When I sit behind my Rogers Jazz kit, my hands naturally shift to trad grip. I've got a gent coming over Friday to check and adjust my left hand ... just in case. I keep a couple of kits set up and all the rest of them are matched grip kits.

I play both grips - the style of music I am playing leads me more to which grip I naturally choose rather than the kit. However I understand what you are saying- some heavy weight kits with plastic heads require alot of force or downward pressure to really get their sound up and out- this kind of thing would shift me out of trad. grip for sure.

Like playing with two kick drums, my traditional grip is a work in progress. I find myself playing traditional when my band plays this one rock-a-billy number. But I am trying to learn how to play big band, and I know traditional grip is essential.

I try and play the "jazz" song on my DTX unit (where I trigger my kicks and my rim clicks from). It's really not a jazz song. I tend to play a shuffle beat with that tune using matched grip. I do like playing along with that tune on my DTX. Weird thing to admit...

Trying to play trad. grip with straight, thin modern sticks is uncomfortable to me. I think that most of the modern stick models are designed with a matched grip in mind. If you can find a stick with a very gradual taper from the back to the front with a thin should/neck like old fashioned sticks I think you'd feel more comfortable playing trad.

Look around the scene and see which artists play trad. and try their signature model sticks- My favorite is the Regal (Calato) Keith Carlock model- exactly like I've described- balanced and thicker towards the back so to be comfortable in the hand for trad. playing, long enough to give you the extra reach you need to hit far away toms and cymbals and not too light - you need a little weight in the stick to get a solid back beat shot in trad. gripCoffee Break2

[IMG]http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn87/Osakabop/KeithCarlockmodel.jpg[/IMG]

It's what I originally started out using, played traditional for the first 13 years of my playing life, I taught myself matched grip and love it much better, Every once in a blue moon I'll go back to traditional grip just for a few minutes, then back to matched grip. it's more of a natural feel to me and more power, even Buddy Rich used it when he was banging away at the skins.

Learned Traditional in school. That's what all the books showed and that's how my music teacher told me to play. Also back then, being left-handed was not considered normal. When my teacher saw me holding my sticks as a lefty (which I am) he yelled at me and had me switch. Even though I haven't played in 30 years and just started playing again recently, traditional still feels more comfortable than matched grip. And I still play right-handed. . .James

Nice to here from all the "big" boys on here ;)

actually i'm surprised, i thought more off you would go for the old school feel :p

played traditional about 4 months in school been matched ever since drove my music teacher nuts .. but like i told him I am the one playing, and I hit a ton and matched works for me to play any length of time traditional hurts my wrist .. maybe trying to be heard over 3 vox super beatle amps taught me to hit hard then they got Marshalls oh my the pain and i can hardly hear anymore lol

OK...how many famous Rock drummers play (played) Trad?

Stewart Copeland

Skynard's drummer

who else?