How to Not Suck at Cymbals

The UCM Drum-Band Way

2nd Edition
By Travis Seek

So You Got Assigned to

Cymbals
You would think it would be easy to
bang two plates of bronze together...
but somehow people find a way to suck.
Heres how not to. Youre welcome.

Attitude

Leave your Ego At High School...

Youre in College Now

Are you playing cymbals because you

didnt get the instrument you auditioned
for? Awesome! WE DONT CARE. You
play cymbals now. Enjoy it while you
have it.
In a college drum-line (or any drumline), it should be your goal as a performer to play to the best of your ability.
Being in the cymbal section requires an
additional level of showmanship. We
are the most maneuverable and visually noticeable section of the drumline
(due to the giant shiny things that we
play). With that being said, be prepared
to dance and participate in a lot of
Visuals. Its not optional. Its part of
the job and youre getting paid by the
university to do it. Suck it up buttercup.
Youre not in High School any more.

Things to Invest in and

Bring

Bring a towel to every rehearsal. You

are expected to clean your cymbals after
every session where your hands come in
contact with the cymbals. Cymbals are
bronze. When moisture comes in contact with them, they oxidize and turn the
cymbals green. The salt in your sweat
speeds this process up even more so
keep that in mind. We also occasionally
rehearse in the rain so having your own
towel will ensure that all of the cymbals
can be properly dried.
Foam medical tape is optional but
highly recommended at the beginning
of the season or after getting new
straps. I have seen peoples hands turn
purple and blisters that covered half of
their hands because they did not wear

protection until their hands developed

callouses. Dont let that be you. If you
would like a higher quality and rather
snazzy option instead you can also
check out Cymbal Gloves at http://
cymbalgloves.com
Ear plugs are highly recommended
for every member of the drumline. As a
cymbal player, you will probably stand
a couple of feet away from a snare
playing rim shots. If you dont have
ear plugs you will go deaf. Over the
season you will notice your hearing level
go down. This is permanent. Do yourself a favor and buy earplugs (especially
if youre a music major). I recommend
the firing range plugs located in the
hunting isles of Walmart.

How to tie the

Straps
1. Fold the strap horizontally (logo
inside of the fold and the soft side out).
2. Fold the strap in half vertically.
3. Align the branches of the straps
together and thread them through the
middle of the cymbal.

4. Spread the branches of the straps to where they form and X.

(optional) Place a quarter in the middle of the X.

5. Cross the top left branch over the top right branch.

6. Cross the top right branch over the bottom right branch.

7. Cross the bottom right branch over bottom left branch.

8. Loop the bottom left branch under the top left branch.

Pull Tight

Exercise

Youll regret it if you dont.

Cymbals are very physically demanding.

They can be one of the most painful
instruments you have ever played if you
do not condition yourself properly. Arm
strength is vital to your performance
level. As a collegiate percussionist, you
will be expected to play for long hours
with relatively little break time. If you
do not work out you will not have the
stamina needed to perform at your best
and to make it through all of the performances. It is vital for you to remember
exercise before and during the performance season. You will seriously regret
it if you dont.

Grasp
Straps should be kept tight for optimal
control. To properly wear the cymbal,
insert your hand through the loop with
the soft side facing towards you and
your palms facing up. Then, swing your
hand forward to where your thumb is
on one side of the strap intersection and
your fingers are on the other.

Holding as a

Ride
Occasionally, cymbals are required
to hold the cymbals for the snare.
While holding them as a hi-hat is fairly
straightforward, holding them as a ride
can be interpreted in multiple ways.
At UCM, We hold them with the inside
of the cymbals facing the snare player
and the tops tilted slightly towards ourselves.

Concert Style

Port Style

For the sake of your arms as well as

uniformity, we hold our cymbals at a
little less than a 45o angle.

Port Style techniques, which are used

heavily in drum corps, are visually
impressive, high in sound quality, and
incredibly strenuous physically. IF YOU
DO NOT EXERCISE THEY WILL TRY TO
KILL YOU. Consider these the gremlins
of cymbal techniques. They look awesome but if you dont treat them with
respect and follow instructions you will
look like an idiot and your biceps will
shrivel up and die. Basically the goal is
to have the bells of the cymbals at eye
level, the cymbals about three inches
apart, both cymbals as close to straight
up and down in front of you, and for
you to be able to do this for HOURS.
Get ready for some massive muscles.

Angle

Angle

Chucks
Chucks are a technique for playing
the part that a hi-hat would play on a
drum-set with our hands. Start at the
concert style playing angle and simply
open the top cymbal slightly and close it
on top of the bottom cymbal firmly.

Concert Style

Crashes
Concert Crashes are probably one of
the most common techniques we use.
For optimal sound quality as well as
to reduce strain on your arms we play
crashes in a small circular motion. Start
in the typical concert position. From
there, push the top cymbal into

the bottom cymbal beginning with top/

left edge. Continue the circular path
by allowing the bottom/right edge to
reach the bottom cymbal. Continue the
circular path and repeat as necessary.
In the end, the contact of the cymbals
should be similar to a flam but fast
enough to not make the f-lam sound.

Chokes

Port Style

Crashes
To do a Port Style Crash, start with the
position specified in the Port Style Angle
section. From there, push the bottom
edges of the cymbals together and continue a circular path until the top edges

collide as well. Continue in a circular

motion and repeat as necessary. Basically make a V and then an A shape in
a way similar to concert crashes (circular motions and quick flams).

Not to be confused with murder, chokes

are an incredibly useful musical technique that appears in scores often. To
choke the cymbals, simply pull them

down and dampen the sound on your

sides. Utilize those love handles! The
Motion needs to be quick but keep in
mind that the cymbals CAN cut you.

Concert Style

Concert Style

Sizzles are made by letting the top

cymbal fall onto the bottom cymbal
and allowing it to resonate. Tilting the
bottom cymbal down slightly and lifting
your fingers off of the top cymbals
bell will sometimes improve the sound
quality of a sizzle.

Commonly referred to as a slidechoke, sizz-sucks are played by

pushing the front edge of the top
cymbal into the area of the bell on the
bottom cymbal farthest away from yourself. From there, push forward with a
good amount of force and then pull the
cymbal back until the suction created
from moving the cymbals (tightly) on top
of each other stops the sound.

Sizzles

Sizz-Sucks

Dings

Port Style

Sizz-Sucks
Port Sizzles and Sizz-Sucks are very
similar to concert sizzles. To form the
sizzling sound, simply press the cymbals together but do not press so hard
that you dampen the sound completely.

Keeping your fingers off the cymbal as

shown on the illustration on the left well
help to further ensure that the sound
is not cut off early. To stop the sound
(the Suck part) simply press the cymbals
tightly together.

Hold the cymbals around eye-level

at approximately 45o angles. Hit the
top edge of the cymbal in your left
hand with the bottom of the cymbal in
your right. Some musical scores will
specify specific areas of the cymbal to
hit (edges or bell). Adjust accordingly
to what the music specifies unless told
otherwise.

Rolls
Hold the cymbals in a similar level to
the ding specifications but at a slightly
steeper angle. Roll the edges of the
cymbals against each other in a circular
motion beginning away from your body.

Watch

THE DRUM MAJOR FOR

THE LOVE OF FREAKIN GOD... WATCH

Be as smooth as possible and do not

go faster than you can handle. Sound
quality is still more important than
showing off.

Yeah... Its that important. Standing

on the back of the field creates a huge
delay. If youre listening to the band you
will probably be wrong. Watching the
Drum Major is the only time keeping
method that will guarantee that you are
playing in the same tempo as the rest of
the band.

Go Forth and Dont Suck