by zilboy on 01 Oct 2010 23:51
Tamadude, the key to a quick transition between cross-stick and trad. grip is a good hold between the thumb and index finger. That way, when you pull your left hand back after doing cross-stick, the stick will be there. Aside from that, it's just a matter of practice, practice, practice. It really is a kind of choreography when you think about it. Although, I have seen Stewart use the butt end of the left stick for brief hi-hat stuff between the cross-stick hits.
What I've noticed about Stewart's cross-stick beats is that most of the time, he takes his hand (and the stick) off the drum between beats. I always leave the heel of my hand resting on the drum and let my fingers do all the work.
You have to find the sweet spot on the stick where you can get that perfect, loud CLICK! That way, you don't have to work so hard.
BTW, I have read interviews with Stewart where he mentions playing traditional rimshots for extra crack sometimes. They're much easier to do with die-cast rims.