The ride cymbal is a

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sou ...

of material sustain used to maintain a beat in music.Schroedl, Scott (2001). ''Play Drums Today!'', p.7. Hal Leonard. . A standard in most

drum kits A drum kit or drum set (also known as a trap set, or simply drums in popular music and jazz contexts) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and sometimes other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The drummer t ...

, the ride's function is to maintain a steady pattern, sometimes called a ride pattern, rather than provide the accent of a

crash cymbal A crash cymbal is a type of cymbal that produces a loud, sharp "crash" and is used mainly for occasional accents, as opposed to a ride cymbal. It can be mounted on a stand and played with a drum stick, or by hand in clash cymbals, pairs. One ...

. It is normally placed on the extreme right (or dominant hand) of a drum set, above the floor tom.Peckman, Jonathan (2007). ''Picture Yourself Drumming'', p.195. . It is often described as delivering a "shimmering" sound when struck soundly with a drumstick, and a clear ping when struck atop its bell. The ride can fulfill any function or rhythm the hi-hat cymbal does, with the exception of an open and closed sound.

Types

The term ''ride'' may depict either the function or characteristic of the instrument. Most cymbal makers manufacture specific cymbals for the purpose. Alternatively, some drummers use a

china cymbal China type cymbals from three continents In western music, a China cymbal (or Chinese cymbal) is a distinct type of cymbal designed to produce a bright, crisp, and explosive tone that has brought it the nickname ''trash cymbal''. The name "China ...

, a sizzle cymbal or a specialized tone such as a swish or pang as a ride cymbal. When playing extremely softly, when using

brushes A brush is a common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped during u ...

, and when recording in a studio, even a thin crash may serve well as a ride cymbal. When playing extremely loudly, a cymbal designed as a ride may deliver a very loud, long crash, due to its superior sustain after being struck.

Crash/ride

Cymbals designated crash/ride or more rarely ride/crash serve as either a large slow crash or secondary ride, or in very small kits as the only

suspended cymbal Classical suspended cymbal A suspended cymbal is any single cymbal played with a stick or beater rather than struck against another cymbal. Common abbreviations used are "sus. cym.," or "sus. cymb." (with or without the period). Most drum ki ...

Flat ride

Bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

-less ride cymbals, known as flat rides, have a dry crash and clear stick definition. Quieter, they are popular in jazz drumming. Developed by

Paiste Paiste (English pronunciation: , ) is a Switzerland, Swiss musical instrument manufacturing company. It is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. is an Estonian language, Estonian and Finnish language, ...

in the 1960s, flat rides are used by notable drummers Roy Haynes,

Jack DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette (born August 9, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. Known for his extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians including Charles Lloyd (jazz musician), Charles Lloyd, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, B ...

, Paul Wertico, Carter Beauford,

Jo Jones Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 – September 3, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. He was sometimes k ...

and

Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a Graphic designer, graphic artist, Watts developed an interest i ...

. The highly regarded Paiste 602 Flat Ride was reissued in 2010, but is only available in 20" medium.

Swish and pang

Swish and pang cymbals are exotic ride and crash/ride cymbals similar to

china cymbals China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

in tone.

Sizzle cymbal

A sizzle cymbal, thinner and one size larger than the main ride, was common in some styles of early

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

as a secondary ride cymbal, particularly for accompanying guitar lead breaks.

Sound

When struck, a ride cymbal makes a sustained, shimmering sound rather than the shorter, decaying sound of a

. The most common diameter for a ride cymbal is about , but anything from to is standard. Smaller and thinner cymbals tend to be darker with more shimmer, while larger and thicker cymbals tend to respond better in louder volume situations, and conversely. Rides of up to and down to are readily available, and down to are currently manufactured. The very thickest and loudest tend to be about 22 inches, with larger rides restricted to medium and medium thin thicknesses. In rock or

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, the ride cymbal is most often struck regularly in a rhythmic pattern as part of the accompaniment to the song. Often the drummer will vary between the same pattern either on the hi-hat cymbal or the ride cymbal, playing for example the hi-hat in the verses and the ride in the instrumentals and/or choruses. The sound of a ride cymbal also varies depending on what kind of

mallet A mallet is a tool used for imparting force on another object, often made of rubber or sometimes wood, that is smaller than a maul or beetle, and usually has a relatively large head. General overview The term is descriptive of the ...

is used to hit it. In rock and

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

, wood and nylon-tipped drum sticks are common; wood creates a smoother, quieter sound, whereas nylon tips create more of a "ping". It creates a low vibration to keep a steady beat, but a low sound volume. The bell, the bulge in the center of the cymbal, creates a brighter, less sustained sound. The bell creates such a brilliant tone compared to the subtle sound of the bow that it is often used as somewhat of another cymbal. Some ride cymbals, seen more often in various forms of metal and harder subgenres of rock, have an unusually large bell. This lessens the accuracy required to repeatedly hit the bell in fast patterns, and produces a louder, brighter tone than in most ride-cymbal bells.

Pattern

Modern use of the ride cymbal was inspired by jazz drummer Baby Dodds's press roll rhythms. According to the Percussive Arts Society, which inducted him into its hall of fame, "Dodds' way of playing press rolls ultimately evolved into the standard jazz ride-cymbal pattern. Whereas many drummers would play very short press rolls on the backbeats, Dodds would start his rolls on the backbeats but extend each one to the following beat, providing a smoother time flow." The most basic ride pattern in rock and other styles is:Schroedl, Scott (2001). ''Play Drums Today!'', p.9. Hal Leonard. . In

, this would normally be played with a swing.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ride Cymbal Cymbals Drum kit components Drum patterns Rhythm and meter