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

[David]

I'll be back on this now I'm on the mend.  I used to play everything with timbale sticks at one time, really liked that so I need to do a session with those.

[Julia]

On the mend?  I missed something -- I hope you're ok!  

Timbale sticks are so thin!  What did you like about playing with them?

9 hours ago, David said:

I'll be back on this now I'm on the mend.  I used to play everything with timbale sticks at one time, really liked that so I need to do a session with those.

 

[David]

3 hours ago, Julia said:

On the mend?  I missed something -- I hope you're ok!  

Timbale sticks are so thin!  What did you like about playing with them?

 

I've had COVID, stopped me playing/practicing for a couple of weeks. Still tired but managed to play for an hour on Wednesday so the gig tonight goes on. 

You can get different diameters, I'll share info in my post, I have a few sets.

[Julia]

19 hours ago, David said:

I've had COVID, stopped me playing/practicing for a couple of weeks. Still tired but managed to play for an hour on Wednesday so the gig tonight goes on. 

You can get different diameters, I'll share info in my post, I have a few sets.

Oh my goodness, I hope that it clears your system quickly and completely, and doesn’t leave any permanent damage.  I saw COVID mentioned as I scanned the unread posts, but wasn’t sure who the OP was.

 

[Julia]

So I just finished practice with the sticks I got for myself today — and yes that purchase is all the Shed Heads’ fault 😉

My dear stick-chooser spouse allowed me to play with them this time — nice of him not to make me cycle all the way through the rest of the collection again first 😄 

I haven’t played much with Vater sticks — we have a maple pair here — so I got their 7a Classics.  Boy, are these things slippery.  I don’t drop sticks as much as I used to, but these met with the floor a good couplefew times ('couplefew’ being a scientific term).  These are much more slippery than my untaped/undipped VFs and Zildjians. 

Other than that, I had a nice practice with them.  It seems like 7a-ish is my thing unless I want to play heavily (AC/DC, etc.). They sound nice on my L80 cymbals.  I may be imagining that they feel a bit light, probably due to the challenge rotation involving a number of heavier sticks.  Otherwise they felt fine during every part of the practice.  My belief is that the less you notice your sticks as you play, the more right for you they are.  These went unnoticed except for when they went clattering on the floor.

I’m not worried about the weight because these babies are gettin’ taped up.  These ultra-slick things will not be left as-is.  I might even go crazy and live life on the edge and double tape them with my purple electrical tape.

Edited April 16, 2022 by Julia

[Bob]

This Pick-My-Sticks challenge has been fun.  It has made me play sticks I probably would not have paid any attention to.  This challenge has also made me wonder what attribute a drumstick has that makes the most difference.  Material, length, weight, tip shape and size, taper, diameter and coating if applicable.

For me the weight of the stick is the most recognizable characteristic.  When I pick  up a new pair of drumsticks the first thing I will notice is how light or heavy they feel.  The diameter of the sick is a close second and I still haven't figured out which diameter I prefer.  Length is third and I have found I prefer 16.5 to 17 inch sticks.  Tip configuration comes next and it seems smaller tips are better for jazz and low volume scenarios while medium to large tips are ideal for rock.  The type of wood and how the wood surface is treated is not that important to me as I rough sand the part of the stick where my grip falls.

Right now I'm using Vic Firth Jack DeJohnette signature sticks.  They are basically 5a's but longer and have a slightly tacky white surface.  Along with my trusty AJ6's these are my go to sticks

[Julia]

1 hour ago, Bob said:

This Pick-My-Sticks challenge has been fun.  It has made me play sticks I probably would not have paid any attention to.  This challenge has also made me wonder what attribute a drumstick has that makes the most difference.  Material, length, weight, tip shape and size, taper, diameter and coating if applicable.

…

 The type of wood and how the wood surface is treated is not that important to me as I rough sand the part of the stick where my grip falls.

Right now I'm using Vic Firth Jack DeJohnette signature sticks.  They are basically 5a's but longer and have a slightly tacky white surface.  Along with my trusty AJ6's these are my go to sticks

@Bob Thank you for trying it out and participating. At the same time I’m having fun, I know I’m also pushing myself in a way that has subtle effects on my skill building, and I’m engaging my mind which helps me focus (ADHD queen that I am).

