# Drummers: Upside Down Cymbal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 2, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-upside-down-cymbal/756343 "2016-06-02T22:01:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-upside-down-cymbal/756343/1 "2016-06-02T22:01:06Z")
Watching an Alan Parson’s video, I see the drummer has an upside down cymbal (among other normal cymbals) What effect does an upside down cymbal have? Does the sound permeate the room better, being that all the sound energy is projected up and out? ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-upside-down-cymbal/756343/2 "2016-06-03T02:37:09Z")
Certainly breaks sticks a lot more quickly, as well as making the cymbal get cracks _much_ more quickly. When I’ve attempted it, the result has been a clangy reverberation, and instead of going down that road, toyed with different China cymbals. got a link? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-upside-down-cymbal/756343/3 "2016-06-03T03:35:39Z")
Could it be a China cymbal? Those are designed to be mounted upside down and are used to give a specific sound effect. Generally, anything mounted the wrong way will simply sound wrong. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-upside-down-cymbal/756343/4 "2016-06-03T12:45:42Z")
It’s almost certainly a china cymbal. It has a distinct sound that’s different from a crash, shorter decay. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-upside-down-cymbal/756343/5 "2016-06-03T13:10:01Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s almost certainly a china cymbal. It has a distinct sound that’s different from a crash, shorter decay. It’s a sophisticated _Plink_. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-upside-down-cymbal/756343/6 "2016-06-03T14:35:02Z")
I would have said, ‘CHA!’, myself. But it’s the though that counts. Yeah, I’d say china type, too. Looks funny but very distinctive. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-upside-down-cymbal/756343/7 "2016-06-03T14:43:28Z")
damn - wish I’d pressed “post reply” on my post - it would’ve appeared about 30 minutes ago, so… > [@WordMan](#): > > It’s a sophisticated _Plink_. 😉 A plink sound is much closer to a little 7" splash cymbal, while the onomatopoeia for the China is closer to an abrasive “CASSHH” sound, with quick fade. Also, drummers often incorrectly set up their chinas up-side-down. They should be set-up so your stick strikes the rounded, convex edge. lol I’ll try this “send reply” thing again… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-upside-down-cymbal/756343/8 "2016-06-03T14:57:00Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > I would have said, ‘CHA!’, myself. But it’s the though that counts. Yeah, when I’m vocalizing drums, the china gets a “KAH!” sound, although “CHA” might be better. That said, there’s a bit of a range. [Here’s a video and audio example of one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZtlCAQwbxQ).