How Hard Should You Hit Cymbals?

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I read an article about John Bonham several years ago that mentioned that he was really good at hitting the drums hard and hitting the cymbals soft, which the studio engineers loved. This has been a big part of my approach to the drums for over the years

[@jafv_]

the tunning in your drums is awesome

[@MyGloriousMess]

Beautiful dynamic playing my friend. Super musical...and tuning is 👌. Well in!

[@lilebror8124]

Thank you Stephen, you make great content! Keep it up!

[@drummercarson896]

Yesterday was my birthday. It was awesome

[@russell_kberg1]

Drummer Carson my birthday is on Thursday the 20th

[@TheZooNinjaS]

Congratz

[@Armz316]

@@russell_kberg1 advance happy birthday! December 20, is the wedding anniversary of my parents. Peace out!

[@norskov]

Yeah, always mix yourself as much as you can. Engineer and whoever has to mix you (live or studio) will have a lot easier job and final mix will be as good as it can get. Tiny bit of gaff tape under heavier cymbals like the A, can help a little as well.

[@charleytillman7205]

Great video man

[@alexposch2872]

So i use nylon tips since a little while now... in i found out that if you have nylon tips you should hit a splash with the tip... it brings lots of brightness to it... that makes it very ellegant (Bad english i know... greetings from germany)

[@timothygreene3662]

Alex Posch I love nylon tips wood tips always break on me and don’t have a bright sound when you hit the symbol rather than nylon tips

[@hiptoalieu]

good video... Very nice thorough explanation! I would say that smaller cymbals with LESS tonal complexity, I really only think about getting the cymbal to vibrate at the proper volume, for larger, thinner and more complex cymbals I think about HOW I'm playing them, meaning what kind of stroke I'm using!

[@bacobill]

More great info thank you Stephen.. One thing for sure is you sold me on the Sweet Ride over the Armand I use now.. But on topic there is another 'level' that comes with age such as crashing with a tip just an inch or so into a 16" cymbal or using the butt end of a stick in just the right spot for a sound that cannot be done any other way.. But until one is old like me 'stick' to what Stephen is teaching.. Ya get a bit eccentric with age lol

[@FrazzleGFX]

This was released the afternoon after I took a dremel to three destroyed Zildjian K Customs... Fate.

[@Jarqueivies]

Frazer Holloway oof

[@mikepalmer1971]

Ouch

[@Jellybean199611]

In probably every genre aside from jazz, it is always better to hit your cymbals lighter than the drums. The cymbals are the most piercing part of a drum set, so if you're bashing the life out of them with full force (which I am entirely guilty of), you're gonna have more audience members plugging their ears and asking you to quiet down. Plus, hitting the cymbals more lightly will put less bleed into your drum close mics, and you will have a better sound overall in the room. I think AdventureDrums said it best, "Who ever listened to a great record and thought, 'man, this could really use more cymbals'?".

[@NilsHedstrom]

Thats true but if you play outside or in a medium or bigger venue then you can hit how hard you want without people complaining, but it's stil mostly better to hit the drums harder than the cymbals

[@mikepalmer1971]

No it’s more cowbell!!!

[@kirjian]

Those cymbals sound ahhhh 🤤 so good

[@Cheezeeeee]

Lovin' the K's!

[@normanboyer2847]

i played in the 60&70 i sold drums when i got married &l bought in April . lm 67 it be a hard road it is coming back lm going to hang in there

[@NilsHedstrom]

Great video! But wouldn't the swiping motion be hard to do if you "ride" the cymbals in fast 8th notes for example or do two continuous crashes right after each other?

[@nathanl157]

Nice Video, 👍I have a A custom fast crash, ZBT crash/ride and a K dry ride. Can I get a A custom Ride just smaller than my K ride and get rid of the ZBT? This may be a silly question??

[@sebar4123]

What cymbals were you using in this video? I know the K custom were the basic K custom dark pack , but what’s that a crash you are using?

