What is the proper way to choke a cymbal?

[BassDriver]

Never have I ever found a good way to choke a cymbal. I hear some songs where a crash is choked (effectively) and the drummer gets back to drumming so quickly...

...what is the right way?

[Naveed]

My (usually right) hand is holding the stick normally and hits the cymbal.

With my (usually left) palm facing up, the stick naturally drops in the space between my thumb and index finger. Fingers underneath the cymbal, thumb on top.

Cymbal = choked.

Flip your left hand over again to drop the stick in between your thumb and index finger. Resume playing.

This is assuming you use matched grip. I'm useless with traditional grip.

[larryace]

Great question. I have no idea. I can tell you what I do. I always choke with my left hand (I'm a rightie) thumb on top and fingers underneath, and I squeeze pretty hard to make a nice clean stop to the vibrations.

Some guys hit the cymbal and choke about 1 nano second later, I prefer the cymbal to vibrate about 1/4 second before choking it. Grab it hard when you do, and recover without missing anything. It's not too hard. If you can work in a stick spin on the crash, that looks really cool.

Just practice it

[jivadayadasa]

Hi, I really like the way Glen Sobel works that technique into his playing. Check him out on the tube. He often hits and chokes with same hand and does it one after the other - sort of sounds like when you play a recording of a cymbal crash backwards. Very cool...

[what the funk of it]

I find it's best not to choke too soon. I try and get the initial attack and decay then choke out the sustain. It really depends on the sound you're going for though.

[BassDriver]

I find it's best not to choke too soon. I try and get the initial attack and decay then choke out the sustain. It really depends on the sound you're going for though.

A cymbal choke should have a rhythmic significance, for example when you notate, you notate when to hit the cymbal, one should also notate when they should choke the cymbal aswell. For example a sixteenth note after the cymbal is struck, an eighth note wait etc.

...but that's not the problem...

Everytime I try to choke crash with the same hand my stick (in my hand) hits the edge of the crash.

[PeniScott]

With my (usually left) palm facing up, the stick naturally drops in the space between my thumb and index finger. Fingers underneath the cymbal, thumb on top.

Yeah i do that if i'm choking with my left hand on a crash on left side. If i'm choking with my right hand to save having to reach over with my left, i slip the stick between my thumb and index finger on the downstroke (like he said) then on the upstroke i open my palm and choke as explained.

I do this in a lot of songs if there's a big stab then immediate silence or a quiet part afterwards, so i often hit and then choke both crashes simultaneously.

[mcbike]

I have resorted to choking the cymbals just by pressing down on the top of the cymbal with 4 fingers. I don't grab the cymbal anymore. I get the same effect, but I can execute the choke much faster and still hold the stick ready to play the next note. I can also do a double choke of both cymbals at the same time.