How to make drum sticks. Nylon drumsticks - a joke, and only Do-it-yourself drumsticks at home

A great idea, according to psychologists, is to teach a child to music from an early age. You can either buy a drum at a toy store or make your own. A simple tin can and a little imagination can help you easily implement your plan.

Benefit or noise?

Many adults believe that a children's drum is of no use. It is simply a source of noise and accompanies the appearance of a headache. Nevertheless, the drum is very often instructed to make by parents together with the kids in kindergarten. However, this does not happen for the additional workload of the crumbs and the parent on the weekends. Most often, a loud attribute is intended for performances at a matinee. And you can't do without it.

Do not think that the manufacture of this item is a waste of time. Who knows, maybe the child has acting skills, and already in kindergarten he will decide on his future profession. And such a craft will bring a lot of benefits, even if it is carried out at the request of a kindergarten teacher.

What to make a tool from

In the mass of necessary tips for creating drums with your own hands at home, it is worth highlighting one not entirely serious recommendation. It is more of a comic character, but every joke has its own piece of truthful meaning. A homemade drum for a child can be used not at all for a matinee. It all depends on the imagination of the parents.

One has only to look around, each person can notice several cans or packages that are unlikely to be useful. From these materials, you can make a drum for playing with your hands or special sticks.

Reasons for creating crafts

This question certainly worries all adults. Every parent wants to find out the reasons for such a pastime with their child. There are several examples of reasons for such an activity:

Connecting with the child through joint activities.
An exciting start to the evening for the whole family.
Development of coordination of movements and a sense of rhythm in crumbs. After all, with a craft that was invented and created with your own hands, you can participate in an impromptu march.
It can be difficult for a kid to beat the drum with sticks, but try to play an interesting favorite melody from a children's song or cartoon.
Drums that are played by hand can be an excellent option for a crumbs lesson for some time in their summer cottage.
Finally, the drum can become a weapon of revenge against annoying neighbors who constantly make repairs on Sunday mornings.

It should be borne in mind that an act of retaliation for neighboring apartments can occur without disturbing the peace of adults. To do this, residents of an apartment with a newly-minted drummer need to buy ear plugs or a pair of headphones in order to muffle the noise in the room.

Plastic bucket with lid

Not every adult knows how to make a drum with their own hands from a plastic garden bucket. You can paint such a tool with simple paints, it can also be pasted over with ordinary colored paper. It all depends on the imagination of the little master. The lid on such a bucket should fit tightly. After all, the tool will be damaged if the upper part of the tool flies off at the most inopportune moment.

A plastic bucket drum can be simply held in the hands, and can also be hung around the neck. It is very easy to perform this action. The material has two holes from the handle on the sides. It is in them that you need to thread an impromptu strap, fixing it with knots.

Sticks for such a plastic tool can be selected from improvised materials. Pencils or old felt-tip pens that no longer draw can easily play this role. So, things will be given a second life and the child will be satisfied. Brushes for the kitchen, which every housewife has, can also make interesting sounds.

The child can try the sound of absolutely any object in the apartment, choose the most suitable one. Do not limit the imagination of the future musician or composer. A child needs to be given freedom of action sometimes.

paper product

A decorative drum for a little musician can even be created from plain paper or cardboard. To do this, cut out two circles of the same diameter. Their size can be any. After that, a strip of paper is cut out, which will become the connecting element for the top and bottom of the tool.

The paper structure can be glued with glue or connected with tape. You can decorate the craft with paints or pencils, paste it with various illustrations made of paper, stickers, cover it with bright satin fabric and sew funny pom-poms on the sides. So, do-it-yourself children's crafts will find their own individuality. This part of the work, no doubt, can be done by the little mother's helper himself.

Almost any idea of a little dreamer can and should be brought to life. And for this it is not at all necessary to run around the shops and spend large sums. Do-it-yourself drums will not only look unusual and original, but will not require much time to create.

