Best Drumsticks for Beginners: Why the Thing You're Holding Matters More Than You Think
Robert Bishop | robbishopdrums.com
Quick Answer:
A pair of Vic Firth American Classic 5A in hickory is a solid starting point for any beginner, but the honest answer is that nothing beats physically going to a drum shop and trying sticks out for yourself, because the sticks you hold affect how you play and sound more than almost any other piece of gear you own.
Here is a weird one for you: a student will turn up with a 50p pair of sticks they got at a boot sale, but in the very same lesson they will ask about the best drum kit to buy, or what cymbals to get, or which heads they should be playing on, and the very thing they are holding ALL of the time, the thing they are using to actually hit things with, they rarely think twice about.
I get it, because I was exactly the same. When I turned up to my very first drum lesson I was playing a pair of beaten up Dave Weckl Jazz sticks that had been passed down from years of school band drummers, and I remember my drum teacher looking at them like a dog poo that had been left on the ground by its owner.
He didn't say a word, he just walked over to his stick bag, pulled out a brand new pair of beautiful beige Vic Firth drumsticks and handed them to me. I later found out they were the famous "SD9 Driver," which sounded like something you walked into a car showroom and asked for (you can hear me playing the SD9's over on my youtube channel here). He then took me down a 15 minute demonstration of various length, width and weight of drumsticks, and I had been playing drums for three years at this point and never knew drumsticks had different weight. What an eye opener that was.
Why drumsticks matter more than your kit
I then spent the next ten years with the delicious SD9 Drivers, and I loved everything about them: the thickness, the lightness, the feel.. but they were maple, and I was playing a lot of heavy blues and rock at the time, and I was smashing my way through a fair few pairs of sticks without really questioning whether there was something better out there for what I was doing.
I didn't finally start to properly experiment until I went round a drummer friend's house and in his recording studio he had LOTS of different sticks that sent my ADHD through the roof. I took the opportunity to go through every single pair, and I suddenly realised how different some of these sticks made me play, feel and sound. At that point I walked away, spent some time online buying some Benny Grebs, Keith Carlock sticks (which are lovely!) a few different Vic Firths, like the American Classics and later some Cater Mcleans and then waited for them to arrive so I could spend proper time playing and practising with them.
That afternoon changed the way I thought about sticks forever.
What actually makes one drumstick different from another
Sticks have a major role in how you play and sound, and most beginners have absolutely no idea how big that role is, how sticks feel in your hands is so important, and the sound they produce on the drums is mind boggling when you actually hear it side by side.
I would line up sticks on the floor-tom and get students to just play a single note on the ride cymbal with each stick and hear the difference. The amount of times a student would look in amazement at how different one stick sounded from another, and that difference resonates throughout the entire kit, it is huge in how YOU sound, way more than what cymbals you buy, what kit you have or what heads you play on. All of those things add up, but the single thing you are using to HIT with is a pair of sticks, and what they are made out of, how thick they are, what tip they have, and what weight they carry, all of that makes a difference to the sound that comes out the other end.
The three things that change how a drumstick feels and sounds
Wood type
The two main types you will come across are hickory and maple. Hickory is heavier and more durable, which is why most beginners end up with hickory sticks by default. Maple is lighter, which gives you more speed and finesse but they will break faster if you are a heavy hitter.
I loved my maple SD9 Drivers but I was going through them at a rate that my wallet did not appreciate.
There are also oak sticks which are the heaviest and most durable of the three, but they feel like tree branches in your hands if you are not used to them.
Size and weight
Drumsticks come in numbered sizes and the numbering is not intuitive at all. A 7A is thinner and lighter than a 5A, which is thinner and lighter than a 5B, which is thinner and lighter than a 2B. Most beginners get handed a pair of 5A sticks and that is a perfectly fine starting point, but it is worth knowing that the spectrum exists because what feels right in YOUR hands might not be the default.
Tip shape
The tip of the stick, the bit that hits the cymbal, comes in different shapes: round, oval, barrel, acorn. Each one produces a different tone on the cymbals especially. Round tips give a brighter, more focused ping on the ride. Oval and acorn tips give a warmer, broader tone. It is one of those things that sounds like it should not matter until you hear it, and then you cannot unhear it.
