How to Hold a Drumstick: A Visual Guide

If you’re a beginner looking to start playing drums, how to properly hold a drumstick is the very first place you should start.

If you’ve been teaching yourself how to play drums, and have found that your chops just aren’t up to ROCKSTAR level, perfecting your grip can help you play faster, louder, and more confidently.

Either way, proper technique in holding a drumstick can not only make you a better drummer, but it can make you a safer one as well.  Holding a drumstick wrong can place unusual stress on your joints, and can potentially cause repetitive stress injuries (think carpal tunnel syndrome).

I made this visual guide to easily help you get control of your stick grip, help you become a better drummer, and help you become a SAFER drummer.

With your thumb and forefinger, grab the drumstick about 1/3 of the way from the bottom.

Now just wrap the rest of your fingers around the drumstick.

*Notice the lack of gaps between my fingers and the stick.  It’s almost like making a fist and slipping a drumstick in.  Remember: Fingers touch the stick at all times!

Here are some pictures of some common ways that beginning drummers hold their drumsticks the wrong way:

Here, the pinky is sticking out.

Here, the first finger is loosely wrapped around the stick, and it creates a big gap between the first finger and the thumb.  You want that gap to be closed, like this:

Now look: No gap!

Last one: notice how the index finger is extended along the stick.  Remember, the hand should resemble a fist.

When you go to play, you want to hold the drumsticks in front of you with your PALM FACING UP.  A lot of beginning drummers play with their thumbs facing up.  That’s the wrong way to play, and it can be dangerous and cause a repetitive stress injury.

Arrange the sticks at a 90 degree angle.

That’s it!

Please leave a comment if you have a question about something in this guide, and I’ll happily answer them.