Traditional grip is a way of holding the drumsticks where your left hand (if you are a right-handed drummer) holds the stick by cradling it from below. In this grip, the stick sits in the fleshy area where the thumb meets the hand. The movement of that left-hand stick is created by a rotation of the forearm rather than by an up and down “waving” type motion like used in matched grip.
In matched grip, the more common way of holding the sticks, both sticks are held the same way, with the stick under the hand and the fingers rolled around the stick, much like a runner who holds a baton in a relay race.
Now, for an overview, check out the comparison chart below which shows the pluses and minuses of traditional grip vs matched grip…
| Matched Grip | vs. | Traditional Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Symmetrical and generally aligned with natural body movements | vs. | Asymmetrical and may feel less natural to many beginners |
| Power is generally easier to attain | vs. | Power can require more adaptation and training |
| Generally less likely to create strain when played correctly | vs. | May contribute to strain for some players, particularly when playing forcefully |
| Well suited to power-heavy modern styles | vs. | Can be less suited to styles requiring frequent powerful backbeats |
| Both hands hold the sticks in essentially the same way | vs. | Each hand holds the stick differently |
| Allows free rebound with good technique and training | vs. | The underhand position can make rebound feel natural in the traditional-grip hand |
| Usually easier for beginners to learn | vs. | Usually has a steeper learning curve |
| The modern standard for most drum-set players | vs. | Originated with marching snare drummers |
| Common across nearly all modern musical styles | vs. | Especially associated with jazz and traditional snare drumming |
| More versatile for most beginning drum-set players | vs. | Can be highly effective when mastered |
These are general comparisons, not absolute rules. Many accomplished drummers play traditional grip with exceptional power, control and versatility.
If you’re new to drumming you may have noticed a grip that some drummers use that looks a bit different.
Some people think of it as the “jazz grip.” And that makes sense because historically, a lot of jazz players have used it.
But other “name” players use traditional grip too.
Some examples?
Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta (Thomas Lang –well, he used to use it….more on that below), Keith Carlock, Steve Smith, and Virgil Donati.
Some prominent players have moved away from traditional grip.
Recently I’ve read interviews where Dave Weckl and Steve Smith each mention they are using matched grip more than they used to. Thomas Lang has gone so far as to say that Traditional Grip is “a curse,” and he has stated publicly that he has abandoned the grip completely.
Much of what I’ve read indicates that the main issue these players have is one of power. More specifically, the awkwardness of the grip when powerful backbeats are needed can cause injury.
And I agree. This is my main complaint with the grip. Generally speaking, it is difficult to gracefully get the same power on the drum kit with traditional grip. With matched grip, power is not a problem at all.
To acknowledge who I think of as anomalies, there are two drummers I see playing traditional grip with real power: Virgil Donati and Keith Carlock. These two seem to be able to hit as hard as they want using traditional grip and they’ve been doing that for decades. I don’t know how they do it.
In my case, I’ve abandoned traditional because it causes me injury.
Now given the above, there is a question you may be asking…
The reason the grip has continued to be used is part and parcel in the name itself. Tradition has created a lineage that gets followed despite the apparent needs of modern playing.
And the history, which is the primary reason that traditional grip persists, does not account for the change in style of music and the greater need for power that the prevalence of rock and pop drumming requires.
So, it’s interesting to note that much of the time, when people use traditional grip, they are doing so because of tradition and history.
Now, it’s possible you’ve come to this article with the idea of trying the grip for yourself. So, I want to give you that guidance.
The easiest way to explain how to play using traditional grip? Video. Hands down.
Given that, I’ve made a video for you. Just check it out at the very top of this page.
It’s called : “Traditional Grip for Beginner Drummers: It’s Not As Hard As You Think.”
In it, I’ll show you exactly how to do it. You’ll learn the fulcrum and how to hold the stick in this grip. You’ll also learn the movements of the stroke which are fundamentally different from matched grip.
Given what I’ve said here about awkwardness and power, why would I (meaning me–Mark–the author of this article) even use it?
To explain this, let me tell you about how and why I made decisions on hand grips up until now. When I first started playing drums, my primary drumming role models were John Bonham, Neil Peart and Peter Criss.
They all played matched grip and so I learned that grip. For many years I played only matched grip.
Later, I discovered the virtuosic playing of Gadd, Colaiuta, Weckl, Williams and Rich. I became obsessed with acquiring more technique. I asked myself, “If all of the greatest drummer technicians play (played) traditional grip, shouldn’t I?”
I felt that the answer should be a resounding “yes.” It seemed perfectly logical to me at the time. I did not need to know anything other than the fact that Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl, Tony Williams and Buddy Rich all primarily used that grip. No knowledgeable drummer would argue about these being among the greatest hand technicians in the history of the instrument.
Easy decision. But also–for me–the wrong decision.
Why? Because in my case, it led to injury.
And when I switched back to matched grip, my injury healed itself. It hasn’t come back since I’ve returned to matched.
I wrote more about that in this article.
Now, let’s explore some more drumming history. There is a pretty good chance that the drummers using traditional grip named above chose their grip preferences for the very same reasons that I did.
I would wager that their drumming idols used traditional grip and they were just mimicking them. But most of their idols were jazz drummers. That has been documented in many interviews with these giants.
What makes all of this somewhat ludicrous is that the only reason traditional grip even exists—and now we’re going back even earlier in history—has to do with drummers marching in the military.
When the earliest marching snare drummers played, they created traditional grip. Like many new ideas, necessity became the mother of invention. The way the snare drum hung off of the marching drummer’s body resulted in a downward slanting playing surface. Matched grip would simply not be practical in this situation. Hence, the birth of traditional grip.
And that invention had been passed down through a long lineage of drummers, including myself and many of you, simply because a significant number of prominent drummers became incredibly good at using that grip and attained massive technique using it.
Now, despite everything I’ve written here, I’m not taking the position that you should never use it.
In the new millennium, a versatile drummer will sometimes require power to play appropriately for a particular genre.
So, if you are going to play a hard rock gig, my opinion would be to use matched.
But it is certainly worth checking out both grips. Some beginners have an instant affinity for traditional while some find it confusing and awkward
Personally, I’ve had a long love/hate relationship with traditional grip–I’ve developed strong technique using it and then ultimately rejected it.
And although I used to feel that one grip should be all you need, I’ve changed my tune a bit.
There is room for both matched and traditional. Just try them both out and see what feels good to you.
There’s nothing wrong with doing both in the long run.
Ahhh…The journey is never ending!
Food for thought.
This question of traditional grip vs matched grip is a common beginner’s question. But another common one is: are online lessons an effective way to learn? I give you an answer in the article: “Are Online Drum Lessons Worth It? An Honest Teacher’s Take.”
If you want to check out a whole bunch of technique exercises on PDF, just go to this page.
Want to learn about the rudiments? Just go to this page.
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