Cross-Stick

Sound & Dynamics

Also called side stick, clicked stick.

A cross-stick is made by laying the shaft of the stick across the snare head and pressing the tip into the rim, then driving the butt end down. Instead of a full drum sound you get a dry, woody click. Some players call it a side stick, which is really a similar trick played on the rim itself.

Cross-sticks are the go-to sound for quiet verses and ballads. They keep the time without the snare barking over a singer, and that click cuts through a mix in a way a soft normal hit never does. Plenty of records you know use one for the whole verse until the chorus explodes.

Anchor the tip about a hand-width inside the far rim, keep a loose fulcrum, and let the shaft do the work. Angle matters: more shaft on the head gives a deeper tone, more on the rim gives a thinner click. Start with steady quarter notes and keep every click the same dry volume. It is a discipline of control, and it trains the same even touch that makes quiet passages sound professional.