Question regarding changing from Sticks to Brushes

[Milestones]

I have not been lucky with stick to brush or vice versa, changes. I keep my sticks on the tom but then when I switch I have to leave the brushes on my floor tom, and then I can't perform fills. Is there any advice for swiching it would be greatly aprreciated?

[steverose]

I prefer to find another place to leave the brushes other than the floor tom.
Some things that work for me for switching:

-switching one at a time, i.e. develop a way to get a brush pattern going w/just one hand.

-also, let your feet (especially open hi hat sounds) carry the time for a spell while you switch. Bill Stewart uses this method very well, it sounds seamless.

[jazzgregg]

Milestones,
I studied with Joe Hunt who was so slick at switching, you could be watching him and still miss it. Here's what he does:
-First, keep the sticks/brushes you aren't using on the bass drum (assuming you are using one mounted tom) so that you can still hit your floor tom if neccesary.
-Second, switch left hand first (from sticks to brushes) so you can keep riding the cymbal with the stick in your right hand. Brushes to sticks? Right hand first while still sweeping with the left brush on the snare drum.
-Once the initial stick to brush or brush to stick has occurred in one hand, make a smooth reach to get the second implement. The reason this works is that there is little or no sound lost between the switch. So often we hear brushes, bunch of hi hat spalshes, then we hear sticks and vice versa. The key to Hunt's way is that you don't need to switch both at the same time. He also said to practice switching to get it seamless.
Hope that helps,
G

[LuvmyLeedy]

good thread.. i was just trying to work on this the other day. keep the tips coming! great ones so far.

[Milestones]

Milestones,
I studied with Joe Hunt who was so slick at switching, you could be watching him and still miss it. Here's what he does:
-First, keep the sticks/brushes you aren't using on the bass drum (assuming you are using one mounted tom) so that you can still hit your floor tom if neccesary.
-Second, switch left hand first (from sticks to brushes) so you can keep riding the cymbal with the stick in your right hand. Brushes to sticks? Right hand first while still sweeping with the left brush on the snare drum.
-Once the initial stick to brush or brush to stick has occurred in one hand, make a smooth reach to get the second implement. The reason this works is that there is little or no sound lost between the switch. So often we hear brushes, bunch of hi hat spalshes, then we hear sticks and vice versa. The key to Hunt's way is that you don't need to switch both at the same time. He also said to practice switching to get it seamless.
Hope that helps,
G

Hey, Thanks alot! Everyone helped! I applaude your efforts!

[Milestones]

By the way, with Hi-hat splashing, I usually splash quarter notes and then switch, is there another more creative way, maybe?To make it more musical?

[Dylan]

Another important factor is timing. When switching to brushes you should always keep the cymbal stick all the way till the beginning of the next head, then you change it to a brush and by the time the cymbal sound has diminished your brush sound will be there underneath as if it had been there all along.
When changing to sticks you will need to have the ride stick ready to go by the time the next head begins. Either keep the brush swirl happening with the left and until the ride comes in or grab both sticks (using hihat splashes and other camouflage) and crescendo a buzz roll into the next head.

[Jakester]

I would simply pedal a couple of "splashes" in with what the music's doing - not necessarily in time, or on a quarter or 8th, and a nice way in after that is to bring out a big, Blakey-style roll - after all, that's why you've moved to sticks from brushes, eh?

If you're going the other way, I find Williams-esque triplets on the pedalled hats, decreasing in volume, a good way to switch - listen to the last TW trio album "Young at Heart" for examples of this.

[jazzerone]

Sometimes my approach is limited by space, but most of the time I have a music stand I set up just to the left of my hats, kind of low and tilted back. Then I keep the set list or any charts I might need on it, along with my brushes. My sticks go on the floor tom.

If I start with brushes, when I have to change I put both brushes in my left hand and keep sweeping, and pick up both sticks with my right hand. Then I can tap out a bar or so with both sticks in one hand while I set the brushes on the music stand. Transfer the other stick to my left hand and I'm good to go.

Sticks to brushes is just the reverse.....

[OZjazzer]

Good question. I have a two tom bass drum set-up so putting gear there was hopeless and the hanging bag off the floor tom is also crappy. One of the trios I play with does a lot of mallet to sticks changes as well as brushes to sticks and back so I really needed some other way. Enter the Peter Erskine Freestanding Stick Bag!! Great invention. It means you have this handy 'table top' next to you on the left side with the stuff you need right there. It works. Also, nobody has mentioned the time honoured sticks tucked under your arm while you do the first chorus with brushes thing.