I want to clarify that I don’t look to the drumsticks to make or break my playing. I’m just curious and interested in stick dynamics.  There have been times as a new beginner where I overcame a hand technique hurdle by changing to a different kind of stick — it provided just enough of a nudge to cause things to click in my mind.  When you’re frustrated about something, that little nudge can be a big deal.

Plus stick collecting is cheaper than collecting cars or Ming vases 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

Keep posting your stick observations, I’m happy to hear them!

Editing to add:

I may try rough sanding, I have never tried that.  That would help avoid the change in stick balance that tape causes.

That white coating on your VF sticks is probably the same one on my VF Jojo Mayers.  I really like this coating, it helps grip and is slick-looking.  

Edited April 16, 2022 by Julia

[Julia]

Text conversation before today’s practice:

Me:  I’m practicing, which sticks?

Husband:  Blue [referring to the Promark Maple MJZ-3s taped in blue]

Me:  Reason?

Husband:  I was looking at something blue when you asked

So there it is, today’s PMSC (hah! great acronym), with a selector more fun than a randomizer but just as random 🙂

These are the ones I poo-poohed in my last challenge notes because they are so light and small, even though at one time this was exactly what I wanted.  Admittedly, that was before I had a kit and only had a practice pad.

Notes from this session:

* I just played everything lightly, or lightly-ish.  I dropped my expectations and did fine.  I’m still on the same lesson and practice material, but I was less uncomfortable because I resolved to just adapt and practice.

* These sticks are going to be phenomenal when I learn Bossa Nova.

* The kit I practiced on is muted so the sticks won’t perform to their fullest potential — the real judge is the unmuted kit at Mom Sound Studios(TM).  

This thought also came to me:  how do sticks exit a drummer’s life?  Are they all being broken?  Donated to a school?  I tried to sell a pair of my sticks to a local used book and musical instrument shop, but they wouldn’t accept them.  They said the only take new sticks.  I assumed that there must be some liability issue and my used sticks are like some dangerous ticking time bomb. 

Then I thought:  what do you do when your sticks break?  Toss them?  I am not as handy as rdavidr on YouTube with his woodshop experiments with sticks.  Should I make a Drumstick Graveyard?  Tape them to the wall like trophies?  

Do post your thoughts 🙂

[Hercules]

You create art with them. I have all my broken sticks in a vase and it looks like a decorative decision on my part .

[David]

 Paint stirrers, hole fillers and other projects. I have thrown them away but I have plans 🙂

[Julia]

Today’s stick:  Promark Forward Balance, .535” diameter.

Reason Mr. Selector gave:  it was the first stick he thought about when I asked (he was out of the house and not here to look at the collection).

As the name implies, these sticks are weighted towards the tip and they have a large teardrop tip.

I ended up doing work with a lot of ghost notes/unaccented notes.  If I were to choose sticks for this kind of work, the FB are the last stick I would choose - they make for very clunky ghost notes.

However, this is the perfect example of the usefulness of this challenge, because I had to really pay attention to touching lightly to make a distinction between the unaccented notes and accented ones.

These sticks will never be taped because that would throw off their purposeful forward weight balance.  They were manageable in my hands, though — a comfortable diameter.  Though 7a is a bit thinner, I’ll consider sticks that are slightly thicker because of how this stick feels.

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by Julia

[Julia]

My drum tech/husband/stick selector was presented with categories today which I narrowed down to obtain a choice:

Me:  Maple or hickory?

Him:  Hickory

Me:  Dip, tape, or no grip?

Him:  Tape

As it happens, that left only one choice:  the Vater 7a Classic which I just wrapped.  

This was their first tour on the loud kit at Mom Sound Studios (TM), and I quite liked them on it.  

I noticed, as did Mr. Selector, that I am playing more smoothly.  Is it the versatility cultivated by the stick challenge?  Is it my work in “Performance Readiness Practice”?  Is it that I have now worked 75% through the Warrior Way?  Is it just a good practice day?  Could be all of the above!

In related news, some of my sticks have migrated:  My Promark MJZ-3 maple are going to work (that’s right, they’ll be sitting in my pencil holder).  The extra pair of Zildjian 5A were taped in blue and brought to Mom Sound Studios(TM).  I brought my VF 8D back from the Studios to play on my muted kit at home.  Just changing things up.

[Julia]

Got to have all your office supplies to work.