[@nate6692]

I guess I need to get me some medium-heavy A's. That's just classic.

[@kostadinosvasilakis9829]

i have a medium heavy z3 for the last 11 years. I've been banging in like an uruk hai and never had a problem. Sticks on the other hand...

[@jasonenz4238]

Do drummers not play "Z" customs anymore? I'm a hard hitter and my cymbals weren't heard that well so I started using the z customs (made for volume). The mega bell ride is WAAY to thick to crash/ride. They weren't the best sounding cymbals but they definitely cut through. I've been using a customs for years now and I get a good mix out of them. K's always had a sort of hollow sound to me...anyone else? Thanks for another great video! :)

[@russell_kberg1]

Jason Enz Lars from Metallica I believe still uses z’s and a customs.🤘🏻

[@pyroeuropa]

I think that the Z-Customs arent produced anymore...

[@oblivionwalker8613]

Z Customs aren't made anymore but they live on in the form of Heavy A's

[@PRJohnnyT]

What kind of hats are those? K dark or k custom?

[@drummercarson896]

Is the China cymbal the same way?

[@timsears9340]

how hard you hit your crashes depends on many factors , what type of music you are playing , what type of sticks you use etc.....but to be honest here there really isnt any need to hit your crashes to hard no matter the type of music....you are going to eventually break them sooner than you would like...plus the angle of said crash cymbal as well as how you strike the cymbal...hiittig a cymbal dead on is not that bad......unless your hitting really hard (which is a very bad idea) or like many drummer 's they simply "swipe" the crash cymbals...but then again there are only probably a few drummers who incorporate this method...cymbals simply "sing" better when not struck hard......bigger smaller cymbals its all a matter of choice when hitting them...want cymbal that rings over the bar line cool , want one that "sings" then get out of the way thats cool too...BUTT be careful in the manner that you hit them...

[@SONORSQ2guy]

Is the 20” A Crash a Thin?

[@frodowatt4272]

I think its medium thin

[@frodowatt4272]

But I love hitting my cymbals hard!!!

[@timsears9340]

knowing how to "finesse" a cymbal is really important too....

[@SKARKIBANEZ]

That comes NATURAL as you playing in years man............... And FO COURSE the type of music you playing.......... NOTHING IS "STANDARD" ;)

[@Toxcys]

I don't know what it is. But his right hand just makes me feel uncomfortable. Like why play right handed but be left hand dominant?

[@kevinperez7309]

He sounds like Ron Swanson lol

[@Lw1337]

for real dude, i dont wanna know how much you spent on all your cymbals, cant even really effort one of these O.o

[@fyfecraigie80]

Look up Mike Portnoys kit

[@Lw1337]

@@fyfecraigie80 i know mike xD

[@noferblatz]

I used to go through cymbals like sh*t through a goose. Hitting too hard, plus the kit was in the garage, subject to daily climate changes.

[@mixedproduce9787]

Just don’t try at a show/studio or the engineer will hate you

[@jezusmylord]

This video is really good but that neck tho.

[@debidi1461]

answer: hard

[@russell_kberg1]

Good thing he uses the best brand of cymbals! If you disagree please respond.

[@VertesaGaming]

I personally like meinl

[@russell_kberg1]

I think meinl is a great brand, my personal second choice behind Zildjian.👍

[@Funkysajmi]

I'm more of an istanbul agop person. You can check my videos and see that quite clearly 😂 I feel in love with the first agop ride I bought and can replacing any other brand, now it's just my hihats that's not of a different brand. And I don't really like the whole only one brand thing. Choose what sounds good to you 😊

[@tylerfred7514]

I love meinl as a brand top to bottom. Sabian top end cymbals I prefer over zildjian, but I will say that zildjian just gets the job done and they all work well together. Just not my personal taste

[@frodowatt4272]

Zildjian and paiste are my favorites.

[@edy-str]

nonsense

[@SKARKIBANEZ]

Why snare sound so CRAP? o_O