How to Play a Dome on a Cymbal With Rods

Rods allow drummers change the sound they're producing on their set. Hot rods, cool rods and thunder rods are just a few types of rods that offer an alternative to traditional drum sticks and can be used on all pieces of the drum set. When playing the cymbals with rods, be aware of the composition of the rods and target the cymbal dome.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drumset with cymbal
• Set of rods

1. Hold your rods as you would hold typical drum sticks, although some sets of rods may be thicker or longer than standard drum sticks.

2. Strike the cymbal with different areas of the rods to experiment with different sounds. Be aware that rods do not have tips like drum sticks do; instead they are dowels of uniform width all the way across, so you'll be striking with a larger surface than with drum sticks.

3. Strike first with the wooden tips of the rods on the dome area of the cymbal. Approach the dome from an angle to achieve an open and resonant sound.

4. Strike the dome of the cymbal next with the wooden side of the rods. Angle the rods so that you can strike the dome with the broad edge of wooden dowels rather than the tip and notice the change in the sound.

5. Strike the dome of the cymbal with the rubberized side of the rods. You may have to adjust your grip to position the rods so that you can strike with the rubberized section, but add this technique into your drumming for a different timbre.

Tips & Warnings

• Get a set of rods if you are a hard hitter who wants durability and to mellow your sound in relation to drum sticks, but still want a bolder tone than brushes can produce. Expect to pay about $15 for a set of rods; get two or three different types, if your budget allows it, to experiment with different sounds.