Cross Sticking
Learn How To Cross-Stick On The Snare Drum!
A great way to spice up a simple beat is by using cross sticking. Cross sticking is great to use when a particular song starts off a little softer and doesn't need to full snare sound. To cross stick, flip your stick over and use the butt end of the stick to hit the rim of the snare drum. Don't hold the stick the way you normally would. Position your fingers so they hang over the shaft of the stick just a little bit.
The goal is to hold the stick in such a way that when you put your hand on the snare drum, the stick doesn't rest agains the rim. This gives a more full sound because the stick is allowed to bounce off of the rim. When you hit the stick against the rim, make sure that you are not too far up or too far back or you will get a funny sound. Play around with your drum and find it's sweet spot then move on to the exercises and have fun.
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