I prefer rimshots. Not on the low tuned snare, but the other two snares sound much better with rimshots imo. It's a matter of taste, style of playing, song and the production. None is "better" than the other.
Henrik Hansson Hey Henrik...I agree, all music/drumming/etc. is subjective to style and taste. My experience is that tonally I've gotten better results from not using rim shots a majority of the time no matter the tuning of the snare. A lot of the feedback has come from engineers actually asking me not to use them even in situations where I felt it sounded better using them in the room. I appreciate your feedback and opinion.
I think the low tuning sounded best without the rim shots, but the two higher tunings sounded best with them in my opinion. Most of the drummers I like (Bonham, Ian Paice, Chad Smith, Dennis Chambers, to name a few) use rimshots for nearly all of their accents / back beats.
Rimshots require head resonance for their sonic effects, right? (Kinda like how you cannot audibly strike a harmonic on a muted string.) I know you're using that level of dampening on the low snare as a matter of tonal aesthetic, but I'm not sure that rimshot comparisons on heavily dampened drums makes a lot of sense. I'd be more interested in hearing the difference with rimshots on that drum while it's bare.
thebitterroost -As a comparison that's a valid point. In my subjective opinion that particular drum does not speak even when the dampening is more open with a rim shot.
Rimshot => Loud music, hard rock, metal, alternative etc No Rimshot => Soft music, indie, jazz, soul? lol etc Most Of The time i think it depends on the kind of snare you playing and genre. You also can fatten a snare on mixing regardless if it is played with rimshots or not, but it will affect the overall sound of the music.
Hey Christian, those are definitely the stereo typical genres/sounds for using a rimshot or not. But of course there are exceptions...some great rock drummers who don't use rim shots and some drummers in "softer" genres that do. As far as fattening in the mix, that is true but the sound of the rim shot (or attack) is in there regardless and I find that in a lot of drums it takes some of the "fat" sound out regardless. Of course there is no wrong or right...music calls for what it calls for and in the end that's all that matters. Hopefully what I was trying to portray here is what a rim shot does under a microphone...not if one is better for a certain style of music or not.
You do a lot of rim-shots in samba, or jazz, not necessarily in the center of the drum, also in soul music it can helps to play the bottom of the time. I'm not sure Rudd plays rim-shots in ACDC, cause I own this Sonor Prolite snare drum and the rim-shot is very special. You have to think of the other musicians. Isn't it total madness to ask everybody to protect their ears because you play rim-shots ?
Is rim shot vs. no rim shot a matter of snare angle or hand wrist technique? I play matched grip and find that I have to angle my snare to where I don't want it to avoid the rim shot.
I usually don’t play rimshots while recording either, I find it loses a lot of body. If I want more transient smack I’ll dial that in with compression and that also keeps the oomph. Although I liked how the rimshots sounded with the more roomy mix especially the second snare you tried, interesting.
Bro I Love the sound of your kit, or the way ya play cause u kinda already "Got" ur own sound or sure are working on it but u sound pretty dam good to me.👍& the fact u shy away from rim shots I tend to do that, keep it up
I never play rimshots when recording, because I never properly learned the technique! I have played around with it recently, though, and I do generally dig the sound better with the rimshot--particularly when playing hard rock and metal. But I've got a long way to go to get consistent enough for recording with them.
I'm glad that I stumbled upon this great tip! It makes a lot of sense. Thank you! But how about in live concert situation? Especially in the case of modern rock music.
Hi Iwan- You'll have to decide what's best for you..there are great drummers that do it both ways. In a live setting I'll pick based on the song...if I feel like it needs that extra crack I may dig in to a rimshot but most of the time I don't use them.
So you're saying that "a strong back beat doesn't necessarily need rimshot"? It's opposed to common belief I suppose. I always thought that most of modern rock songs, some pop, most (modern) funk jazz, would definitely need rimshot on the back beat. Are there any other pop/rock drummers who you happen to know have similar preference?
That is what I'm saying...you can develop a great sound without a rimshot...if that's the sound you want. I think a great example is Matt Cameron from Soundgarden/Pearl Jam who primarily doesn't use rimshots.
Wow, that's a new insight for me. It opens up my perspective. I don't play modern rock/funk that much, but now I know that I HAVE a choice of not doing rimshot. And I happen to like darker snare sounds with less attack and overtone anyway. Thank you for bringing this up and discussing it. You rock!
