Cymbals
previous
next
Cymbals are thin bronze disks, held at the center so that the edges are free to vibrate. Cymbals can produce a surprising range of effects : some soft and delicate, others loud and harsh. They are used in almost every type of music, from formal orchestral music to heavy rock, where they form part of a drum kit.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| None. |
| Material |
| Metal, usually bronze. |
| Size |
| Diameters usually range from 12-26 in (30-66 cm). |
| Origins |
| Cymbals first appeared in ancient Assyria (now northern Iraq). Egypt, and biblical Israel. Small instruments were known in the West in ancient times. It was not until the 18th century that large cymbals were introduced to the West from Turkey. |
| Classification |
| Idiophone: an instrument that produces its sound through the use of the material from which it is made, without needing strings or a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| If air is trapped between the cymbals as they are "clashed," the sound will be choked. |
