Cymbal

For other uses, see Cymbal (disambiguation).

A 10 inch (25 cm) splash, which would be used on a drum kit. A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells

Cymbals are a modern percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various cymbal alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. Cymbals are made from four main Alloys, all of them Copper -based Modern Cymbal making uses many different techniques from traditionalhand methods to completely automated mass-production Most modern cymbals are of indefinite pitch (tuned sets have been manufactured but are rare), where as small cup-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a definite note (see: crotales). Crotales (pronounced "kro-tah'-les" sometimes called antique cymbals, are Percussion instruments consisting of small tuned bronze or brass disks

Cymbals are used in modern orchestras and many military, marching, concert and other bands. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. They are one of the two instrument types that form the modern drum kit, the other being the drum, and are a basic part of much contemporary music. A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells The drum is a member of the percussion group technically classified as a Membranophone. In the broadest and popular sense Contemporary music is any music being written in the present day The most basic drum kit normally contains at least one suspended cymbal and a pair of hi-hat cymbals. A suspended cymbal is any single Cymbal played with a stick or beater rather than struck against another cymbal A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of Cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a Drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, Disco

1 Origins
2 Parts of a cymbal
3 Types of cymbal
4 See also
- 4.1 Manufacturers
5 External links
6 References

Origins

The origins of cymbals can be traced back to prehistoric times. The ancient Egyptian cymbals closely resembled our own. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The British Museum possesses two pairs, thirteen centimetres in diameter, one of which was found in the coffin of the mummy of Ankhhape, a sacred musician. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth Those used by the Assyrians were both plate- and cup-shaped, those of the Ancient Persians large-sized plates, made of brass, known as Sanj. Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Sanj or Senj ( Persian سنج is a metallic Percussion Instrument like Cymbal, but much larger in diameter cup- or bell-shaped plates The Greek cymbals were cup- or bell-shaped, and may be seen in the hands of innumerable fauns and satyrs in sculptures and on painted vases. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca In Roman mythology, fauns are place-spirits ( genii) of untamed woodland In Greek mythology, satyrs (Σάτυροι Satyroi) are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus – " Satyresses quot The word cymbal is derived from the Latin cymbalum, which itself derives from the Greek word kumbalom, meaning a small bowl.

Parts of a cymbal

Bell- The center of a Cymbal. When hit with the side of a drum stick, it causes a sound which is in a higher register than the rest of the cymbal.
Bow- The remaining surface of the Cymbal. This is where you get a "ping" sound.
Edge or rim- This is where you get the best "crash". Hitting the edge causes the cymbal to vibrate more, thus being louder.

Types of cymbal

Orchestral cymbals

Although cymbals are not often required they form part of every orchestra; their chief use is for marking the rhythm, producing effects, or adding military color. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well Their unique timbre allows them to project even against a full orchestra and through the heaviest of orhestrations. Cymbals have been utilized historically to suggest frenzy, fury or bacchanalian revels, as seen in the Venus music in Wagner's Tannhäuser, Grieg's Peer Gynt suite, and Osmin's aria "O wie will ich triumphieren" from Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Tannhäuser ( Middle High German: Tanhûser; died after 1265 was a German Minnesänger and Poet. Peer Gynt Suite No 1 Op 46 and Peer Gynt Suite No 2 Op 55 are two orchestral suites of extracted Incidental music by romantic composer Edvard

Crash cymbals

A pair of clash cymbals in profile. The bell is in green and the straps are in red.

Orchestral crash cymbals are traditionally used in pairs, each one having a strap set in the bell of the cymbal by which they are held. A crash cymbal is a type of Cymbal that produces a loud sharp "crash" and is used mainly for occasional accents as opposed to in Ostinato. Such a pair is known technically as a pair of clash cymbals, although this term is rarely used, see clash cymbals. Clash cymbals or hand cymbals are Cymbals played in identical pairs by holding one cymbal in each hand and striking the two together They are confusingly sometimes referred to simply as crash cymbals, although this term properly applies also to some suspended cymbals. A suspended cymbal is any single Cymbal played with a stick or beater rather than struck against another cymbal

The sound can be obtained by rubbing their edges together in a sliding movement for a "sizzle", striking them against each other in what is called a "crash", tapping the edge of one against the body of the other in what is called a "tap-crash", scraping the edge of one from the inside of the bell to the edge for a "scrape" or "zishend," or shutting the cymbals together and choking the sound in what is called a "hi-hat chick. " A skilled player can obtain an enormous dynamic range from such a pair of cymbals. For example, in Beethoven's ninth symphony, one of their first appearances in an orchestral work, they make their entry pianissimo, adding a touch of colour rather than an almighty crash. The Symphony No 9 in D minor Op 125 "Choral" is the last complete Symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Clash cymbals are usually damped by pressing them against the player's body. Damping is any effect either deliberately engendered or inherent to a system that tends to reduce the amplitude of Oscillations of an oscillatory system A composer may write laissez vibrer, "Let vibrate" (usually abbreviated l. v. ), secco (dry), or equivalent indications on the score; more usually, the player must judge exactly when to damp the cymbals based on the written duration of crash and the context in which it occurs.

