Basically, a smaller number means a larger diameter, and a larger number means a smaller diameter. For example, a 7A stick is smaller in diameter than a 5A, which in turn is thinner than a 2B. The only exception is 3S, which is larger in diameter than 2B, despite the number.
Letter designations "S", "B" and "A" used to indicate the scope of a particular model, but today they have almost completely lost their meaning.
"S"meant "Street"... Initially, this model of sticks was intended for outdoor use: for playing in marching bands or drum bands, where a high power of blows and loudness of performance is expected; accordingly, the sticks of this group are the largest.
"B"- meant "Band"... They were originally intended for use in brass and symphony orchestras.
Have larger size shoulder and head (for louder playing) than model "A". Usually used in heavy, noisy music.
They are easier to control and are recommended for aspiring drummers. The Model 2B is especially recommended by drum instructors as the ideal starting sticks.
"A" comes from the word "Orchestra"... Due to the considerations of the legendary drummer and creator of percussion musical instruments, William Ludwig, instead of the letter "O", the letter "A" was used, which, when printed, in his opinion, looked better than "O".
The "A" models were originally intended for big bands; bands playing dance music.
Typically these sticks are thinner than the “B” models, have thinner necks and smaller heads, which makes it possible to produce a quiet and mellow sound. Typically, sticks of this model are used in light music such as jazz, blues, pops, etc.
Models "A" are the most popular among drummers.
"N" means "Nylon" and is a relatively new designation. It is added at the end of the marking (for example, "5A N") and indicates that the stick has a nylon tip.
STICK MATERIAL
All indicators of the physical and mechanical properties of wood are determined at a moisture content of 12%.
American walnut (Hickory)is the ideal wood for drum sticks. Durable, solid, well absorbs recoil upon impact, effectively dampens vibrations transmitted from impacts to hands. It has an average weight, little susceptibility to bending.
Density 815 kg / cubic meter,
Jank hardness - 1820
European Beechhas a straight fibrous wood structure, flexible.
The hardness and density of wood is different, depending on the place where the trees grow. Beech wood is similar to oak wood in its basic mechanical properties.
After drying, most of the properties of wood improve, and beech becomes stronger bending than oak, surpassing it in stiffness and shear resistance by about a quarter and even more in strength under impact loads.
Beech reacts quickly and strongly to changes in humidity, which is why it can be called "capricious" or "sensitive".
Density from 660 to 700 kg / m3
Yank hardness - 1300
Maple- the lightest and most flexible tree with a soft structure. Although maple is not as hard and durable as American walnut or oak, maple sticks are the ideal choice if you prefer light feel and quick response. Maple sticks are considered "obedient sticks" with excellent recoil absorption, are flexible and have good rebound, are used mainly for soft or fast play to get a light "air" sound - especially when playing cymbals.
Maple density 620 - 675 kg / m3
Yank hardness - 1450
Oak (Oak) is a very strong wood, weighs more than maple and walnut and is much more durable. Oak sticks are the heaviest, densest, strongest and have a tangible recoil. Oak is not often used for making sticks. Very moisture resistant wood.
Density from 675 to 970 kg / m3
Yank hardness - 1360
Hornbeam (Hornbeam) has an average density structure, good recoil absorption (average between walnut and maple), rather high wear resistance. The weight of the wood ranges from very light to medium-heavy. The flexibility of the hornbeam is slightly worse than that of beech and oak. Sticks made of it are resistant to shock loads. Like beech, it is afraid of moisture.
Density - 750 kg / cubic meter
Jank hardness - 1860
Pao rosa (Rosewood) - very strong, hard, but quite fragile wood. Sticks made from it are preferred because of their wonderful tonal color and feel, but they are not suitable for playing on iron.
Density from 709 to 780 kg / m3
Yank hardness - 2720
Other materials.In addition to wood, sticks are made of polyurethane, carbon fiber (Carbon) or aluminum. All of these sticks are extremely durable.
Recently, steel sticks for training are gaining popularity. Due to their heavy weight, they cannot be played on a drum kit, and they are only suitable for training and practicing technique. But not everyone agrees with him, adhering to the opinion: the hands will become stronger, but they will lose flexibility. In moderation and with the right approach, they can be useful, otherwise they can only harm, so you should deal with them with caution.
This article is devoted to a story about what there are, as well as what the marking of sticks means, and how to choose the right sticks for a particular installation. The type of drumstick you use will affect the sound, speed and overall playing comfort.
Drumsticks differ in head types (which, in turn, also differ in several parameters), material, field of application and thickness. Next, we'll look at each of these classifications.
Types of drum sticks by head type: shape and material of manufacture
It is customary to distinguish four main types: cylindrical, round, pointed and teardrop-shaped. The size and shape of the head determines the duration of the sound, its volume and intensity.
1) Barreltip heads give a diffuse and open sound due to the large area of \u200b\u200bcontact with the drum surface.
2) Round heads (Balltip) neutralize the differences in sound when striking at different angles and focus the sound, which is especially useful when playing cymbals.
3) Pointedortriangletip (Pointedortriangletip) produces a medium focus sound and is probably the most popular for this reason.
4) Teardroptip heads are similar in appearance to pointed ones. Due to the convex shape, they allow you to control the sound and the area of \u200b\u200bcontact with the plastic by changing the angle of the stick.
The heads can be made of wood or nylon. Nylon gives a clean, crisp sound and is almost indestructible. Of the minuses can be noted in their relatively high price. Wood gives a soft and warm sound; lack of wooden heads - grindability.
Types of drum sticks by material: which sticks are better - wooden or made of artificial materials?
The most popular woods for sticks are maple, oak and hickory (light walnut).
1) Maple sticks are lightweight and work well for the quiet and fast. They break and wear out rather quickly.
2) Hickory has a higher density than maple; hickory sticks are harder and more durable. They have the ability to damp vibrations that are transmitted to the hands when struck.
3) Oak sticks - the most durable of wood; they are the heaviest and densest. For the manufacture of sticks, oak is used relatively rarely.
Artificial materials for sticks are mainly aluminum and polyurethane. They are the most durable and often have the ability to replace individual parts.
Drum stick markings.
Sticks are marked with letters and numbers (2B, 5A, etc.), where the number indicates the thickness (moreover, the smaller the number indicated, the thicker the stick), and the letter indicates the area of \u200b\u200bapplication. Below is the most common marking scheme.
- The “A” models were intended for musicians playing big band dance music. They have relatively small heads and thin necks and allow for soft sound (suitable for blues and jazz). The "A" model is most popular among modern drummers.
- The Model B was originally intended for symphony and brass bands. They "sound" louder than "A" and are used in heavy music. They are also recommended for novice drummers.
- The "S" model was intended for marching city bands, where high impact force and loudness of performance are required. The "S" model sticks are the largest and are almost never used on drum kits.
- The letter "N" indicates that the wand has a nylon head. It is added at the end of the label (for example, "3B N").
As you can see, when choosing drum sticks, it is worth considering a large number of nuances. Now you know everything about the main types of drumsticks and can be guided by this knowledge. If you choose the sticks well, then your