Necessary tools and materials

The basis of the craft for the child in this case will be a simple round tin can. Other required materials include:

hole punch for leather;
a small piece of fabric of a bright color (can be replaced with colored paper);
leather flap;
glue gun;
leatherette laces;
glue for fabric elements;
cotton wool

And also in the process of work it will be impossible to do without wooden sticks.

Tool making step by step

At the beginning of the work, you need to cut out a part of a suitable size from a bright fabric and glue it over a jar. The fabric can be any. In its absence, the base is simply pasted over with colored paper, which is sold in any stationery store or supermarket.

A jar is placed on a piece of leather material and outlined. 10 cm must be added to the resulting diameter of the tool. Another circle is drawn.

Along the radius of the part, with a pencil, areas are marked where the holes will be located in the future. Do-it-yourself indentation of 1 cm is made from the edge in any version of the manufacture of the drum. Holes on the skin are made with a special hole punch.

A leatherette cord is threaded through the holes obtained. It must subsequently be tightened tightly on one side of the jar. The same steps must be repeated when creating the bottom for making a drum with your own hands. The lace is also used for additional fixation of products diagonally. In this case, the element is threaded under the lacing, which is located at the top and bottom of the drum.

The final stage is the manufacture of sticks for the drum by hand at home. To do this, a wooden stick is connected to a bead-knob. A small cotton ball is glued on top of the bead, wrapped with thread so that there are no empty spaces left. This is how a drum stick is made.

Instead of total

It's so easy to create drums with your own hands. Without a doubt, this exciting activity will appeal to the baby. After all, a child in work can act as an apprentice. And creative activities with the whole family will not only contribute to the development of the child’s imagination, but will also have a positive effect on the imagination and thinking of the crumbs. If a child seeks to create things with his own hands, then this activity should be encouraged by adults, because such a pastime contributes to the development of children, the consolidation of various household skills, and simply brings joy.

that suit your playstyle. Why is it so important? Wrong devices can break down quite quickly, and the sound extracted with their help will differ from the desired one. There is a huge range of drum sticks on the music market. They are designed to play certain musical styles, such as marching, jazz, rock. They also differ in material, shape, weight, coating, brand, so it is very important for a beginner to be able to navigate in all this diversity. So, let's start in order.

The structure of drumsticks

Butt (butt) is the balanced part (thick tip). To increase the impact force and volume, the butt can be used as an impact tip.
The body (body) is the main and largest part itself, which serves as a gripping point, as well as a shock part when playing a rim shot.
The shoulder (shoulder) is the area of the stick just behind the tip that many drummers use to hit the cymbal for crash, rimshot and reverse hits. The alternation of hits with the end and shoulder on the hi-hat creates the basis for leading the rhythm.
The neck is the part of the stick that plays the role of the transition from the shoulder to the tip.
The tip (tip) of drumsticks has a different shape and size, which determine the intensity, volume and duration of the sound received.

Material for making drumsticks

The material for the manufacture of drumsticks is usually wood. Most often, American walnut, maple or oak are used. Many drummers play with sticks made from other types of wood. For example, rosewood or bubinga. Consider the properties of the most popular breeds.

American walnut (Hickory) is the most popular material. Durable and hard wood well absorbs recoil upon impact, effectively dampens vibrations transmitted from impacts. It has an average weight, is not very susceptible to bending. It has greater strength, weight, and density than maple.

Maple is the lightest and most flexible tree with a soft structure. Although maple is not as hard and durable as American walnut or oak, maple sticks are the ideal choice for quick response. Maple sticks are considered "docile" with excellent recoil absorption. Due to their flexibility and good bounce, they are mainly used for quiet or fast playing, getting a light "airy" sound, especially when playing cymbals. Maple is good for energetic play, as it absorbs impact energy well. With it, you will feel less punches with your hands. But maple is a rather loose and soft material; sticks made of it quickly wear out or break.

Oak (Oak) - a very durable tree, weighs more than maple and walnut, has greater strength. Oak sticks are the heaviest, densest, rarely broken, but when playing you will feel the vibration much more due to the low ability to absorb impact energy. Oak is a very moisture resistant tree.

