Decisions, decisions....

Well.. as ever in music, “it all depends!” you can use what you want when you want, there are no “rules” we need to follow, so in short, ask yourself “what serves this piece of music best?” and take it from there…

You are definitely going to get a softer, more subtle sound from the "Rod" sticks on the right BUT they won't give you the immediacy and "bounce" off the drum head of a stick, which might make playing complex rapid fills more tricky!

To see a wonderful example of how to use both types to excellent effect in one song take a look at this video of the hugely talented French session drummer Manu Katche: Peter Gabriel - Come talk to me live & Manu Katche where he builds the intensity of the drum rhythms to perfectly suit this wonderful song.

(Side note: I was lucky enough to see Peter Gabriel in concert some time ago and he was just phenomenal. If you ever get the chance to see him DO IT!)

(Side side note: you can learn more about Manu and his incredible talents here: https://www.manu-katche.com/ He’s played alongside countless world famous artists like Sting, Tracey Chapman, Peter Gabriel and Canada's very own Joni Mitchell!)