Matched grip is a method of holding drum stick

Drum stick

A percussion mallet is an object used to beat drums and other percussion instruments. Some specialized mallets are called beaters, drumsticks.Note: See Rute .-Drum sticks:...

s and mallets to play percussion instruments. In the matched grip each hand holds its stick in the same way, whereas in the traditional grip

Traditional grip

Traditional grip is a technique used to hold drum sticks while playing percussion instruments. Unlike matched grip, each hand holds the stick differently. Commonly, the right hand uses an overhand grip and the left hand uses an underhand grip...

, each hand holds the stick differently. Almost all commonly used matched grips are overhand grips. Specific forms of the grip are French grip, German grip, and American grip.

The matched grip is performed by gripping the drum sticks with one's index finger and middle finger curling around the bottom of the stick and the thumb on the top. This allows the stick to move freely and bounce after striking a percussion instrument.

French grip

In French grip, the palms of the hands face directly toward each other and the stick is moved primarily with the fingers rather than the wrist as in German grip. This allows a greater degree of finesse, which is why many timpanists prefer French grip. Because this grip uses the smaller and faster finger muscles, this grip is used by single-stroke champions. It also comes in handy for playing fast tempo swing or jazz for the ride cymbal. For louder strokes, the wrist rotates much in the same way as when hammering a nail.

German grip

In German grip, the palms of the hands are parallel to the drumhead

Drumhead

A drumhead is a membrane stretched over one or both of the open ends of a drum. The drumhead is struck with sticks, mallets, or hands so that it vibrates and the sound resonates through the drum.-History:...

 or other playing surface, and the stick is moved primarily with the wrist. German grip provides a large amount of power, but sacrifices the finesse provided by the use of the fingers as in French grip. It is used when power is the primary concern, such as when playing a bass drum

Bass drum

Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...

. This is also the primary grip for the Moeller method

Moeller method

The Moeller method, or moeller technique, is named for drummer Sanford A. Moeller, as described in his book The Art of Snare Drumming, also called The Moeller Book . It is believed that he described the method after observing Civil War drummers in the 19th century. He later taught the system to...

.

American grip

American grip is a hybrid of the French grip and German grip. The palms of the hands typically are at about a 45-degree angle, and both the fingers and wrist are used to propel the stick. This grip is considered a general-purpose grip by percussionists because it combines the power of German grip with the finesse of French grip. It is used to play everything from snare drum

Snare drum

The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...

s to xylophone

Xylophone

The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...

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