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In westernmusic, aChina cymbal (orChinese cymbal) is a distinct type ofcrash cymbal designed to produce a bright, crisp, and explosive tone that has brought it the nicknametrash cymbal.[1] The name "China cymbal" comes from its shape, which is similar to that of the ChineseBo. Such cymbals are most frequently mounted upside down on cymbal stands, allowing for them to be more easily struck and for a better sound.
China-type cymbals are common in various kinds ofrock music, particularlyheavy metal andthrash metal. They are also frequently used injazz fusion,Latin music, andBrazilian music, especially in arrangements with elaborate drum solos. In Latin and some other music styles, China cymbals are usually played in conjunction with other percussion instruments instead of a drum kit, such astimbales,octobans, or thesurdo. China cymbals may also be used for conventionaljazz, often played withmallets orbrushes to achieve a softer sound resembling that of a "dark crash" cymbal.
Occasionally these cymbals are featured in orchestral works; examples using a suspended cymbal includeOlivier Messiaen'sTurangalîla-Symphonie andEdgard Varèse'sIonisation.
China type cymbals typically have abell that is cylindrical or shaped like a truncated cone with its base the top of the bell, an outer rim that is turned up in the reverse direction to the main bow of the cymbal, little or notaper (change in thickness) from bell to rim, and an area including the inside of the bell that is unpolished. However, many china type cymbals have only several or in some cases none of these distinguishing characteristics. The distinguishing feature of a china type cymbal is the one that is hardest to define: its sound. China cymbals are those whose sounds are derived from the Chinese, rather than the Turkish, tradition of cymbal making.
Cymbals are classified into two or three tonal families: Turkish; Chinese; and some would say European, although others would include the European family of tones as a development of the Turkish sounds. The best Turkish (and European) cymbals have a rich, swelling tone that some describe as "sweet". To western ears, the best china types have an abrasive, cutting sound that is described by western drummers as "trashy".
The families do to some extent overlap. Notably,pang andswish cymbals have some characteristics of china types, and some characteristics of traditional Turkish cymbals. On the other hand, theSabianrocktagon cymbals, and someUfip models, are considered china types while having none of the physical characteristics of the normal china type, while thePaistecrystal crash is considered a European cymbal despite its squarish bell.
Cymbal making in China is claimed to predate the development of the art anywhere else in the world. The most universally acclaimedcymbal alloy, bell bronze, appears to have been independently developed in China. Today in China a wide range of cymbals are manufactured of both traditional and imported patterns. Traditional Chinese types with distinctive names and sounds includechung,jing, andwater cymbals, as well as many other types. In Western music these are all referred to as china type cymbals.
China type cymbals are available in a wide range of sizes from 27 inches (69 cm) down to 0.4 inches (1.0 cm), most types singly but some inpairs. Those of 12 inches (30 cm) or smaller are normally referred to in Western music aschina splash cymbals. When used in adrum kit, they are regarded aseffects cymbals and are used to give colour and variety.
In a drum kit, china-type cymbals can be mounted either with the bell facing upward (similar to other cymbals) as well as with the bell facing downward. When mounted bell-down, the upturned rim becomes a downturned rim, allowing a normal stick technique to be used for both ride and crash patterns. This assumes that the bell is formed in the typical direction; some china type cymbals (e.g., thePaiste 2002 Novo china) have aninverted bell and an upturned rim, and so must be mounted bell up to achieve this downwards rim orientation.
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Conical (termed "square") bell rough finished on the inside; reversed edge.
Conventional rounded bell, reversed edge. The bell may be or may not be reversed.
The swish and pang are specific sounds within the enormous range of china cymbals, developed as exotic ride cymbals but also used as crashes at higher volumes.
A "China splash" cymbal is typically 12 inches (300 mm) or smaller.
Sabian refers to both their 12-and-14-inch (300 and 360 mm) nova Chinese models asmini Chinese.
TheRocktagon, aSabian exclusive, is an octagonal cymbal with a sound midway between a crash and a china. The cymbal is manufactured as round and cut to shape after all-over lathing. Available sizes include 16-inch (41 cm), 18-inch (46 cm), and initially 20-inch (51 cm), as well as 8-inch (20 cm) and 10-inch (25 cm)Rocktagon splash.[citation needed]
China cymbals are played in various ways, depending on the genre of music.
For example, in modern metal music, players generally tend to play using the shoulder of the stick rather than the tip for a more "trashy" sound. In other genres, such as jazz (which can use less hammered cymbals for a lighter and less distorted effect), the drummer often plays with the tip for more of a "sizzle" sound.[citation needed]
As drum kit cymbals go, China cymbals produce a sound that is thin and trashy, earning them the nickname "trash cymbals."