What bachi do I buy?
Looking for the right pair of bachi isn't always easy with how many varieties there are to pick from and the different woods to consider.
Generally most bachi will serve you just fine at any skill level,
however you'll find that as you progress in your taiko journey, your needs and preferences might shift. This will especially show when you begin focusing on 10 star songs, where optimizing your playstyle will help in performance.
It's also important to note that top rankers tend to carry a collection of bachi to pick from depending on the song.
One pair may not fit all scenarios!
On this page we'll be focusing on the 3 wood types that I offer here in my shop.
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For a more general purpose guidebook, please check out this document written by RandomEwok from the Taiko Australia & New Zealand community! The Maibachi Textbook  |
Maple Bachi
Best for all skill levels
Excels in reliability and strength 💪
Pros
☆ Strongest wood to play with and can handle rough drumming.
☆ Great flexibility that gives a balanced rebound off the drum.
☆ Has a flow-like drumming style, which helps with learning proper technique and timing.
Cons
☓ Heaviest wood to play with and may require some strength conditioning.
☓ Drumrolls and Double-Stroke will require more force.
☓ Drumroll speed is not fast enough for competition.
Kevin's Summary
Maple bachi are the easiest for me to recommend to people, with the caveat that it's a heavy wood and may not be for everyone.
Maple's weight and bounce is exactly what you imagine a solid pair of drumsticks to feel like. There's a strong hit to every stroke and flexes just enough to bounce back in a smooth motion. This property of Maple wood helps your hands and arms flow to the music, and can even teach you to time your hits better, since every stroke needs to be executed with confidence.
Poplar Bachi
Best for Beginners
Excels in responsiveness 🔰
Pros
☆ Sturdy wood that can handle a small amount of rough drumming.
☆ Low Flexibility & rebound makes it easy to control and move around the drum.
☆ Hits hard and works well on all drums.
Cons
☓ Heavy wood, the low flexibility and rebound will tire you out faster.
☓ Drumrolls and Double-Stroke may be uncomfortable due to low flexibility.
☓ May not be suitable at 9 star or 10 star extreme songs.
Kevin's Summary
Poplar bachi are a trade off, you get a high-quality budget friendly pair of drumsticks but they may not take you to the top of your game.
Poplar hits hard and works well on old or unresponsive drums, as well as tatacons. Poplar is a rigid wood that makes drumming feel quick and snappy, there's less rebound to have to manage, so you'll find it easy to move your hands around the drum, especially as a beginner. However, this lower rebound comes at a cost, since you'll need a higher amount of stamina to drum faster songs at 9☆ or 10☆.
Hiba Bachi
Best for Experts
Excels in speed and weight 👑
Pros
☆ Lightest wood to play with.
☆ Easy and fast drumrolls or Double-Stroke.
☆ Easy to maneuver and re-adjust during swings.
Cons
☓ Weakest wood to play with and risks breakage if used harshly.
☓ Precise/advanced drumming is needed to take advantage of Hiba.
☓ Works only on sensitive drums.
Kevin's Summary
Hiba is a specialized wood, not used in normal drumming scenarios but we make use of it on Taiko by taking advantage of it's lightweight properties.
Hiba is easy to manipulate and experts will find drumrolls and double-stroke to be easy to control, and easy on the hands as well. However hiba has a soft striking feel when drumming and doesn't flow very much, requiring the player to have good finger strength and accuracy to time hits better.
Hiba is also very susceptible to dents, scratches and breaks, even with normal use. Expert players will have an easier time maintaining the longevity of the wood, due to their better technique.
Roundup
