Sizzle cymbal
Encyclopedia
A sizzle cymbal is a cymbal
to which rivets, chains or other rattles have been added to modify the sound, attached either by means of holes bored in the cymbal or by means of an attachment known as a sizzler.
These rattles have two main effects on the tone of the cymbal:
Both effects have musical uses, and can also be used to mask unwanted overtones in cymbals of lesser quality. However the best results are still generally obtained with high quality cymbals.
The most common form of sizzle cymbal used in a drum kit
is a large ride cymbal
with a number of rivet
s loosely fitted but captive in holes spaced evenly around the cymbal close to the rim. This might be called the traditional pattern sizzle cymbal. The loose fit allows the rivets to rattle in the holes. Swish
and to a lesser extent pang cymbals with rivets installed in this way were heavily used as main ride cymbals in the swing
band era. Many early rock music
drummers, such as Ringo Starr
, used a secondary ride cymbal with rivets, normally a ride cymbal thinner than the main ride and ideally one size larger. This was used for variety, to back a lead break or to give extra tone colour to the whole of faster songs such as Roll Over Beethoven
.
Many other rivet patterns have been tried, but the only one to have gained much following is a single cluster of two or three rivets close together in an arc close and parallel to the rim. This gained popularity in some genres during the late 1980s and early 1990s and was predicted to replace the traditional pattern, but the traditional pattern has remained more popular overall.
Bottom hi-hat
s, crash cymbal
s, splash cymbal
s and even bell splashes have been fitted with rivets. The swish cymbal
originally shipped with rivets, and is most commonly used with them to this day.
If the rivets are removed from a sizzle cymbal its previous tone will be restored, despite the small holes left in the cymbal. Large or numerous holes drilled in a cymbal will make the sound dryer, but ordinary rivet holes make an inaudible difference. Rivet holes may slightly decrease the resale value of a cymbal, but this is not usually the case with vintage cymbals.
In order to produce a sizzle sound without the need to bore holes in the cymbal, sizzlers may be used. There are two main patterns:
When a sizzle cymbal is required in an orchestra
, most often a chain sizzler is used. This allows the finest control and greatest range of tone in the hands of a skilled percussionist, and also allows any cymbal to be used without any permanent effect on its tone, giving still more tonal possibilities.
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
to which rivets, chains or other rattles have been added to modify the sound, attached either by means of holes bored in the cymbal or by means of an attachment known as a sizzler.
These rattles have two main effects on the tone of the cymbal:
- Most obviously, the sound of the 'wash' of the cymbal is made louder and more penetrating, and is dominated by the sound of the rattles themselves.
- Also important but less obvious, the cymbal loses some of its sustain and dynamic range, because whenever there is insufficient energy left in the cymbal to lift the rattles, the sound cuts out sharply.
Both effects have musical uses, and can also be used to mask unwanted overtones in cymbals of lesser quality. However the best results are still generally obtained with high quality cymbals.
The most common form of sizzle cymbal used in a drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
is a large ride cymbal
Ride cymbal
The ride cymbal is a standard cymbal in most drum kits. It maintains a steady rhythmic pattern, sometimes called a ride pattern, rather than the accent of a crash...
with a number of rivet
Rivet
A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called the buck-tail. On installation the rivet is placed in a punched or pre-drilled hole, and the tail is upset, or bucked A rivet...
s loosely fitted but captive in holes spaced evenly around the cymbal close to the rim. This might be called the traditional pattern sizzle cymbal. The loose fit allows the rivets to rattle in the holes. Swish
Swish cymbal
The swish cymbal and the pang cymbal are exotic ride cymbals originally developed and named as part of the collaboration between Gene Krupa and the Avedis Zildjian Company...
and to a lesser extent pang cymbals with rivets installed in this way were heavily used as main ride cymbals in the swing
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
band era. Many early rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
drummers, such as Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, used a secondary ride cymbal with rivets, normally a ride cymbal thinner than the main ride and ideally one size larger. This was used for variety, to back a lead break or to give extra tone colour to the whole of faster songs such as Roll Over Beethoven
Roll Over Beethoven
"Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 hit single by Chuck Berry originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to replace classical music...
.
Many other rivet patterns have been tried, but the only one to have gained much following is a single cluster of two or three rivets close together in an arc close and parallel to the rim. This gained popularity in some genres during the late 1980s and early 1990s and was predicted to replace the traditional pattern, but the traditional pattern has remained more popular overall.
Bottom hi-hat
Hi-hat
A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, disco, jazz, rock and roll, house, reggae and other forms of contemporary popular music.- Operation :...
s, crash cymbal
Crash cymbal
A crash cymbal is a type of cymbal that produces a loud, sharp "crash" and is used mainly for occasional accents, as opposed to in ostinato. The term "crash" may have been first used by Zildjian in 1928....
s, splash cymbal
Splash cymbal
In a drum kit, splash cymbals are the smallest accent cymbals. Splash cymbals and china cymbals are the main types of effects cymbals.The most common sized splash has a diameter of 10", followed by 8"...
s and even bell splashes have been fitted with rivets. The swish cymbal
Swish cymbal
The swish cymbal and the pang cymbal are exotic ride cymbals originally developed and named as part of the collaboration between Gene Krupa and the Avedis Zildjian Company...
originally shipped with rivets, and is most commonly used with them to this day.
If the rivets are removed from a sizzle cymbal its previous tone will be restored, despite the small holes left in the cymbal. Large or numerous holes drilled in a cymbal will make the sound dryer, but ordinary rivet holes make an inaudible difference. Rivet holes may slightly decrease the resale value of a cymbal, but this is not usually the case with vintage cymbals.
In order to produce a sizzle sound without the need to bore holes in the cymbal, sizzlers may be used. There are two main patterns:
- Rivet sizzlers suspend rivets above the rim of the cymbal, normally in two groups 180 degrees apart.
- Chain sizzlers suspend several short lengths of ball chain on the surface of the cymbal, most often either near the rim or more commonly in many places along a diameter. These chains may be fixed, adjustable in length, or completely removable. Sometimes a single chain of balls from a cabasaCabasaThe cabasa, similar to the shekere, is a percussion instrument that is constructed with loops of steel ball chain wrapped around a wide cylinder. The cylinder is fixed to a long, narrow wooden or plastic handle....
is used.
When a sizzle cymbal is required in an orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, most often a chain sizzler is used. This allows the finest control and greatest range of tone in the hands of a skilled percussionist, and also allows any cymbal to be used without any permanent effect on its tone, giving still more tonal possibilities.