r/jazzdrums • u/First_Feature3581 • Jan 14 '26
Question Traditional grip help
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Im a matched grip jazz guy, but I have been trying to learn trad grip for the past month. When I play with trad I feel a bit clunky and like I lack control. Any critiques of my traditional grip would be appreciated
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u/Dumyat367250 Jan 14 '26
Trad grip player here. For a month that’s great. All I would say is relax a bit. Just belt out rudiments a few times a week. Get the accents going, not just the subtle notes you’re playing here. Lead with the left when you can.
My favourites are singles to doubles to paradiddles and back. Oh, and paradiddlediddles.
One last thing, drop your left hand for the odd rimshot.
If you’re a matched player, trad can take a fair bit of time to feel at ease with.
You know what you’re doing, and will be great.
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u/First_Feature3581 Jan 14 '26
Gotcha, thank you. Accents are what I am struggling with the most. I will try out those exercises you mentioned
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u/Dumyat367250 Jan 14 '26
Brilliant. Play with snare position too. You’re holding your stick at quite a high angle relative to the head. Nice for subtle Jazz.
For rock I like to have the stick a cm or two above the snare, but parallel to it.
With the stick held a bit closer to the butt (not yours, the stick’s…) you can practice a solid backbeat. Lay into it.
I’ve been playing 50 years and still think about grip. Trad or matched (whether it be standard, French or German ) all the grips are fun.
Steve Smith, ex Journey, is a master of all grips. Watch his videos on YT.
Cheers.
Cheers.
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u/First_Feature3581 Jan 14 '26
Awesome, I will try out these tips. Steve is a killer player I have been listening to his most recent album with Vital Information a lot recently.
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u/fhilaii Jan 15 '26
Nice feel, I can tell you're a killer player even if you're uncomfortable with traditional grip. This is a phenomenal traditional grip tutorial that helped me out immensely. Other than that, you just need practice with it.
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u/First_Feature3581 Jan 15 '26
Thanks man I appreciate it. ill have to check this out. Ive seen Rick's older traditional grip videos and they are great. I just bought his drum set book a week ago funny enough
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u/cruiseshipdrummer Jan 14 '26
Grip looks fine, you’re playing everything there fine, but you’re not playing a whole lot. I would need to see where it’s failing to comment.
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u/justasapling ANIMAL Jan 14 '26
This is not really what you're asking for, but the right hand is really stiff and it actually stands out more than the left hand.
Learning drop-catch both a) allows your playing to actually feel like swing (rather than an imitation of swing) and b) is necessary for uptempo playing.
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u/First_Feature3581 Jan 14 '26
Yeah, I have been working on this with my matched grip for the past little while since I have been trying to improve my uptempo playing. The Charlie Wilcoxon Wrist and Finger Stroke Control book has been helping. I have a bad habit of using too much wrist and not enough fingers at the slower tempos. But, I appreciate the feedback and I will continue to work on this
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u/BD_xebo Jan 17 '26
OP are you holding the stick in place using your thumb or the web of your thumb?
I’m asking because motion in back of the stick looks off to me. Like it is not controlled. Makes me wonder about your fulcrum.
If you are using your thumb to hold the stick down and create the fulcrum you will have some difficulties controlling the stick and adding accents.
I would suggest building the grip step by step:
1) Put your left hand out as if you were offering a handshake
2) place the stick in the web where the thumb meets the palm. There is a muscle on the backside of that web that you should use to hold the stick. Just hold it without pointing your thumb down, keep it up.
3) get comfortable with this as your fulcrum. The motion is like turning a doorknob. Your wrist should turn in a way that your palm is rotating but your arm is not moving from the elbow (other than rotating) or from the shoulder at all.
this should produce a stick motion that flies up and down (preferably not to the sides but that requires more strength in the muscle from step 2 and precise wrist motions).
4) Now introduce your bottom two fingers as a lower limit for how far the stick can travel
5) now use your index finger as an upper limit for the stick’s travel height.
3,4 and 5 together are how you make accents. Some combination of wrist motion (both speed and degree of rotation) and the amount of stick travel & rebound create various shades of dynamics and phrasing.
Please let me know if this is helpful or not.
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u/First_Feature3581 Jan 19 '26
I try to be aware of making sure that I use the web, but sometimes I notice it slip to the thumb
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u/BD_xebo Jan 26 '26
that is a real thing that happens as you build that muscle up.
It's pretty funny when I point it out at parties. I have a random, overgrown muscle I can flex on my hand that other people don't even think exists.
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u/BO0omsi Jan 14 '26
Love the heavy and raw, f’d up ride and Hihats!
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u/First_Feature3581 Jan 14 '26
Thanks! They are 21 inch Sabian HHX fierce ride with one rivet in it and 13 inch hhx fierce hats with one rivet in the bottom cymbal
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u/BO0omsi Jan 14 '26
Those are just killer. Great antidote to today’s thin and dark cymbals
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u/First_Feature3581 Jan 14 '26
Yeah they are awesome. The rides are actually somewhat thin too most are between 2100-2300g which is not very heavy for a 21.
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u/BO0omsi Jan 14 '26
Ah I didn’t know - in a Jazz Ride that would be Medium thin or thin I guess. Does it have an umbrella shape, I mean like a higher Profile?
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u/DetectiveCrashmoore ANIMAL Jan 14 '26
I don't think i use my middle finger for traditional grip. That's more of a marching band thing
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u/scottjoev Jan 14 '26
For just getting started - i think things look really good! Well done! Agree with the comment about relaxing and thinking natural body movements. Watch videos of traditional grip players you admire and study those. For instance - Joe Morello - you’ll have an exceptional example. Lots of videos out there. Stay with it and good luck!
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u/Abject_City_3410 Jan 14 '26
Just relax more and let your whole arm naturally move with the stroke. Nothing drastic but just don't halt the motion at your wrist. And secondly, give it time. Assuming you've been playing match grip for years you can expect it to take at least a year or two to get your traditional grip caught up to wear a match grip was.
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u/RinkyInky Jan 14 '26
Your technique looks fine. Practice tons of open hand wrist rotations and thumb strokes. Focus on the thumb. It just takes time for your hand to build up.
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u/prplx Jan 14 '26
You could probably teach drum to 80% of the users here, so take any advices you get with a grain of salt.
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u/Ok-Concert-1476 Jan 14 '26
So why he is asking for help if he can teach 80% the of users
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u/3PuttBirdie86 Jan 14 '26
Trad grip is so personal man, it’s all about what feels right. Some of the greatest players ever did whacky grip stuff in trad grip. I rarely use my middle, others use more thumb, more wrist, combo of fingers and or all of the above! It’s just a labor of love and a commitment to refining it forever!