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The bock-a-da-bock is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of two small cymbals attached to each other by a set of metal tongs. They are typically played in a pair by one percussionist, much like the castanets. However, several other instruments of this type are also referred to as bock-a-da-bocks, such as the squash cymbal and the hand-sock cymbal.

Origin

The predecessor of the bock-a-da-bock, the Ludwig Gladstone cymbal, was invented by Billy Gladstone and produced by the Ludwig Drum Company. Both the Ludwig Drum Company and their competitors elaborated upon Gladstone's design and produced a diversity of hand-held cymbals, including the bock-a-da-bock. The bock-a-da-bock is listed as a product of the Ludwig Drum Company in their 1928 catalog.

Technique and use

The bock-a-da-bock is typically played in a pair like castanets, with one set of cymbals in each hand. There are other instruments like the bock-a-da-bock, such as the squash cymbal and hand-sock cymbal in the Ludwig Drum Company line. Though they are similar in construction, each are played differently. The hand-sock cymbal is mounted on spring loaded scissor tongs and is played by squeezing the tongs together. The squash cymbals, which are mounted on a simple fire tong, are held in one hand and hit with a drumstick in the other hand.

Due to recording limitations in the 1920s, the bock-a-da-bock was sometimes used as a substitute for a trap kit. As the trap kit developed into the modern drum kit around the 1930's, the bock-a-da-bock lost favor with the musicians of the time when compared to foot pedal operated hi-hats.

Players

Noteworthy players of the bock-a-da-bock are Kaiser Marshall, who played it on several Fletcher Henderson records, and Zutty Singleton from Louis Armstrong's Hot Five who played a bock-a-da-bock on Armstrong's 1928 recording of "Sugar Foot Strut" (featured prominently in the introduction and ending) and "West End Blues".

Examples of bock-a-da-bock use in charts

• "Black and Tan Fantasy" by Duke Ellington (1927)
• "Sugar Foot Strut" by Louis Armstrong (1928)
• "West End Blues" by Louis Armstrong (1928)
• "A Monday Date" by Louis Armstrong (1928)
• Video of a squash cymbal bock-a-da-bock

References

1. ^ Bally (April 22, 2019). "Instruments #4: The 'Bock-A-Da-Bock' or Hand Cymbal, 1927-9". Drums In The Twenties. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
2. Aldridge, John (1994). Guide to Vintage Drums. Centerstream Pub. p. 23. ISBN 9780931759796.
3. ^ Brennan, Matt (2020). Kick It: A Social History of the Drum Kit. Oxford University Press. p. 91. ISBN 9780190683863.
4. A Student's Guide to AS Music by Paul Terry and David Bowman. Rhinegold Publishing LTD, 2005; ISBN 978-0-946890-90-3

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