Within the drumming world, there are people who like the traditional grip and others who prefer the matched grip. Some drummers switch back and forth between the two. I tend to play mainly palms down these days, with a few exceptions. There is no right or wrong here, but here’s my initial take on it. (I’ll write more on this subject in subsequent posts.)
First of all, I prefer the term “hand position” over “grip.” To me, the word grip implies that I’m holding onto the stick firmly. I don’t play this way, nor do the masters of the instrument. The dictionary talks about “the act of grasping” when looking up this word. That’s not what I do.
My first drum teacher played and taught the traditional grip, so that’s what I first learned. A few years later (while in high school) I found myself playing a slightly larger drum set (more toms, basically) and needing more power. I started experimenting with my hand positioning — both palms facing down. My palms tend to face slightly in — as if I’m bouncing a ball — not as though I’m about to do a pushup. Bring a basketball into where your drums are set up and bounce it a few times while looking at your hand position. Then, go and replicate that at the kit.
I started liking this “new” hand position and it worked well for the music I was playing at the time — rock and jazz/rock (or fusion). Not only did I have more power, but getting around a bigger drum kit was much easier. The drummers I was listening to at the time were also playing in this fashion. I was also playing percussion in the school’s orchestra, and the palms down approach allowed a nice way to approach the mallet instruments.
Take the time to look up the history of where the traditional grip (or orthodox grip) originated and stayed tuned for more on this subject.
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