Beech European (European Beech) has a straight-grained wood structure, flexible. The hardness and density of the base varies, depending on where the trees grow. The mechanical properties of the material are similar to oak. Also, beech quickly and strongly reacts to changes in humidity.

Hornbeam is a tree with a medium density structure, good recoil absorption, average between walnut and maple, high wear resistance. The weight of wood ranges from very light to medium heavy. The flexibility of the hornbeam is somewhat lower than that of beech and oak. Devices from it are resistant to shock loads, do not tolerate high humidity.

Rosewood is a very durable and hard wood. Sticks made from cymbals are preferred for their wonderful tonal tint and feel, but they are not suitable for cymbal playing and are quite expensive.

Synthetic sticks. Manufacturers of products made of synthetic materials use various processing methods. Such options provide greater strength than wood and offer additional options that cannot be achieved with wooden sticks. For example, AHEAD sticks have a PU-coated aluminum body that can be replaced as they wear out. They are also additionally equipped with screw-on tips, such as beaters, to create various sound effects.

Steel. For training, you can also use steel sticks, the weight of which significantly exceeds the weight of wooden ones. They cannot be played on a drum set, but they are indispensable in working out the technique.

Tip classification

Drumstick tips can be classified into different groups based on shape and material.

The shape of the tips are combined into four main groups:

With round tip.

The small round tip produces a bright, highly focused sound and is especially gentle on cymbals.

Large – Produces a fuller sound.

The barrel-shaped tip has a large contact area, so it creates a medium-filled sound with a wider focus.

The pointed tip produces a medium focused sound.

A teardrop or olive tip produces a full bass sound. This type is a good choice for those who play hard.

According to the material, the tips are divided into wooden and nylon.

Hardwood tips provide a brighter sound than softwood tips. But over time, the wood wears out, becomes loose, and the sound is blurry and dark with less focus.

Nylon tips are stronger and harder, so they produce brighter tones with more attack and projection. The most important advantage of nylon tips is their durability, they do not lose their density and do not break off like wood.

Marking and size of drumsticks

Looking at any drumstick, you will definitely see that it has a number and letters on it. Let's see what they mean.

Previously, letter designations indicated the scope of this model, but now they have almost completely lost their meaning. For different manufacturers, one letter designation is interpreted in different ways.

The "A" symbol is used on sticks that have thinner necks and relatively small heads, which allows the drummer to produce a quieter and softer sound. Usually, they are used in "light" music, such as jazz or blues.
Symbol "B". Sticks of this model have a larger (compared to "A") shoulder and head size for louder playing. Often used in heavy music. Their movements are easy to control, so they are recommended for beginner drummers. The Model 2B is especially recommended by drum teachers as the ideal starting sticks.
Letter "S". This is how products of the largest size are marked, they were used earlier in street and marching bands. Now they are almost never used for playing the drum set.
The symbol "N" stands for Nylon. This letter is added at the end of the marking (for example, "5A N") and indicates that the stick has a nylon tip.

Numerical designations indicate the diameter (thickness) of the stick, which affects the sound. The numbers indicate the thickness: the higher the number, the narrower the stick. All brands use the same numbering system. For example, a 2B stick is thicker than a 5B stick.

So, there are 3 main categories of drumsticks:

7A are the thinnest and lightest for a soft sound. They give the drums a more orchestral sound, but they are rarely used for playing rudiments, as thicker sticks are suitable for this. This format is great for jazz music and young drummers.
5A are the most common medium thicknesses. Allows you to play loud or soft. Versatile and suitable for any style, especially rock music.
2B/5B - thicker than the previous ones, extracting a loud sound from the drums. They are ideal for playing metal and hard rock.

Choosing the right drumsticks

The choice of sticks depends a lot on what kind of music you will be playing, but the material, size, shape and tip is a matter of personal preference.

Like any instrument, the stick should feel comfortable in the hand and fit the tone you want to achieve, and be the right size for your hand, both in diameter and length. A suitable length can be determined by the distance from the inner bend of the elbow to the tip of the ring finger.

