How to Properly Play Drum Set Cymbals
The different sounds of the metal cymbals add a whole palette of sound colors to the drum kit. A typical drum kit--in addition to a total of usually four or five drums--will have several different cymbals. The largest cymbal is usually the ride cymbal. It's followed by one or more crash cymbals and the pair of pedal-mounted cymbals, which make up the Hi-Hat. Cymbals are often angled differently to drums, and this makes it important to play them correctly.
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Instructions
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Hold one drumstick in each hand. Your knuckles should face the ceiling, with thumb and index finger forming the fulcrum of the grip. Hold the sticks firmly; don't hold them so tightly that your knuckles are white. All your fingers should wrap around the drumstick. The grip is similar to a fist. Don't allow your index fingers to point parallel to the drumstick.
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Sit at the drum kit. Make sure that, with the tip of each drumstick, you can comfortably reach the center (bell) of each cymbal without stretching. If the cymbals are too far away for your to reach comfortably, move the cymbal stands closer.
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Start with the ride cymbal. Position your right hand over the surface of the ride cymbal, so that the drumstick is hovering parallel to the floor. It should be approximately one inch above the ride cymbal surface.
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Using your wrist movement only, raise the tip of the drumstick. Bring it quickly down to strike the surface of the ride cymbal. Immediately bring the drumstick off the cymbal surface. Typically, the ride cymbal is played 3 to 4 inches in from the edge of the cymbal.
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Play the crash cymbal using the same wrist movements utilized for playing the ride cymbal. Depending on the placement of your crash cymbal, you may prefer to play it with your left or right hand. You can also play the crash by playing with the shoulder (wider part) of the drumstick, at a 90-degree angle to the edge of the cymbal.
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Press down the Hi-Hat pedal with your left foot, so that the Hi-Hat cymbals are "closed" together. You are going to play on the top cymbal of the pair, with your right hand.
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Position your right arm across the front of your body, so that your right elbow is near your right hip. Your right wrist should be over your left hip. Make sure that your right arm is a comfortable distance from your torso. Your right forearm needs to be parallel to the floor.
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Position the tip of the drumstick you are holding in your right hand about an inch above the surface of the top Hi-Hat cymbal. Using your wrist, raise the drumstick and strike the Hi-Hat surface. You can get different sounds from the Hi-Hat. Try lifting the left-foot pedal for a sloshy "open" Hi-Hat sound.
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Tips & Warnings
Once you are comfortable with the wrist motion outlined above, you can add emphasis or subtlety to your cymbal playing by also using your fingers and arm to control or weight your strokes. Correct drumming technique flows primarily from the wrists, however.
Experiment with striking different parts of each cymbal to get different sounds.
Experiment with different grips on the drumsticks to achieve different tones on the cymbals. For example, rotate your grip so that your right thumb faces upward ("French Grip") for a lighter touch on the ride. This is a technique commonly used in jazz and swing styles.
To avoid cracking your cymbals, play from the wrist with a fluid motion, rather than attacking your cymbals with a tense, straight-armed technique. Decrease the risk of cymbal cracking further, by not tightening the wing nuts on the cymbal stand all the way. The cymbal should have some room to move when struck.
Cymbals can be loud. Protect your hearing with earplugs. Use silencer pads to practice cymbals at a lower decibel level.
References
- Photo Credit cymbal image by Lytse from Fotolia.com
