The Pick-My-Sticks Challenge (moved from the Sticklers club)

[Julia]

So I’m doped up on decongestants for my allergies but I made it through a practice session.

My spousal unit chose the Promark Rebound 55A sticks, which is a bit spooky because I was just messaging about them here in another thread.  (Maybe my husband is actually a Shed member — posing as a Canadian woman? @chantale have I found you out? 😄 )

Reason for his choice:  He knows I haven’t played with them before on an actual kit.

My first reaction:  Dang it, untaped sticks again.

My second reaction:  These are big — .58” diameter.

Experience:

They sound very nice on my quiet cymbals.  

This is the biggest stick I have attempted to play with.  It’s a lot for my little left hand to get around in traditional grip, but I managed with a bit of adjustment of index and middle fingers.  Once I got used to them I played confidently with them; I think big sticks are not just for big hands, and I’m willing to try more of them.

No tape, no grip, but I wasn’t dropping them all over.  Maybe the size plus the finish made things better in that department.  They feel different from VF and Zildjian sticks.  Don’t get all smug on me now, I’m never giving up my stick tape…but now we know it’s possible for me to play comfortably without it.

Because I wasn’t playing much on the toms and there is a towel on my snare, I think I couldn’t appreciate the featured rebound.  But that’s what makes this challenge interesting for me — by the time these are picked for me again, I’ll likely be playing something else that will present a whole new challenge.

This makes me think of another challenge idea — generate a *rotation order* for your collection, and just follow the order.  No cheating!  The next pair is the next pair no matter what you’re playing. 

Edited March 28, 2022 by Julia
Grammar! English is hard, dang it.

[David]

8 hours ago, Julia said:

 I like that mallets made you play clean singles and move carefully, and the sound change is intriguing. Are we witnessing the beginning of the Mallet Band? 😉

If you have mallets try a floor tom and ride solo... it's just great... and tom rhythms just take on a new meaning.

7 hours ago, Cynthia said:

Lol...Be jealous no more, @Julia! Here's a link to your color-filled drum session: https://www.amazon.com/PAIR-ROCKSTIX-PRO-COLOUR-CHANGING/dp/B00IA04EPY

I'm kinda curious :)... Not something to try after a few drinks.. or is it. 🙂

[David]

15 hours ago, Cynthia said:

Lol...Be jealous no more, @Julia! Here's a link to your color-filled drum session: https://www.amazon.com/PAIR-ROCKSTIX-PRO-COLOUR-CHANGING/dp/B00IA04EPY

So... curiosity has got he better of me and I'm now watching something similar on ebay........ we are off the map now matey!

[Bob]

32 minutes ago, David said:

So... curiosity has got he better of me and I'm now watching something similar on ebay........ we are off the map now matey!

Why just colored sticks?

https://www.galaxydrumlights.com

[David]

48 minutes ago, Bob said:

Why just colored sticks?

https://www.galaxydrumlights.com

You are an evil man Bob!

[Robert]

This has been interesting the last couple days. 2 totally different pairs from what I'm used to. Interesting to see how my playing changes.

[Guest chantale]

I have several 5A and 5B, they've all been given to me, I also have a pair of VF rock, another VF metal and a Ralph Hardimon Signature (for marching drum, it was my boyfriend who found them....nice) and my 1A. Today, I did my practice with the 5a and I didn't find much difference except that I play a little less loud. Tomorrow I'm going to try the 5b, they have grip on them. My sticks are all hickory except those that are maple. Then I'll move on to rock on Wednesday, metal on Thursday and Ralph on Friday. Next week, I will find back my 1a. I have a pair with my pad and another with my kit I like my 1a and I'm not tempted to go buy myself more. The others are in my rack and take a bit of dust.

 

[Julia]

Today Hubzand chose the Zildjian 5A green dip maple.  I considered these my go-to sticks for a while, some time ago.   I can’t fully remember why…I could dig back in the forums to find out.  Certainly the grip appealed to me.

* I didn’t drop the sticks the whole time (what prize do I get? 😄 )  

* Were these really my go-to sticks for a while?  My tastes have changed.

 * The lightness makes me want to hit harder to compensate.  If I hit the cymbals harder for too long, it would probably eat all this grip off at the upper edge.  They’re ok for now, though.

*  I concentrated on dynamics more because of the urge to hit harder — good dynamics practice, and nice and quiet with my mesh heads and L80s.  I bet these are my neighbor’s favorite sticks 😄

* Thoughts during practice:  "Are maple sticks just for jazz?  How easy is it to break them when you play?  When I break my first stick while playing, I am going to throw a party.  All the Shed Heads are invited.  Ok focus on your practice."

