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a highly desired job component
poetry / poesy

Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

chick

English answer:

the sound produced by hi-hats when closed by the foot

Added to glossary by Andrew Vdovin
Feb 10, 2008 13:31
16 yrs ago
English term

crisp chick

English Other Music drumming
13" and 14" Hi-Hats.
These break the stereotype. Evolution hi-hats are fully lathed and heavyweight. I swear, the uppper 13" weighs more than the 18" crash. Lathe marks are deeper and set further apart on the bottom hi-hats than any other cymbal in the Evolution line. These hats speak with some heft, and produce a **crisp chick** and closed ride that cuts. They clang musically when ridden open, too.

Dear native English speakers!
Would someone please clarify what the term could possibly mean?
Thank you!
Responses
3 +4 The "chick" sound produced by a cymbal
3 +4 clear click

Discussion

Michael Barnett Feb 13, 2008:
BTW, the descriptive adjective "crisp" is also onomatopeic. I would say the writer plays skillfully with the language. :-)
Nesrin Feb 10, 2008:
Richard again: pls see my latest added note.
Nesrin Feb 10, 2008:
Richard - I think it's because "chick" may have become a well-known jargon among drummers which no longer requires any punctuation.
R. Alex Jenkins Feb 10, 2008:
This is getting a bit abstract. Perhaps the wording from the original text could read "...produce a crisp 'chick' sound..." ?? I think the lack of punctuation is perhaps the single most confusing aspect of your text.
PoveyTrans (X) Feb 10, 2008:
BTW, I wonder then whether crisp might come from 'burnt to a crisp'?
PoveyTrans (X) Feb 10, 2008:
I didn't get any hits on my usual search engine but google produced that one. It looks like the same as yours...it looks like you are right. The question is then what sound represents the poor crisp chicken?
Andrew Vdovin (asker) Feb 10, 2008:
Simon, I can't follow your link :-( So what's the story with that crushed chick?
Andrew Vdovin (asker) Feb 10, 2008:
You could find a bunch of other examples on the Web. So I really don't think it is a typo.
PoveyTrans (X) Feb 10, 2008:
Did you see this? shopping.msn.com/.../2-4207186/forsale?text=category:drums-percussion+Brand:Zildjian+price:320-339.99 - 87k

I wonder then if it is then 'drumer-lingo', using the image of a crushed chick...violent types those drummers...
Andrew Vdovin (asker) Feb 10, 2008:
More dry, but with a crisp "chick" sound. Perfect for contemporary jazz and ...
shopping.msn.com/.../2-4207186/forsale?text=category:drums-percussion+Brand:Zildjian+price:320-339.99
Andrew Vdovin (asker) Feb 10, 2008:
Well, here are a few more examples:
Unobtrusive and controlled open hihat sound with a crisp chick.
www.justdrumsonline.com/store/c-325-traditional-finish.aspx
Andrew Vdovin (asker) Feb 10, 2008:
Thank you very much for your help Simon. However, it is an article from a magazine, not a scanned text. I admit that magazines can have typos, too, but...
R. Alex Jenkins Feb 10, 2008:
Yes, agree with Simon. "...produce a crisp CLICK"
PoveyTrans (X) Feb 10, 2008:
Crisp means just 'clear' in a musical sense but with chick I wonder if it could be a typo given the style and other errors in this text. 'click' springs to mind...

Responses

+4
2 hrs
Selected

The "chick" sound produced by a cymbal

...as in "boom-chick-boom-chick"

see here:

The trick to that song is it's normal. Boom-chick-boom-chick....
But after the third snare hit there are two cymbal hits (or a fill) like this...
Boom-Chick-Boom-Chick-Boom-Chick-Boom (with cymbal)- Boom (with cymbal)
Think about the bass riff while you are playing the drums and it all comes together.
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=1097887

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2008-02-10 16:29:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

These sites make it clearer:

but it will also give you the sounds associated with foot-only operation (such as the 'chick' sound when the hi-hats are pressed together using the foot only).
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun99/articles/alesisdmpro.h...

The bottom hi-hat cymbal is normally slightly heavier than the top, and this gives the brightness and solidity to the 'chick' sound when the two cymbals are clashed together...
books.google.com/books?isbn=0879307501...



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2008-02-10 17:34:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

This glossary entry leaves no doubt:

COMMON CYMBAL TERMS

Bell: (...)

Chick: The sound produced by hi-hats when closed by the foot.

http://www.blues4kids.com/musical_instruments/html/drum_cymb...
Peer comment(s):
agree Michael Barnett : Come on Nesrin, you should have given this a "5" confidence. Clearly "chick" is a neologism with onomatopea.
2 hrs
onomato... yes, whatever you say :0) .. Actually I wasn't so sure at first, but later found references that confirmed my answer.
agree JaneTranslates : I'm no expert--but I once heard some band members discussing the origin of "chicka-boom, chicka-boom (don't you just love it?" and it fits right in with what you've found.
5 hrs
Thanks Jane. I'm glad it turned out to have nothing to do with crushed crispy grilled chicks! :-)
agree PoveyTrans (X) : Yes, on closer inspection this is definitely right
9 hrs
Thanks Simon!
agree Chris Rowson (X) : yes, "chick" is onomatopoeic for the sound produced when the hi-hat cymbals are closed with the foot-pedal.
19 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you very much for your help!!!"
+4
6 mins

clear click

please see above
Peer comment(s):
agree Jack Doughty : It would be nice to think that the cymbals might be electrically heated to grill a crisp chicken between them, but your explanation is much more likely.
19 mins
Indeed - but I think it is probably a case of the index finger doing the work of the little finger
agree R. Alex Jenkins : 'Click' does seem better than 'Chick', for sure. // thing is, after reading Nesrin's explanation I'm not so sure :/ See my comments re: punctuation.
39 mins
Thanks Richard
agree Alfa Trans (X)
6 hrs
agree orientalhorizon
12 hrs
Something went wrong...
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