Parameters to consider when choosing drumsticks:

Diameter. Choose the thickness of the sticks so that they fit comfortably in your hands and suit your playing style. Sticks with a larger diameter are heavier and are able to develop a greater volume.

Length. The longer the stick, the more difficult it is to control, but the sound will be more powerful.
The weight. Weight affects sound, strength, and your ability to control it. Usually heavy sticks sound louder and lighter sticks sound softer. A beginner drummer will appreciate that thick poles are easier to handle and are therefore good for learning. In addition, playing with heavier weights develops the endurance of the drummer.
Density and strength. For wooden sticks, density is an indicator of strength: the heavier the wood, the greater its density, and hence strength. All tree species differ in these indicators, but even among two different trees of the same species one cannot find complete similarity in density. Therefore, it is tedious to hold the sticks in your hand and feel their weight with your own hand. Copies of the same manufacturer and with the same markings may differ slightly. Synthetic sticks have good density and strength, but they cost more and feel different than wood of the same size.

Material. If the stick does not indicate what wood it is made of, then leave it in the store, let it lie in the window. There is no need to talk about compliance with quality standards in this case.
Tip selection. There are two main types of tips: nylon and wood. Wooden tips are more common, suitable for many types of game. The main disadvantage of a wooden tip is rapid wear with frequent use. Nylon tips last longer and are essential for bright cymbal sound and good bounce. Unfortunately, it also happens that nylon tips fly off during the performance. When playing electronic drums, it is recommended to use nylon-tipped drumsticks, as wooden sticks can break and seriously damage the grid on the pad. With plastic tips, cymbals sound amazing. They give the drums a more pronounced sound. Wooden tips (the most common) give drums a deeper, more traditional sound, like jazz or old rock.

Size selection. We talked about labeling above. All parameters must be taken into account.
Coating. Sticks can be polished or lacquered. The lacquer protects the wood from moisture and dust, gives the surface a beautiful intense even sheen, and texture - contrast. The surface becomes more durable. Polished sticks look much better. It is worth noting that some drummers do not like varnished and polished sticks, as they can slip out of sweaty hands when playing.
Brand. Choosing a brand is already a matter of experience. If you cannot boast of having it yet, then focus on the advice of friends, professionals, and advertising.

Originality. Now in music stores you can find unusual drumsticks of different colors and shapes. For example, rubber ones are gaining popularity, promising to become “eternal”, although they are quite expensive, damaged on the edges of the cymbals, and are inconvenient for playing a rimshot on a snare drum. Colored ones attract attention, but they are not very practical, as they leave marks on the plates over time.

Armed with the above information, you can safely go to a reliable music store to choose drumsticks. It's a very personal thing, almost a ritual. Choose products that are comfortable for your hands and playing style, and not those that were recommended by the consultant. Take the wand in your hand, feel it. Compare several models. With experience, you will already pick up a certain brand. So don't be afraid to experiment with different sizes and styles.

Always carry several pairs of drumsticks with you. Companies that make drumsticks also make handy storage containers. Put a few of these in your bag so your chopsticks are always within arm's reach of you.
If you're wondering how jazz drummers get that sizzling sound on the snare, you might want to buy a pair of brushes. The brushes have retractable thin metal rods, which are mainly used to provide a quiet background beat, so the sound is completely different from hitting with sticks.
When playing an acoustic concert, you can use rue, which is made from hewn birch or bamboo chips. Compared to brushes, they sound more muffled. Although rues come in different thicknesses, don't hit them too hard or they may break off pieces and become unplayable.
Try different innovations from time to time. For example, manufacturer Zildjian produces rubber practice pads.
Wear earplugs while playing drums. The source of the loud sound (i.e. the drums) is fairly close to your ears. Do you want to listen to music and have conversations when you are 80? Many drummers report hearing loss by the age of 50, and only then do they start using earplugs. Don't let this happen to you.
There is a chance that you will have to try many sticks. If you don't know which ones you want, try a few options. Ultimately, you will settle on what is right for you.
If you play metal, 5V sticks will work for you.
You can also start with fairly thick sticks of 2A or larger format to train your wrist, and then move on to sticks easier. And eventually stop playing with heavy sticks altogether.
If you want to achieve an epic, orchestral sound, wrap the ends of your sticks with duct tape. This will give the cymbals a less harsh sound and also help to achieve a crescendo effect. The more tape you wrap around the sticks, the stronger the effect.
You can use different kinds of sticks for different playing styles.
Be careful, while playing heavy music, you can rub blisters and calluses. Buy special tapes from the manufacturer of your choice that will reduce vibration - this will reduce the number of possible injuries.
If you are going to play in a band or are already playing, ask your band leader for advice on which sticks you should choose.
If you know exactly what kind of sticks you want, buy a large package right away, they will really pay for themselves.
Do not limit yourself to playing only with wooden sticks. If your sticks break often, try graphite sticks, but they will sound different.

