RIDE Cymbal

Ranging in diameter from 18 to 24 inches, the ride cymbal is generally the largest and heaviest cymbal in a drummer's setup. Primarily used as a timekeeper, the ride is the main cymbal for playing rhythms and grooves. When drummers are playing a "beat," the ride cymbal is struck almost continuously with the right-hand stick. This style of playing is called a "ride pattern" -- that's where the name "ride" cymbal comes from.

A ride cymbal has a fairly bright sound with a pronounced stick attack -- that's a sound term that the pros use for the response rate of the cymbal. Some cymbals reach their sound peak more quickly (they have more attack) than others. Different ride cymbals can vary in sound. Some have a quick decay with very little overtone qualities, so that each tap is easy to hear individually. Others have a shimmering brilliant long decay. A good beginner ride cymbal is a medium-weight 20 inch (the most popular).

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