When did people stop playing butt end on snare ?

[jaymandude]

So what is the time line on this ? All thru the 70’s and even into the 80’s most of the name guys played the butt end on the snare for a fatter sound. And definitely on the cross stick. But I see SO many drummers playing tip end out cross stick ( it sounds terrible to me ) and hardly anyone playing the drum with a reversed stick.

what happened? Bigger sticks ? Recording? Folks don’t care as much ?

 

[scaramanga]

I have a friend who does this religiously, and I can hear why. I split the difference and went with a fatter stick, generally. I guess I felt like my left hand was being dragged down.

 

[p83]

the great hal blaine told me just flipping the stick around gives you 2 different sounds out of your snare. you want one drum to be able to make many sounds.

i'm with you on playing cross-stick with the butt end.

 

[toddbishop]

I do it all the time, even when not playing backbeats.

 

[Cauldronics]

The butt end of the stick doesn't sound that great on cymbals which is why I hardly ever play it. Cross stick I often do, but only when I want a louder, fuller sound, which isn't all the time. I don't get why anyone would only do one thing when the choices are literally right in your hands.

 

[multijd]

I do it alot also. Its a beefier sound without using a different stick.

 

[dcrigger]

I do it most of the time - and always on crossticks.

 

[BennyK]

Quarter note shuffle - butt end on the ride .

 

[JDA]

it's the only way I'll play ..matched.
plus the flip from trad to matched lines up in one easy move
i tagged it the Purdie grip (because he couldn't remember what it was called in an MD interview)
no one else had a name for it "butt-end out" so Purdie grip it is.
I wish I could do both tips out matched but I musta skipped that mindset (and I feel 'weak'..light...(my problem).
actually age 17-20 I played both tips out..then as soon as I began to utilize trad grip my matched changed to butt end out..but I don't remember me exactly back then in those early years..I didn't think about it I didn't think about grip.

(both tips out matched also leans pushes me towards left hand lead and I don't want to go there either)
so I'm a staunch "purdie grip" matched player.
right-handed.

 

[jaymandude]

I’m not surprised everyone here does it. We’re all old

 

[mydadisjr]

Did it forever back when I played Country Rock bar bands for a living. A solid, strong cross-stick was essential for those George Strait and Patsy Cline slow songs. Gave them slow songs some AUTHORITY.

Not so much butt-end playing any more... I have turned into a lightweight swingy-jazzy-funky guy (and I don't play loud any more... I like to practice late at night so I gotta hold it down so the neighbors don't complain).

I sure miss the cross-stick days.

 

[JDA]

at times i like butt end out on trad grip. too.
it's weight, man.

 

[JDA]

But I see SO many drummers playing tip end out cross stick

yeah
unless it's an "emergency"
or a prior mix-up

 

[bassanddrum84]

I only do it when I need a louder sound cross sticking if it’s not miced up or if I flip a stick and catch it tip end.

 

[BennyK]

Levon played butt end trad forever , a pretty solid endorsemnet .

 

[Cauldronics]

I’m not surprised everyone here does it. We’re all old

I must not be everyone. I don’t do it most of the time and I’m younger than most of you, if there’s any age correlation which there might be.

 

[JDA]

butt end on the snare for a fatter sound. 1) And definitely on the cross stick. 2)

there's two things going on here.

Glad after awhile I caught the second part.
as I first addressed the first part

 

[ThomasL]

I rarely play backbeat music. It also seems that the higher you tune, the smaller the difference between different tips (or butt end) on the drums? On snares with cast hoops, I usually get a good enough cross stick sound without turning the stick around.

 

[ThomFloor]

I would hedge on a recording one could not tell if butt end was played on a cross stick.

 

[Tornado]

Always for cross stick. Never for backbeats. I probably should sometimes because it generally sounds better, but I don't like having mismatched sticks when playing the same surface with both hands.