Drum sticks are the most necessary accessory for playing various percussion instruments. Usually they are made of wood, but they are also found in maple, hazel, oak, hornbeam and beech.

In any music store you can see different models of this accessory. The number that is indicated on the stick is the marking of the thickness of the sticks, and the letter is the purpose of the sticks. For a beginner drummer, as an example of how to make drumsticks yourself, sticks marked ''2B'' will serve well. You can play with them in brass and symphony orchestras, as they technically develop the drummer very well.

Drum sticks are those musical items that, in light of their diversity, often cause confusion for people who want to buy them. The thing is that today there is no single principle for designating drumsticks. For example, in the case of some manufacturers, what the drumsticks are called becomes clear only in the process of classification by musical style - drumsticks for Rock, Jazz, etc. styles.

The ability to rotate drumsticks only has only an indirect connection with the experience and skill of the drummer. But the acquired skills of how to twist drumsticks correctly will definitely make a strong impression on people watching the musician. After all, in a psychological context, this is an indicator of free possession of the drum and a friendly attitude towards it.

As in any business, it is clear that this, first of all, requires practice. In order to learn how to spin drumsticks, you need to work a little. First you need to place your hand up palms. Then bend at the elbow, raise the hand to the chest (the fingers should not be tense, but, on the contrary, free). Then you should pinch the drumstick between the tip of the index finger and the pad of the thumb. The drummer should rest with the tips of the middle, ring and little fingers on the drumstick. And as for the center of gravity of the drumstick, it should be closer to the wrist, and not between the index and thumb.

In order to learn how to learn how to twist drumsticks, you need to continue the steps by doing the following - loosen the pressure with your index finger, pulling the stick back a little and pushing hard with the middle one. At the same time, you need to press all fingers with the exception of the thumb to the palm, until the thumb “turns around” during the rotation of the stick. In the event that the fingers are in their original position, the stick will stumble and thus the beard will not be completed.

The last thing to do is to release the stick to its original position, closing the fingers at the end of the turn, and then repeat. In general, learning this inventive attitude towards drumsticks, if desired, is not difficult, but even fun.

If you think that nothing but your headache will come from a children's drum, you are mistaken. There are many benefits to be gained from this craft. Even if you decided on it on the instructions of a kindergarten teacher.

A do-it-yourself drum for a kindergarten is often offered to be done not in order to add worries to parents. Most likely, this is done for some kind of developmental activities or matinees, which in itself is a sacred thing.

Among other usefulness, there is one, not entirely serious advice, rather a joke. But as you know, in every joke there is some truth. See how else you can use a children's homemade drum, if you have already decided to do it yourself.

Look around and you'll find all sorts of used packages, tins and other things that can be turned into a beautifully beating drum. Even if you haven't stocked anything for crafts, everything can be found in the house.

Yes, and there are benefits for your family and at home in this activity (or you can find it, if you wish). There would be a desire, but there is always a reason ...

