The drummer in this video holds the drumstick in a certain way. I'm certain there is a name for that drumming technique. What do you call it? The grip on his left hand, to the right side in the video.
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1 Answer
It's a traditional grip, more later. A lot of drummers use matched grip, which is just as it says on the tin - both sticks are held the same way - as in this drummer's right hand. A lot of drummers, jazzers included, use a traditional grip, though. Sometimes called cross grip, amongst others.
The traditional grip then gets split into three styles.
French grip, with the thumb on the top of the stick.
German grip, where the thumb is on the side, making the palm face upwards.
American grip, which is sort of a half-way point between French and German.
In the video, the drummer's thumb is well on top,but he rotates his hand a lot, making it the American grip.Its history is probably from the marching side drum, where it was easier to play using that grip than any other, due to the positioning of the snare (side) drum more at the side of the body (hence the name) rather than between the thighs as is general in a standard drumkit these days.
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1French/German/American grip refers to matched grip, or only the right hand in traditional grip. OP's question is about the traditional left hand.– EdwardCommented Nov 11 at 16:12
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3Your answer seems to imply that German, French, and American are variations of the left hand grip in traditional grip.– EdwardCommented Nov 11 at 16:27
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@Tim the French/German/American grip you're listing are referred to the right hand (more precisely, the hand usually keeping time with cymbals) or both hands when using the matched grip. Also, the palm never faces upwards in any of them. The "traditional grip" refers to the grip normally holding the stick between the middle and ring fingers (similarly to what shown in the video), for the hand that usually plays the snare (commonly, the left hand); while there are many variations of that grip, none of the ones you listed are related to it (and none of them usually involves hand rotation) Commented Nov 12 at 2:35
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1·@Tim I know you're referring to the left hand, that's the point: that's simply a traditional grip, which is not "split" in those French/German/American styles. Those terms only apply to the grip in which all fingers are around the stick, which is used for the right hand by the drummer in the video, and also for the left towards the end, when he switches to the "matched grip" (which isn't a specific grip), apparently using a French/American grip. Commented Nov 12 at 14:52