Why do drummers need rides?

Noob question, i understand why they need rides in jazz and similar music styles, but i don't understand where else the ride is used. It's hard to figure out what kinda music the ride would go with, (i play rock/ punk) and i have no real idea on how to form a beat that involves the ride.

Could someone show me beats that involve the ride and techniques to play it?
Do people use it just for the ping sound, or do they use it as a crash too?
And if people use it for just the ping sound, why do they spend so much money on different rides that sound almost identical and fuss so much just over rides..

Thanks! :)
 
I would much rather play the ride than the hi-hats. In many types of music, hats are played during the verses and rides are played during the chorus. Drum and cymbal setups are very personal. If you see no need for a ride, then do not get one. I do not want to listen to much music that does not have them. Peace and goodwill.
 
In the early days, the 'hi hat' was only a foot tall or even less.

Its sound does emulate the cowbell on its bell.

Really, it is just a sound you can use whenever you feel like it, but the general rule is to use it in loud parts of the song or in jazz/latin.
 
but i don't understand where else the ride is used. It's hard to figure out what kinda music the ride would go with, (i play rock/ punk) and i have no real idea on how to form a beat that involves the ride.

In many places to add a different tone/texture. It's commonly found in choruses or bridges etc in rock or pop music....but the reality is that it can be used anywhere you think it works. It's another voice....no more, no less.

Could someone show me beats that involve the ride and techniques to play it?

Move your right hand from the hi hat to the ride. There's a beat using a ride cymbal and one of the techniques used to play it. Experiment with that for a bit. Learn to actually use the thing first, then start exploring many of the different techniques available for pulling different sounds out of a ride cymbal.

Do people use it just for the ping sound, or do they use it as a crash too?

Both. Some rides crash well, others don't. Some like a ride that can be crashed, others don't. Some like to switch back and forth between the two. It all depends on the cymbal, the player and the application....pretty much like everything else.

And if people use it for just the ping sound, why do they spend so much money on different rides that sound almost identical and fuss so much just over rides..

Who says they sound identical? "Most" of the time, people will own different rides in order to cover different applications. I have several, none of them sound the same. Some of them can overlap with respect to how I use them, but at the end of the day they all have their own voice.

Why do people fuss over them? Mate, you've gotta start actually playing yours....experiment a bit. Listen to how other drummers use theirs. You'll soon see why. A good ride cymbal is a magical thing!!
 
You don't need a ride if you don't feel you do. However I'm with PFG on this one. For me, the ride is probably the more important of my pies. It can provide so much texture. It can be dynamic. It's so utterly complimentary to certain aspects of the song. Depending on the song, feel, tempo etc will depend on how it is or isn't used. I guess I just sometimes put more thought and attention into how I use the ride compared to the others. To the OP, don't just think of it as "ping" or "bell" but of "undercurrent" or "navigator". Think of the song; where you were, where you are, and where its going. Again, it's all personal.
 
In rock, I use the hats for either a tight sound with them completely shut, or a nastier, heavier sound when when they are slightly more open and washier. I use the ride for more open phrases and many time when either the keys or guitar is soloing.

For punk, perhaps there is a limited use for a ride, but if you listen to many types of rock you will hear the difference.
 
Well, you don't always.

Lars Ulrich didn't use a ride for years and years with Metallica. Not a single not of ride was found on their And Justice for All or Black albums.

Duran Duran banned their drummers from using ride cymbals for a number of years.

Back when I was in an industrial flavored hard rock band, I went for a short period without a ride.

But for most rock, a ride does come in handy.
 
It's all about the sound, the ride cymbal gives a great sound than enhances the music. In the end it boils down to the sound you hear inside your head, if the ride isn't part of it then that's ok. I play in a punk/hardcore band and it's pretty much rideless.
 
Well, you don't always.

Lars Ulrich didn't use a ride for years and years with Metallica. Not a single not of ride was found on their And Justice for All or Black albums.

Duran Duran banned their drummers from using ride cymbals for a number of years.

This ^^

You don't need a ride. Then again, you don't need hi hats either (or at least Keith Moon didn't).

In the 80s rides were a dirty word - it wasn't a "clean" and crisp sound and at that time anything that sounded dirty was thought of as dated. Hence Duran Duran's anti ride stance. In the 80s there never seemed to be enough mics for toms or cymbals. Funny dat.

Look, on a really base level, rides in rock music are used to fill in the gap during the guitar solo to make up for lack of rhythm guitar.

That's less of an issue if you have two guitars or keys, but then I often shift to the ride when I want to give the song a lift. Millions of drummers do this - often in solos or bridges. You want to be able to have a range of textures at your disposal.

Have a listen out for drummers' ride cymbals ... work out which ones sound light and which ones sound dark, and the effect they have on the music. Did the drummer use the bell or the bow of the cymbal, or both? In rock ride cymbals are less important than in other styles.
 
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why do drummers need cymbals period?

answer that ....and you have your answer
 
Modern 'punk' doesn't have a lot of ride. It's all crashes, crashed rides and hats.

Listen to Dave Grohl, Pennywise, Travis Barker, Propagandhi, Strung Out, there's ride cymbal all through that stuff.

My three rides all sound totally different, despite two of them being from the same series.
 
That's easy. Because unless you live close to all your gigs you'll have to walk or take the bus if you don't have a ride. ^^^ What's with all the long winded answers? :D

GOSH.
 
Why does a bass need more than one string?
Why do guitarists need to play chords?
Why do guitars use effects pedals?
Why do pianos have white keys?

Cymbals are clothes, bass/snare and toms are your dolly. Dress your doll how you want the choice is yours.
 
large
 
Thanks to everyone who answered! :)

Also, do bands like Green Day and Linkin Park and Nickelback use rides?
And are they used to play paradiddles in songs, or regular 4/4 beats too, or usually crashed on?
 
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