[David]

Plain, unbranded timbale sticks, similar to 7B's in dimension just no tips.

I think these are probably Hickory, certainly not Maple. They feel solid, dense and nice in my hands though they are smaller in diameter than my normal 5B's.   

Found playing with these really natural, would like them a with 5B diameter but to be honest it wasn't an issue.  The biggest differences to my normal tipped sticks are

• Balance point: There is no shoulder s, in theory, you'd need to move the fulcrum up a little to get maximum bounce.
• Power: related to the fulcrum the additional weight a the front makes for a easy and consistently strong hit, still able to practice dynamics though.  
• Cross-stick: no need to worry to much about turning the stick around or position, he rim click with these is consistently good, it also makes it good for playing cowbell 
• Rim shots: Great for rim shots and Latin-like quick rolls, no surprise really, it's their main use.
• Dynamics: I would say for most but the most gentle of sicking thee work fine, though I personally wouldn't use them for Jazz.  Great for laying own a strong rock or funk beat though.

Had a lot of fun with these in a short time. I will do a comparison video with my main sticks as I would be interested in how they line up.  I could see myself switching to using these a lot more f I found some a little thicker, but I could get used to these.

 

[Julia]

Crazy days at work for both me and Mr. Selector yesterday; I vacillated about practice but finally presented the stick bag.  Mr. S chose the Zildjian Maple Green Dip 5a sticks, again a choice based on the appeal of their color.  

I chided that he used to have a reason for his choice.  “Green is a reason!” he defended.  Looking at the remaining sticks, I realized his strategy:  he’s been choosing all of the taped or grip sticks, which will leave me with a long series of natural sticks that will have me whining to no end for several practice sessions 😄 

After a very smooth practice in which I had no picky stick complaints, I reflected on this challenge so far.  It seemed to be revealing a new aspect of itself:  motivation via gamification.  Since the start of the challenge, I’ve been following through with practice even on low-energy and somewhat stressful days.  I was curious about what sticks I’d be using.  I looked forward to the banter with Mr. Selector, who seems to enjoy the selection ritual whether his choices are backed by the science of wood composition or the whim of Green Is A Reason.   The Manboo realises this, wants this motivation for me, and gleefully participates.  The sticks themselves don’t matter as much as originally thought.  The challenge has become both a part of my practice ritual and a game that we play.  

That’s not to say we won’t get tired of it at some point, but at that time, the next level will reveal itself because of what I have been learning. 

Edited April 26, 2022 by Julia

[Julia]

35 minutes ago, David said:

Plain, unbranded timbale sticks, similar to 7B's in dimension just no tips.

I think these are probably Hickory, certainly not Maple. They feel solid, dense and nice in my hands though they are smaller in diameter than my normal 5B's.   

Found playing with these really natural, would like them a with 5B diameter but to be honest it wasn't an issue.  The biggest differences to my normal tipped sticks are

• Balance point: There is no shoulder s, in theory, you'd need to move the fulcrum up a little to get maximum bounce.
• Power: related to the fulcrum the additional weight a the front makes for a easy and consistently strong hit, still able to practice dynamics though.  
• Cross-stick: no need to worry to much about turning the stick around or position, he rim click with these is consistently good, it also makes it good for playing cowbell 
• Rim shots: Great for rim shots and Latin-like quick rolls, no surprise really, it's their main use.
• Dynamics: I would say for most but the most gentle of sicking thee work fine, though I personally wouldn't use them for Jazz.  Great for laying own a strong rock or funk beat though.

Had a lot of fun with these in a short time. I will do a comparison video with my main sticks as I would be interested in how they line up.  I could see myself switching to using these a lot more f I found some a little thicker, but I could get used to these.

 

Your description makes me think they’d have a similar feel to my Promark Forward Balance sticks.  They look worth trying out sometime, but I have to admit that I like the look of a drumstick with a shoulder and tip.  I’m a sucker for aesthetics — probably made obvious as I am always going on about my signature sticks and the array of tape colors I use for grip.  

That said, the good rim shot/click potential is appealing.  

[David]

20 minutes ago, Julia said:

Your description makes me think they’d have a similar feel to my Promark Forward Balance sticks.  They look worth trying out sometime, but I have to admit that I like the look of a drumstick with a shoulder and tip.  I’m a sucker for aesthetics — probably made obvious as I am always going on about my signature sticks and the array of tape colors I use for grip.  