Regarding the Pick-My-Sticks challenge itself, I have been putting aside the sticks I’ve used until they all are used, so they aren’t picked for consecutive sessions or too close together.  On the other hand…so what if they are?  Shouldn’t that just be part of the challenge? 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Julia

[Juan]

13 hours ago, Julia said:

Are maple sticks just for jazz?  

I believe they are better on the eKit too, a bit quieter on hard cymbals and less aggressive with mesh heads. I bought 7a and 5a together, but I use the 5as all the time, and I've noticed the tips have become significantly pointier from being sanded by the heads.

Edited April 1, 2022 by Juan

[Julia]

5 hours ago, Juan said:

I believe they are better on the eKit too, a bit quieter on hard cymbals and less aggressive with mesh heads. I bought 7a and 5a together, but I use the 5as all the time, and I've noticed the tips have become significantly pointier from being sanded by the heads.

That mesh must be different from what Silentstrokes are made of if they can sand your sticks.  I have a towel on my snare for sound so maybe this is why my stick tips aren’t being sanded. 

Your sanded sticks are another sign of your hard work, dedication, and discipline 😎 

 

[Juan]

27 minutes ago, Julia said:

That mesh must be different from what Silentstrokes are made of if they can sand your sticks.  I have a towel on my snare for sound so maybe this is why my stick tips aren’t being sanded. 

Your sanded sticks are another sign of your hard work, dedication, and discipline 😎 

 

You are the kindest and sweetest 😘 

Took me a while to find it, but I remembered a post by @Joerg with a picture of his e-kit mesh head sanded stick. Here it is:

 

 

[Julia]

@Juan Whoa, that is quite clearly sanded! I’m glad it seems to happen evenly around the tips.  How funny! 

[David]

I was playing Stagg fixed plastic brushes quite lot yesterday on track.  I've had these a while and never really used them but we had wanted something between brushes and sticks and these are exactly that... the track, which I will share once I get a draft, called for a kind of blues retro feeling.

I thought it would be easer to demonstrate in a video, too much to type 🙂

I'll be using these again 🙂

Edited April 2, 2022 by David

[Julia]

32 minutes ago, David said:

I was playing Stagg fixed plastic brushes quite lot yesterday on track.  I've had these a while and never really used them but we had wanted something between brushes and sticks and these are exactly that... the track, which I will share once I get a draft, called for a kind of blues retro feeling.

I thought it would be easer to demonstrate in a video, too much to type 🙂

I'll be using these again 🙂

Those look nice, they seem versatile. I was interested in trying hot rods for one specific song on my dream set list I want to play, but I have more skill building to do first (and I’m working on something else currently).

Brushes are technically in my collection here but I don’t think I could practice anything I need to practice with them. Good thing Mr. Julia hasn’t remembered to make me play with them 😄 

[David]

14 minutes ago, Julia said:

I was interested in trying hot rods for one specific song on my dream set list

I like hot rods, they are closer to sticks and great for lower volume gigs. I think these sit a little closer to brushes.

[Julia]

Yesterday's sticks pick:  A pair of ordinary Zildjian 5A hickory sticks that I had gotten free with a practice pad (I just wanted the practice pad but it wasn't sold separately).   The pad actually came with two pairs, but one of them is set aside and not part of this challenge.

Notes:

• It's getting warm out here in the desert, so my hands were a bit sweaty as I practiced.  Without the tape, the finish felt weird but I managed.
• They sound great on my cymbals, much more suitable than maple.
• They are slightly bigger than I feel is completely comfortable -- I notice them in my hands.  Less than ideal, but not completely uncomfortable.

I wasn't pushing for maximum BPMs during this practice - that may change things for me in terms of grip, comfort, and technique.  But they were ok and I wasn't whining for my go-tos as much as I have been.

Today's pick:  I was at Mom's Sound Studios (TM) today (the loud kit at my mother's house), and some different sticks are over there.  Husband picked my Vic Firth 8Ds. 

• I remember these being very buzzy on my Superpad and practice pad, but they were fine on the unmuffled kit (crappy factory heads which will someday be replaced when I pay off some bills).
• They fit my hands better than yesterday's sticks so they weren't as distracting.  This makes me think that the 5A could leave the collection and I would not be heartbroken.

General challenge notes: 

• I am much more adaptable than I used to be when it comes to the sticks I use.  However, that may change depending on future material I play, length of practice, and other conditions.
• I still vastly prefer taped/grip sticks, but I am not suffering profoundly without the tape/grip 😄  This is kind of a sub-goal of mine in this challenge.

