Effects cymbals are used with a drum kit to create unique sounds that are impossible to achieve with standard cymbals. Splash cymbals and China cymbals are two of the most common types of effects cymbals, but drummers can choose from a variety of other options. Longer sustain — a cymbal’s ability to hold a note for an extended period of time before softly fading away — and more shimmer, a sound produced incorporating loose rivets in the cymbal that rattle and vibrate when the cymbal is struck, are two common qualities gained through the use of effects cymbals. The large gong typically placed directly behind the drum kit is a type of effects cymbal that isn’t often considered a cymbal.
The cymbal is used to bring brilliance and brightness to the drum kit’s percussion, which is a high-pitched sound that occurs between the bass and the percussion. Hi-hats, crash, and ride cymbals are the drum kit’s basic accoutrements, providing the required bright notes for most musical selections. The services of effects cymbals are frequently enlisted drummers who want to enhance their sound adding a little more brightness to the musicality. The majority of effects cymbals are made casting a special metal mixture, but some manufacturers use unusual manufacturing methods to create the unique-sounding instruments. Manufacturers of effects cymbals use a variety of techniques to create new sounds, including holes, rivets, and extra layers of cymbal material.
When struck with a stick, many effects cymbals use aluminum to produce a bell-like tone. Other tricks used in the production of special cymbals include mounting the cymbal upside down, using thicker material in the design, and changing the cymbal’s dimensions. When a cymbal is struck, this can produce a richer, ringing sound, but volume is the most common way to improve a cymbal’s tone. When used, the volume of the special cymbals is often much higher than that of a typical drummer’s cymbals, adding to the punch of a unique sound.
The effects cymbals are mostly used during drum solos and song endings. The drummer can add a sensational ending to many songs allowing the cymbal strike to continue ringing long after the sound of the other instruments has ended using a cymbal with extended sustain. Similarly, providing much more definition in cymbal crashes improves drum solos. Often, the drummer will play without the drums for a short period of time and only use the cymbals for one part of a solo.