Cymbals are metal curved disks that produce a unique sound when struck with a mallet, stick or even another cymbal. There are numerous metals used, but various alloys of bronze and brass tend to be the most commonly used. While there are numerous cymbal manufacturers, only four dominate the market: Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste and Meinl. All sound good to me, but I prefer Zildjian and like least Paiste. But that’s me. Cymbals have been around for thousands of years, at least 2800 years and probably even longer. They seem to have originated in what is today the Middle East area. One of the oldest cymbal makers, Zildjian originated in the 1600’s in the Ottoman Empire. Cymbals then soon started to work their way into the European music of the day. By the 1750’s, they were being regularly used in orchestras and in the military. Early drum sets included cymbals, usually […]