Talk:Drum stick

Restarting this article

Why do this? What's wrong with the move to percussion mallet? Or, if there is something, why not just move it back?

Well, for a start I think we need something at drum stick. I doubt even Vic Firth calls my Vic Firth American Classic 7AN sticks percussion mallets. He doesn't on the match box, it reads every pair of Vic Firth drum sticks....

I'd guess that many people (drummers and non-drummers alike) who know what a drum stick is have absolutely no idea that some musicians and organologists call them percussion mallets. On the other hand, we all know what a drum stick is. So as far as WP:AT goes, if we have only one article covering drum sticks it's a no-brainer.

On the other hand I think it was right to move the article. Tympani and xylophone beaters aren't drumsticks.

So, do we split the article? That was an option, but looking at the state of it, I thought it better to start again. That solves any copyleft problams with attribution.

Let's get this new article up to the best state we can, and then see what can be trimmed from the percussion mallet article. Andrewa (talk) 01:28, 6 February 2012 (UTC)

Don't try this at home

OK, this isn't a drum method. So with fear and trembling I describe the use of the shaft of a stick to crash a cymbal.

And I do so knowing full well that I'm likely now responsible for some damage to cymbals. Without tuition to show the right way to angle the cymbal and hold and follow through with the stick, this is likely to be bad news. Suggestions? What's in the article is accurate, but dangerous! Andrewa (talk) 02:32, 6 February 2012 (UTC)

Length and number

I recently ran across a web page, and now can't find it, that said that the number (5A versus 4A for example) indicated the stick length, not the weight or diameter.

This threw me into a momentary panic, perhaps I'd had it wrong all these years. But a quick look at my Fibes 4A and 5B sticks reassured me... the length is identical, the only difference is the weight and diameter (which raises the question of what the A and B mean too). Other sites that may be of use:

• http://www.rockdrummingsystem.com/underground/drum-articles/choosing-the-right-drumsticks.php
• http://www.howtoplaydrums.com/selecting-drumsticks/
• http://www.drumsoloartist.com/Site/Drum_Sticks.html
• http://www.vicfirth.com/product/how-to-pick-your-sticks.html
• http://www.bestdrumsticks.com/
• http://www.fivestardrumshops.com/TT-files/FS_TT-Drumsticks.pdf
• http://vater.com/stickselect/ (awesome page)

And here's a challenging one that doesn't answer the question, but does plug Wikipedia - unfortunately linking to an article which wasn't all that helpful until recently!

• http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071012040207AAHZajG

Comments? Andrewa (talk) 23:54, 6 February 2012 (UTC)

Non-western drumsticks

This is a big gap in the current article. We have Japanese bachi; We're about to get some Korean sticks. There are some fascinating African sticks still to come! Andrewa (talk) 08:29, 9 February 2012 (UTC)