5 Best Drum Sticks For Beginners and Professionals

The Best Drumsticks Buyer’s Guide

Lots of beginner drummers underestimate how important it is to play drums with the right pair of drumsticks. Don’t be tempted by the cheap unknown branded drum sticks out there. These are poorly made and they will break easily, costing you much more in the long run.

Creating a quality pair of drumsticks is no simple process. It requires select dowels of various woods and intensive testing. Wood is naturally an uneven material, and the density, grain, moisture content all have to meet specific requirements.

Once the wood meets the necessary requirements, a thorough testing process will make the drumsticks perfectly weighted and pitched with one another. The drumsticks will also lacquer finished to make them comfortable to hold and durable for long life.

At the end of the day, much like how a good bass drum pedal will help your performance, a good pair of drumsticks will help you to play better also. The act as an extension of your body and a direct link between you and your drums!

Features to Look Out for in Good Drum Sticks

The Best Drum Stick Sizes

There are hundreds of different drumstick sizes out there. So how do you know which is best for you? There is no real right answer for this, but the best thing to do is to experiment and try them out for yourself!

Looking at lots of different models of drumsticks can be confusing and intimidating to say the least. Even for experienced drummers! To help simplify the drumstick sizes, there are the most common drumstick sizes to learn.

• 7A – thin and lighter sticks that are perfect for jazz
• 5A – The classic, versatile drumstick
• 3A – Slightly longer and thicker than 5A
• 5B – Thicker sticks than 3A, ideal for solid backbeats
• 2B – The thickest drumsticks, suitable for rock and metal

Once you are familiar with these different sizes, you can then try to explore the many other drumstick sizes and signature models that exist. Artist signature models come in a huge array of different sizes that fall in between and around all of these base drumstick sizes.

For example I like to play the Jojo Mayer signature Vic Firth sticks, and these are slightly shorter and thicker than a classic 5A. It’s all down to personal preference when it comes to the best drumstick size. But I would suggest starting with 5A or 5B drumsticks and then seeing how you find them.

Anatomy of a Drum Stick

There are 4 aspects of a drumstick that all together contribute to the balance, feel and sound of a drumstick. These 4 parts are as follows:

• Length
• Thickness
• Taper
• Tip

Length – The length of the drumstick influences the balance and the fulcrum point. A longer drumstick has greater range and leverage meaning it can achieve more power.

Thickness – The thickness of a drumstick determines its weight and durability. Thickness is the largest contributing factor to the overall feel of the drumstick and will determine which styles of music it’s most suitable for.

Taper – The taper is the profile of the shoulder of the drumstick that influences the balance (weight distribution) and rebound. Tapers can be gradual or short, and this changes how a drumstick responds with regards to rebound once it strikes a drumhead.

Tip – The tip of a drumstick is also known as the bead, and drumstick tips vary greatly in size and shape. Drumsticks can either have wooden or nylon tips. A smaller tip produces a defined and delicate sound, whilst larger tips produce a louder and less defined sound.

Drum Stick Materials

There are three main types of woods that get used to make drumsticks. The type of wood affects how those sticks feel in your hands and sound when they strike the drums. 

All the sticks I mentioned above are made from hickory, which is the most popular kind of drumstick wood. However, it’s good to know about the other woods so that you understand the differences when you come across them. 

Here’s everything to know: 

• Hickory – Hickory is the most common and most well-balanced wood. With hickory sticks, you get a combination of durability, power, and finesse. This is due to its medium weight.  
• Maple – Maple is the lightest wood used for drumsticks. A lighter stick feels nimbler, allowing you to get more speed. However, they don’t offer a lot of power, so rock and metal drummers don’t like to use these thinner sticks. 
• Oak – Oak is the thickest and heaviest wood. Oak sticks are heavy and powerful, making them highly durable. Typically, heavy drummers like to use these heavier sticks, while lighter drummers don’t like how weighty they are.  

You’re guaranteed to get these types of woods when picking sticks from reputable stick brands. If you find drumsticks being sold by budget brands, they’re typically made from cheaper woods that are a lot lighter. 

This makes them far less durable, and it’s the main reason why cheap drumsticks feel very thin in your hands. Those kinds of sticks are okay for beginners, but you’ll find that they break very quickly. They’re also not well balanced most of the time.

Choosing the Best Drum Sticks

There is a vast array of drumsticks on the market to choose from, and as mentioned prior there is no real correct answer for what are the best drumstick sizes. 

But what you will definitely want to do is opt for a quality pair made from either Vic Firth, Promark, Vater, Zildjian, Ahead, or Meinl Stick & Brush. Professional drummers around the world use all of these drumsticks.

When it comes to drumstick sizes, the best drumsticks for beginners are 5A’s. But I’d also recommend you experiment with some other sizes once you have understood the drumming basics. 

Try out new sizes, and the chances are you’ll find something that feels perfect to you. There is a big difference in playing feel when it comes to drumstick sizes, and finding the best drumsticks will definitely improve the way you play.

Drum Stick FAQs