[TPC]

or you could do what i do, wait until the last second, then, in a panic, toss your brushes aside while grasping for your sticks, one of which falls under the throne so you can spend half of the first chorus keeping an uneven pattern going on the ride while groping around for your other stick. just a suggestion.

[poetman]

Just what has worked for me:
From brushes to sticks:
It depends on the tune, sometimes a simple cymbal crash works, or a floor tom roll into the cymbal crash. A hi hat splash works--anything that fits the music works. When I swtich from brushes to sticks I get one stick at a time (SO much depends on the tune: tempo, feel, rhythm, band,etc), once the ride is swinging, I use my other hand to put the brushes on the bass drum and get the comping.
From Sticks to brushes:
Usually I tuck the sticks under the arm and sweep up the sawdust. This tends to be the smoothest, most efficent way for me. Also, when I need to switch back to sticks it is lightining fast b/c it's like they're in a holster. Again, at which point the brushes are put on the floor tom (for a quick drop), then, with my free hand i place the brushes back on the bass drum.
It all comes down to 1)what does the music call for. 2)What makes you comfortable.
Also, sometimes if the switch from Brush to stick needs to be really fast, just stop the groove. It's difficult to explain (i'll try and think of a record it might be on), but what you cold do is hit the hats to create that shhhhhit sound, letting the cymbals rattle then choking them quickly on the one. Switch with a small lick at the end of the same bar which leads into the sticking. Or, enter on the one of the next bar. I do this alot when i sit in with cats I don't know. It always goes over great! It adds a real smooth feel, it also makes you seem more in control, like you know what your doing in the tune. Plus, soloists love it because it gives them a few notes to really open up.

[OZjazzer]

or you could do what i do, wait until the last second, then, in a panic, toss your brushes aside while grasping for your sticks, one of which falls under the throne so you can spend half of the first chorus keeping an uneven pattern going on the ride while groping around for your other stick. just a suggestion.

That's the one I've used for years. It really works just the way TPC says except sometimes you never find the missing stick. Later of course the piano player compliments you on your tasteful (non-existent) comping.

[bartend7]

I picked up 2 different ways to do this from 2 great drummers.
Jeff Hamilton bends the metal hoop at the end of his brushes so they can rest on the lugs of the floor tom. if you bend them just under 90 degrees you can rest them on the lugs and they will lie parallel with the floor tom. you can leave them there for the gig! to get to the sticks he rests them standing up against the floor tom. and he suggests having a few pairs down there incase you knock one over.
I saw Lewis Nash just basically rest his brushes on the edge of the floor tom on the rim. one brush faces north, the other south (in regaurds to the floor tom head) the brushes were elevated and far enough over on the drum as to not disturb any floor tom usage, and are easily available for a swith at any time.
these two cats were so cool when they did it.
for me i prefer Jeffs method. but lewis was smooth as ice with his.
I like both the methods because they are quiet ways to switch without sticks clannging all over. also they preserve the brushes from bending (like when you throw them on the floor and have to buy a new pair).

[Morgan]

I do what Lewis does, which works out well, because I love Lewis Nash and would like to be like him, as much as possible, with everything I do (anybody know how he likes his eggs, or which pantleg he puts on first in the morning??). I find this a more than satisfactory approach to this daunting problem that has baffled scholars since at least the times of the "lo-boy".

[JayCam]

My method is... (from sticks to brushes)

1) Brushes are left on top of bass drum
2) Place left stick on bass drum while keeping ride and hats going
3) Pick up both brushes in left hand
4) Crash ride and splash hats to make time to...
5) Place right stick on top of bass drum
6) Pass one brush from left hand to right
7) Resume...

Works in theory, usually I end up dropping everything and falling over the bass drum knocking over the ride and maiming and audience member. Maybe someone else can do it better though.

J.

[poetman]

I do what Lewis does, which works out well, because I love Lewis Nash and would like to be like him, as much as possible, with everything I do (anybody know how he likes his eggs, or which pantleg he puts on first in the morning??). I find this a more than satisfactory approach to this daunting problem that has baffled scholars since at least the times of the "lo-boy".
HECK YES!!! Me too, sign me up for Nash Camp!!! His brush solo on Diana Krall's early disc, where they play Broadway, is smoooookkkkiinnnggg!!!! How does he take his coffee? Shoot, it's definitely something in the Brooklyn water!

[Morgan]

Lewis is from Phoenix, believe it or not, and I understand that he was an innate drum genius from the time he first picked up sticks. Some people just "have" it.