How to Play Very Fast Cymbal Crashes

Playing very fast cymbal crashes is possible if you learn how to do the Multi Flap Stroke. The Multi Flap is a technique name coined by Frank Epstein in his book Cymbalisms and is very effective.

To execute this technique you hold the left cymbal still and vertical. Place the bottom of the right cymbal against the bottom of the left and while hold the right cymbal strap about a half inch back from the bell of the cymbal you do a knocking on a door motion with your right wrist.

Practice playing quarter notes at 120 beats per measure and then double your playing to the eighth notes. Once you’ve got the hang of it you can play your crashes faster and faster with very little effort.

If you try to play fast like this but without this knocking technique it will be very difficult.

Remember: When you need to play fast things use your small muscles like your wrists. They can move faster and for longer without getting tired.

Try this technique the next time you are practicing the cymbal part from Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony, the 1812 Overture, or the Overture to William Tell by Gioacchini Rossini.

In this video I demonstrate how to hold the cymbals and how to play very fast crashes using the Multi Flap technique for cymbal crashes:

Comments

  1. fastone miti says

    how many times should I be practicing in a week

  2. How do I play (relatively) fast crashes that are staccato? I don’t have time to damp the crashes in the usual way, but the crashes need to be separated and what I’ve been doing sounds sloppy.

    • There is a limit to how fast you can play and dampen effectively. Try using different cymbals and that may sound better. You could even use one cymbal that is smaller than the other and that might make it easier to play fast.
      Thanks for your question