Innovative Percussion Drumsticks, Mallets & Accessories
I’m very excited to announce that I’m now officially an endorsed artist and educator with Innovative Percussion! The IP products are instrumental in my success as a percussionist and instructor and I’m proud to have been using their sticks, mallets, and accessories for over 15 years! Check the info below to find my favorite products from IP that I use in my studio and with all of my ensembles…
IP-1 Generals are my go-to concert and drum set stick of choice. They have an oval shaped bead which is great for putting surface area into the drum head. We also use these are a light but full sounding auxiliary stick in all of my marching snare lines. FS-BK marching snare sticks are my default for the snare lines I teach and are the primary stick of choice. These marching snare sticks are very similar to the IP-1 concert sticks, but are amped up to the field percussion level that is needed to withstand a the harsher environment. I’ve also started experimenting with the newer FS-BK3 Momentum snare stick which is similar to the FS-BK but with a smaller diameter and a shorter overall length. These sticks are actually helping me put out some power on the drum set and the larger diameter (compared to the IP-1 sticks) helps prevent my fairly large hands from cramping up when playing for extended durations. Again, all of these snare sticks have a nice elongated oval bead that provides the most amount of surface area to contact the drum head, putting out a nice warm and solid sound from every stroke.
Now, to transition to my wheelhouse, the marching tenors, IP has blessed us with a variety of great options and sounds for quads. Starting us off is the flagship of my tenorline, the FT-1 marching tenor mallets. These things put out some sound, whether you have an experienced line or some students that are trying the drums on for the first time, you’ll get some decent sound quality out of them right away. To contrast these dark aggressive sounding studs, we also use the FS-2 marching tenor sticks. These sticks have a nice sounding round nylon bead that is great for control and precision. These are especially nice if you’re outdoors and still want your sound to carry through beyond the audience. For indoor lighter options I always choose the FS-2 “Shorty” tenor sticks, they are obviously shorter in length and are entirely hickory which give them a really nice feel around the drums. The sound is controlled and contrast the tenor mallets very nicely. In the same vein as these two pairs of tenor sticks I like to implement the TS-3 multi-tom sticks, especially if you have an experienced tenor line that know how to approach the drums from a technical standpoint. These sticks help the sound cut through without being overbearing. Lastly, to lighten the tenor sound even further there are still plenty of options. We use the FT-2 hard felt mallets for intermediate applications and then the FT-3 fleece mallets for the extreme softs. Both of those options provide relief from the harsh articulations of the nylon and wood beads while still providing the warm carrying sound that is needed in the musical applications.
Check out Innovative Percussion for WAY more great percussion implements and open up the doors to a huge variety of sounds available to you, right now!
See more details at InnovativePercussion.com/Artists/Patrick_Blakley
