OK, I know this is a [i]really[/i] elementary question, but I'm a high school snare player so bear with me. :P
On tenors, what's the difference between a skank and a shot on Drum 4? I know skanks sound a little different and you usually muffle them, but what makes them so significantly different from Drum 4 shots that they get their own name? And why are they only played on Drum 4?
I have no questions about how to write skanks in VDL; I'm just curious and I figured this would be the best place to become more knowledgeable about it. Thanks!
Skanks get a different name simply because they are muted after playing them. You could play them on any drum, in theory. However, it's just more common for them to be on drum 4 since the drum tends to ring more, and people seems to have any easier time playing with thr R and muffling with the L on 4 rather than playing with L and muffling with R on drum 3. SO really, it's just a combination of ergonomics and what sounds good, since skanks on drums one and two aren't really achievable while wearing the drums... that is unless you have monkey arms.
Skank is really just a colloquialism anyhow, as Gank is another term that is less often used for the same technique. The technical term would probably be muted rimshot. It's really just a lingo thing; much like herta and blerta, or shot drum/spock drum/bongo clusters depending on who you ask.
The bongo clusters was reference to Glassmen 2001 - great drumline!
Legacy Forum Post
On tenors, what's the difference between a skank and a shot on Drum 4? I know skanks sound a little different and you usually muffle them, but what makes them so significantly different from Drum 4 shots that they get their own name? And why are they only played on Drum 4?
I have no questions about how to write skanks in VDL; I'm just curious and I figured this would be the best place to become more knowledgeable about it. Thanks!