Contents
What Are The Main Types Of Drum Sticks?
There are a few main types of drum sticks that every drummer needs to be across, this includes the different styles of standard drums sticks.
From these main drum stick types there are a multitude of variations that players can customize to find the perfect pair for your distinct style.
Standard Drum Sticks (e.g. 5A, 5B, 2B, 7A): These are the drum sticks that are the most common and will be used the majority of your time. The numbers and letters indicate the type of stick where the number is a reference to the drumsticks circumference and the letter indicates the weight (and by association, what type of music is best to use).
Just remember that the lower the number means the heavier stick.
Brushes: Made from wire or plastic strands, brushes are used for softer, sweeping sounds typical in jazz and acoustic music. They produce less volume and a distinctive swishing sound
Rods: Consist of several thin dowels bundled together, creating a sound that is louder than brushes but softer than standard sticks. They are ideal for small venues or acoustic gigs
Mallets: These have a head made of materials like yarn, rubber, or felt, used for producing soft, muted tones on drums and cymbals. They're often used in orchestral settings or for cymbal swells
How Long is a Drumstick?
Most drumsticks used on the drum set are around 16″ long but can range from 15-17.5″.
What are Drum Mallets and what are Drum Mallets Used For?
I didn't know a whole lot about drum mallets, 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 is to step out of my current musical knowledge and learn more, so I have done a bit of reading.
I was surprised to learn during my research that there is a wide variety of drum mallets, even more so than regular drumsticks, given that there is different material used in the head of the stick.
So, what exactly is a Drum Mallet?
A Drum mallet is a tool that has a head that is larger than the stick which can be made from material such as felt, yarn, rubber. Leather and now synthetic material. They are used mainly to play Cymbals, xylophones and timpani's.
They can make very distinctive sounds which depend on the material of the head and the technique the player uses.
It was interesting to read that the larger the head, the deeper the sound that can be produced. Like regular drumsticks, the drum mallets can vary in size - most are somewhere between 12 and 17 inches.
Although drum mallets are typically seen in classical music, they are also incorporated into other genres.
In both Pop and Film scores, they can be used on cymbals and toms of regular drum kits to create atmospheric sounds.
When played on cymbals the drummer can create a crescendo effect that builds to a climax and requires the player to have developed a strong ‘rolling’ technique that I would imagine requires a lot of practice to get right.
What are Drum Brushes and what are Drum Brushes Used For?
I think every drummer I’ve met has a pair of brushes but they seldom come out of the drumstick bag. A lot of the time when they do, they are not used in the way that makes them really shine in the way that they should.
There is some serious technique to using drum brushes properly. I found the video on YouTube below that helps to demonstrate what I am talking about.
For those people who don’t know what drum brushes are, I think the simplest way to describe
them is that they are a drumming tool with a handle and a bunch of wires that stick out at the end. They are made to produce a softer and more importantly, a more complex sound compared to regular drumsticks.
They are used a lot in jazz music but also in acoustic settings so there is still a drum beat but the drums don't overshadow the other instruments.
Interestingly I found that before the well known metal wires, brushes could have been made from more natural materials like animal hair. Although the most common material is still metal wires, there are more synthetic materials being used which means that they will produce a different sound.
What are the best Drumsticks for Me?
Like most of my advice on this blog, I don’t like to recommend a single product. All musicians are unique and this is definitely the case with a drummer's favorite sticks.
The approach I would take is to look at the information above that will guide you on genre and ability level. Then I would experiment by buying a few different sizes to see how they feel and sound to you.
Spending the time and effort in this step will help you in the long run and make you a more knowledgeable drummer. When someone asks you “Why do you play with 5A’s?” you would like to have a meaningful response rather than not having an idea.
Where can I Buy Drumsticks near me?
With the amount of quality brick and mortar music stores rapidly disappearing it is getting harder and harder to be able to buy any musical instrument in person anymore. Luckily the biggest and best drumstick brands have adapted and moved online.
One of my favorite places to look for instruments, accessories and in this case, drumsticks has to be on Amazon.
The reason why Amazon is so great is that they stock a huge range of all the best drumsticks. Both leaders in the drumming game, Vic Firth & Zildjian, have online stores on Amazon (visit Zildjian’s store here & Vic Firth here).
Below I have just selected a few examples of fairly standard, good quality, reasonably priced drumsticks that I found on Amazon. Luckily with the reach of Amazon now, these can get to your door relatively fast if you decide to purchase.
What Are Signature Drumsticks and Which Famous Drummers Have Signature Drumsticks?
Like most instruments, the best of the best drummers will have a signature series drum stick.
Signature drumsticks are usually a stick that has been designed in conjunction with the musician where they can put their personal preferences into the design in both the construction and artwork - they will literally have their signature on them.
I have picked out a few of my favorite drummers below that have a signature stick. I was surprised just how inexpensive they are. This doesn’t always happen with other signature series instruments so it was a pleasant surprise.
The range of prices is between $14 - $49.99 (which is Travis Barker's Zildjian 3 pack).
Zildjian Travis Barker Signature Drumstick 3-Pack
Vic Firth Signature Series - Danny Carey
Vic Firth Signature Series - Buddy Rich
Zildjian Taylor Hawkins Signature Drum Stick Pair
Zildjian Ringo Starr Artist Series Drumsticks
Vic Firth Signature Series - Steve Jordan
ProMark Drum Sticks - Neil Peart
Vic Firth Signature Series - Questlove
Tommy Lee Motley Crue Concert Drum Sticks
Lars Ulrich Drumsticks
In Summary - All The Types Of Drum Sticks
Drum sticks come in various types like standard sticks, brushes, rods, and mallets, each offering unique sounds for different musical settings.
Standard sticks (5A, 5B, 2B, 7A) are versatile and widely used, with designations indicating weight and suitability for different music genres.
Brushes produce a softer, sweeping sound for jazz and acoustic music, while rods offer a moderate sound perfect for small venues.
Mallets, made from materials like yarn or felt, are ideal for producing soft, muted tones in orchestral and atmospheric music settings.
Signature drumsticks blend the personal preferences and styles of famous drummers, making high-quality customization accessible to all musicians.
