hitting two crashes at the same time?

zafrothunder

Senior Member
i know hitting two crashes at the same time is pretty common (and awesome!), but i was wondering if drummers usually hit two different size crashes, or two of the same for more volume?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPQR-OsH0RQ

in "smells like teen spirit" is the drummer hitting a 16in and 18in crash during the chorus, and then a 20in crash later in the chorus?

i just really want to know...its bugging me
 
It really doesn't matter. I guess it does depends on what cymbals you use, what kind of band you're in etc. I use Giant Beat Paiste's and play alot of rock, so if I hit two it'll be my 18" or 20" crashes and my 24" ride which sounds like a gong :)

I wouldn't worry too much about it, most people could get away with getting a massive sound out of one cymbal, it's all about the way you hit it.
 
It all depends on the drummer. You are asking kind of a broad question. Some drummers use the same cymbal placed on either side of the kit while others might hit 2 different cymbals. Grohl had 2 of the same cymbals though. Bonham used 2 of the same for a while and then used 2 of the same size but different models. It really depends on what sound you want. Teen spirit is supposed to be loud and really aggressive sounding so you could use just 2 cymbals. But beware that 2 might not always sound so good together. They still need to compliment each other. I use 3 on my kit (all Sabian). I have an 18 AA Rock crash on my right high, a 16 AAX Dark crash on my left high and a 16 AA Metal X crash a little under my 18 on the right. I don't hit both AA's at the same time because they sound like poop together but I do use the AAX dark crash with my others. The dark crash is thinner and sounds great with either one of the AA's. But don't do it too much, only for parts that really call for it you know what I mean. Too much is too much and 2 crashes can get loud and washy really quick.
 
i know hitting two crashes at the same time is pretty common (and awesome!), but i was wondering if drummers usually hit two different size crashes, or two of the same for more volume?

Any way you play it, 2 cymbals are going to be louder than 1 cymbal. I like to throw in a china with a crash to spice it up.
 
It all depends on the drummer. You are asking kind of a broad question. Some drummers use the same cymbal placed on either side of the kit while others might hit 2 different cymbals. Grohl had 2 of the same cymbals though. Bonham used 2 of the same for a while and then used 2 of the same size but different models. It really depends on what sound you want. Teen spirit is supposed to be loud and really aggressive sounding so you could use just 2 cymbals. But beware that 2 might not always sound so good together. They still need to compliment each other. I use 3 on my kit (all Sabian). I have an 18 AA Rock crash on my right high, a 16 AAX Dark crash on my left high and a 16 AA Metal X crash a little under my 18 on the right. I don't hit both AA's at the same time because they sound like poop together but I do use the AAX dark crash with my others. The dark crash is thinner and sounds great with either one of the AA's. But don't do it too much, only for parts that really call for it you know what I mean. Too much is too much and 2 crashes can get loud and washy really quick.

yea, i used to hit the 16 and 18 crashes at the same time (zbts...) after like a crescendo or something, but they sounded bad together.

So grohl had two 18inchers, and then used the 20incher during "albino, mulatto" part...

interesting...thats good to know, because i really wasnt sure on whether i wanted a 16in and 18in crash, or just 2 of one
 
I don't even know if you could be sure of what he uses on the song unless you know his exact set up when the song was recorded. I'm sure what's on the video was not used in the studio. Hey may have used a 14 inch crash for all anyone knows with all the things that can be done in a studio they can make it all kinds of ways. Just a little side note- I like how Grohl's crash on his left has tape all over the underside in the beginning of the video but after the first couple minutes the cymbal no longer has tape!...
 
i know hitting two crashes at the same time is pretty common (and awesome!), but i was wondering if drummers usually hit two different size crashes, or two of the same for more volume?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPQR-OsH0RQ

in "smells like teen spirit" is the drummer hitting a 16in and 18in crash during the chorus, and then a 20in crash later in the chorus?

i just really want to know...its bugging me

It's just a music video. The kit was probably just a prop and not his actual kit.

Dave used a variety of different cymbals over the years. Earlier with Nirvana, he used mostly whatever he could get locally in the "used bin" in whatever city they were playing in, according to bios I've read and bootlegs I own that I've examined.

Later, Dave used a 22" Medium ride for a crash/ride, an 19" on his right and an 18" on his left... sometimes substituting a 18" and 20" for larger venues. Dave used all Zildjian after Nevermind came out.

His first kit with Nirvana was a Tama Granstar, sometimes using Yamahas and whatever else, since he would sometimes destroy his drums as an encore, a la Keith Moon. Later switch to a Rockstar Pro around the time of In Utero. The kit you hear in In Utero was nothing more than the Mahogany/basswood Rockstars, recorded by genius Steve Albini.

To field you general question, some drummers crash on two (including myself) to achieve a powerful and harmonious effect, depending on the approach. Even using the same size and type cymbal will result in slight pitch and harmonic differences, since no two cymbals are the same. I use two 18" crashes, but one is an A Custom Fast and the other a K Dark Thin. Interestingly, the K has more high tones, but predictably has a lower range, whereas the A has a balanced mid-range. I picked them both because they sounded great together and the A Custom fills in the mids, where the K covers the top and bottom.
 
i know hitting two crashes at the same time is pretty common (and awesome!), but i was wondering if drummers usually hit two different size crashes, or two of the same for more volume?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPQR-OsH0RQ

in "smells like teen spirit" is the drummer hitting a 16in and 18in crash during the chorus, and then a 20in crash later in the chorus?

i just really want to know...its bugging me

Its possible Dave Grohl was was just playing whatever worked best for the clip - and may not have been what was used on the recording of the actual song.

That being said, its all about the sound youre trying to convey. Most drummers will buy individual crashes for different purposes, and hit them together when they want 'more' sound.

However, some players (myself included) consider two crashes that work best together in terms of pitch, response and sustain, so that hitting them together creates a 'third' sound, if you will.
 
He hits 2 crashes at the same time in this live video. Can anyone confirm the specifics of the 2 crashes and more specifics on his drum setup in this video?

 
Depends on the effect you want. I don't hit two crashes for more volume, I do it for the sound it makes, and different combinations give you different effects (obviously). It's a more complex sound than a single crash, so to me that translates as a more pronounced accent.
 
If I hit two crashes, it’s probably because the song is over and it looks cool ;).
 
Two crashes. Ride and crash. Crash and hi hat. Hi hat and ride. Floor tom and crash. Snare and crash. Hi hat and floor tom. Snare and floor tom. Ride and Snare.

The possibilities are endless
 
You dont have to hit them both with the same force...or at the same place...you can tag the bell of one while doing a 'normal' crash of another...or scrape your stick over a cymbal with the other stick doing a quiet china cymbal voicing...or flam-ing 2 different cymbals...and on and on....

High sound velocity is the least interesting aspect of addressing more than one(or even one!) cymbal with both hands.

I get far more variety of cymbal sounds than the number of cymbals I have mounted.
 
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