My ultimate pet peeve is seeing drummers that are relatively good at the snare drum but the do all of their rolls pinky less. It drives me insane!!! I remember I was helping this kid out on a snare audition piece and I had to tape his pinky to his stick to get him to keep his pinky on the stick. Is there anyone else out there that hates this problem as much as I do?

I don't think that it's that much of a problem.

But, I hate it when (someone in my school line does this) A person plays nothing but gocks the WHOLE SONG. Then they think that they'er funny because they are pissing off the trumpets. And when you ask them to stop THEY get all pissed off.

yes thats a pet peeve for me too. i didn't realize how much it aggravated me unitl we i stopped doing it, and saw other people doing it. its drives me nuts.

yea, I know what you mean...I have a good drummer on the 'line; music readin wise, he's 2nd best, but when he plays his last 3 fingers comes off and that really slows him down.

Amateurs - I studied with Masters Yoda and Qui-gon Jinn - I play with no fingers on the stick.
I use the force.

I've had kids come into my line taught to hold the sticks with their fingers - no stick contact with the palm. I had to quickly beat them up.

People in my line who remove their pinkies from their sticks or remove their index/ring fingers traditionally WILL get those fingers smacked with a Deluccia (the logs, not the light ones). After a few times of that, they usually remember.

I don't think its that big of a deal as long as their fingers are all under their hand...it's when they are holding the stick like it's tea time that bothers me.

It's not that uncommon to not use your pinkies all the time. I rest mine on the sticks, but they aren't doing much of the work.

I cant do a good quality roll with my pinkies on the sticks. But i can with only 3 fingers. And my instructor doesnt have a problem with it.

Well I recommend you try it with all fingers on the stick. Practice with it. It really improves you're speed. Trust me. I used to do the pinky thing, but when our percussion instructor told me to change it, I saw that a played much faster.

yes pinky drumming is a problem. i have a friend(Reed) that has pretty good chops but plays like that. If you just listened without looking, its pretty good. But when you actually watch him play, it makes me want to eat my sticks.

The pinky thing drives me nuts as well, you really need your hand on the stick for the style of playing we do.

However:

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I've had kids come into my line taught to hold the sticks with their fingers - no stick contact with the palm. I had to quickly beat them up.

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Althought I agree that in drum line it is wrong, in concert snare setting and say british brass style playing you really do want to hold your stick farther out into your fingers. This allows you to get a sound that has a nice light touch to it. So although it isnt right for this setting, it is in some.