The Art of Sticking for Drummers: Strategies to Improve

Deciding when to play your left hand or right hand, also known as sticking, is a fundamental element of drumming. This is an interesting topic to explore in today’s blog. We notate sticking in various ways across different traditions. Whether you’re reading a Basel drumming score, a Dutch classical arrangement, or an American DCI-style score, understanding ‘sticking’ enhances your adaptability, precision, and musical expression.

In this blog, we’ll explore how sticking is notated across various drumming traditions, from Basel and Scottish pipe band drumming to American and Dutch systems. We’ll dive into how experimenting with different sticking approaches can sharpen your technical skills, expand your rhythmic vocabulary, and change the way you interpret music.

By the end of this blog, I hope you’ll have a broader perspective on sticking notation and new challenges to explore. Let’s get started!

Notation of Sticking: Diverse Traditions

The notation of sticking patterns varies significantly across different drumming traditions. Drum traditions have distinct systems to represent hand assignments. Understanding these variations is essential if you want to expand your technical proficiency and adaptability across multiple styles. By knowing about different notation methods, you can develop a deeper comprehension of phrasing and stylistic nuances.

Trying out multiple sticking notation systems facilitates learning and broadens the scope of interpretative possibilities. For instance, reinterpreting a Scottish pipe band score using Dutch classical sticking principles can help you explore new musical expressions. Such exercises enhance your ability to navigate between traditions and encourage technical versatility.

It can be a fun experiment to transcribe familiar exercises using alternative notation systems. For example, you could convert a Basel drumming excerpt into American DCI notation. Performing the same rhythmic passage with different sticking strategies—such as Basel versus DCI-style sticking—can reveal differences in articulation, timing, and hand balance. We’ll get into more of that later in this blog. In short, knowing about these different notation systems opens new avenues for technical development.

Here’s how various traditions approach sticking notation:

• Basel (Swiss) Notation: Notes above the line indicate right-hand strokes (R), while notes below indicate left-hand strokes (L).

From: Faschtewaje (Ivan Kym)

• French Notation: Similar to the Basel method, but notes above the line indicate left-hand strokes, and those below indicate right-hand strokes.

  
  

From: Alarches de la Garde Républicaine (Jean Quincho)

• Scottish Notation: Adopts the Basel style but has its nuances. Here, a ‘drag’ is interpreted as a ‘dead’ stroke by pipe band drummers.

  
  

From: Australian Ladies (J McHaffie)

• Dutch Notation: Tends not to explicitly write out sticking patterns but follows classical sticking principles, often based on 16th-note groupings.

  
  

From: KTK: Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning (Erik Albers)

• American Notation: Uses letter indications (R and L) written below the notes.

  
  

From: Drowsy Maggie (trad.)

Note: It's actually more so the 'classical' notation used in various countries. However, we use this notation a lot in The Netherlands, so we call it the 'Dutch' notation.

Sticking as a Tool to Improve Your Drumming Skills

Switching up your sticking patterns is an effective way to challenge your drumming skills. Simply reversing the sticking of a familiar exercise can be surprisingly difficult. This change pushes both your hands and your brain to adapt. Small changes can significantly impact your technique, coordination, and overall stick control.

“Expand your vocabulary because then you can say more interesting things.” — Jeff Prosperie

At the Global Symposium for Rudimental Drummers in Washington, DC, I spoke with Kevin Donka. He introduced me to the concept of ‘the not-so-easy rudiments.’ By intentionally changing traditional rudiments, such as altering the sticking, he creates challenging variations. The goal is simple: develop comfort in uncomfortable sticking patterns, forcing your hands to move in new ways.

This kind of experimentation doesn’t just make you a more skilled drummer; it makes you a more creative one. Jeff Prosperie expressed a powerful idea: expanding your rhythmic vocabulary allows you to express yourself more dynamically.

To put this concept into practice, let's take a simple rhythmic phrase and experiment with various sticking patterns. If you try them out, you’ll notice:

1. The difficulty can vary significantly based on the chosen sticking.

2. The feel of the rhythm changes depending on hand placement.

3. Achieving consistency across different variations is a valuable technical challenge.

   
   

Sticking Variations | Rudimental Drummers

You can practice along with this exercise using the MuseScore score.

