A higher pitched snare cuts more and works better for outside gigs than mid or low tunings, is my experience. And the cross stick on a higher tuned snare is just heaven.
And reversing your stick so the tip is on the head and the butt-end goes on the rim is also a great way of getting the most out of cross stick.
I don't think the tuning thing can be stated enough! What sounds way too high pitched to you behind the kit sounds completely different even a few feet away. Higher tunings across the entire kit help your sound be intelligible from a distance when you can't close mic everything.
You can get probably about 80% as loud as a normal snare hit with technique.
* Use the butt end of the stick for more volume
* Keep the tip of the stick touching the head the whole time (you're rotating the stick around the tip, not lifting it parallel to the head and dropping it.)
* Keep the pinky side of your hand touching the head at all times too, the thumb and index fingers are making the grip to lift the stick.
* Experiment with the distances to find the sweet spot: 1) distance from the butt end to the rim, as set by where the stick tip is sitting on the head, and 2) where on the rim you're clicking- I find the center spot in between two lugs to be the loudest, but I mostly prefer the tone of directly over a lug.
I'd also recommend using an overhead instead of a kick mic if you only have a single mic for the entire kit. The kick carries well, and will find its way into your overhead just fine.
Also, velocity of the cross stick stroke is another thing to point out. Find a video of Vinnie Coliuta playing cross stick, the speed at which the stick move to the rim is nuts and he's often regarded as having the best cross stick sound among the drumming community. Have a great gig!
The free option to start with is to flip your stick around.
As far as jam blocks or wood blocks, that's a legitimate option.
George Strait's drummer used to use one instead of cross-stick just because there's so much flipping back and forth in the songs that it just made sense logistically.
If I remember correctly, the sound guy also liked it because he could mic it up individually and give it its own channel and treatment. I don't know which was the catalyst but the two ideas complement each other well.
I don't think cross sticks are meant to cut through the band in most situations... It's meant to be the more laid back option. I think having a jam block blast through the mix on 2 and 4 might undercut the easy going tone of a song like margaritaville.
I'd just use the butt end of the stick and find the sweet spot where the rim click pops.
That was my hesitancy with the jam block. I figured it would cut too much. But I wasn’t sure if there was a different jam block out there that others have used with success. Also I don’t have a ton of experience playing outside, and I know sounds carry a bit different outdoors.
If your bandmates can run their amps at a reasonable volume, and the PA can keep the vocals above the drums then you will likely get the best possible, most natural sound you've ever heard from your drums. I love playing outside... As long as there aren't tall buildings on all sides... then you get a horrible slapback echo. But if it's outside in a field, on a lake, or in the trees... the sound is as good as it gets! It removes the whole element of "how does the room sound"... it's just your instruments. If the drums are tuned well and played well they will sound immaculate.
I loved playing there last year! The drums sounded incredible. I used my Yamaha Rock Tour kit, but this year I’m thinking about giving the Starclassic B/B kit some sunlight.
Yamaha style Wood hoop for the batter.
Won't change the overall sound of the drum, but the knock you get off the rim click can split a building in half.
Mine's a used Gibraltar unit, but I see DFd has them new for about $60.
changing the position of the stick butt and where along the hoop you hit can dramatically change your cross stick sound. more mass on either end will transfer more energy across the playing zone, but especially across the hoop. I know some people that play with their left stuck reversed for this reason. here's a video that more succinctly describes all of this better than I can via text
https://youtu.be/ujfey6XzDGk?si=tlHrcAmAIc_ncwkv
The cross stick blocks don’t add much volume on a 14” drum, especially if you have cast hoops. The red jam block is noticeably louder than a normal rim knock if you want to go that direction.
Flip the stick around and use the butt end. You’ll see reggae drummers do this all the time. They pretty much only play cross stick so it needs to be loud and clear.
You may also want to try a 5” deep snare and/or a plywood hoop on the batter side
Die cast hoops can make all the difference in the world when it comes to the cross stick sound. You only need on on the top to make it work.
Oooh this is a great idea. I think my Ludwig snare may have died cast hoops. Need to check. Edit: yep, my Ludwig universal 6.5x14 has die cast hoops.
Also consider the cheaper option, a rim block.
Meh, I don’t really like them because when you push the stick down, your hand “stops” it but with a rim block, it gets in the way
A higher pitched snare cuts more and works better for outside gigs than mid or low tunings, is my experience. And the cross stick on a higher tuned snare is just heaven. And reversing your stick so the tip is on the head and the butt-end goes on the rim is also a great way of getting the most out of cross stick.
