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The Sound of a Cymbal

What affects the sound of a cymbal?

A cymbal has many different attributes that will affect the tonality and character of it. The profile or bow of the cymbal will mainly affect the pitch. The flatter the cymbal, the lower the pitch will be. The higher a profile gets, the higher the pitch gets. The thickness from the bell to the edge is referred to as the taper. This will affect the stick attack of the cymbal. For example, a ride will have a really thick bell, but thin out towards the edge. The larger the bell is to a cymbal, the more overtones you will get. A large bell provides a lot of sustain as well. The smaller bells tend to decay more swiftly. The diameter of the overall cymbal also has a huge part in sound. The larger the diameter, the louder the cymbal. Larger cymbals will have a slower attack, sustain longer, and be lower in pitch. Smaller cymbals will have a quick attack, not as much sustain, and be higher in pitch. A heavier cymbal will actually be higher in pitch as well. It will have more projection, sustain, and less overtones. A light cymbal does not have much for sustain and very little on stick definition. This should help you in finding the right cymbal for you.

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