Stick-pad pairings: an inexact and fun science

 Prompted by an earlier discussion of “pad sticks” at the FB Boutique Sticks group, I’ve decided to offer a few suggestions for pairing ordinary drum sticks with practice pads in ideal combinations.

First, a word about “pad sticks,” which have been discussed earlier in this blog:

Generally speaking, “pad” sticks are designated as such by the manufacturer, and not an historic category.

They most often come with a diameter similar to a smaller marching drum stick (think 2S or so), with a medium taper and an oversized ball tip.     

  

Pad sticks are designed for use on a practice pad, most often to practice rudiments and to clean passages before applying them in rehearsal or performance. But without an historic designation, pad sticks are basically an invention of stick manufacturers and drum companies looking to expand their “brand”.

The oversize tip makes them risky to use on an actual drum, unless that drum is built to withstand the additional forces provided by a heavy stick. (The original pad stick from Vic Firth was not labeled as such in the beginning, but as model “Thunder Rock” for rock drummers.)

Moving away from Pad sticks — go back and read the post on those from a couple years back if you like — I was intrigued by the idea of pairing sticks with specific practice pads, the way Girl Scout cookies have recently been paired with strains of marijuana. This list is by no means exhaustive, and reflects the opinion of one Drummer, but is a good place to start.

1. Vintage pads (through around 1990). Older pads work best with the sticks in use at the time of their design and manufacture. Using a modern marching stick on a Real Feel tan rubber pad from over twenty years ago may not give the most ideal results for feel and response as using a stick in production in the mid to late 1990s. Likewise for pads made earlier, like this 1960s Remo pad. Promark was just beginning to make a splash in the US with their handmade Japanese oak sticks. Here’s an early 60s Remo pad with a pair of Promark Japanese oak 2B sticks, and the feel is very satisfying.

2. Marching-specific pad with marching sticks. Marching specific pads weren’t really a factor until the later 1990s and later, but their appearance in the world of practice pads changed a few of the rules for pad and stick pairings. Designed to take the heavier hits of newer marching sticks, marching pads don’t always offer the nuanced feel of a more standard pad (like a Remo, still on the market and used by students around the world even today). So if you have a marching-specific pad, you’ll be happiest with modern marching sticks. Below, a HUN adjustable snare pad and my VF Brian Mason signature sticks, which I use when playing with my local community marching group. They feel great and are sturdy enough for the craziest rim shots.

3. Custom/boutique sticks and tunable pads. When I use boutique, custom, small batch sticks, I prefer to use them on tunable pads with a Mylar head. That’s the closest to an actual tuned drum, and the least likely to damage the sticks. If your pad uses a coated head, it’s helpful to lightly sand the center of the pad to remove some of the coating (to reduce wear and tear on the tips).  Inculcate brush patterns mostly utilize the outer four to five inches of the head, so you won’t lose much brush coating where you really need it. 

Below: a really lovely pair of Cooperman concert sticks with a QuietTone tunable pad.

Again, this is only a starting point, and can get as specific or as general as you like. If you have lots of pads and sticks to choose from, it might be fun to consider which pair well, so you can get optimal use from each.

Happy drumming.

My latest rabbit hole: all about sticks. Really FINE sticks.

I’ve really fallen down the rabbit hole of boutique, custom and collectible drumsticks lately.

They’re often easier and cheaper to find than some practice pads, they take up less space, and some of them are flat-out gorgeous.

Here are a few of the latest to come my way:

1. Cooperman #10: Nick Petrella “General”.  A heftier version of the original Petrella concert stick, with a bigger tip and a more robust feel. I was fortunate to find these in both Persimmon and Hickory; today, Cooperman is taking a break from making persimmon sticks until they can source old-growth wood again.

I wouldn’t be disappointed about hickory, though. Cooperman know what they’re doing when they turn wood into some of THE nicest, best-balanced sticks I’ve ever played. 

The persimmon version are lighter, and more rigid. 

They feel great in concert passages where you don’t have time to change sticks and a lighter touch is needed.

The hickory sticks have become my new best friend.

Since getting them over a week ago, I’ve been chopping with them every single day on a variety of pads (which, being home bound due to Long Covid, is 95% of my playing right now). They feel lively, extremely well-balanced and very comfortable in my hands. 

I like them so much I plan to buy another set or two at least.

2. I’ve been having a lot of fun hanging out at the Boutique and Collectible Sticks FB group. Run mostly by symphonic and concert players with some overlap in the ancient Rudimental drum scene, these enthusiasts have invited me to broaden my horizons well beyond hickory and maple, and far beyond mass-produced sticks I’ve been playing for decades. Through them, I am learning about all kinds of woods and the kinds of sticks each is best for. And I’ve made a few really good friends as well.

My latest stick acquisition came courtesy of a friend who got several pairs of padauk sticks some years ago, from a young man still learning the craft. My friend sent along a pair to me so I could experience what playing with padauk sticks feels like. So far, they’re fascinating. I wouldn’t say I’m converted or anything, not with my hickory #10’s hogging a lot of my drumming time. But padauk is an interesting wood. The sticks are lighter than hickory, but possess almost no shock-absorbing qualities. So I have to make mental and physical adjustments to play cleanly with them. Once I figured this out, my diddles became smooth and light, almost ethereal. I know that some fife and drum corps sticks are being turned in padauk today, but I’m not sure my hands would enjoy playing on the march for an afternoon with them. I need to hang out with them more.

These sticks arrived with an incipient split in the wood on one of them. So I carefully lifted the split , applied some Elmer’s Glue-All underneath and in the cracks around, and set it to dry.

After it was thoroughly dry, I removed the wrap, sanded the excess glue off the surface, and applied a light coat of clear nail polish over the area to seal it.

When that had dried thoroughly, I gently tapped them on the dining room table so see if I could hear anything odd. I couldn’t. So I chopped on a rubber pad with them for a little while and really liked the subtleties my hands were receiving. 

They’re drop-dead gorgeous sticks.

Other woods on my list of Sticks To Try probably include rosewood, ebony, zebrawood, walnut  and various kinds of maple. If aim able to find sticks in those woods affordably, I’ll share my findings here.

Here’s video I made earlier this morning, some freestyling with the hickory Cooperman #10’s. 

They are absolutely delicious to play with, and just might have become my go-to stick for pad work and rudimental chopping in general.

Happy chopping!