Well, to really understand Traditional Grip, you have to understand where it came from. Traditional was invented because, back in the day, circa. 1700s, drums were on slings and slanted. It was not possible to play matched back then, harnesses were not available. Traditional was used.
When Harnesses were invented, bam, matched became the thing. Also, Grips have seemed to follow Drum Corps. When Harnesses came, Matched was the thing. No one could do it, everyone knew Traditional. So, Corps used Matched for a while. Now, they are switcing back to Traditional, because no one knows it well. And, some Drum Corps are going back to slanted drums. Insane, I know, but at least the slings havn't been brought back yet (they HURT, take it from me).
There are pros and cons with each grip. One pro is that it is different, so the hands are not focused on each other. I've been playing matched ever since I picked up drum sticks, and my left hand does not look the same anyway when I compare closely. It hampers me sometimes. ARGH! But, with Traditional, it is a whole new ball game. The left hand is playing a different style, so it is not concerned with making itself look the same as the right hand. In a sense, it becomes easier.
Another pro is the flash. Let's face, Traditional just looks cooler. The amount of stick tricks and flourishes possible with Traditional is more than with Matched. The coolest I have seen is a 360 Stick Twirl Tap. It's pretty nifty.
Pros to Matched is that it is easier, physically. Matched grip takes about 13 muscles to execute. Traditional takes 4. That means, the same amount of pressure and work exerted over fewer muscles, amounting to more strain. Another Pro to Matched is the simplicity of Matched. Just pick a stick up. Bam, matched.
Homki890
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