Best Marching Drumsticks. Get Prepared!
Posted in Gear | Last Updated on October 15, 2019
The drumsticks are indispensable items when it comes to a drummer. This is even true if you're someone who is part of a marching band, and you will also know that you can't just adopt the sticks that a traditional drummer. The drumsticks you pick must be strong and must guarantee that the beat it produces is resounding enough for people to hear from way far off. Also, due to the vagaries of the weather, as you'll mostly be performing in outdoor spaces, it is crucial that you don't get a pair of sticks that are flimsy, or slippery.
Today there is a different list of features that companies provide when it comes to marching band snare drum sticks. These include but are not limited to the thickness, the grip, the length, and the style of tip.
Take a look at the recommendations provided below to know which is the best marching snare drumsticks for you.
Vic Firth Corpsmaster Signature Snare
Vic Firth is one of the well-known companies to make quality drum sticks, and their Corpsmaster Signature Snare Marching Drum Sticks by Ralph Hardimon is no different. This product is made up of a beautifully designed long barrel that tapers towards the end into a tip. This provides you extra control over your playing and makes the stick feel light and allows you to squeeze the most out of it. The sticks come in a good finish with a nice coat of white paint and are made with hickory wood, which is strong and can handle plenty of rim shots. They also come in nylon tips if you are looking to brighten up your drumming even further.
Looking at the cons of this stick, some have reported that these sticks are mainly looked at as practice sticks and that they break away a bit too easily after putting the sticks through continuous long practice sessions. To avoid this, just ensure that you bolster up the stick with some tape to make the front-heavy so that it lasts you even longer. Take caution while you do this and make sure that you wrap only until the portion of the stick where the brand name is printed since wrapping over the brand name will pull out the paint when you remove the tape again.
Another point to note that the sticks are sometimes not pitch-matched as one of the sticks would be half a step off because it is heavier than the other. Also, these sticks maybe a tad on the larger side for some of you, but Vic Firth provides another version of the same sticks for smaller hands.
Regardless of the negatives, which are a rare occurrence or fixable, these sticks provide a right balance, sound amazing, and are a perfect size and weight for marching.
Vater MV8 Marching Drum Sticks
Vater is another company that has been around for ages. The Vater MV8 marching drum sticks come with a medium-sized body and a rounded acorn ending. This design provides an excellent rebound and also gives out a fuller sound. This style unfolds a world of endless probabilities for you as it makes the drum sticks a versatile accessory for your marching drums that you can switch between practice, and it also handy for the actual drumline session.
These sticks are also made of hickory, which provides a smooth and well-balanced feeling while playing.
The company ensures that the sticks they sell are straighter and well built when compared to most drum stick maker, and I think this is also true in the case of the MV8s. The tips of the sticks are made in nylon and are sturdy and durable during performances. Vater matches each pair of sticks when it comes to their weight, and this contributes to the tone that the sticks bring out.
Without any glaring negatives, these marching sticks are long-lasting and perfect for outdoor playing, making it the best from this overall list.
Promark American Hickory TXDC17W
The TXDC17W Scott Johnson marching drumsticks are made by Promark, which is one of the leading manufacturers for drumsticks and other related accessories. This pair is medium tapered that gives you a good rebound for your downstrokes and comes with a full rounded bead at the end that offers you with bold beats and rimshots. The sticks are made of hickory, which we know has the reputation to provide you with a more responsive quality while playing and work around with a variety of dynamics to spice up drum sessions.
Some look the heaviness of the stick as a negative, but you can get used to this as it creates a very energetic and distinct sound along with feeling great in your hands. This makes them great for practice and the live marching session.
There were some issues with the sticks not being pitch paired well due to them not being matched by weight equally.
I don't think these sticks are good if you are purchasing your initial pair. However, if you are someone with more experience when it comes to playing in a marching band, these sticks are excellent
Innovative Percussion TS-2L Field Series Marching Snare Drumsticks
Here is one stick that is specially made for the outdoor scene. The Innovative Percussion TS-2L Field Series Marching Snare Drumsticks leans towards the slightly lighter side and is made of white hickory wood. A rounded bead wooden tip adorns the end of these sticks and improves the clarity of your playing. The tapering attribute of these sticks isn't too much and hence, these sticks have a smaller neck and also are quick in its rebound and response.
Due to its lightweight, these sticks don't handle rim work all that well and may tend to be a little fragile. However, the lightweight property of the stick makes up by providing you with good control.
These sticks are comfortable and don't have any flaws in the way they are pitch-matched.
Vic Firth Corpsmaster MS4
From the popular company Vic Firth, The Corpsmaster MS4 sticks are made of Sta-pac, which is a dense material. These sticks come with Kevlar heads, and this makes the sticks strong and enables you to get the maximum sound from your snare. These sticks are praised widely for the amount of strength you can develop from practicing with it. This is true since these sticks are on the heavier side than when compared to most sticks. This will help you build up your chops and speed. When it is time for you to switch over to lighter sticks, the practice you had with the MS4s will make your live drum strokes highly aggressive and tightly controlled.
Apart from the odd review here and there about it messing your ability to play with the normal sticks after long hours of usage, everyone speaks highly of these sticks.
The weight and shorter length of these sticks are probably one of the reasons why people don't make use of them in performances, which can be a con at times.
Ultimately these sticks produce a punchy sound and are durable and are one among the best marching snare sticks available in the market.
Know your marching drum sticks
Here are a few things to consider when going to purchase your pair of marching snare drum sticks.
The build of your stick will affect the sound of your drum. This includes the smallest part of the stick, which is the tip. From acorn tips that produce a dark sound to barrel tips give out clarity in every punch, the loudness of the stick depends on the size of the tip.
The tapering portion of the stick controls the response time of your playing. The longer the tapper, the faster the sound and the better the control.
The total weight also plays a factor in the overall sound. Thinner sticks give out a cuter sound while thicker ones are beefier.
Finally, the length of the stick decides how much power you get and how much you can widen the range of your playing dynamics.
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