Ride cymbal: Encyclopedia II - Ride cymbal - Terminology

Ride cymbal - Terminology

According to most drummers, the term ride means to ride with the music as it sustains after it is struck. However it can apply to either the function of the cymbal in the kit or to the characteristics of the cymbal itself. Most cymbal makers designate some of their cymbals as ride cymbals indicating they are designed primarily for this purpose.

Some cymbals are designated crash/ride or more rarely ride/crash to indicate that they are designed to serve either function, and perhaps which function is more likely. Such a cymbal will typically serve as both a large slow crash and a secondary ride, or it may be reserved for one purpose or the other in a particular playing situation. Some drummers use a crash/ride for a faint crash, a loud ride, or hitting it like a crash to make it sound like a crashing ride (usually in rock music). Drummer Tré Cool (from Green Day) usually uses his crash/ride cymbal for this purpose, especially in the chorus of the song Boulevard Of Broken Dreams.

Some drummers use a china cymbal, a sizzle cymbal or a specialised tone such as a swish or pang cymbal as a ride cymbal. When playing extremely softly, when using brushes, and when recording, even a paperthin crash may serve well as a ride cymbal.

On the other extreme, when playing extremely loudly a cymbal designed as a ride may serve well as a very loud, long crash. Some of Keith Moon's kits had only ride cymbals, with all but the largest of these serving as crashes.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Terminology", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki