using stick wrap as i use it on my sticks for better control and to stop them flying away but i always seem to knacker my hands and get blisters on my fingers! really annoying, any tips?

Thanks

Try relaxing yourself and don't hold your sticks so tight.








_________________
keep on drummin!

top drummer wrote:

don't hold your sticks so tight.

i agree, try to hold your sticks, just enough so they dont slip out of your hands, also frequently wipe your hands with a towel after each song u do if u can, the sweat on your hands will cause blisters quite fast








_________________
Tama/Zildjian/Remo/Vater
www.myspace.com/scotthurford

Wear gloves. I recommend Easton or Ziljdian.

I do. I tape my sticks (with baseball bat tape, you can get it at your friendly neighborhood sporting goods store, and you can get a 25-foot roll for the price of that Pro-mark or Easton CRAP.), and I wear drumming gloves to play so I don't get blisters.

You'll either need to do that, or play more so you develop callouses instead of blisters.








_________________
Me, My Story, and Pics Of My Drums:
http://www.saludacymbals.com/c/ksiegel.html
Proud to endorse Saluda Cymbals since 2006.
Howie is my homie. Word.

yep, gloves is good!
I was getting blisters from using 4 sticks, and gloves did the trick.
Over time you can gradually build up calluses, and the gloves will keep you going till you do.

Have you tried Zildjian Dip sticks? Maybe the coating is less abrasive than tape? I'm not sure...








_________________
analog missionary
M=yspace

Guess i've played long enough that I don't get them anymore. I've used the zildjian dips and got blisters though.








_________________
http://www.myspace.com/thealiendrummer

Starclassic Birch -- Mapex Pro- M Rock -- Ludwig Rocker -- Roland SPD-S -- Pearl ICON Rack -- Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste, Saluda & Wuhon Cymbals -- Yamaha PTX8

It's not how long you play, it's how often. I've played drums for 33 years, but my current band only plays once or twice a month, and I don't get a chance to play much outside of that, so I wear the gloves, as my callouses are gone.








_________________
Me, My Story, and Pics Of My Drums:
http://www.saludacymbals.com/c/ksiegel.html
Proud to endorse Saluda Cymbals since 2006.
Howie is my homie. Word.

i wouldn't recommend DIP sticks, they still give u blisters and they break FAST








_________________
Tama/Zildjian/Remo/Vater
www.myspace.com/scotthurford

I used Dips for 2 years and never broke one.
Only got blisters when holding them between my knuckles, 2 in each hand. Not so much a blister, I guess, as the skin rubbed away. ouch








_________________
analog missionary
M=yspace

I got harsh blisters from using dip sticks, I don't recommend them. Vater stick cheap is relatively cheap and really comfortable. I put it on my Lars Ulrich signature Aheads to protect the signatures and they improve my comfort with the sticks by a ton. They never slip out of my hands anymore.








_________________
english, motherf**ker, do you speak it!?
http://www.myspace.com/tuskband

I agree with the gloves advice if thats the way you want to go... however, some drummers have issues adjusting to gloves. In the past I've tried numerous gloves from Ziljian to Ahead and to be quite honest the best ones I've found have been Franklin baseball batting gloves...

That or I've seen a lot of drummers on the road use athletic tape on their fingers in spots where they get recurring blisters.

but then again, my best advice would just be work harder on your grip and listen to what your hands are telling you when you play for a while.








_________________
Wake The Light
http://www.myspace.com/wakethelight
Tama shells / Pearl hardware / Ziljian cymbals / Evans heads / Vic Firth sticks

hahahaha i`ve used duct tape and it works alright for when u feel a blister forming








_________________
www.myspace.com/neighborhoodwatch12

me band

if you practice enough and work up callouses (and also play properly) you shouldnt have a problem. its like guitar player toughening up the tips of their fingers. after playing for a while they callous up and you wont have problems as long as you practice frequently enough that they dont soften up. or if you just hold your stick anyway you feel then you might want to just brush up on some techniques and grips. playing properly and frequently will help keep you from getting blisters

what drummert2k said. Its been so long I can't remember when I had a blister. But if you have to play with blisters, band-aids are a god-send.

This may sound crazy but it works for me. Don't use anything that would cause friction. Dipped sticks and grip tape all add friction which you would think helps you hold on to the sticks. The extra friction is what causes the blisters.

You need to learn to play with a relaxed grip. Back when marching, my hands would get so sweaty in a performance, I was afraid of dropping sticks in a show. During rehearsal, I would never sweat as much so I was unprepared for the slippery sticks in the performance. I did some individual practice with lotion or oil on my sticks to get used to them being slippery. I was able to develop a more relaxed grip that allowed me to hold on to the sticks in a performance and not have the friction that caused blisters. If you have a problem spot on say one finger, put some medical type tape on the finger, not the stick.

Jacksonville State Marching Southerners Snare '87-'90
Spirit of Atlanta 36" Bass '87, Snare '88-'90, Staff '91-92
Drumset 1981-present








_________________
http://www.encoregear.com/
http://www.crossroadsband.info/