Drum Sticks
Drum sticks are something that every drummer needs, regardless of whether they play rock, hip hop, jazz, blues, or classical music. They're made of wood or a synthetic (plastic-like) material, and are made by dozens of companies.
The parts of the drum stick are the butt, the grip area, the shoulder, the neck, and the tip. A shorter taper at the shoulder and neck will provide more weight at the front end, and you will get a louder sound when playing cymbals. They're harder to break, too. If a stick has a longer taper, it's going to be lighter on the cymbals and drums, giving more of a traditional jazz sound.
Unfortunately, there's no easy answer to the question, "Which sticks are right for me?" The sticks you choose are determined by your personal preference.If you have a drum teacher ask what he or she recommends. Otherwise, start with something fairly thick, like a 5B, for developing skills on a practice pad. If you're small, or have small hands, you may want to use a 5A size instead.
For a drum set, your choice is determined by the type of music you play. If you play rock, you want a bigger stick, which has more weight, so that (you guessed) you can make a bigger noise. At first, try a 5B or 7A, but most important, you should experiment with different sticks to see which feel best to you and which give you the sound you want. One thing to know before you shop for sticks: One manufacturer's 5B is likely to be different from another one's 5B (does this remind you of buying shoes?). So, don't just go by size stamped on the sticks or written on the package.
When you're starting out, get sticks with a plastic tip, which makes a stick last longer. Until you've been playing for a while, durability is more important than tone. Then, as your musical ear grows, experiment with the different types of stick tips, too. There's acorn, round, barrel-shaped, and so forth. Each will make your cymbals sound different, and in combination with the different stick sizes, will greatly affect the sound of your drums.