Cymbology

It's been a little while! So I want to come back with a topic that, at first blush, doesn't seem the most ~spiritual~ but is nevertheless very close to my heart. That would be drumming!

We take it for granted that guitarists are going to be obsessive about their sound: their pedalboard, their amp tone, strings and set-up, etc. No one would think of handing a guitarist any old instrument they've never played before and expect them to perform at their best.

But for some reason, travelling drummers have to deal with whatever creaky, untuned kits they are thrown in front of. And nowhere - not even in the school band rooms I've passed through - have I found worse drum and cymbal combos than in churches. This is surely an abomination. Bring someone in who can actually tune it and set it up properly: I once went into a small church with a beginner set and did just that - got it sounding not half bad. On the other hand, hideous clanging brass is tougher to remedy. Better to ditch the cymbals and only use the drums. Tell whoever donated that mess, "thank you but it doesn't suit our needs right now." For staunch church-goers who are already biased against drums in worship (contrary to the Word of God ;), your third-rate gear is not going to help matters. And don't even talk to me about 'electric drums.' That's just a cop out because your drummer doesn't know dynamics. Giving him or her a plastic kit they can bash all they like because the sound guy is in control is actually the worst thing for developing a well-rounded musician. In the mean time, you might as well stick with a cajon or djembe.

Let me give you an example: one time I went to a special meeting in Windsor without any pre-suppositions I was going to play. As soon as I walked in, someone asked "who is an actual drummer?" The worship leader (who is a mentor of mine) pointed right to me and next thing I knew I was on stage. The overall musical flow was phenomenal, but all night it was a desperate struggle to avoid touching the cymbals. I'd do a fill thinking "they can't be *that* bad right? I mean they ~say~ 'Zildjian' on them" and was bitterly disappointed in every case.

My definition for prophetic worship:
 "translating God with instruments and voice." 

I know from Psalm 150 that God wants to hear cymbals played purposefully! The specific Hebrew word usually translated as 'loud' or 'resounding' in verse 5 is actually a derivative of 'shema', whose basic meaning is 'news in general.' So with cymbals, the worshipper is reporting or announcing the works of God. 

This is an entirely different sense of volume or tone than described by Apostle Paul at the start of his famous "love passage" (1 Cor 13). In that case, loveless speech or tongues is compared to "resounding brass/gong or a clanging cymbal." The only parallel Biblical usage for 'clanging' - Greek 'alalazon' - is found in Mark 5:38. In this case, a commotion of weeping and 'wailing' (alalazontas) mourners surrounded Jairus' house because his daughter had just died. The news announced by this sound is bitterly sad; in 1 Corinthians 13, the 'clanging' of tongues represents unedifying clamour. Therefore:

The scriptures clearly distinguish between cymbals that sound harsh and unpleasant to the hearer and those ordained by God to carry the sounds of Heaven's praise.

This is why I want to share a secret with you! You ~do not~ need high level drums to obtain a high level sound: all you really need is a quality snare and a few high-end cymbals that ring pleasant to the ear. Whether you're starting out with limited funds or looking to level up your gear, besides a quality snare, I'm convinced this is the way to go. What do I mean by high-end? Without getting into brands or models, I have a few underlying principles to share:

1. Complexity - a variety of tonal and textural possibilities depending on what part of the cymbal is
                      played.
2. Versatility - useful for many musical applications, genres and venue sizes.

3. Timelessness - not the hottest new models but pieces you won't be embarrassed to use 15
                          years from now. 

In the church world at least, big and dark is in. Contemporary mixing places the cymbal wash in the pocket beneath the band, rather than always cutting above it. This is especially obvious in the above video. The band has a huge, ethereal soundscape with a foundation of 66 bpm straight 1/8ths on a shimmering ride. Over nearly 20 minutes this set is cymbal-heavy but eminently listenable. If you only have dry, pingy rides and piercing, one-note crashes and splashes, the effect is going to sound dated. Leave that stuff in the 90s and upgrade. Even Bethel Redding drummers had to do that to get to the next level. If you can only afford one change for now, get a washy, crashable ride of at least 20 inches. 

Speaking personally, I can do pretty much whatever I need with a 22 inch ride and a 20 inch crash. This is more-or-less an old-school bop setup; in-fact they are prototypes for a jazz drummer's signature hand-hammered line. Because the snare and cymbals are portable, I can establish my "signature sound" anywhere I play: on a shared kit at a venue, or with my own drums. In two different churches, I've had people walk in a room and know it's me playing, just from the cymbals. I can do heavy warfare stuff and big builds or sensitive brushwork with an acoustic group.

On the flip side, you can have an amazing, top of the line shell pack, but awful beginner pie-plates will ruin the gravitas of your playing. Even mid-grade doesn't cut it because you'll just sound like everyone else. Yesterday I made a list of every cymbal I could remember owning, selling or trading. Not including what I kept, in just over 10 years, I've cycled through *two dozen* cymbals before finally settling on what I have now. Some of them were okay, none of them were absolute junk, yet I constantly found myself unsatisfied. Now, anything I would go after is to compliment my ride/crash foundation rather than replace it. 

And yes, I had to pay; they were second-hand but still cost more than 4 times what I paid for my kit. My tom and kick shells are next to worthless by comparison, but here in my bedroom they get the job done for practice and jammin'. Since B20 cymbal bronze seasons with age, I now have instruments that will leave a legacy of worship for decades.

In conclusion: stop settling for a subpar sound. Be honest - even you get tired of your cymbals after the first few songs. And worse, you find yourself lusting after someone else's sound which can lead to sin. Tell your church to get with it or, better yet, buy your own stuff! Receive this as an admonition: if you are an active drummer but are on the fence about upgrading, get out there and at least decide on what you want to save up for. Realize the Lord wants to hear quality bronze that doesn't grate people's nerves, but will help you prophesy and worship up to your potential. In Jesus' name!