rim shot
A drum stroke where the stick hits both the drumhead and the rim simultaneously, producing a sharp crack.
In Depth
The rim shot creates a loud, cutting sound that pierces through even the densest musical textures. In rock and pop, rim shots are typically played on beats 2 and 4 of the snare drum to provide a strong backbeat. In jazz, rim shots are used more selectively for accents and dynamic contrast. Cross-stick (or side-stick) technique, where the stick rests on the head and clicks against the rim, produces a quieter, woodblock-like sound used in ballads and Latin music.
The perfectly timed rim shot on the snare drum that punctuates the backbeat of nearly every rock song is so ubiquitous that most listeners never consciously notice it.