About Cymbals

Even if you’ve played the drums for years, there’s always something new in the world of cymbals. The one constant in uncertain times is Sweetwater’s supply of the hottest cymbal brands and lines around. You can also count on our expert knowledge of how to put them to use for your music.

How are cymbals created?

Making cymbals is often a laborious, multi-step process with much attention to detail. Formation, shaping and hammering, lathing and finishing, and aging are all their own complex processes used to create the end result of a quality cymbal that you can use with your drum set.

Learn more in our Cymbals Buying Guide.

What types of cymbals are there?

• Ride Cymbals - The ride cymbal is the other major timekeeper behind the kit. Traditionally, rides have been used in jazz to create the “spang-a-lang” swing pattern. Today, they’re an essential for any style of music. At its core, the modern ride cymbal is used to create tonal diversity in places where the hi-hat isn’t the best option, either in terms of note length (slow ballads) or loudness (a rock chorus). Traditional sizing is 20 to 24 inches.


• Crash Cymbals - Crash cymbals represent the quintessential cymbal sound. They provide a burst of color and texture to mark transitions and downbeats. Typical sizes range from 14 inches all the way up to 20 inches or greater for varying tonal qualities and sustain.


• Hi-hat Cymbals - This pair of cymbals is responsible for timekeeping and dynamic momentum. Hi-hats are traditionally mounted to a foot-controlled stand that is used to pump the cymbals or vary the degree of space between them. Pumped hi-hats are a hands-free method of keeping time during fills or when hands are busy around the kit. Played with sticks, hi-hats can either sound tight and controlled or washy and loud, with infinite degrees in between, to yield the desired texture and dynamics for each section of a song. The traditional sizing for hi-hats is 13 to 14 inches, with 12 inches, 15 inches, and 16 inches becoming more common in recent years.


• China Cymbals - China/chinese cymbals suspend “upside down” on a stand and exhibit lingering bursts of white noise when struck. These effects cymbals are great for accent work and metal breakdowns. Chinas can be found in sizes spanning 14 inches to 20 inches, with 16 inches to 18 inches being the most common.


• Splash Cymbals - Small splash cymbals (generally 12 inches and under) are quick, focused cymbals that are great for punching accents and punctuating fills. They’re typically fast and can be choked quickly to deliver a lightning-fast response with very little decay.


• Effects Cymbals - These encompass multiple cymbal types for even greater tonal possibilities in your drumming. From the full, lingering sustain of traditional crash cymbals (14 to 20 inches) to the punchy attack of smaller splash cymbals (8 to 12 inches), to chinas, stacks, bells, and hybrid holey creations, these cymbals are a great way to let your personality shine through your performance and add your own flair to productions.


• Electronic Cymbal Pads - Whether you’re adding more pads to your electronic drum set or incorporating digital sounds with your traditional drum sets, electronic cymbal pads are incredibly versatile. From affordable single-zone Alesis pads to the latest Roland digital pads, they’re available in a plethora of configurations. We also carry the bedroom-friendly Gen16 cymbals, which are up to 70% quieter than traditional cymbals for quiet practice yet can plug directly into a soundboard by way of the Gen16 module.

How do you describe the sound of different cymbals?

Drummers have many unique terms to convey the sound they want from their drumset, especially when it comes to cymbals. Because the characteristics of a cymbal can vary so much, knowing these terms will greatly help you when shopping cymbals or describing to your Sweetwater Sales Engineer the sound that you're going for.

• Attack - The response rate of the cymbal. Some models are faster (more attack) than others.


• Bright - Sounds that are high pitched and cut through.


• Cut - The ability of the sound (usually high pitched or loud) to cut through the surrounding music.


• Dark - Low-pitched, warm tones that combine for a “dark” response that blends into surrounding music.


• Dry - A minimum of tone ensures a very definite stroke response.


• Fast - A fast rate of response or sound decay when the cymbal is struck.


• Fundamental - The predominant or main sound within the overall response of a cymbal.


• Glassy - Clear, shimmering response. Often clean and smooth, like glass.


• Hot - A fiery mix of dark, warm sounds with the added heat of agitated tones.


• Partials - The overtones or series of pitches produced in addition to the fundamental.


• Sustain - The duration of the sound before it decays. Bigger cymbals sustain longer than smaller models.


• Timbre - The general sound characteristics and sonic qualities of a cymbal.


• Trashy - Raw and dirty responses associated with chinese cymbals and some special models.


• Warm - A softer response that focuses on a blend of low-pitched, musical tones.

Can cymbals be bought in packs?

Cymbal packs are a great way to save money when buying in bulk and are a convenient way to save time when you aren’t exactly sure what to mix and match. Sweetwater also carries exclusive cymbal packs from top manufacturers - Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste, Meinl, and Wuhan - as well as handpicked selections from our house drummer Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Tears for Fears). Worship drummer? Classic rocker? Nashville-country beat keeper? There's a cymbal pack for you.

Why shop Cymbals at Sweetwater.com?

With a massive selection of cymbals, free shipping, a free 2-year warranty, 24/7 access to award-winning support - and more - Sweetwater gives you more than any other retailer! Shop cymbals today or give your personal Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700.