Cymbals

Cymbals are a pair of thin round metal plates, with a hollow part in the centre, in which a leather strap is fastened for holding in the hand. They are instruments of percussion, which, when struck one against the other, produce a loud harsh sound of no fixed pitch. They are of very ancient origin, and were used by the Greeks in the worship of Cybele. The best cymbals are those made in Turkey and in China. Attempts to discover and imitate the composition of the metal have all failed, the nearest approach to it hitherto discovered being an alloy of 80 parts of copper to 20 of tin. The cymbals generally play the same part as the bass drum, and in orchestras they are played on by the same performer, one cymbal being fixed on the drum, the other held in one hand, while the other hand wields a drumstick. Cymbals are, however, essentially military instruments.