Gear Guide: All The Types Of Drum Sticks

What Are The Main Types Of Drum Sticks?

There are a few main types of drum sticks that every drummer should be across.

Standard drumsticks are the ones most people think of first. These include common sizes like 5A, 5B, 2B and 7A. They are the sticks most drummers will use for the majority of their playing.

The numbers and letters tell you something about the stick’s size and general use. A lower number usually means a thicker stick, while the letter gives a rough idea of the stick type and weight. It can be confusing at first, but the main thing is how the stick feels in your hands and sounds on the kit.

Brushes are made from wire or plastic strands and are used for softer, sweeping sounds. They are common in jazz and acoustic music.

Rods are made from multiple thin dowels bundled together. They sit between brushes and standard sticks, giving more volume than brushes but less attack than regular sticks.

Mallets have larger heads made from materials like yarn, felt, rubber, leather or synthetic materials. They are used for softer and more atmospheric sounds on cymbals, toms and orchestral percussion.

What Are Drum Mallets Used For?

I did not know a whole lot about drum mallets before looking into this. I think the only time I saw one in the wild was probably in the instrument room in high school.

One of the reasons I started writing this blog was to step outside my current musical knowledge and learn more, so drum mallets were interesting to look into.

A drum mallet is a playing tool with a larger head than a standard stick. The head can be made from felt, yarn, rubber, leather or synthetic material.

Mallets are often used on cymbals, xylophones, timpani and toms. They can create softer, rounder and more atmospheric sounds than regular sticks.

The material and size of the head make a difference. A larger or softer head usually creates a deeper and warmer sound, while harder materials can give more attack.

Although mallets are often associated with classical music, they also appear in pop, film scores and atmospheric drum kit playing.

On cymbals, mallets can create a swelling crescendo effect that builds slowly to a peak. That rolling technique looks simple from a distance but clearly takes a lot of control to get right.

What Are Drum Brushes Used For?

I think almost every drummer I have met has a pair of brushes, but they do not always come out of the drumstick bag.

When they do come out, they are not always used in the way that really makes them shine.

There is serious technique involved in using drum brushes properly.

For people who do not know what drum brushes are, the simplest way to describe them is that they are a drumming tool with a handle and a group of wires or strands coming out of the end.

They are designed to create a softer and more complex sound than regular drumsticks.

Brushes are used a lot in jazz, but they also work well in acoustic settings where you still want a drum beat without the drums overpowering everything else.

Before the well-known metal wire brush design, brushes could be made from more natural materials like animal hair. Today, metal wires are still common, but synthetic materials are also used and can produce a different sound.

Brushes are not just quiet drumsticks. They are their own technique and sound.

What Other Signature Drumsticks Are Worth Knowing?

Like guitars and other instruments, the best-known drummers often have signature drumsticks.

Signature drumsticks are usually designed with input from the musician. They can reflect the drummer’s preferred size, feel, weight, taper, tip shape and visual design. They often literally have the drummer’s signature or name printed on them.

The interesting thing is that signature drumsticks are usually much more affordable than other signature instruments. A signature guitar might cost a lot, but signature sticks are still something many players can actually try.

The original article included several famous drummer signature options beyond the five product cards above.

Steve Jordan has a Vic Firth Signature Series stick.

Neil Peart has ProMark signature drumsticks.

Questlove has a Vic Firth Signature Series option.

Tommy Lee has Motley Crue concert drumsticks.

Lars Ulrich also has signature drumsticks.

The best way to approach signature sticks is not to buy purely because of the name. Choose one if the size, weight and feel suit the way you play. The artist connection is fun, but the stick still has to work in your hands.