Which drumsticks suit which style of music?
Once you start paying attention to sticks, it helps to know what tends to work for different styles. This is not a rule book, every drummer has their own preferences, but it gives you a rough map of where to start.
Jazz and acoustic/folk tend to favour thinner, lighter sticks like a 7A in maple or hickory. They let you play fast, delicate patterns and control your cymbal work without overpowering the music. Wire brushes are also essential here for traditional jazz, ballads and low volume acoustic settings where you need that soft, sweeping texture rather than a stick sound.
Rock, pop and funk is where the 5A comes into its own. It is the all-rounder: enough weight for punchy backbeats but not so heavy that you lose speed on fills. If you are recording pop or rock you might see nylon tips show up because they give cymbals a brighter, more defined ping that cuts through a mix.
Hard rock and heavy metal players tend to reach for 5B or 2B sticks in hickory or oak. They are noticeably thicker and heavier, which lets you hit hard and project volume without snapping sticks every other song. Oak in particular is popular here for its extreme durability.
Orchestral and concert playing uses a different world of sticks entirely. Concert sticks like the SD1 are designed for precise articulation, snare drum rolls and classical dynamics. Timpani and percussion mallets use soft felt or wooden heads to pull deep, warm tones from orchestral instruments. If you are in this world you probably already know, but it is worth mentioning because it shows just how much variety exists beyond the standard 5A.
So what drumsticks should a beginner actually buy?
If you are a complete beginner and you have never thought about your sticks before, start with a pair of Vic Firth American Classic 5A in hickory. They are the industry standard starting point for a reason: good weight, good balance, durable enough that you will not snap them in your first week.
But here is the real advice, and I mean this genuinely: go to a drum shop. Go to your local drum shop and go through the sticks they have on display. You cannot beat actually feeling and touching the sticks to get a feel for them, rolling them on a flat surface to check they are straight, holding them up and feeling the balance point. No amount of reading online will tell you what feels right in your hands, that is something you have to discover for yourself.
And if you are already playing and you have been using the same sticks for years without questioning it, do what I did at my mate's studio. Grab a handful of different sticks, line them up, and play the same thing with each pair. You will be amazed at how different you sound, and you might just find something that makes you play better without changing a single thing about your technique.
Frequently asked questions about drumsticks
What size drumsticks should a beginner use?
Start with 5A. They are the most common size, sitting right in the middle of the weight and thickness spectrum, and they work across every style of music. Once you have been playing for a while and you know whether you prefer something lighter or heavier, you can experiment from there.
What is the difference between 5A and 5B drumsticks?
5B sticks are thicker and heavier than 5A. They give you more power and volume, which makes them popular with rock drummers, but they can feel clunky if you are playing lighter music or working on speed. If you are not sure, start with 5A and move to 5B later if you find yourself wanting more weight.
Are nylon tip drumsticks better than wood tip?
They are not better or worse, they are just different. Nylon tips produce a brighter, more defined sound on cymbals, especially the ride. Wood tips give a warmer, more natural tone. Most beginners start with wood tip and that is perfectly fine. The main advantage of nylon is durability, the tip will not chip or wear down the way wood does, but some drummers find the sound too bright and pingy for their taste.
How often should you replace drumsticks?
When they are chipped, splintered, or warped. If you roll a stick on a flat surface and it wobbles, it is warped and it will affect your playing. How quickly you go through sticks depends on how hard you hit and what wood type you are using. When I was playing heavy blues and rock with maple sticks I was going through pairs fast, but a pair of hickory 5A sticks will last a beginner a good while.
Does it matter what drumsticks you use?
Yes, and most people massively underestimate how much. The sticks you use affect your sound more than your cymbals, your drum heads, or even your kit itself. I have seen students look completely stunned when I line up different sticks and get them to play the same note on a ride cymbal with each pair. The difference is enormous, and it changes everything from how the kit sounds to how you physically play.
Want a structured way to start your drumming journey? My free beginner drum course takes you from your very first lesson to playing 10 real songs, step by step.
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