I think I just instantly gained a few months extra progress!!

[SuperPuss]

For a while now I've been playing with Carbosticks. I switched to them from Vic Firth 7A nylons and, while the Carbo's initially felt a little tip heavy, I soon got used to them and started to really like them.
Today, I was in buying some more stuff for my cage and picked up a pair of Hornets to try. So, I have been playing my kit for the last couple of hours with the Hornets and they felt pretty good but, being longer than the Carbo's, I kept getting them caught under cymbals.
Then I decided to play with my Vic Firth's again for the first time in months and WOW!!!! Holy crap!! These just feel so fast and light. Honestly, everything instantly improved! My rolls are more accurate, my fills just flow and everything feels like I have suddenly improved by a big leap!

For all the fancy technology in the Carbon Fibre sticks and the fancy shape of the Hornets, the good old, simple design of the Vic's just rocks!
Seriously, the impact going back to these has made to my playing has stunned me! What a learning experience

[Relayer]

I've always found practicing with heavier sticks makes it easier when I use my "regular sticks" for gigs or recording. Almost all of those non-wood sticks are heavier than their wooden counterpart. So you've been this good all along, just needed the right sticks to shine.

Cheers.

Steve

[SuperPuss]

Cheers for the info Steve. I guess this begs the question, is it worth practising with the Carbo's or the Hornets? Will they give me an edge or should I just stick to the Vic Firths all the time and will that be more benefit?
I definitely enjoy playing more with the Vic's.

[evil1rox]

I've always found practicing with heavier sticks makes it easier when I use my "regular sticks" for gigs or recording. Almost all of those non-wood sticks are heavier than their wooden counterpart. So you've been this good all along, just needed the right sticks to shine.

Cheers.

Steve

Does that light feeling seem to stay for you?

-Just curious...to my hand...I'll use a bit heavier or longer stick, but within a few mintues of switching back to a lighter one the effect seem to go away.

Maybe it's just me...?

E

[Herl]

I was in the music shop today to pickup new sticks because the mesh keeps eating the wooden tips. I got the exact same sticks as you Puss (the Vic Firth, American Classic 7AN, hickory) and a pair of the 5AN as well.

The 7AN sticks make it extremely easy to play the e-drums but as someone mentioned, practicing with heavier sticks can be beneficial, so I use the 5AN for that purpose.

[Relayer]

As far as whether or not the feeling lasts - I dunno for sure, 'cos I switch around according to my mood or the piece. I've got sticks for different occasions - Ahead 7A and Vic Firth Buddy Rich for my acoustics. Vic Firth Peter Erskine (small bead) and Silverfox Maple .515's for the ekit. In each case the former is a fair amount heavier, so I always start with those. I know for sure I can get tighter rolls, the smaller the bead. I think nylon tips are probably bad for mesh heads, although I have a PD-9 snare and wouldn't really know. I am pretty sure I'd clobber my V-drums with a non-wood stick, however.

Cheers.

Steve

[Big Bopper]

Years ago in marching band (don't even think about the old jokes) we had a new young teacher who wanted us to use, I forget the exact size, but something like a 2B. We called them 'lincoln logs' because they were about the literal size of a lincoln log. For you youngsters that don't know what that is, peel yourself away from the video games for a few minutes and look on the web.

Anyway, the director's idea was that we would hit with a lighter touch using the heavier stick. Don't know that it really worked, but it was a kick going back and forth between the lincoln logs and the 5B's at home. I think you'd have to play a long time for the difference to mean anything permanent, but for the short term it sure felt speedy going to the lighter sticks.

Shalom
Bruce

['lectric drumma]

I used to use 5B's on rehearsal in the fanfare and in drum class, since they are heavier than 5A's, so I figured that if I can play certain things easely with heavy sticks, I'll sure be able to play them with lighter ones. And I'm still onto that idea, practice stuff like rudiments etc. with heavy sticks. If you're able of doing it with heavy ones, you'll sure be able to do it with lighter ones.


Stijn

['lectric drumma]

don't even think about the old jokes

Yes, please, do tell!


Stijn

[Relayer]

Yes, please, do tell!

I was in marching band, but I don't remember any jokes either. Lots of shenanigans though. We shared a bus with the drill-team (all girls).

Cheers.

Steve

['lectric drumma]

Hmmm... that smiley says it all!

[JimFiore]

For years I played Regal Tip 5A. When I went to electronics some 20+ years ago, I found their 7A model to be a bit better. Last year I tried using ProMark's Bill Bruford signature. It's about the size of a 5A, maybe a little smaller, but made of maple. They are great. I love them. The only thing I don't like is the finish. It's kind of slick for me and I still prefer the finish on the Regal Tips. So, I dip them in polyurethane. Works great. I wish they had a nylon or similar tip, but no biggie. A pair of sticks literally lasts me years on the electronics.

Give maple a try. They're lighter yet similar diameter. Much more fluid and easy to control. My opinion, anyway.

[Big Bopper]

Yeah, we had an all-girl drill team also. My girlfriend was captain. Fun times, most of the time. I remember after one competition both genders changed clothes on the same bus. We didn't think much about it (okay, the guys thought a lot about it - and don't give me that 'innocent' look girls ) until the band director found out. Apparently, we weren't supposed to. Boy did we hear about why we weren't supposed to....

This one time, at band camp....


Shalom
Bruce

[Michael Render]

http://www.musicianswarehouse.com/power/index.shtml
This site makes heavy, metal sticks for practice. (heavy, metal not Heavy Metal)
Seems like a lot of people use heavy sticks to improve power and control.

[John.b]

Generally I think that if your starting out, a heavy stick will help build up your finger and wrist strength, but once your out gigging, I cant see any point to using different sticks for practice.

OK, using a lighter stick will improve your playing at speed, but the majority of numbers are either medium or low pace, (Unless your in a punk band), and I always found that a heavier stick made fills easier at these tempos cause you got more control and
feedback.

I use Ahead 7A's now which are probably heavier than the 5B wood I use to use.

Initially I bought Ahead 5B's but felt that if I used them for too long, the whole kit would collapse around my feet. Ahead sticks are perfectly matched though I do advise using grip tape on them.

Back in the old days, what I really found benificial for practicing was to space the practice kit out a bit further than my stage kit. Not a lot. Just an inch or so.