Tame

I have not yet managed to figure out HOW rock drummers twirl drumsticks! I just can't comprehend it by watching; it appears that fingers are moving THROUGH the drumsticks and I get a headache.

So can anybody tell me HOW? Please.

I'm not asking for a lesson or anything, I just want to know how it's done, and I have not found anything online except books and tapes for drum majors for marching bands.

 

MusicMan

Here are some great videos that will teach you how to twirl drum sticks in no time! Twirling drumsticks is so much fun and it's like riding a bike, once you learn how, you never forget.

true twirl:
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-true

blackwell's twirl:
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-blackwell

fake twirl:
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-fake

letting it go:
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-letting-go

stick on stick twirl (sticky sticks):
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-sticky

mixing it up:
http://media.putfile.com/twirling-mixing

close ups:
http://media.putfile.com/twirl-closeup

ET

One thing I have heard works pretty good is to start with a long stick, like a 2 or 3 foot long dowel rod that is around the same diameter as a drumstick. It gives you a better feel for how the stick should spin around your fingers. Then as you get better with the long stick, trim off a few inches and practice more. Then get better with each new shorter length until you get to a normal drum stick length and start using drum sticks.

BRD

I don't play drums seriouly but i can a bit with my band and i tryed that and i flicked them threw the air and i hit my bassist in the head. LOL :duh:

xingeh

Awsome post mate. I'll be looking at these. Nice work.

I still can't twirl them after 2 years... LOL!

bojen

Hi Tame,

This is one way of doing it: With the stick in your right hand, place the middle of it between the index finger and the middle finger with the lower part of it resting in your palm. Your palm facing your face. The stick never leaves the grip between the index and middle finger. Now, try to get it to spin by throwing the upper part of the stick to the left, and you will see that the upper end of the stick kind of wants to do draw a circular motion in the air. That is the twirl itself! The trick now is to keep the spinning motion by use of a gentle squeeze with your index finger and a gentle twist with your hand (like when you adjust a mirror in your hand to see your face).

Hope you'll get it!

Regards Bojen

Aqualung

Thanks for that awesome tip! And, welcome to KMA!! I look forward to seeing you around.

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David

Hello I'm a newby and this is my first entry. I want to learn how to twirl drumsticks. Ive been drumming for 20+ years although it doesn't sound like it. I can't access those links from this computer so i'll check it out at home. Rock-on!

Aqualung

Yeah, it looks like those videos were removed. Does anybody else know some links to some videos?

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Jowed

Heres a basic

http://media.putfile.com/Drumstick-Spinology

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Aqualung

Awesome! Thanks for finding another video.

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thenotsosilent

my understanding is that the sticks dont actually twirl. It's sort of like that trick that makes your pencil look like it's made of rubber except instead of putting the drum stick inbetween your index finger and your thumb you've got it inbetween your index and middle and you use your knuckles to do the trick!

Jowed

i think thats the fake way. Which is a way to do it.

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Aqualung

One way to twirl them makes it so it doesn't twirl. As Jowed said, that's the "fake twirl". There are ways where it does twirl, though.

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ginger-bassist

i spent a summer holiday learning how to twirl my drum sticks, and came up with a method of doing it.

1. spread out all 4 fingers to hold the drum stick, with the pinky being roughly in the middle

2. force the stick up with your index finger, and push the other 3 fingers out of the line of the drum stick

3. as the drumstick heads up, make your index finger follow it round keeping it in the same spot, with alomst minimal movement (seems contradictory, but its what happens i think)

4. once the stick is ready to be caught again, pull the other 3 fingers back in the drum sticks line and catch it.

to a reasonable extent, this can actually be practiced slowly, and built up to a decent speed.

im not saying this will work for everyone, but it works for me, with both hands, and for pens, pencils, T.V remotes, etc

and yes, it may take time, it only took me a few month or so, but i practiced for hours each day, every day, with a lot of dropping, hitting myself, and noise of it hitting walls and other things

my next trick to learn, to keep this going for more than one spin XD

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Aqualung

I'm getting better at the fake twirl. I can do it very sloppily with a pen now, to where it's actually moving around, not just back and forth.

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mikevon23

It is not at all difficult. Look it up on youtube.

russelA

me too, i like to go on drums but it's kind of hard so i guess i will just go on with the guitar...