I know we have all seen them, the drum sets that have 20 cymbals gathered around, cluttering up the kit, and I am sure the thought, "Why in the world do they have that many cymbals?"

The answer is simple...why not?

From multiple rides, a plethora of crashes, a few sets of hi-hats, and a jumble of splashes, a percussionist can contribute a lot more to the musical flow, than just beating the skins. But it occurs to me that maybe we overlook the importance of the cymbal.

Hi-Hats
Hats are the backbone to the rhythmic line. They range from light/crisp to dark/heavy. Light hats are great for adding a light bouncy sound that cuts right through the melody and has just that real neat constant time that we all look for. Dark sounding hats on the other hand offer a low key "ride the pocket" kind of feel that sounds great when playing next to a low tuned guitar or bass.

Rides
No drumset will ever be complete without a great ride. If hi-hats are the backbone, then rides are definitely the heart. Ride cymbals offer an amazing range of tonal qualities from riding the bell to bashing the plate. Rides are offered generally in three different tone ranges, Light, Medium and Heavy. Light rides offer the clear resonant rhythms and high sounding pings; medium rides offer a nice little truce between light and dark with a thicker bell and thicker tapered plate as well as a deeper sounding tone; and heavy rides offer just a dark sounding tone all across the tonal range.

Splashes
Splashes offer real quick attention grabbing impacts that can also be used during drum fills for a nice splash of color instead of wearing out your toms.

Crashes
Crashes range from 14-22 inches and as the size goes up so does the sound range. Multiple crashes can be used to accent chords or impacts through out the ensemble. If you use multiple crashes don't be afraid to use them all during chord step downs in a song. They can add really cool effects to the overall sound space.

China
China cymbals offer a wide range of accent/impact qualities that crashes cant. With a wide resonant plate and unique sound, don't be afraid to have multiple china's as well.

Trash/Effect Cymbals
My advice when looking at these specialty cymbals, learn to play what you have before looking for something else. Though, trash cymbals sound a lot like china's, they have a more muddied tone and thicker plate and like the name suggests creates a very trashy sounding tone.

Gotta agree, drumguy. Cymbals do more than make noise and are the equivalent of guitar effects boxes. A smart drummer can create or add to moods with cymbals, and I've even played with drummers who can do entire solos on cymbals. I had to add, though, that -- just like with having a raft of drums -- having 20 cymbals doesn't mean you're obligated to hit every one on every song.:)

Haha, couldn't agree more. Sometimes cymbals are overkill especially with the urge to hit all of them during every song. One of the coolest things I have found was Zildjians Avedis line of Fast-Crashes. I use the 14-17 inch plates and have them set up in a diamond shape off the left hand of the kit, and with the four separate tunings, I can add almost orchestral impacts to most chord step-downs and it sounds absolutely killer.