11 replies to this topic

[sickboy91]

im going to be purchasing some new cymbals soon, the ones that i ls which i have had for about 3 years are all cracked and unplayable. My question is there a way to either hit your cymbals or posistion them to make the last longer and not crack like my previous ones did im not sure if there is a right way but any help would me grateful.

[Chase David]

Your cymbals should be mounted with a slight angle tworads you. Having your cymbals mounted at a severe angle will not allow them to "sing" freely and could also eventually cause "keyholing" at the point at whisch they are mounted on the stand. This could also contribute to them cracking at the center.

Another thing that causes them to crack at the center is if they are mounted too tight on the stand. When mounted, your cymbals should have a wobble to them. You don't want too much "wobble" though as this could also lead them to "keyholing" and possibly cracking at the center where they are mounted to the stand. It should have just enough wobble to let them move freely without being exaggerated or hitting nearby drums, stands, other cymbals, etc...

As for edge cracks, that could be caused by various things :

1) The cymblas could be Really cheap to begin with

2) Hitting them way too hard and improperly

3) Striking the cymbal directly on the leading edge

The proper way to hit a cymbal is with a glancing blow and NOT directly through it. You should try not to hit your cymbals on the edge. They should be struck the point whee the cymbal "bows" about a 1/3 of a way from the edge or the middle of the "bow" of the cymbal. By glancing blow, Imean they should be struck in somewhat of the same motion as you would use if you had a match at the end of your stick and were trying to light.

If you struck the cymbal with a straight down movement, the match would break (eventually the cymbal would crack too). If you hit the cymbal with a glancing blow on the "bow" of the cymbal, then the match would light. By striking your cymbal with a glancing blow, you are also letting its natural sound ring out better as well.

If you find that you really have to pound the cymbal to get the sound you want, chances are...that cymbal is most likely not the one you want. In my opinion, you should be able to strike the cymbal with a moderate strength to get the sound you want and are looking for.

when you go out shopping for cymbals, try, try, try, and try as many as you can until you find the ones that give you the sound you want.

Lastly, again my opinion, you might want to look for a cast cymbal wrather than a cymbal that is made from sheet bronze. ALL cymbals have the potential to crack, especially if hit overly hard and improperly. However, it's been my experience that cymbals made out of sheet bronze don't stand up to alot of hard, heavy hitting, or abuse. BUT, that's not to say that cymbals that are made from sheets of a bronze aren't good. They make some great sheet bronze cymbals that have a great sound and the potential to last a lifetime. They just have to be treated a little more gently.

Cymbals that are made from a cast typically are a little more durable. They are also little more expensive too. Cast cymbals, as said above are also prone to cracking if they are hit overly hard and impromperly.

Anyone else....

[sickboy91]

hey thanks for the reply i have been playing for over 7 years but i have never had any formal teaching i learned on my own so i always figured there was little things i would be doing wrong like hitting my cymbals the wrong way. ill do what you said and hit them with a glancing blow instead of straight through them. yeah when i go to buy cymbals i always try every single one a couple of times so ill check it out thank you for your help chase.

[Chase David]

Not a problem. Keep us posted as to what cymbals you end up getting.

[sickboy91]

Not a problem. Keep us posted as to what cymbals you end up getting.

hey everyone, i only needed two crash cymbals so i ended up getting a Sabian evolution hhx 16in crash and a 17 inch Sabian aax crash, there sounding very good they really compliment each other as well as contrasting sounds im still getting used to them these are some of the nicest cymbals i have had in a long time.

[Chase David]

hey everyone, i only needed two crash cymbals so i ended up getting a Sabian evolution hhx 16in crash and a 17 inch Sabian aax crash, there sounding very good they really compliment each other as well as contrasting sounds im still getting used to them these are some of the nicest cymbals i have had in a long time.

When you geat a chance and if you're able, post a little video demonstrating the sound of your drums and cymbals.

[sickboy91]

When you geat a chance and if you're able, post a little video demonstrating the sound of your drums and cymbals.

ill give it a try im bad when it comes to posting videos online i dont even think i have a camera that can do it ill keep you posted.

[Chase David]

If you have any questions about posting videos (or even pics), just send me or another moderator a PM and we'll help you sort it out. It's actually pretty easy now that Nate's upgraded the forum.

[machinegunbassdrums]

you have some BEAUTIFUL cymbals!! i would LOVE a complete set of evolutions!!!

[drummingbulldog]

The angle you play them and how you strike a cymbal has the most to do with cracking I think. A friend told me that repeated blows to the same spot with force causes the cymbal to heat up and therefore cracks because the energy built up cannot dissipate fast enough. I don't know if that's true but it sounds like he may have a legitimate argument. Zildjian used to have literature about the proper way to strike a cymbal. There is probably something regarding that on their website or Paiste or other manufacturers. With time and dilligent practice, technique improves and you will break less cymbals. If you break a lot of cymbals I would video/record yourself playing and watch and listen when you play the crashes. The best cymbal sound usually comes from a glancing blow to let the cymbal really ring out. If you are killing it every time then you will spend lots of money now and probably even more later in surgeries to repair tendonitis. Nothing is worse than breaking an expensive cymbal that sounds beautiful.