Rimshot

Sound & Dynamics

Also called rim shot, cross-stick rimshot.

A rimshot is a snare hit where the stick strikes the head and the rim at the same time. You get a sharp, cutting crack that slices through a band. Players use it on big accents, at the end of fills, or where a song needs one loud punctuation mark.

The rimshot earns its reputation: it is loud and bright, and it means business. One on the last hit of a fill tells the band the section is over. Used too often, though, it stops meaning anything, so treat it like an exclamation mark rather than punctuation you sprinkle everywhere.

To land one, aim the tip of the stick at the head just inside the rim while the shaft touches the rim itself. A shallow stick angle gives you more rim and less head. Practice slowly until head and rim speak with one voice. A muddy rimshot, where only the head or only the rim sounds, is aiming problem, not a volume problem, and accurate aim is exactly what any fair hit detection rewards.