Finding the right pair of drum sticks is important. Playing the wrong one's are irritating. Drum sticks come in many different sizes and thickness as well as brands and wood types. Even the tips can be different, they can come in nylon or wood. So there are many choices to choose from the confusing part comes in when you have to pick.
Experienced drummers usually have their favorite brand of sticks and that can be for many reasons. It can be because of weight, size, sound, durability and playability. Starting out, you need to get something that fits comfortably within the palm of your hand and of course your fingers.
There are many popular brands of drum sticks out there but I will only mention a few. Good drum stick makers are Vic Firth, Pro mark and Zildjian. Like I said, there are more but I will only mention these because I have played all of them. Vic Firth is a huge drummer icon in history. His name holds a high reputation and his sticks have great durability. Zildjian is also a huge name in drumming history and his sticks are known along his amazing cymbals. Pro Mark is also durable. Now that you know my top 3 stick brands here are ways to find out which ones you should get. I am going to go with Vic Firth for simplicity's sake, just see which category you fit into, to pick your drum sticks out.
If you are a girl drummer, Vic Firth 5A's should be a good starter size for you. They are not too thick and are not too thin either. They are not too heavy and they last a good amount of time. The wood is hickory. If you want your drum stick to have a clearer cymbal sound definition then just add an "N" to the end of the size I told you. In this case it would be Vic Firth 5AN. If you feel that this size is too big when you hold it, try out the size 7A or 7AN.
If you are a guy drummer, but one who doesn't play heavy metal or strong punk rock, the Vic Firth 5A's should be good for you to. If your hands are bigger or you need a bit of a bigger size then you can always up it to the size 5B. If you want a plastic tip then get the Vic Firth 5BN.
If you are a heavy hitter or are anticipating playing heavy metal, goth, death metal, or serious heavy cymbal hitting punk rock, then Vic Firth 5B's are good for you with hickory or oak as the wood. 5B's are more "Beefier" at the shoulder so they can take a bit more chipping and cymbal hitting. Of course these sticks are made of wood so they will eventually chip and break, but they should last their allotted time.
You can take these general rules and apply them to what ever brand you choose. The harder the drumming, the thicker the stick. The bigger your hand, the thicker the stick. For clearer cymbal definition, get a plastic tip and lastly, if your hands are really small and you feel that the 5A's are too big, try 7A. It's the next size down!
You can see the popular 5A drum sticks here at Http://www.start-drumming.com/5a-drum-sticks.html
Don't forget! You are the stick's tester when you pick it up and hold it in your hand. Twirl it a bit, air drum with it, see if you are comfortable with its size, weight and balance, then make your decision! It's not fun to be playing with a stick that isn't really your size. It can make drumming uncomfortable.
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