HingeStix

Something a little different...

This is the first time in my life I have ever been given a pair of drumsticks that came with instructions on how to use them. Sound strange? Maybe. However, that said, there’s a good reason why you need instructions in this case.

If you’ve looked at the picture, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that the HingeStix resemble drumsticks with training wheels. Although, in some ways, that’s probably not far from the truth.

They have been designed as a teaching tool to help facilitate the use of rebound when playing and improve finger control. They also help with better understanding and using the Moeller technique (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moeller_method  if you aren’t familiar).

The whole set up is based around a lightweight 2B sized stick with the aforementioned hinge near the butt end. The hinge itself is plastic and made up of two pieces which are screwed together and can be set within three holes up the lower part of the shaft depending on your preference. One side of the hinge has a concave surface and the other convex; these are for your thumb and finger.

Using the sticks took a little bit of getting used, for me anyway. It was mainly just getting used to holding the sticks properly in relation to the hinge because if you hold the sticks thumbs up (like I sometimes do) then you have to adjust your hand position to play palm down.

However, when you do adjust - if you do indeed need to - then using the hinge is easy.

I think these sticks do have a great potential as a learning tool, particularly amongst beginners, if they are utilised by teachers right at the beginning of any tuition.

The sticks and the hinges are comfortable enough to use, although like I said you can only use them palm down - having said this though, the hinge wouldn‘t work any other way and that‘s kind of the point. You also can’t hold these sticks too tightly, which is again good, so if you have that problem, then practice with these sticks may help that issue.

It’s nice to come across something so simple which is so effective. These sticks really do work, although you do have to put the time in with them as well since getting used to them, at least I found anyway, took a little time (but not that much).

For more, and a better explanation of what HingeStix are all about, go to http://www.hingestix.com/  

However, even more useful though is the video - http://www.hingestix.com/index.php?p=1_2_Demonstration-Video  - which gives a practical breakdown of what the sticks are about and how they work.

David Bateman

May 2010