Clash cymbals have traditionally been accompanied by the bass drum playing an identical part. A bass drum is a large Drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. This combination, played loudly, is an effective way to accentuate a note since the two instruments together contribute to both very low and very high frequency ranges and provide a satisfying "crash-bang-wallop". In older music the composer sometimes provided just one part for this pair of instruments, writing senza piatti or piatti soli (Italian: "without cymbals" or "cymbals only") if the bass drum is to remain silent. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. However, the modern convention is for the instruments to have independent parts.

Clash cymbals evolved into the low-sock and from this to the modern hi-hat. A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of Cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a Drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, Disco Even in a modern drum kit, they remain paired with the bass drum as the two instruments which are played with the player's feet. However, hi-hat cymbals tend to be heavy with little taper, more similar to a ride cymbal than to a crash cymbal as found in a drum kit, and perform a ride rather than a crash function. A ride cymbal is a type of Cymbal that is a standard part of most Drum kits Its function is to maintain a steady Rhythmic pattern sometimes called a A crash cymbal is a type of Cymbal that produces a loud sharp "crash" and is used mainly for occasional accents as opposed to in Ostinato.

Suspended cymbal

The second main orchestral use of cymbals is the suspended cymbal. A suspended cymbal is any single Cymbal played with a stick or beater rather than struck against another cymbal This instrument takes its name from the traditional method of suspending the cymbal by means of a leather strap or rope, thus allowing the cymbal to vibrate as freely as possible for maximum musical effect. Early jazz drumming pioneers borrowed this style of cymbal mounting during the early 1900s and later drummers further developed this instrument in to the mounted horizontal or nearly horizontally mounted "crash" cymbals of a modern drum kit. A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells

Suspended cymbals are most often played with yarn wrapped mallets. However, some composers request other types of mallets like felt mallets or timpani beaters for different attack and sustain qualities. Timpani (also known colloquially as kettledrums or kettle drums) are Musical instruments in the percussion family Suspended cymbals can produce bright and slicing tones when forcefully struck, and give an eerie transparent "windy" sound when played quietly. A tremolo, or roll (played with two mallets alternately striking on opposing sides of the cymbal) can build in volume from almost inaudible to an overwhelming climax in a satisfyingly smooth manner (as in Humperdink's Mother Goose Suite).

Furthermore, the edge of a suspended cymbal may be hit with shoulder of a drum stick to obtain a sound somewhat akin to that of a pair of clash cymbals. Other methods of playing include scraping a coin or a triangle beater rapidly across the ridges on the top of the cymbal, giving a "zing" sound (as in the fourth movement of Dvořák's Symphony No. The triangle is an Idiophone type of Musical instrument in the percussion family 9). Other effects that can be used include drawing a cello or bass bow across the edge of the cymbal for a sound not unlike squealing car brakes.

On another note, in highschool marching bands, a "pit" may use a suspended cymbal for a song. This is held on a tree-like structure, similar to how it would be placed by a drumset. Also known as a high-top, the instrument's music will read it as a "sus. cym. or cymb. "

Ancient cymbals

Ancient cymbals or tuned cymbals are much more rarely called for. Their timbre is entirely different, more like that of small hand-bells or of the notes of the keyed harmonica. They are not struck full against each other, but by one of their edges, and the note given in by them is higher in proportion as they are thicker and smaller. Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet calls for two pairs of cymbals, modelled on some old Pompeian instruments no larger than the hand (some are no larger than a crown piece), and tuned to F and B flat. The modern instruments descended from this line are the crotales. Crotales (pronounced "kro-tah'-les" sometimes called antique cymbals, are Percussion instruments consisting of small tuned bronze or brass disks

Drum kit cymbals

Band cymbals

External links

Accessory Fetish A Complete List of Cymbal Manufacturers
Orchestral cymbal playing, with an excellent short history of cymbals

References

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

Dictionary

-noun

(music) a concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck: played either in pairs, by striking them together, or singly by striking with a drumstick or the like.

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