Drumsticks and brushes Drumsticks come in as many sizes and shades as the players who use them, and drummers often use different sticks for different styles of music. In general, heavier sticks such as 2Bs are favored for rock and R&B styles where more volume is needed, and lighter sticks like 7As tend to be favored for jazz, folk, acoustic, and other styles that require less volume. Experimentation is the key here, so try out a lot of different sticks to find the pair that's right for you. Many drummers like to use heavier sticks for practicing than they do for gigging in order to develop strength and stamina. The numbers used in drumstick manufacturing, such as 5A, 5B, 2B, 3S, and 7A, come from the earliest days of drumstick manufacturing, when a number and letter were assigned based on the stick's size and application. The numerical part signifies the circumference of the stick. In general, the lower the number, the larger the circumference and the greater the number, the smaller the circumference. For example, a 7A stick is smaller in circumference than a 5A which in turn is narrower than the 2B. An exception is the 3S, which has a larger circumference than a 2B despite the number. As for the letter designations, "S" stands for "street," as these large sticks were designed for street applications such as marching band. "B" sticks were intended for "band" applications like symphonic and brass bands. 2Bs continue to be recommended by drum teachers as ideal starter sticks. "A" stands for orchestral sticks, which are smaller in circumference than "B" series sticks and continue to be very popular with rock and jazz players. Why does "A" stand for orchestral? Reportedly this comes from the preference of William F. Ludwig of the Ludwig drum company, who simply felt it printed better. Stick tips come in a choice of wood or nylon. Wood tips have a softer, warmer sound, while nylon tips offer increased durability and brilliant, focused cymbal sound. Brushes are commonly used in place of sticks for playing ballads and acoustic music styles. Brushes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials. Configurations include telescoping, non-telescoping; with metal bristles, plastic bristles, loop ends, ball ends; with handles of wood, rubber, aluminum, etc. Lately a profusion of bundled sticks or "rods" have become available, marketed under a variety of names. They all consist of rods or dowels of various thicknesses bundled together for a sound that's somewhere between sticks and brushes. Bundled sticks are ideal for low-volume gigs and practicing.