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{{Short description|Percussion technique}}
{{About|the percussion technique|the joke punctuation sound|Sting (percussion)|other uses}}
{{redirect|Gock|the LGBT slang term|LGBT slang#Terms related to transgender and non-binary people}}
{{confusing|date=September 2012}}

A '''rimshot''' is a [[percussion]] technique used to produce an [[Accent (music)|accented]] [[snare drum]] stroke. The sound is produced by simultaneously hitting the [[Drum hardware#Rim|rim]] and [[Drumhead|head]] of the drum with a [[drum stick]].

==The sound and various techniques==
The sound of rimshots can be described as "part normal snare and part loud, woody accent",<ref>Miller, Michael (2003). ''The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Drums'', p.206. Penguin. {{ISBN|9781592571628}}.</ref> or "generally sharper, brighter and more cutting [than a standard accent]",<ref name="Continuum">Shepherd, John (ed.) (2003). ''Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: VolumeII: Performance and Production, Volume 11'', p.158. {{ISBN|9780826463227}}.</ref> since the technique produces large amounts of [[overtone]]s.<ref>Strong, Jeff (2011). ''Drums For Dummies'', p.39. {{ISBN|9781118068618}}.</ref>

The [[drum stroke|stroke]] is used on the snare in [[Rock music|rock]], [[Pop music|pop]], [[jazz]], and [[blues]] and on the [[Tom drum|tom-toms]] in [[Afro-Cuban music]]. The technique is also common in [[bossa nova]], [[ska]], [[reggae]], and [[rocksteady]].<ref name="Continuum"/>

In [[marching percussion]], there are three types of rimshots:
*The most common is the "normal" rimshot, which is played with the tip (bead) of the stick held about three inches (about 8&nbsp;cm) from the rim. This produces a prominent, accented tone. 
*The second is the "ping shot", where the bead is struck about one inch (2.5&nbsp;cm) from the rim. This produces a high-pitched sound. 
*The third is a "gock" (also spelled ''gawk''), which is produced by hitting the bead of the drum stick at the center of the drum while the rim is percussed with the distal shaft of the stick (near the hand). This makes a lower sound.

In [[Latin percussion]], [[timbales]] players use rimshots near the edge of the head, but these sound very different from {{not a typo|gocks}} in marching percussion.

In [[orchestra]]l percussion, a rimshot is performed by placing one drum stick with the stick head near the middle of the drumhead, and the shaft pressed against the rim, and striking with the other stick. This produces a less powerful sound, and is easier to execute than a typical rimshot. This variation is also known as a "stick shot".

The rimshot is often confused with the cross stick technique, in which the tip of a drum stick is placed on the head near one of the bearing edges and the shaft of the stick is struck against the rim opposite the tip, thus creating a dry, high-pitched "click" similar to a set of [[claves]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Playing Drums|first=Michael|last=Miller|year=2004|publisher=Alpha Books|isbn=159257162X|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781592571628}}{{page needed|date=July 2014}}</ref> As a result, the stroke is frequently used in bossa nova to imitate the sound of claves; it is also used for [[Sentimental ballad|ballads]] in rock, pop, and [[country music]].<ref name="Continuum"/>

==More general use of the term==
The musical phrase played on percussion instruments used to punctuate jokes is known in percussion jargon as a [[Sting (percussion)|sting]]. This is often called a ''rimshot'', although some versions of it do not include a rimshot in the technical sense.

[[File:Kevin MacLeod assorted rimshots - Kdum-keesh.wav|thumb|A drum and cymbal punchline sting]]
A rimshot when used to accent the punchline of a joke being told by a live comedian may or may not simultaneously be played with a small cymbal crash. Sometimes, the comedian would react to the rimshot as if they did not expect it and in doing so, pass the reaction and responsibility for the rimshot on to the drummer, when in fact, the comedian had previously instructed the drummer when to use and when not to use the rimshot. Despite having previously been scripted into the routine by the comedian, these were designed to appear to be improvised by the drummer, so as to accentuate the joke.<ref name="sting">"[http://soundandthefoley.com/2013/04/10/of-stings-and-rimshots/ Of Stings and Rimshots]", ''SoundandtheFoley.com''. Retrieved 17 July 2012</ref> 

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Drum beats}}

[[Category:Drum strokes]]
[[Category:Percussion performance techniques]]