There are way too many kinds of sticks out there. How in the world are we supposed to know which size is best? Let me offer a few guidelines that might help you out, and I’ll tell you what my favorite sticks are.

Here’s what I have in my stick bag:

• 7A hickory sticks
  
• 5A hickory sticks
  
• 5A maple sticks (lighter weight)
  
• 5B hickory sticks
  
• 5B “barrel tip” hickory sticks

Yeah, I have other stuff besides these exact sticks in my bag, but this list sums up my essentials that I actually use regularly. Let me explain what I use each pair for.

7A

These are my least used pair of sticks, but I’m including them because I used to use them very often. These are great jazz sticks, especially if you’re playing light jazz (jazz combo, jazz trio, etc.). I did a lot of that in college, and this was my stick of choice. I don’t play as much jazz now, but whenever the occasion arises I still reach for these.

5A

These are the quintessential average,...