Why make a drum

For example:

Joint creativity, as you know, brings together.
It's a fun activity to make such a cool toy yourself.
An excellent opportunity to develop a sense of rhythm and train coordination of movements. Try to march yourself, and beat the drum, maintaining the rhythm.
An occasion to offer the child not just to beat with drumsticks, but to try to play a familiar song in rhythm.
You can keep a child busy in the country with a homemade drum for a long time, which is also a plus.
If you want to take revenge on noisy neighbors in a city apartment, a drum and a child are just what you need (just kidding, but ...).

Do not forget to buy earplugs or a pair of headphones for each family member who is not participating in the action of retribution.

The simplest do-it-yourself drums

Coffee tin

This do-it-yourself drum is the simplest craft of all that we will now offer you. A coffee tin with a plastic lid is all you need. So that the lid does not come off every now and then, fix it on a film and, for fidelity, put it on glue.

Holes in the cover, which will be the impact surface, can not be perforated, that is, do not make holes in it. The sound will be muffled, but it will be. And our drum will not break through.

Do an experiment and see what kind of sound the sticks make. You can use Chinese chopsticks for sushi by wrapping (tightly) cotton balls around them. Well, you also have to take care of the rope with which your proud drummer will hang a new toy around his neck.

Although for the delicate neck of the child it is better to take a wide ribbon or a mother's gas scarf. Here you will have to show ingenuity: involve dad and tools or tie a cunning knot around the can.

But this must be done in such a way that the tape does not tear off the already not very firmly seated cover. Otherwise, you will not end up with tears.

Cool drum from a plastic bucket with a lid

A very simple and most successful drum made of a plastic bucket with a lid. (For revenge on the neighbors, it’s better not to come up with (again, a joke ...). You can decorate or decorate it as your fantasy tells you. You need to take a bucket of the size or make several drums of different sizes to get a whole drum set. Their covers hold firmly and take care of that she will not have to fly off.

We make sticks from improvised materials, pencils, felt-tip pens, and a design like the one in the photo are suitable. Even mom's silicone brushes for greasing the pan will give an interesting sound. Let the child try the sound of whatever he wants. Don't nip the fantasies of a future celebrity in the bud.

Hanging such a drum-bucket around your neck is not just easy, but very simple. Therefore, this homemade drum is number one among do-it-yourself drums in terms of ease of execution, sound volume and time costs.

Corrugated cardboard drum

You will have to sit over this drum and it is hardly suitable for an enthusiastic drummer. Something tells me it won't last long. Rather, a decorative option (for show, so to speak), but it has the right to life. The main thing is that it looks good and a do-it-yourself drum for kindergarten will be made. For check.

Do-it-yourself step-by-step photos of a drum from a can

Not the easiest way to make a drum with your own hands for kindergarten. But if you can find a tape that's thick enough for the hitting surface, or a tape that can handle the tightest tension possible, your drum will be a drumming winner.

DIY souvenir drum

To decorate the premises of kindergarten groups for New Year's parties, a paper drum is perfect. Often they are asked to do something New Year's with their own hands for New Year's decoration.

What do parents do the most? That's right, Christmas compositions with cones. Your decorative drum will stand out against the general background of New Year's crafts and educators will be sincerely grateful to you. Original jewelry is always in short supply.

Drum made of paper, cotton buds and gift paper with a printed or musical print

Such a paper drum will require rolls of scotch tape, or cardboard cartridges from paper towels. The size of the drum also depends on the size of the cardboard cartridge. Twine, and wire, and beads, and even the remnants of thread from knitting will come in handy.

You can make a very small paper drum and hand it to the paws of a teddy bear or doll. Put under the Christmas tree or hang on branches as Christmas decorations. It can be used in garlands or as an element of a winter composition to decorate a room.

A do-it-yourself drum for a kindergarten can be both real, performing its musical functions, and symbolic. Listen to the request of the educators and specify for what purpose they are asked to make a drum with their own hands.

Where will it be used and what quality should it be. We have provided you with options. Go ahead and be sure to involve children in the creativity. They remember such moments for the rest of their lives, in contrast to the joint viewing of regular cartoons.