It really depends on the persons taste i guess. I definitely agree with you personally but for most others metal drummers always stick to it to keep that constant attack while playing at faster tempos whereas having it be fatter and having more resonance might make it sound less tight(?) just my theory but i never cared for rimshots
been playing in hard rock classic metal club cover bands and still am to this day for 35 years STEADY , were booked through out 2018 ALREADY,,and the last 25 of years ive been SERIOUSLY addicted to snare rim shots, i remember looking at another drummers sticks all frayed and splitting in the middle and i was SERIOUSLY puzzled, he was older and a local drum God to me and actually still is,, this way back in the 80s, this drummer is actually still playing in his 60s , im 55 myself..., hes an Unfucking believable drummer that i will NEVER PRETEND TO BE, and he still at it rimming away, trust me ,this guy SHOULD have could have made it big, he came VERY VERY close auditioning with some big acts,, ,,,so this is when i started rimming bk in the 80s and why im half deaf" unfortunately" today , lol, their simply VICIOUS to hear that close to the ear ,its gotta be around 140-150 db a shot, i try to wear ear plugs, yeah, who am i kidding, i DONT.... cus that tends to take away from the high,lol,, i like them simply cus is SO much louder,cutting and prevalent and not to mention , SO SO SO MUCH EASIER on the wrist to me, the rim/stick takes all the abuse instead of the wrist, i do however love to play regular snare much throughout the night, place and time for both, but is when appropriate in the song, i use rims often to open up the blower and four barrel per say on a song,it gets me OFF BIG time hearing that VICIOUS, and i mean VICIOUS FUCKING TONK, every stroke, there is NOTHING like it to me in the world to hear, But..u have GOT be consistant with them, i mean ,when u miss its NOT GOOD lol,theres nothing, DOAH !!! lol ,,i stable my leg and knee, and gauge every stroke with my leg,, is a HIGH to me like NO OTHER when u have mastered them
Although I like rimshots, I only like to hear them very occasionally and that's also how I play them. They are like seasoning on food -- too much will kill the taste.
I prefer rimshots. Not on the low tuned snare, but the other two snares sound much better with rimshots imo. It's a matter of taste, style of playing, song and the production. None is "better" than the other.
Henrik Hansson Hey Henrik...I agree, all music/drumming/etc. is subjective to style and taste. My experience is that tonally I've gotten better results from not using rim shots a majority of the time no matter the tuning of the snare. A lot of the feedback has come from engineers actually asking me not to use them even in situations where I felt it sounded better using them in the room. I appreciate your feedback and opinion.
Blair Sinta Thanks for your comments! Oh, and by the way. I just love the sound of that low tuned snare. So fat sounding in a slower song! :)
I think the low tuning sounded best without the rim shots, but the two higher tunings sounded best with them in my opinion. Most of the drummers I like (Bonham, Ian Paice, Chad Smith, Dennis Chambers, to name a few) use rimshots for nearly all of their accents / back beats.
Does anyone else think this bass drum is just ridiculous?! LOL look at it!!
Last I heard, you don't listen with your eyes :-)
I always refrained from rimshots cos to my ear they were ugly. Thx so much, now I understand
That’s a mighty big bass drum!
Rimshots require head resonance for their sonic effects, right? (Kinda like how you cannot audibly strike a harmonic on a muted string.) I know you're using that level of dampening on the low snare as a matter of tonal aesthetic, but I'm not sure that rimshot comparisons on heavily dampened drums makes a lot of sense. I'd be more interested in hearing the difference with rimshots on that drum while it's bare.
thebitterroost -As a comparison that's a valid point. In my subjective opinion that particular drum does not speak even when the dampening is more open with a rim shot.
... Which he absolutely 100% does in the video if you didn't notice.
Rimshot => Loud music, hard rock, metal, alternative etc
No Rimshot => Soft music, indie, jazz, soul? lol etc
Most Of The time i think it depends on the kind of snare you playing and genre.
You also can fatten a snare on mixing regardless if it is played with rimshots or not, but it will affect the overall sound of the music.
Hey Christian, those are definitely the stereo typical genres/sounds for using a rimshot or not. But of course there are exceptions...some great rock drummers who don't use rim shots and some drummers in "softer" genres that do. As far as fattening in the mix, that is true but the sound of the rim shot (or attack) is in there regardless and I find that in a lot of drums it takes some of the "fat" sound out regardless. Of course there is no wrong or right...music calls for what it calls for and in the end that's all that matters. Hopefully what I was trying to portray here is what a rim shot does under a microphone...not if one is better for a certain style of music or not.
You do a lot of rim-shots in samba, or jazz, not necessarily in the center of the drum, also in soul music it can helps to play the bottom of the time.
I'm not sure Rudd plays rim-shots in ACDC, cause I own this Sonor Prolite snare drum and the rim-shot is very special.
You have to think of the other musicians. Isn't it total madness to ask everybody to protect their ears because you play rim-shots ?
jazz use both, and they rim shot a lot
Your drumming is extremely tight.. very nice playing
Is rim shot vs. no rim shot a matter of snare angle or hand wrist technique? I play matched grip and find that I have to angle my snare to where I don't want it to avoid the rim shot.
Quite literally every snare tuning sounded better with rim shots, without them its just missing that crack and cut through the mix
You probably get asked all the time, but what kind of kick is that?
I usually don’t play rimshots while recording either, I find it loses a lot of body. If I want more transient smack I’ll dial that in with compression and that also keeps the oomph. Although I liked how the rimshots sounded with the more roomy mix especially the second snare you tried, interesting.
