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How to Avoid Dropping Drumsticks

Imagine rocking out on the drums only to have a drumstick fly out of your hand -- not exactly a rock-star move. Take precautions to prevent this potentially embarrassing and beat-interrupting scenario. Wrap your drumsticks to increase friction between the sticks and your hands, and hold your sticks properly. Tighter is not necessarily better, and the more your hands sweat, the better your chances of losing a stick.

Things You'll Need

Duct tape or drumstick wrap

Instructions

Wrapping Drumsticks
- 1
  Unroll enough of the duct tape or drumstick wrap to get started.
- 2
  Turn the drumstick so the tip points toward you. Hold it firmly in one hand.
- 3
  Start wrapping the adhesive side of the tape around the wide butt end of the stick. Many drumsticks have grooves to show you where to place the wrap. If yours don't, the first wrap should be straight around the stick, with each subsequent wrap slightly overlapping the one before.
- 4
  Leave the top inch of the stick without wrap to prevent it from being shredded when the tip hits the edge of a cymbal or snare drum. Too much tape can also dull the sound of the sticks hitting the drum, so don't wrap all the way to the tip.
- 5
  Cut the tape or drumstick wrap and smooth it onto the stick.
- 6
  Repeat with the second stick.
Gripping Drumsticks
- 7
  Hold your arms loosely by your sides and form a right angle with your elbow as your palm faces down. Pick up a drumstick a third of the way from the butt end of the stick, holding it between the pad of your thumb and a spot between the first and second knuckles of your index finger.
- 8
  Wrap your remaining fingers loosely around the drumstick. The butt end will rest on the heel of your hand and pivot around your index finger.
- 9
  Repeat this process with the second stick.

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