[Guest chantale]

I practiced last Monday and I had a big rush at work, I was working 12 hours a day so I took my weekend off. Today I started again, one hour of technique, it was going well but when I started playing songs, for the other hour, my sticks were hitting together, I was doing rim shots on my floor tom, nothing was going well. I thought about lowering my floor a bit and I realized that I had kept the 5a of last week's practice.  I took my 1a back and no-more-stick-t-stick, no-more-rim-shot and the sound I love was back too....It's amazing the difference in sound....so for me that challenge ends there. My 1a's are A-one for me. But it made me realize how comfortable I am with it. 🙂

[Julia]

3 hours ago, chantale said:

I practiced last Monday and I had a big rush at work, I was working 12 hours a day so I took my weekend off. Today I started again, one hour of technique, it was going well but when I started playing songs, for the other hour, my sticks were hitting together, I was doing rim shots on my floor tom, nothing was going well. I thought about lowering my floor a bit and I realized that I had kept the 5a of last week's practice.  I took my 1a back and no-more-stick-t-stick, no-more-rim-shot and the sound I love was back too....It's amazing the difference in sound....so for me that challenge ends there. My 1a's are A-one for me. But it made me realize how comfortable I am with it. 🙂

“You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone…” 😎 

[Robert]

12 minutes ago, Julia said:

“You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone…” 😎 

Were you playing the drum part to that while singing it? 😎

[Julia]

So I've now gone through my entire collection and circled back to my go-to sticks...and it feels like putting on a cozy sweater on a cold winter day.  Or slipping into your comfiest shoes.  

After going through this challenge, I've concluded that it's a good thing to do periodically to keep me from becoming complacent with my technique.  I had lots of fun rediscovering sticks and seeing how far I've come since the last time I used a particular pair.  

My top picks from among my sticks:

1 - The go-to Zildjian 7a black dip grip:  Nooooothing compaaaaares 2 themmmmm...

2 - VF Jojo Mayer signature sticks:  The coating on them isn't meant for grip, but I maintain a good hold on them.  They have a unique balance, not to heavy but full of impact.  The biggest stick that is easy for me to use.  They are just good fun to bang around with.  

My stick fails:

1 - Zildjian 5a basic pair are nothing special so far.  I am about to take my purple electrical tape to them in a last-ditch effort to like them, but that may make them too big and not do much else for them.

2 - Promark MJZ-3 Maple Jazz Cafe  -- too slim and light, even taped.  The only way I may start to love them is if I get further into bossa nova and play on a small unmuted kit.  That's a someday thing.

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Julia

[Robert]

16 hours ago, Julia said:

a good thing to do periodically

I wasn't sure if this was an ongoing thing or not. I've been doing it since you started and it's very interesting to see how my practice is affected with the different sticks. I am not near as experienced as some, but I can say some days were better than others. I still love my ProMark Active Grip Sticks. I've only got the Mike Portnoy signature sticks since that was all that was available when I purchased my two pairs. I plan on trying others in the future. Either way, I do love the way these sticks feel in my hands and I've gotten very used to them.

My guess is, if I continued on with this challenge, I could get a better feel of what is my best option from the 1/2 dozen pairs I do have. Maybe I'll try again another day. I'll just have to see how my mood is tomorrow for practice.

[Julia]

It can be as ongoing as you would like. I planned to do it indefinitely (heh, can indefinite things be planned?) but ran into some issues:

1) Husband is not always available to pick sticks when I am ready to practice;

2) Some results are the same because lesson material hasn’t rotated yet;

3) I am tempted to buy a lot more sticks for experimental purposes 🤪 

I might rethink what I’m doing…weekly sticks, for example. Or have spousal unit choose an order of sticks to follow. Or start a lesson with a stick rotation. (As you can see it can be made as complicated or as simple as you like!) But I encourage you to keep going as long as you like and post your experiences. This thread can be ongoing. 

[Robert]

19 hours ago, Julia said:

Some results are the same because lesson material hasn’t rotated yet

This.

But, I agree. This is a great challenge to keep going indefinitely in which ever form is derived by the user. Love this idea.

[Julia]

10 hours ago, Robert said:

This.

But, I agree. This is a great challenge to keep going indefinitely in which ever form is derived by the user. Love this idea.

I am thinking a lot about how to keep it going while keeping it fresh. My husband commented that he had different reasons for choosing specific sticks for me, and they won’t be the same reasons every go-around…this could make things really interesting.  He’s kind of liking this role of stick-chooser — at first he was being a smart aleck (“Where are your taiko sticks?” 😂) but later he was putting thought into his choice. So I am going to start another go-around of the collection.

If new sticks happen to find their way into the rotation I’m totally blaming you all 😉 😝 

[Robert]

14 hours ago, Julia said:

I’m totally blaming you al

we can take the hit for ya.