Cymbals

As Printed on a Score

Labels the cymbal line (Cymbals, Cym. or Cymb. later), written on a single line. The plural normally means a pair clashed together, while a single suspended cymbal gets its own label. l.v. lets a crash ring and a damping sign stops it; a 2, borrowed from Italian piatti a 2, asks for the clashed pair.

Abbreviations: Cym., Cymb.

Also spelled: Cymbal, Crash Cymbal, Chinese Cymbal

How Composers Use It

Clashed cymbals are a climax instrument: one crash at the top of a crescendo carries more than a dozen along the way. Mark how long each crash rings, since an unmarked one decays for seconds. For softer colours — a shimmer, a roll, a light tick — write for suspended cymbal instead, and in drum-kit writing name the type (crash, ride, Chinese).

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