Tips for Selecting Cymbals for Jazz Drumming

rickdior
rickdior
40,100
0
Published 2021-11-20
In this video I explain how I select cymbals for playing Jazz.
I talk about cymbal hum, thickness, size, mixing and matching brands as well as some alternatives to the old K's that everyone covets.
The kit I am using is a Gretsch Catalina Elite set from the early 1990's. I use this as my portable practice kit.
The sizes are:
16" BD, 12" and 14" toms and a Slingerland Brass 12" x 6.5 " snare.
The cymbals I demonstrate in the video are:
21" 1940's K Zildjian 2200 Grams
21" Istanbul Special Edition Jazz Ride 2150 Grams
18" 1950's K Zildjian 1550 Grams
15" 1950's K Zildjian Hi Hats Top 700 grams/Bottom 1000 grams
13" Sabian HH Regular Hi Hats Top 620 grams/ Bottom 840 grams

I am using 2 Sennheiser MKH 80 Microphones for overheads and a AKG D112 on the Bass Drum
All Comments (21)
  • @hombreenojado
    I'm so glad you mentioned that a lot of the old K's sounded bad.
  • @manuelwenaud8231
    Brands ! So glad to see someone who says we can mix collection of cymbals ! Thank you !!!!
  • @Paulswindellsdrummer
    You have been an invaluable source of wisdom and knowledge Rick, thank you so much for all that you do 😊
  • @jean-lucemanuele7095
    I'm blazed ! What a playing, teaching, know-how and lovely name (I'm French and part of my mother's family worked for and with Christian Dior) I hit the "Subscribe" button right away and will take advantage of your presence and generosity on YouTube as more and more I lova and play drums but I'm inspired by jazz and the way you play it it, is technically and artistically what I love the most : finesse, dynamic, groove, technique and pleasure to listen even playing alone. First of a long series : THANKS !!
  • @drl1046
    Really enjoyed this video. Subscribed!
  • @mgrdibbs
    Thank you so much for your wisdom Rick ... and also relaxed and swinging playing. I learn so much from you.
  • @Jepie
    Legendary video man, thank you
  • @christophevignals7867
    All the answers to my questions are in this vidéo !! Thanks a lot Maestro.. It’s so clear with you 🤩!
  • @rustycalvera977
    thank you for actually playing in your video....and so beautifully.....
  • @thomasmoje5926
    For jazz I like 'drier' cymbals with a lot of stick definition. I have a Meinl 'Vintage Pure' 22" light ride cymbal that I purchased a few years ago that is just about perfect for jazz..excellent stick definition with just enough 'carry' and it doesn't build up volume too much through fast bop patterns and it crashes well. Also have an older Zildjian K 22" flat ride which I often pair with the Meinl to give me a different ride voice for different passages in a tune. For a crash for jazz settings I use an old Zildjian 19" thin crash with rivets it has a lovely wash when struck near the edge with brushes. My best hats are an old Zildjian A 15" top with rivets paired with a Zenjian heavy 15" hand-hammered bottom. That cymbal combination serves me well for jazz and most applications..for louder volume situations I switch to Zildjian 'A' rides and crashes. Nice playing as usual.
  • @MD-wk3gj
    I feel like I just had a chance to drop in and hear some great tips from an experienced player. Thanks.
  • @seppoinnanen5577
    Great clip, great playing👍 I used to look for thin ride cymbals with as little hum (low overtone, not the white noise) as possible. I found them allright but then I started to think think that those pieces didn't have much personality in them. Nowadays I choose cymbals that have little of that hum sound, very pleased with my current collection