Holding the Sticks
All tips were posted by snoozzell for Rock Band. Sole credit goes to him.

The key to holding the sticks is to keep it loose, and allow the sticks to bounce back when hitting the pads. Most of the force should come from your wrists not your arms. Overly tight grips and arm movement will tire you out quickly. For more detailed information about various holding techniques check out this great guide at http://www.rockdrummingsystem.com/underground/drum-articles/using-proper-stick-grips.php Using the Kick Pedal Without Your Leg Falling Off
Using a kick pedal can be a challenge for newcomers no drumming. It involves muscles which are not normally put under much strain. The best way to avoid stressing out your leg muscles is to heed the games advice and keep the kick pedal pressed down between notes. This may seem counter intuitive as force is required to keep the pedal depressed. However, much more energy is spent while keeping your foot hovering above it. Isolating the Kick Pedal
One of the hardest things to get used to when introducing the kick pedal into your play is isolating it's notes from what your hands are doing. When the kicks come in concert with your hands it's usually not very hard to play, but when they come off beat it can be a challenge to isolate the kicks. One way to help your brain out is to add some body movement to correspond to the kicks. Sometimes leaning forward and back can help your brain isolate what your hands are doing from what your feet need to do.