Today is the end of our second week of classes at ASU, and with a return to the semester comes a renewed focus on fundamentals. It’s hard to get more fundamental than our fulcrum.

Talking about fulcrums is like talking about Bach: everyone has an opinion, and everyone else is WRONG! Thus, I’ve hesitated to share my own thoughts on the topic. In the search for a flexible and expandable set of mental models around sound-making, here are some thoughts:

This “agnostic” positioning allows the following benefits:

My fulcrum can move

• In my own playing, the drumstick or mallet moves within the hand when playing; a key feature of reducing hand tension (and changing intervals on keyboard instruments), regardless of technique or instrument. Tension = bad. Maximum sonic contrast = good.
• I can move the rotation point of the stick forward in my hand (to the first finger), a bit further back (to the middle finger, with the first finger almost off the stick, or all the way back to the rear, Moeller style, to increase some weight by making the lever of the stick longer. Throughout, I can also vary how many fingers are on the sticks, although I typically keep them all on there.

Allows for tinkering.

• As I’ve written previously, tinkering is a key element in developing a rich mental model. We can match physical motions with sonic results, and develop a range of colors that can be deployed as needed

It’s multi-instrumental

• I play Stevens grip on marimba. The second finger does the most work in changing intervals (seriously!). Practicing flexing my middle finger while playing the snare drum trains those muscles, so I spend less time practicing interval changes. Conversely, practicing marimba directly helps my snare drum playing.
• Helps me produce a German-style slow stroke on timpani, barely holding the stick with the middle finger, which allows for maximal release and a dark, rich tone.

I don’t need to use it

• I like “dropping” the stick into the drumhead. This technique is not caused by the fulcrum point, but having a relaxed grip on the stick allows me to avoid using the fulcrum, pivoting at the elbow to produce a slow stroke. Best way to avoid using the fulcrum is to develop it!

I made a quick video explaining these concepts here:

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Next time: what I learned in 2023, and why making new year's resolutions New Year’s Day is a terrible idea.

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