That said, the good rim shot/click potential is appealing.  

This was one of the reasons I got into using them, I was playing in proggy/fusion bands mixing rock, reggae, folk etc and used to hit a lot of different things plus Bruford rim shot to cut through.  They made sense at the time and were cheap 😁

[Guest chantale]

34 minutes ago, Julia said:

 The sticks themselves don’t matter as much as originally thought.  The challenge has become both a part of my practice ritual and a game that we play.  

Your boyfriend has a warrior spirit and knows you very well. Glad he was able to read you to find a way to motivate you.

I bought F1, (used for fusion or electric jazz) it was the only pair at this store where there was a round tip and I wanted to try. The only other pair I have with this kind of tip is for marching drum and they are too big. I think I prefer the tip taj mahal of my 1a than round. But, the tapper of the 1a is medium, it is well balanced, when you find the right spot but with a short tapper the rebound is faster and I can feel it. I will need a 1a stick with a short taper and it would be perfect. It must exist.🙂

[David]

11 minutes ago, chantale said:

I will need a 1a stick with a short taper and it would be perfect.

Ae these the sticks you are looking for:

https://www.gear4music.com/Drums-and-Percussion/Vic-Firth-American-Classic-1A-Hickory-Drumsticks-Wood-Tip/WP7?origin=product-ads&gclid=CjwKCAjwsJ6TBhAIEiwAfl4TWPJLzBICFz-WMueKoZr84RDm2RovDxcYOZzVqfhxJAIPNy9dUnLl8hoCBmAQAvD_BwE

[Guest chantale]

4 minutes ago, David said:

Ae these the sticks you are looking

These are the ones I use, what I would like is the same thing with a short taper instead of medium.🙂

[David]

Just now, chantale said:

These are the ones I use, what I would like is the same thing with a short taper instead of medium.🙂

When you get your endorsement they can make a 'Chantale Signature 1A deluxe'  🧐

[Julia]

The Challenge saunters on -- I'm really having fun with it.  Today, Mr. Selector chose the Promark Forward Balance sticks for me.  His explanation was that he had chosen Promark's Rebound sticks yesterday, and he wanted me to have a contrasting experience.  

Contrast it certainly did.  My practice exercises included grooves with 16th note hihats, which the sticks had me pushing to achieve smoothly.  Due to that and the fact that I was working on these exercises towards the end of my practice session, I really started to feel it in my right hand, which is my non-dominant hand.  (I'm a lefty who drums on a righty setup.)

This was a good experience to discover limitations.  I need to develop more strength and endurance using maple sticks and more normally balanced hickory sticks before attempting this daredevil feat again.  

That said, my right hand has come along way since my early drumming days when it would entirely miss the 6" practice pad more often than it hit it 🤪  I often felt like that hand was being remotely operated by someone else who was trying to mess me up.  

[Bob]

This could be the most lame drum tip ever posted.  In the Pick-my-sticks challenge I became aware that keeping my drumstick stash in an old trash can wasn't working... I was having a hard time finding a matching pair.  But a beauty aid marketed to teenagers saved the day.  These small clear elastic bands are perfect for keeping pairs together and are barely visible.  I got 2,000 of them on Amazon for 4.99.  Now my chaotic trash can is the Noah's Ark of drumstick holders.

[Julia]

Well hey, if that’s lame then I admire the genius of lame things! I could never wear those bands in my hair, it busts them right open. Drumstick holder has got to be their true use kept secret from us until now. 
 

I used to use a lovely big glass mosaic cookie jar to hold my sticks but that’s now in my kitchen holding utensils that don’t fit in the drawer.  Now my sticks are in the stick bag but as I rotate through each pair in the ongoing challenge, I put it on a shelf.

Thank you for the clever tip!

[David]

18 hours ago, Bob said:

This could be the most lame drum tip ever posted.  In the Pick-my-sticks challenge I became aware that keeping my drumstick stash in an old trash can wasn't working... I was having a hard time finding a matching pair.  But a beauty aid marketed to teenagers saved the day.  These small clear elastic bands are perfect for keeping pairs together and are barely visible.  I got 2,000 of them on Amazon for 4.99.  Now my chaotic trash can is the Noah's Ark of drumstick holders.

What works is never lame.  I have a lot of sticks as well... and yet still buy more 🧐