oof. i forgot the question already.
i use all parts, and sometimes turn the stick around and hit with the butt. i really like that sound. thick and monstrous.
for certain tunes, i alternate between the bead and the shaft, using a 'rocking' wrist motion, or as my old teach used to call them, 'rockin' 16ths'. it sounds really cool, especially against a full electric guitar with a little flanger added it.
this is the nice thing about drums. you can pretty much do what you want to do and play how you want to play [within reason], so long as it sounds good.
but a funny note on this: we were watching some old video of us, and i saw that i used to keep my right crash cymbal way the heck off to my right side, like almost at 4:00. i suppose at the time i had a rational reason for doing it, but it made absolutely no sense ergonomically, AND you couldn't hear the cymbal worth a dang.
but i guess that's why they say ignorance is bliss.
