Jonnistix,When i first started drumming my teacher only showed me the traditional grip{i did not like that}.I used to make him so mad because i use to show-up and play match grip.I still do use trad.grip today but only when iam playing a single snare drum.Still to this day i can't play a set with useing trad.grip on the stix's.Iam always cross over or open.So i say let your son play the way he's wants to play,if the teacher does not like it maybe its time of a new teacher?..Mikey.

If your son likes the teacher and he is learning with him, you don't want to interfere in a way that will undermine the teacher in a negative way. Best philosophy for teaching is; always, 'in addition to,' never, 'instead of.'

Expose your son to other schools of thought. There are two excellent videos that I am always recommending to people: Jo Jo Mayers, 'Secret Weapons Of The Modern Drummer,' and, Tommy Igoe's, 'Great Hands For Life.' You'll be exposing your son to two of the best drum instructors on the planet. He'll get a solid foundation and all major and minor aspects of playing technique are covered/discussed.

Mikey is right in that your son will play the way he likes and that best suits him regardless of what he's exposed to. But you can always 'add to' whatever he already knows. Get the videos, you'll both enjoy them. Great father and son viewing material! Spend some quality time together and have plenty of fodder for discussion.

John

Time is the factor here. Student are given basic info to begin with then any good teacher will begin to see the student adapt to his/her own comfort level.eg;grip,position of drums,seat height etc.It could take months of tweaking here and there before the student finds the sweet spot,but leave it up to them to experiment. Do you know of ANY drummer that is not anal about his set up,including grip?

Excellent advice from all 3 of you gentleman.

The action is in this order: fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulder; with fingers controlling the finest nuances. The bigger the muscle the less twitchy motion is makes. It is similar to a whip dynamics.

Traditional grip (as any other comfortable way of holding the stick) can give you all the finesse and power required.

Drumming is not in the "muscle power", unless you are a kinda douche that thinks music is an athletic feat. Seems like there are plenty of those nowadays.

The teacher sounds like an ignoramus..

Not that I'm any expert on proper/classical techique, but I'd thought I offer my thought:

I love the way traditional grip looks! That said, I can't do it at all. I find that I just dont have the comfort or control in my left hand that I need, and dont even get me started on how clumsy it makes me when I'm trying to get around on the whole set.

Now, I wish I could play it. I'd love to have the style of Buddy, Art Blakely, Mel Brown... and, hell, even a certain rock drummer before he lost his arm. But it just never worked for me. So, in the same way that I wouldn't appreciate someone telling me how my matched grip is 'wrong,' I dont think someone should be telling your son that dbl traditional is 'wrong' either. The teacher could say, if that works for you, fine, but you might want to learn this technique for this or that reason. It's kind of like how most electric guitarists use a pick, but could/would benefit from having some fingerpicking chops as well.

Nothing wrong with matched grip at all :)

Most players utilize both anyway,but as per this discussion,we all lean to what suits us best.

OK, I'm going on sort of a "rant" here... but it will come down to just as above: what works BEST for the individual drummer is what's BEST.

I started drummin' in the mid-60s, 5th grade band. No private lessons, only what "group" instruction the band director could give. Traditional grip. Bought a Beverley snare drum & stand at a local Pawn Shop, but practiced the rudiments mostly on a Folgers Coffee can with a plastic lid.

Into high school as a freshman, still used the traditional grip 'cause that's all I knew (still no private lessons). By my soph. year, however, I was exposed to the matched grip but only by becoming the HS symphonic band's tympanist. Got my first set (50s Gretsch WMP) that same year and began to see that the matched grip was much easier (to me), period. (BTW -- had to use the abreviation for "soph." 'cause it didn't pass the profanity filter -- isn't that a gas!!)

Continued that through HS and my "garage" band years.

Then, I went off to college to Ft Hays St (western ks), recruited to be a drum major in their marching band (yes, I was also BIG into marching!). Finally got "private" lessons as a music education major... from an instructor by the name of Mitch Markovitch from Chicago (a national rudimental champion), who was there doing graduate work (if I remember correctly).

He worked with me with BOTH grips, giving them equal consideration. He could do just as good with one as the other; he was probably the best rudimental drummer I have EVER seen (personally). His conclusion was the same as what many have already posted: whatever works BEST for the individual drummer is what is BEST for the individual drummer.

After years of playing professionally (yes, in both week-end only bands and at times on-the-road full-time) then years playing in church with the worship band, I came to PREFER the matched grip. But find myself at times falling back to the traditional grip. So, I guess knowing both don't hurt anything...