K NNOOTT a n d G RIP THE HE K N NO OTT The knot should be tight enough so that when you hold the cymbal horizontally, there is almost no room for it to dangle from your hand. The tighter it is to your hand, the less work you have to do to control it – and control is key to good playing. G RRIIPP The Garfield grip is the standard grip for most cymbal lines, outdoor and indoor. * The main concern for the straps on your hands is that they lay like a ribbon with a single loop*. The overlap of the strap should lie comfortably between the thumb and index finger. Without this loop the straps will bite into your hand and be quite uncomfortable. This grip is much different than a standard orchestral or indoor band grip. Do not confuse the two, they both have different implications. Place your entire hand into the strap Rotate your hand until the strap rests between the thumb and index finger. Types of Crashes The standard most used crash in music. When performed correctly, a full warm characteristic cymbal tone is created. The full list of positions is on the Vertical Open Crash page. The choked version of the VOC. Cymbals are brought into the chest right under the shoulder at a 90 degree angle to dampen. Also known as a “SCV” or a “west coast” crash. Cymbals are held at a 45 angle with the left cymbal aligning with the underside of your pec muscle. The right cymbal is brought up to the shoulder and thrown down at the left, creating an aggressive, explosive sound. The choked version of the FC. Cymbals are brought in at a 90 degree angle, wrapping around the torso to dampen. A fast, explosive crash that starts from the choked FCC position and bursts out into a FC or back into a FCC. Very aggressive and powerful, used in fast passages in which prepping is near impossible **Santa Clara Vanguard cymbal player demonstrating the FC and FCC 45 degree angle. *Crossmen cymbal player demonstrating the VCC position ***Bluecoat member demonstrating the FCC choking position Vertical Open Crash SET: Set is standard position when your cymbals are up in attention. The center of the bell should be level with your nose, and the cymbals should be about 11/2 inches apart. “A”: Cymbals should open down to a 90 degree angle. Elbows are held out, making sure not to bring them into the chest. “V”: Cymbals open up at a 90 degree angle. Elbows come together slightly, but still keeping them away from your chest to prevent bad angles. “FLAM” / “BOTTOM”: The two plates make contact, with the right plate touching the left about 1 inch from the bottom. When sped up this creates the flam between the two cymbals which in turn makes the characteristic sound of a cymbal crash. “CRASH” / “TOP”: Bring both plates together with the right slightly higher than the left, due to the contact point from before. The plates should be perfectly straight up and down. When sped up this opens up directly into the next A position. “A”: Repeat previous “A” “V”: Repeat previous “V” SET: Return to the Set position. Specialty Crashes Cymbals are held at a 45 degree angle on the body. The top cymbal is hinged up and brought down onto the bottom. Arching the hand over the bell of the cymbal creates a very crisp, clean attack. The cymbals stay in the HH position, and are hinged the same. After the right cymbal is brought down, it falls forward and then is sucked back into position, creating a rock suction sound. Cymbals are held in position “A”. The right cymbal is brought up and then taps the left cymbal. This is used for more delicate or articulate parts of songs. A “Klank” is stared in the FCC dampening position. The right cymbal is hinged from the body, and slammed into the left. It’s is dampened about one second after the hit creating a loud explosive blast of sound. A “Klunk” is the same as a “Klank” but instead of letting the cymbals vibrate, they are always held close to the body, creating a dead clunking sound. The Vertical Zichan has the left plate vertical, and the right plate at a 45 degree angle about 3 inches down from the top of the left. The cymbal is scraped up and the arm is fully extended. The Left cymbal is set at 45 degrees while the right cymbal is perpendicular to it. The right cymbal preps by coming away from the left plate about 5 inches. Then bring it down and strike the right plate on the inner bell of the left. The release is a 1 count rebound up. Count Structure: Prep on 4, crash on 1, release on 2, return to set on 3. Cymbals are held in the front crash position. The right cymbal is dropped lightly onto the left cymbal and slides downward while the left slides up. This can be dampened up against the body. Basic Exercises Whenever a part is split, someone gets a downbeat while the other gets an offbeat. Practicing offbeat timing will drastically improve your timing skills in all areas. Use your feet to play half of the rhythm. You will be marching while you play your show music so why not practice with your feet and use them to your advantage! Practicing this with a metronome is a must. Without having the structure of a metronome during your practice, your timing will never improve.
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