Snare Drum Technique - The Grip
        by Richie Viano

The first thing you should know about the snare drum is that 
it has a rich and amazing history in the marching music genre. 
It has been invented, tweaked, perfected, re-invented and 
re-perfected by “masters” long before Rich Viano had any 
interest in playing. My personal knowledge comes from great 
teachers that I was lucky enough to train with, observe or 
meet. Just as a young jazz student should get to know 
Coltrain, Miles, Bird, Williams, etc., I think all drummers 
should take the time to gain knowledge and history about Tom 
Float, Dennis DeLucia, Al Murray, Ralph Hardiman, Thom Hanum, 
Marty Hurley, Jim Campbell, Scott Johnson, Charlie Poole, Tom 
Aungst, Mark Thurston, Chris Thompson, Mike Back and many, 
many more. These are the teachers that have influenced my 
style and opinions of snare drumming and marching percussion. 

With that said, it’s also good to know that there are several 
different approaches to technique and style. Let my 
suggestions be a guideline. This week’s feature will break 
down the grip. Look for future articles on Style and Strokes.

GRIP 
There are two types of grips, Matched and Traditional. 
Matched grip is when the two hands mirror each other. The 
traditional grip involves the left hand taking on a separate 
grip and stroke that is drastically different from the right 
hand. No matter what grip you choose, staying relaxed and 
loose is the ultimate goal. Tension and drumming do not mix. 
Your shoulder and upper arm should always be in their natural 
position. The elbow should be very relaxed, but not laying 
against the body. First, let’s break down the right hand, 
because it is the same in matched or traditional. I don’t 
want to make this too scientific. Here is a quick way to 
“set” the right hand. 
Have your kids hold the stick the way that “they” feel it 
is most comfortable. A lot of the time, the kids find the 
correct position naturally. A common thing to look 
for first is where they set their hands on the stick. I find 
that leaving an inch and a half of stick out of the back of 
the hand is a good place to start. This is one of several 
areas that involve a player’s personal choice. 
The next thing I do is re-set the “fulcrum point”. The 
point between your thumb and first finger is known as the 
“fulcrum” or a balancing point. I tell the kids to picture 
a line splitting the stick in half horizontally. I like the 
thumb to sit on the top half of that imaginary line. It 
creates a seal between the thumb and first finger, which in 
turn facilitates better control. I don’t believe in having 
a gap of space between the thumb and first finger. Some 
teachers prefer the thumb on the middle of the stick. As I 
alluded to earlier, there are several different approaches. 
The back three fingers are next. I tell my kids to let 
those fingers lay relaxed, wrapped around the stick. Young 
drummers have a tendency to leave the pinky and ring fingers 
off the stick when they play (usually when playing faster). 
I think it’s important to monitor that “trait” very 
carefully, because it can hinder advanced control 
capabilities later down the road. 
Setting of the wrist can draw the most debates. Some 
teachers like the wrist parallel to the ground, some like 
the thumb sitting straight up and some people like a variety 
of spaces between the two extremes. I happen to be one of 
the “in-between” people. I have noticed when the wrist is 
parallel, the elbow naturally points out and when the thumb 
is straight up and down, the elbow naturally lays against my 
body. I like the elbow a little off the body, but not 
straight out. If you turn your thumb half way between the 
two extremes, I find that to be the most comfortable as well 
as natural. The left hand is set up exactly like the right. 

TRADITIONAL 
The right hand is the same as matched; however, the left 
becomes it’s own “monster”. This grip was designed to 
accommodate snare drums that were carried with a sling. Even 
though carriers hold the snares level, this grip has remained 
a popular technique. 
Have your kids extend the fingers of their left hand out 
like a handshake. Pull the thumb back until it creates a 
“90 ° angle” with the first finger. 
Place the stick in the angle made between your thumb and 
first finger. 
Pull the first finger over the stick until it meets the 
thumb. I like to see a “T” created at the contact point of 
the thumb and first finger. As a teacher you realize that 
hands come in many shapes and sizes. The diversity of hands 
makes it hard to standardize exact location of the finger or 
thumb. Ultimately, the player must feel relaxed and be in 
control of the stick. I rest the stick on the natural curve 
of my ring finger. The stick is between the bottom half of 
my fingernail and the top joint of that finger. Here is 
another place of debate when trying to nail down an absolute 
reference. 
The pinky and the middle finger exist in the closest 
proximity of a natural position. The middle finger, of 
course, lies over the stick, against the first finger, while 
the pinky follows the natural curve of the ring finger above 
it. When I relax my left hand (without a stick in it) my 
fingers naturally lay in a semi-closed position with my 
fingers curved, and my first finger knuckle down to my ring 
finger knuckle is naturally graduated. My pinky follows the 
natural curve of my other fingers, but there seems to be 
more space between the pinky and the ring finger. 
I don’t believe that a technique should alter the natural 
position and curve of your fingers. Drumming is a personal 
activity. Of all the great drum set players in the history of 
drumming, you would be hard pressed to find identical left 
handgrips. You will find a lot of similarities.

The two grips work well. There are considerations to be made 
when choosing what grip you will teach. I am not going to 
tell you which one to choose because there is not a right or 
wrong choice. I will suggest a few items you may want to 
think about when teaching young kids to drum and I will 
comment on my personal beliefs. 
Is the grip you choose applicable to any other percussion 
instruments you play? When teaching kids as beginners, I 
think you should choose the match grip. Whether you play 
snare or bells, the grip and stroke have numerous 
similarities. I would rather have a student focus on a 
simple game plan to start and then make upgrades, as the 
student becomes increasingly proficient with the basics. 
You can play traditional grip on drum set and in symphonic 
settings. I love the grip. I play traditional grip when I 
drum but I recognize the value of match grip and its 
multi-tasking capabilities. 
Historically, my new students come to my program playing 
what grip? (High School teachers) When the new freshmen come 
to the first winter practices, they usually all come playing 
matched grip. I like to give all the kids a chance to earn 
a spot playing the instrument that they like. I have a few 
rehearsals where we all play on workhorses in front of 
mirrors. When I am setting the line, choosing match grip 
allows a student the opportunity to work out with the snares 
without the liability of having to start all over again if 
the snare line doesn’t become their final destination. I see 
that as a huge advantage. 
What grip do the kids want to play? If you have a veteran 
group and they want to work at traditional grip, I am all 
for it. I like to have incentives when teaching. I like 
seeing a group taking on challenges. 
As I said before, these are choices and not absolutes. I rely 
on my personal experiences when I teach. I take 
responsibility for giving these kids a smart approach that 
will be adaptable to other instruments and other teachers. My 
styles and techniques adapt. My approach to teaching adapts. 
I use what works and I keep my eyes and ears open to anything 
that works better. If they made better and more efficient 
fuel for your car, wouldn’t you buy it? 

Good Luck! Richie Viano