4 ms·

Isn’t descending a suitable word to describe just that? Like descending stairs?

• bjt 6y ago
  But who's to say they're descending rather than ascending? A person can ascend stairs, or descend. A drummer could play an ascending pattern on their toms, or a descending pattern. But neither the toms or stairs have an inherent upward or downward direction.
  • Cogito 6y ago
    I took it to mean the toms were descending towards the ground like stalactites descend towards the ground - they used to be shorter and now they're longer.
    • posterboy 6y ago
      that is after you read the article, correct?
      • Cogito 6y ago
        Correct, before reading I presumed it would be about tone. It’s possible the title is a bit of a pun, and refers in part to both tone and shape.
  • adrianmonk 6y ago
    I guess the way they mean it is not about playing. It's about how, as your eye moves from one tom to the next, you see the bottom of the tom's shell getting lower.
• darkerside 6y ago
  It's acceptable, but I agree it's confusing. Variable length would be more suitable because it's less ambiguous.