Coldhardsteel
Gold Member
A while back I noticed something when playing a passage with a bunch of crashes. The point on the stick that meets with the edge of the cymbal correlates to a particular response you get from the instrument. So far I think it has to do with how the stick moves and vibrates relative to the cymbal, not to mention how much weight and give there is behind the stroke. Playing a little above the shoulder, which is where people traditionally play a crash cymbal, will get you a very open and bright crash with the expected attack, whereas you can dull and mellow that attack and crash by playing down the shaft below the shoulder. The closer you get to your hand, the duller the response. I found that this is extremely helpful in situations where I need a crash, but something much less intrusive.
Has anyone else observed this or used it before? It makes me wonder what else you could do with this concept on other cymbals and other surfaces.
Has anyone else observed this or used it before? It makes me wonder what else you could do with this concept on other cymbals and other surfaces.