Trouble with rimshots is when you hit the rim and not the head, FFFFUUUU...!!
I never do rim shots...i always hit it in the center... it hasn't been necessary to me to do...
Bro I Love the sound of your kit, or the way ya play cause u kinda already "Got" ur own sound or sure are working on it but u sound pretty dam good to me.👍& the fact u shy away from rim shots I tend to do that, keep it up
Thank you!
I agree, great video. Sticks last longer as well. 👍
I don’t do rimshots yet but only because I have hurt that it can break your wrists and will hurt in the wrist when playing them.
I never play rimshots when recording, because I never properly learned the technique! I have played around with it recently, though, and I do generally dig the sound better with the rimshot--particularly when playing hard rock and metal. But I've got a long way to go to get consistent enough for recording with them.
Thanks for sharing
that bass drum is bigger than apartments in New york
For Metal, ALWAYS do rimshots!
Amenize for any backbeat, always play rimshots
They are going to use triggers anyway...
I'm glad that I stumbled upon this great tip! It makes a lot of sense. Thank you! But how about in live concert situation? Especially in the case of modern rock music.
Hi Iwan- You'll have to decide what's best for you..there are great drummers that do it both ways. In a live setting I'll pick based on the song...if I feel like it needs that extra crack I may dig in to a rimshot but most of the time I don't use them.
So you're saying that "a strong back beat doesn't necessarily need rimshot"? It's opposed to common belief I suppose. I always thought that most of modern rock songs, some pop, most (modern) funk jazz, would definitely need rimshot on the back beat. Are there any other pop/rock drummers who you happen to know have similar preference?
That is what I'm saying...you can develop a great sound without a rimshot...if that's the sound you want. I think a great example is Matt Cameron from Soundgarden/Pearl Jam who primarily doesn't use rimshots.
Wow, that's a new insight for me. It opens up my perspective. I don't play modern rock/funk that much, but now I know that I HAVE a choice of not doing rimshot. And I happen to like darker snare sounds with less attack and overtone anyway. Thank you for bringing this up and discussing it. You rock!
Blair this is fantastic! I'd agree, the engineers I've worked the most with not only prefer no rim shots, but also minimal to no ghost notes as well.
Fuck thats a huge bass drum.
It really depends on the persons taste i guess. I definitely agree with you personally but for most others metal drummers always stick to it to keep that constant attack while playing at faster tempos whereas having it be fatter and having more resonance might make it sound less tight(?) just my theory but i never cared for rimshots
Is that a 26" bass drum?
28" Actually.
Well done and extremely helpful.
been playing in hard rock classic metal club cover bands and still am to this day for 35 years STEADY , were booked through out 2018 ALREADY,,and the last 25 of years ive been SERIOUSLY addicted to snare rim shots, i remember looking at another drummers sticks all frayed and splitting in the middle and i was SERIOUSLY puzzled, he was older and a local drum God to me and actually still is,, this way back in the 80s, this drummer is actually still playing in his 60s , im 55 myself..., hes an Unfucking believable drummer that i will NEVER PRETEND TO BE, and he still at it rimming away, trust me ,this guy SHOULD have could have made it big, he came VERY VERY close auditioning with some big acts,, ,,,so this is when i started rimming bk in the 80s and why im half deaf" unfortunately" today , lol, their simply VICIOUS to hear that close to the ear ,its gotta be around 140-150 db a shot, i try to wear ear plugs, yeah, who am i kidding, i DONT.... cus that tends to take away from the high,lol,, i like them simply cus is SO much louder,cutting and prevalent and not to mention , SO SO SO MUCH EASIER on the wrist to me, the rim/stick takes all the abuse instead of the wrist, i do however love to play regular snare much throughout the night, place and time for both, but is when appropriate in the song, i use rims often to open up the blower and four barrel per say on a song,it gets me OFF BIG time hearing that VICIOUS, and i mean VICIOUS FUCKING TONK, every stroke, there is NOTHING like it to me in the world to hear, But..u have GOT be consistant with them, i mean ,when u miss its NOT GOOD lol,theres nothing, DOAH !!! lol ,,i stable my leg and knee, and gauge every stroke with my leg,, is a HIGH to me like NO OTHER when u have mastered them
#Trepanier like me & most drummers I know ADD as hell & could go on FOREVER about drums, I feel ya brother 👍
Although I like rimshots, I only like to hear them very occasionally and that's also how I play them. They are like seasoning on food -- too much will kill the taste.
I cry on the inside every time I see duct tape or the duct tape holding down a folded up tissue on a drum head...
And I rejoice, both on the inside and the outside because of how awesome and buttery it sounds! :)
Dampening is really important for low tuned snares for that big fat snare drum sound. Less important for mid and high tunings.
ummm rim shots with a higher tuned snare is perf.
Without rimshots sounds like shit!
WTF? Fucking sound!!!!
*ba dum tss*
U drunk at on this vid bruh
no rimshots, please