Buddy Rich on matched grip

Piebe

Senior Member
Don't know if this was posted before, but it's really funny:

http://youtu.be/v0V4Aqs2D48

Buddy Rich is calling matched grip holding the sticks the wrong way and he proves his point!
 
Isn't that hilarious? Especially considering that he used matched grip pretty frequently. He has a point about the snare drum but it doesnt apply to drumset. Marching snares with the traditional strap, yeah cant used matched grip. It's way too uncomfortable. drumset? All depends on setup. Still for a long while using matched grip for anything but timpani or mallet percussion was considered wrong. Then the rock generation came in. Tom-toms were considered a type of timpani for a while though, hence Krupa's use of matched for Sing Sing Sing.
 
Buddy Rich's dislike of matched grip doesn't make it wrong. I would argue his setup isn't well designed to play matched grip.
 
Isn't that hilarious? Especially considering that he used matched grip pretty frequently. He has a point about the snare drum but it doesnt apply to drumset. Marching snares with the traditional strap, yeah cant used matched grip. It's way too uncomfortable. drumset? All depends on setup. Still for a long while using matched grip for anything but timpani or mallet percussion was considered wrong. Then the rock generation came in. Tom-toms were considered a type of timpani for a while though, hence Krupa's use of matched for Sing Sing Sing.
Yes, i agree that traditional grip applies to marching snares, but i have also personally experienced that my fills have grown since i switched grips. Naturally this doesn't have to be the same for everybody.
 
Yes, i agree that traditional grip applies to marching snares, but i have also personally experienced that my fills have grown since i switched grips. Naturally this doesn't have to be the same for everybody.

True. I know that i learnt matched first but have since switched to trad for most of my playing and that i can do a lot more now. Whether the switch has anything to do with it or i've just been getting better through practice and experience is up for debate. I lean toward the latter argument though.
 
True. I know that i learnt matched first but have since switched to trad for most of my playing and that i can do a lot more now. Whether the switch has anything to do with it or i've just been getting better through practice and experience is up for debate. I lean toward the latter argument though.
Naturally without practice you won't grow no matter the grip, but switching to traditional has proven to be inspirational to me and improven my skills a lot. It took me some time to get to the point where i was before i switched but now i am better and would never want to go back. One big plus is the fact is haven't injured my pointing finger ever since.
 
kinda funny because in this solo from 1948 Buddy uses matched exclusively

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg_90kSBbtc

I couldn't find the solo without Eric Fischer playing along.....it's pretty cool anyway....and you get the point

I am a trad grip player and partially agree with Buddy....but I get the feeling this is just him being anti rock music .....as he really was
 
What Buddy Rich said in that clip was wrong then and it's wrong today. He really could make an ass of himself on occasion, couldn't he?
 
What Buddy Rich said in that clip was wrong then and it's wrong today. He really could make an ass of himself on occasion, couldn't he?

He's not fallible in technique so much as philosophy. He did seem to have a hate on for the kids and their rock music although I haven't experienced nearly as much of him as some of the other guys and gals here so I hesitate to make too much of a judgement. Did seem like and ass though but a jovial and lovable kind.

Making such a blanket statement and then defining hypocrisy pretty much shows that match grip has validity for a modern drum kit.
 
I think match grip had great foundation for power and speed, but when you need a softer touch, traditional is the way to go. I play matched grip a whopping 95% of my time behind the drums, but I invested time in studying traditional grip when a jam session I participate in told me I needed to play a bit softer on my snare drum.

I'm not implying that traditional grip has less power, but it's easier for me to play at different levels with the variation of grips. I still practice trad, but I'm not near as good as I'd like to be with it.
 
Naturally without practice you won't grow no matter the grip, but switching to traditional has proven to be inspirational to me and improven my skills a lot. It took me some time to get to the point where i was before i switched but now i am better and would never want to go back. One big plus is the fact is haven't injured my pointing finger ever since.

I hear you dude. And i wholeheartedly approve of the switch. I made it myself first out of necessity (marching snares) and then because it just feels "right" to me. I can still play matched if timpani need to be played or i just feel like switching for a moment but i find that i do 98% or so of my playing with traditional grip and i've never had a problem getting enough power or volume or speed.
 
I think its good to learn a variety of ways to do things and then use whatever works best for you, I practice both but wind up using a matched grip most of the time.
Watching Buddy still baffles me sometimes at how fast he was even in his older years before his death. But as for his comments about not being able to get around the kit with matched grip I have this to say
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe8XKgOuNtk
 
Buddy liked to be provocative. He knew how to get a rise out of people. I'm surprised people take everything he said so literally.
 
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