5A, 7A, 2B: drumstick sizes, translated for people who aren't drummers

5 min read

The sticks we link on the gear guide are 2Bs: a thicker, heavier pair, and the pair we practice with. If they feel like too much stick after a week, a 5A is the standard middle size and a 7A is lighter still. That's the entire decision. The numbers and letters on drumsticks are old shorthand for thickness and weight, and for practice on a pad or a pillow, almost any normal pair works fine.

Beatwired sessions ask very little of your hands. Ten minutes, a steady click, a pattern you follow along with. You can do every session on a pillow or your thighs and never own a stick. But a lot of people like the feel of a real pair, and the moment you go looking, you hit a wall of codes: 5A, 7A, 5B, 2B, SD1. This post translates the wall.

Which drumstick size should you buy?

The pair on our gear guide is a 2B, and it's the pair we practice with. A 2B sits at the thicker, heavier end of the wall, and on a pad that weight is a feature: a heavier stick is easier to feel in the hand, and feel is most of what a quiet pad practice asks of a stick.

If a 2B feels like too much, or your hands tire fast, get a 5A: the middle of the range, and what music stores hand to beginners without being asked. Lighter still is the 7A. That's the only fork in the road, and you can take it later. Start with one pair, use it for a week, and you'll know.

That's the whole decision. The rest of this post is for the curious.

What do the numbers and letters actually mean?

The number tracks thickness, and it runs backwards: a higher number means a thinner stick. A 7A is thinner than a 5A. A 2B is thicker than a 5B. Nobody defends this system. It's just old, and everyone kept using it.

The letters have a story attached. The version drummers pass around says it comes from the early 1900s: A stood for orchestra, B for band, and S for street, meaning marching bands. Orchestra players wanted thin, quiet sticks. Bands wanted more. Street drummers wanted something heavy enough to be heard outdoors.

Treat that story as folklore, because that's what it is. It gets repeated in every guide, but the paper trail is thin, and stick makers today mostly use the codes as part numbers. Two 5As from two brands won't measure exactly the same. Close enough is the standard, and close enough is fine.

How do 2B, 5A, and 7A feel in the hand?

A 2B feels substantial. More wood, more weight, and each stroke is easy to feel, which is why it's the pair we link. It's a normal pick for rock drumming too.

A 5A feels like a pencil that grew up. Balanced, not heavy, not delicate. You stop noticing it after a minute, which is the point.

A 7A feels light. Some people describe it as fast. It's quieter on a pad, easier on small hands and tired wrists, and a common pick for jazz players. If your hands are on the smaller side, or you just want less stick, this is your size.

What about the wood?

Hickory is the default because it holds up well and soaks up the shock of each hit instead of sending it into your hands. It's what most sticks are made of, and you can ignore every other option.

Wood tip or nylon tip?

Wood tip is fine. Nylon tips exist because they sound brighter on cymbals; on a pad or a pillow the tip makes no difference. If the store only has nylon, that's fine too. This choice matters even less than the wood.

What should you not buy?

Skip marching sticks. They're built for outdoor volume, far thicker and heavier than a quiet practice calls for, and they'll wear your hands out.

Skip variety bundles. Some shops sell packs of mismatched sizes so you can "find your fit." A single pair answers that question for less money.

Does the wrong stick even exist for pad practice?

Barely, and here is why.

Stick sizing matters most at a drum kit, where volume, reach, and hours of playing add up. On a practice pad or a pillow, playing quiet patterns for ten minutes, the differences shrink to almost nothing. A 2B won't ruin a session. A 7A won't either. Even a chopstick would get you through one, though it gives you almost no bounce to work with.

So this is a two-minute purchase. Drummers weigh stick choices carefully because hours at a kit make the small differences add up; ten quiet minutes on a pad doesn't. You want a steady beat your nervous system can lock onto, and any normal pair of sticks will carry you there. Ours happens to be a 2B.

Beatwired calls sticks and a pad Tier 1 gear: about $55 total, recommended but never required. The specific pad and sticks we like are listed on the gear guide, so you can skip the wall entirely. And if you're wondering whether tapping patterns on a pad counts as real drumming, the short version is on the FAQ, and the longer one is on the science page.

One line to keep: start with the 2B we link, drop to a 5A if it feels like too much, and spend the time you saved practicing.