Your Personal Sticking Preference

Every drummer naturally gravitates toward a specific sticking approach, often shaped by training and musical background. When I joined the drumline of KTK, I instinctively used a rudimental sticking style. I favored paradiddles for accented 16th-note figures, which felt natural in a marching percussion and drum corps context. However, KTK’s more classical sticking strategy prioritized consistent alternating stickings. This challenged me to rethink my sticking habits.

Why do I choose rudiments like paradiddles? This contrast not only pushed me out of my comfort zone but also broadened my versatility as a player. Developing flexibility in sticking choices allows for greater adaptability across different musical styles and technical demands.

Sticking strategies have long been debated among drumming educators. Some instructors advocate for model sticking strategies—stressing dominant hand lead or strict alternating sticking as the most efficient approaches. Research suggests there is no universal correlation between these sticking models and improved sight-reading ability or performance quality.

“Although it has been proposed in the literature that performances improved when using one of two model sticking strategies—dominant hand lead or alternating—we found several participants used a strategy opposite to dominant hand lead or a hybrid approach, and this did not seem to affect their performance abilities.” — Benjamin Bacon, Stuart Jackson, Ian Marci, Fabrice Marandola, and Marcelo M. Wanderley

This highlights an important point: rather than adhering rigidly to a single method, drummers should explore multiple sticking strategies. This flexibility fosters adaptability across different musical styles and technical demands. If you want to dive deeper into this topic, I highly recommend reading the full article here.

Match Your Sticking to Your Feet

Integrating hand movements with foot coordination is essential for both marching percussionists and drum kit players. Your feet provide the foundation of your playing—whether maintaining time in a marching setting or locking in a groove with the hi-hat and kick drum. How your hands interact with this foundation can determine not only the fluidity of your playing but also your overall control and timing.

One crucial element in achieving fluidity between hands and feet is ensuring your sticking aligns with your footwork. Just as drummers practice rudiments to build hand control, the relationship between sticking and foot placement should be deliberate and structured. Poor alignment can lead to instability, uneven phrasing, or unnecessary tension.

Sticking and footwork should never exist in isolation.

For example, in marching percussion, drummers often align right-hand strokes with left-footed steps and vice versa. This coordination maintains balance. Similarly, in drum kit playing, drummers frequently coordinate dominant-hand strokes with strong foot pulses—like accenting a downbeat with both the right hand and right foot simultaneously.

To improve sticking-footwork coordination, practice sticking variations over a steady foot ostinato. This allows you to develop independence while ensuring that hand motions complement the rhythmic foundation provided by your feet.

In conclusion, sticking and footwork should never exist in isolation—they must work together for a cohesive sound. By aligning your hand technique with your foot movements, you develop greater balance, precision, and time in your playing. Next time you practice, pay close attention to how your sticking interacts with your feet. Strengthening this connection will improve your overall technical control, making your playing feel smoother and more effortless.

Remember, the true power of sticking lies in its potential to transform your approach to drumming. It’s not just about following rules; it’s about experimenting, adapting, and finding what works best for you.

Conclusion

Doing complicated sticking exercises requires proper tools. Precision, control, and consistency start with the right technique and the right pair of sticks—and that’s where rdDrumsticks come in. Whether you’re refining your rudiments, pushing your technical limits, or exploring new sticking variations, the right drumsticks make a significant difference. Get your set here.

The diverse world of sticking notation offers you an opportunity to expand your technical abilities and expressiveness across multiple traditions and styles. Embracing various sticking approaches sharpens your skills and pushes you toward greater versatility and creativity as a drummer.

So, what’s next?

1. Experiment & Share – Try new sticking patterns and share your discoveries with the rdCommunity. What challenges did you face? Which variations opened new doors for your playing?

2. Put it into Practice – Take the exercises and concepts from this blog and see how they shape your technique. Don’t forget to share your progress—we’d love to hear how you’re advancing!

3. Upgrade Your Tools – Elevate your drumming with the right gear. Grab a pair of rdDrumsticks and feel the difference precision and control can make in your performance.

   
   

Keep pushing your limits, keep experimenting, and above all, keep drumming! The more you explore, the more you grow, and the more you’ll enjoy the endless journey of mastering your craft.

If you're interested in this topic, you can also watch our video about it: https://youtu.be/HQ4I7zkBHBs?si=MwbqZD_jWKUKv0ny.