 | ||
A sting is a short sequence played by a drummer to punctuate a joke, especially an obvious or awful one. A sting is often used as accompaniment during cabaret- and circus-style shows. The sound of the sting is sometimes written ba dum tsh, ba-dum ching, and occasionally ba dum tis. An abbreviation used in chats is //* .
In the context of percussion, rimshot normally refers to a single stroke of the stick in which the rim and head of a drum are both struck simultaneously by the same stick, creating an accent. A rimshot in this context is only a component of the sting, and does not appear at all in some stings.
Common stings may feature a short roll followed by a crash or splash cymbal and kick drum, a flam, or a rimshot. The advanced example at right uses a tom then kick, followed by a pause to put the final stroke offbeat, and a final stroke using both the snare and kick drums to support a one-handed cymbal choke, meaning all three are hit at once.
More general use of the term
In broadcasting, the term sting refers to any short musical sequence used for punctuation, for example to introduce a commercial break during a television news program. Such stings commonly use a full orchestra rather than just percussion, and in television may be backed by a short video sequence.