Hey there guys, i was actually wondering that if we use hot rods all the way for home practice will it affect our playing on drumsticks? When i use rods for a rather long period and go back to sticks, it really just feels like a whole NEW feeling.
okay assuming you are using metal sticks for your practice, i suggest you be really careful. there has been a long debate among educators regarding the use of metal sticks for practicing purposes because some think its good and some think its bad.in my opinion it's bad. i have a few reasons for that.
Basically my philosophy is practice exactly with what you play with. we cant put drumming as an analogy to the Olympics can we? you cant practically "run with weights" when it comes to drumming. using metal sticks can really injure your wrists if you are not practicing with proper techniques especially at faster tempos.
Moreover, the vibration that is being produced by metal sticks compared to wooden sticks is obviously different and prolonged periods of practice can injure your hands or your wrists.This is due to the fact that vibration travels differently through different mediums to your hands or wrist.
My advice would be to practice with slightly heavier sticks then what you usually play with.
I personally practice with 2Bs and it gives me the same effect that you have described. metal sticks in my opinion are too extreme. Also. the response that you get from wooden sticks are much different compared to metal ones so even if the wooden sticks feel like they are floating in your hands after practicing with metal sticks, the feel and response would be different.
I am saying all these because i have had students who have had minor wrist injuries before due to practicing with metal sticks but then again if it works well for you then go ahead with practicing with the metal sticks because like i said the debate never stops. i am sure there will be people who would completely disagree with my post
My take is NEVER practise with the hot-rods alone. That becos firstly, they're too light weight, and secondly, the level of rebound from the hot rods are totally different from the rebound you get from sticks.
There're also somethings that you just cannot avoid using actual drumsticks to practise. Stuff like rudimental exercises and getting them to speed/endurance as well as applying accents to rudiments definitely calls for the need to use drumsticks. But of course you can still use the hot-rods to work on coordination stuffs, grooves etc.
Yea the debate as to using heavier sticks or practising on different surfaces never ends, but of course what doesn't work for some may work for others.
sorry for the wrong interpretation guys. the ones i use are by Vic Firth and are called rutes so i was confused. anyway i agree with the fact that it is no substitute for sticks. however the fact that it has lesser rebounds compared to sticks can be an advantage for practicing of double strokes for example which i use and it has worked for me perfectly for rudiment practices which are harder to pull of using these hot- rods and i find it a good practicing option compared to sticks when it comes to rebound. when it comes to the weight of the sticks there are various thicknesses that they sell which co-relates to the weight of the hot-rods. i don't know about pro mark but vic firth sells different thicknesses of rutes which i can compare with sticks. i just end up practicing with the pair of rutes that are slightly heavier than the usual pair of sticks i use for the style i am practicing. moreover, in general i use these rutes for more lighter styles of playing like jazz for example and it also gives me the right type of feel that i am personally looking for. also if you are practicing with other musicians in a studio setting and do not want to drown the rest and make it a comfortable situation for all, this would be a good pair of tools to "cheat" with. of course the best thing to do is to train up your dynamics and "play to the room".