PERCUSSION
TEN WAYS TO EXPAND YOUR SUSPENDED CYMBAL SOUND PALETTE | Mark Shelton
A suspended cymbal is a frequent companion
excite different timbres from the bell.
when I am playing percussion with an
soft and peaceful texture. (I think the sound
resembles a sigh.) You will need a plate with
ensemble. It is amazing how a metal disc can EDGE AND BOW a traditional finish as opposed to a “bright” or
produce such an abundance of tone colors. Begin tapping with the bead of a drum stick at “brilliant” finish. The traditional finish will have
If your suspended cymbal sound palette has the edge of a cymbal. Listen carefully as you the grooves and ridges available for scraping.
been limited to perfunctory striking and rolling, move your tapping from the edge slowly toward A triangle beater is my go-to implement for
you’re missing out on a lot of tonal possibilities. the bell. The area between the bell and edge cymbal scrapes, but a coin or metal washer are
I have gathered together several methods (the bow) contains subtle shadings of tone. worthy alternatives. Start a scrape where the
for manipulating the timbre of a suspended Although the edge gets to log a lot of playing bell meets the bow and rake downward toward
cymbal. time for crashes and rolls, you should explore the edge. You will hear a slightly different sound
the sounds found in the bow to gather ideas for when you reverse the motion.
When experimenting with these tone production
your suspended cymbal work.
EDGE HARMONIC
techniques, I suggest using an authentic
suspended cymbal. Some manufacturers will IMPLEMENTS Hold
print the word “suspended” on the top surface Employing various striking implements is one perpendicular to the edge of a cymbal and
of the plate. The usual choice for classical of the chief methods for changing tone colors gently strike the instrument. (See photo) Master
music applications, these special cymbals are on any percussion instrument. Tap the cymbal this one. It’s delicate, elegant, and tasteful.
created for quick response and easy rolling. with coins and metal knitting needles. Bring out
a
drum
stick
or
triangle
beater
subtle sounds with brushes and bundled rods. SIZZLE
BELL Use various yarn-wrapped mallets to excite Drilling holes into a cymbal and inserting rivets
The bell (or dome) of the cymbal has a ringing different harmonics, and make sure to explore will give you that great sizzle sound, but there
brightness that can penetrate a dense mix. Use the timbral differences between striking with a are other methods for obtaining some “hiss
the brilliant timbre to add coloristic shimmers wooden drumstick bead and a nylon tip. and fry” without installing permanent pieces of
to an ambient moment or to attach some
metal. There are a number of “sizzle devices”
rhythmic sparkles to a groove. Experiment with Scrape on the market, including the Cymbal Sizzler
bead, shoulder, and butt of a drum stick to The scraping timbre is very effective in a by ProMark, the Cannon Cymbal Sizzler, and
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September 2018
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