Skip the snazzy cymbal packs (in pictures) to hand-pick your first-ever cymbals. You don’t need to buy cymbals of the same model or even the same brand. Mix it up to suit your sound

While we are in the all-important first-buy mode, let’s take a look at the “brassware”. Though this is the name commonly given to cymbals, it is misleading. In any professional drummer’s set-up, there’s a chance that no cymbal will be entirely made of brass; most brass cymbals are beginners’ cymbals that are poor in tone and quite unplayable. An exception to this is the 101 series from Paiste: bright-toned and hardy, these suit mid-level to loud rock quite easily; especially the hi-hats.

ways aim for the best that you can afford within a budget. If you are really strapped for cash, take some time to save a little more — it is worth the wait.

Choose a well-established brand (which, in this part of the world, trickles down to Zildjian, Sabian and Paiste, with a few Meinls thrown in). To look at the bright side, the choices being narrow in Calcutta, choosing becomes relatively easy!

Do your research well and opt for cymbals that are likely to suit your kind of playing, or your band’s music, the best. For example, if you play loud, hard-hitting rock or metal, smaller, paper-thin cymbals geared towards jazz aren’t what you should be looking at. You’d need larger, heavy cymbals that cut through a wall of distorted guitars and bass and have longer sustain.

When you make your first purchase, listen to the cymbal. Is it what you’re after? And if you already have a few in your set-up, does the cymbal complement or fight against the sound of the others? Unless they are drastically different, tonally varying cymbals can be an asset to your set-up.

While most cymbal manufacturers have now introduced “beginner packs” into their line — typically comprising a 20” ride, 14” hi-hats and a 16” or an 18” crash — many of these pack cymbals offer poor tone and the quality varies from cymbal to cymbal in the same pack. Zildjian’s ZBT series offers a nice ride in its beginners’ pack, but the hats and the crash don’t make the mark. The same can be said about Sabian’s B8 and B8 Pro series. And while the Paiste 101 hats are as good as any semi-pro line, the crashes cannot take heavy-handed playing for long and even crack at the edges.

So don’t rush for a pack. Instead, mix up brands and buy the best that you can afford. A good starting point is a pair of Paiste 101 or 302 hats, a ZBT crash from Zildjian or a B8 Pro crash from Sabian and a ZBT ride cymbal from Zildjian. The 101 crash is bright and high-pitched, and that can be included as well as a second crash, but lay it easy on that one.

Setting up your newly-bought cymbals is equally important and needs some amount of time. The thumb-rule is comfort. The drum throne is the most ergonomically crucial spot and is the centre of your set-up. Starting here, set up the cymbals within easy reach (not too high or too low; not at a position which you have to stretch or twist or bend to reach). The cymbals should lean a little towards the throne as well — hitting them at 90 degree angles may look cool, but ultimately is an action that chokes the cymbal’s true sound and runs the risk of damaging its edge and your hands.