Backsticking — the correct and most efficient method

Backsticking is the topic of this month’s general blog and Vlog about drumming technique. If you are currently exploring rudimental drumming or snare drum solos, there is no doubt that you will need to fully master the drum technique known as backsticking.

Now the video attached to this blog is pretty essential if you really want to learn this properly, but here is some of the crucial information in written form.

I have seen many drummers — even rudimental drumming experts — perform backsticking over the last 15 odd years with a less than 100% convincing result. Many drummers even actually tend to use what is more accurately titled “butting” in place of backsticking, which is a valid technique, but more in keeping with the Scottish pipe drumming tradition and not really what most snare drum solos are after when they refer to “backsticking.”

The differences between butting and backsticking can be seen in the video, but essentially butting is more of a stabbing motion where the butt of the stick is pushed vertically into the drum head — whereas backsticking is a full 180 degree rotation of the stick to the opposite grip, so the stick is played in the normal fashion but with the butt of the stick, and with the opposite grip. When I say opposite grip I refer to matched grip vs traditional grip — if you use matched grip then both hands will use traditional grip for the backstick, and if you use traditional grip, the left hand will use matched style grip for the backstick. There are also many other techniques which are similar to backsticking but a little different, such as the “twirl-over”. For more info on these you are best advised to read through the book “Stick Technique”.

Whilst using the butt of the stick does change the sound from the drum, backsticking is still primarily a visual effect — therefore it is important to take the position and movement of the hands and stick into account. One of the common mistakes I see with backsticking is a movement which does move fully to the butt of the stick, but does not LOOK like a proper 180 degree rotation. I even see a tremendous inconsistency in this area with many American drum corps.

Your first step is to get your elbows away from your side (matched grip), and position the sticks so that they are both pointing directly at each other and the middle of the drum. You want a perfect left to right to left line from butt to tips to butt. As you change to the backstick your elbows should come in towards the body (or outwards for the traditional left hand grip). This actually produces about half of the stick rotation so it is crucial. The rotation should be so that as viewed from directly in front of you, it is perfectly left/right, with no front/back motion. This motion not only looks the best, but is also the most efficient to perform, and allows the best general playing position in each stick position — a factor which is overlooked over 90% of the time even by the experts in rudimental drumming technique.

What do I mean by this last point? Well it’s all very well to be able to play a note with the butt of the stick — some drummers may even be able to get a relatively even sound or perhaps even a convincing accent with the butt — but that is a very different thing from being able to actually play complex groups of notes in this position. To really test your ability with backsticking and your hand positions, what you need to do is play double strokes with front/back alternation. i.e. RF, RF, LF, LF, RB, RB, LB, LB.

For sections of music with backsticking, the grip should be moved forward on the stick so the fulcrum is just behind the stick’s centre. This will of course make playing much harder, but it is necessary if we want any control and strength with the backstick.

The following is the text taken from the book “Stick Technique”, and is a description of the backsticking movement for matched grip. The book also includes detailed photos of the process.

1. Start with the stick sideways, and the elbow away from the body.
2. When you need to reverse the stick, flick the wrist backwards a little to give the stick momentum. The tip of the first finger should stay on the stick in the same position, whilst you let the butt of the stick come away from the groove of the hand. At the same time, pull the elbow back into the body.
3. As the tip of the stick goes past vertical to point away from the drum, move fingers three and four to the other side of the stick. The tip of finger three is forming the “platform” position for the traditional grip. Fingers two and three briefly grip the butt end of the stick.
4. Let the front part of the stick fall back into the gap between the thumb and first finger. The new fulcrum at the base of the thumb is close to the centre of the stick, slightly towards the tip, whilst the back end of the stick is now in the playing position.
5. Curl the fingers into their normal “traditional grip” playing positions, and you are ready to play the backstick notes.
6. Many drummers do not take the trouble to learn backsticking properly, rotating their forearms to turn the stick, but not moving the fingers and creating the new working fulcrum position. Without making the grip a proper “traditional” or “normal” grip, it is virtually impossible to play more than one stroke with any strength or control whilst backsticking.
7. To switch back to the front end of the stick, just reverse the whole procedure. Remember we want to end up with the new fulcrum just behind the middle of the stick, so as you begin to rotate the forearm, let go of the stick with the thumb and grip it between the second and third fingers. Using these fingers, pull the butt of the stick closer in.
8. As the stick is rotated, the thumb and first finger get ready to grip the stick and create the new fulcrum. Stretch the thumb and first finger down as close to the butt of the stick as possible. This should be behind the centre of the stick. Once the fulcrum is formed with the thumb and first finger, the third and fourth fingers can move back underneath the butt.
9. As you re-form the completed “normal” grip, the elbow should come back away from the body. The whip like action of the elbow is actually an “elbow snap.” (see page 43.) It is this that actually tends to provide the power of the main “frontstick,” compensating somewhat for the difficult central grip on the stick.