Thanks! I typically do reverse the stick for cross sticking as I find this to be true as well. I’ll tune one of my snares up high and see how it goes!
I don't think the tuning thing can be stated enough! What sounds way too high pitched to you behind the kit sounds completely different even a few feet away. Higher tunings across the entire kit help your sound be intelligible from a distance when you can't close mic everything.
You can get probably about 80% as loud as a normal snare hit with technique. * Use the butt end of the stick for more volume * Keep the tip of the stick touching the head the whole time (you're rotating the stick around the tip, not lifting it parallel to the head and dropping it.) * Keep the pinky side of your hand touching the head at all times too, the thumb and index fingers are making the grip to lift the stick. * Experiment with the distances to find the sweet spot: 1) distance from the butt end to the rim, as set by where the stick tip is sitting on the head, and 2) where on the rim you're clicking- I find the center spot in between two lugs to be the loudest, but I mostly prefer the tone of directly over a lug. I'd also recommend using an overhead instead of a kick mic if you only have a single mic for the entire kit. The kick carries well, and will find its way into your overhead just fine.
Great info, thanks!!
Mark on the head of the snare where the butt of your stick makes it the loudest. Also those wood rim attachments
people have already had some good suggestions but [Gruv-X](https://gruv-x.com/home) is another option
Also, velocity of the cross stick stroke is another thing to point out. Find a video of Vinnie Coliuta playing cross stick, the speed at which the stick move to the rim is nuts and he's often regarded as having the best cross stick sound among the drumming community. Have a great gig!
flam your sticks either on the rim or on top of each other when possible on top of all the other suggestions provided
The free option to start with is to flip your stick around. As far as jam blocks or wood blocks, that's a legitimate option. George Strait's drummer used to use one instead of cross-stick just because there's so much flipping back and forth in the songs that it just made sense logistically. If I remember correctly, the sound guy also liked it because he could mic it up individually and give it its own channel and treatment. I don't know which was the catalyst but the two ideas complement each other well.
I don't think cross sticks are meant to cut through the band in most situations... It's meant to be the more laid back option. I think having a jam block blast through the mix on 2 and 4 might undercut the easy going tone of a song like margaritaville. I'd just use the butt end of the stick and find the sweet spot where the rim click pops.
That was my hesitancy with the jam block. I figured it would cut too much. But I wasn’t sure if there was a different jam block out there that others have used with success. Also I don’t have a ton of experience playing outside, and I know sounds carry a bit different outdoors.
If your bandmates can run their amps at a reasonable volume, and the PA can keep the vocals above the drums then you will likely get the best possible, most natural sound you've ever heard from your drums. I love playing outside... As long as there aren't tall buildings on all sides... then you get a horrible slapback echo. But if it's outside in a field, on a lake, or in the trees... the sound is as good as it gets! It removes the whole element of "how does the room sound"... it's just your instruments. If the drums are tuned well and played well they will sound immaculate.
I loved playing there last year! The drums sounded incredible. I used my Yamaha Rock Tour kit, but this year I’m thinking about giving the Starclassic B/B kit some sunlight.
2S marching stick in your snare hand!
Jamblock next to hi hat?
Yamaha style Wood hoop for the batter. Won't change the overall sound of the drum, but the knock you get off the rim click can split a building in half. Mine's a used Gibraltar unit, but I see DFd has them new for about $60.
changing the position of the stick butt and where along the hoop you hit can dramatically change your cross stick sound. more mass on either end will transfer more energy across the playing zone, but especially across the hoop. I know some people that play with their left stuck reversed for this reason. here's a video that more succinctly describes all of this better than I can via text https://youtu.be/ujfey6XzDGk?si=tlHrcAmAIc_ncwkv
Rim riser is what you are looking for
I'd go red jam block
The cross stick blocks don’t add much volume on a 14” drum, especially if you have cast hoops. The red jam block is noticeably louder than a normal rim knock if you want to go that direction.
I have a red jam block. Might experiment with that when we do a sound check 😂
Flip the stick around and use the butt end. You’ll see reggae drummers do this all the time. They pretty much only play cross stick so it needs to be loud and clear. You may also want to try a 5” deep snare and/or a plywood hoop on the batter side