I absolutely adore cymbals. You could even say they're a bit of an obsession of mine. I personally own over 125 of them and use 50 cymbals on one kit and 53 on another drum kit. The many brands that I've played over my 40 year career include Paiste, Zildjian, Sabian, and Wuhan.
While cymbals have been around for roughly 5,000 years, there unfortunately have been some popular misunderstandings about these majestic instruments that continue to this day.
So with accuracy in mind, it's time to do some myth-busting! Below are a couple of the popular ones that I've heard the most:
1. "Cymbals should not be played immediately after being exposed to extended temperature extremes."
Many drummers say that you should make sure that your cymbals become used to room temperature before playing them if they've been stored in extreme conditions. The reason for doing this is the fear that the cymbals will crack or become damaged.
This myth simply is not true.
Cymbals are very durable in terms of the temperatures that they can withstand. Given that they were manufactured at extreme temperatures of roughly 1,500 degrees F, it's really only at that kind of heat that would injure a cymbal. At real world conditions (even -20 degrees F or 115 degrees F), we're not even beginning to approach that level of extreme temperature. So if they're stored overnight in your vehicle in sub-zero weather or they've been baking in your non air-conditioned attic all summer long, your cymbals will be just fine to play once you unpack them and set them up.
2. "Over time, cymbals can age and wear-in through use, which affects their sound."
Cymbals don't really age, they just get soiled. What most drummers are hearing when they play an "aged" cymbal or one that they've owned and have been playing for a while is a continued buildup of dirt. It is this dirt - along with oils transferred from our hands during handling - that changes the sound of the cymbal, not the age of the cymbal or how long we've been playing on it.
In general, clean cymbals sound brighter and have more overtones, while dirty cymbals sound warmer and can be a bit drier. If you like more overtones, clean your cymbals. Keep them free of fingerprints, stick marks, and grime. If you like warmer or darker sounding cymbals, don't clean them. I promise that over a period of time, they'll naturally accumulate some dirt from playing and handling, and produce a mellower type of timbre.
I had a recent talk with the great Steve Smith (Journey, Vital Information) about this very topic. He agrees with me, and also prefers the sound of mellower, darker, and drier-sounding cymbals for the type of music that he plays. Steve even jokingly said, "I wish someone would make some spray-on funk or dirt that you can apply to a brand-new cymbal to get it to sound like you've owned it a while!"
***
I'll cover additional cymbal myths in future installments of this article series. If there are any that you've heard about, or are confused/bothered by, feel free to get in touch with me, and I'll be happy to clear them up and point you in the right direction!
While cymbals have been around for roughly 5,000 years, there unfortunately have been some popular misunderstandings about these majestic instruments that continue to this day.
So with accuracy in mind, it's time to do some myth-busting! Below are a couple of the popular ones that I've heard the most:
1. "Cymbals should not be played immediately after being exposed to extended temperature extremes."
Many drummers say that you should make sure that your cymbals become used to room temperature before playing them if they've been stored in extreme conditions. The reason for doing this is the fear that the cymbals will crack or become damaged.
This myth simply is not true.
Cymbals are very durable in terms of the temperatures that they can withstand. Given that they were manufactured at extreme temperatures of roughly 1,500 degrees F, it's really only at that kind of heat that would injure a cymbal. At real world conditions (even -20 degrees F or 115 degrees F), we're not even beginning to approach that level of extreme temperature. So if they're stored overnight in your vehicle in sub-zero weather or they've been baking in your non air-conditioned attic all summer long, your cymbals will be just fine to play once you unpack them and set them up.
2. "Over time, cymbals can age and wear-in through use, which affects their sound."
Cymbals don't really age, they just get soiled. What most drummers are hearing when they play an "aged" cymbal or one that they've owned and have been playing for a while is a continued buildup of dirt. It is this dirt - along with oils transferred from our hands during handling - that changes the sound of the cymbal, not the age of the cymbal or how long we've been playing on it.
In general, clean cymbals sound brighter and have more overtones, while dirty cymbals sound warmer and can be a bit drier. If you like more overtones, clean your cymbals. Keep them free of fingerprints, stick marks, and grime. If you like warmer or darker sounding cymbals, don't clean them. I promise that over a period of time, they'll naturally accumulate some dirt from playing and handling, and produce a mellower type of timbre.
I had a recent talk with the great Steve Smith (Journey, Vital Information) about this very topic. He agrees with me, and also prefers the sound of mellower, darker, and drier-sounding cymbals for the type of music that he plays. Steve even jokingly said, "I wish someone would make some spray-on funk or dirt that you can apply to a brand-new cymbal to get it to sound like you've owned it a while!"
***
I'll cover additional cymbal myths in future installments of this article series. If there are any that you've heard about, or are confused/bothered by, feel free to get in touch with me, and I'll be happy to clear them up and point you in the right direction!
About the Author:
Vic Salazar is the owner of Vic's Drum Shop, an internationally
renowned drum and percussion store in Chicago, IL. The impressive knowledge of drum gear that he's accumulated over
his forty year career has made Vic a useful resource for beginning drummers,
drumming hobbyists, professional drummers, and many of the world's premier drum
superstars.
renowned drum and percussion store in Chicago, IL. The impressive knowledge of drum gear that he's accumulated over
his forty year career has made Vic a useful resource for beginning drummers,
drumming hobbyists, professional drummers, and many of the world's premier drum
superstars.
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