Crash Cymbal
Etymology and Alternative Spellings
Construction
History
Technique
A crash cymbal is a type of cymbal that produces a loud, sharp "crash" and is used mainly for occasional accents. Crash cymbal are often used in bands and orchestras, either played with a drumstick or rolled with a pair of mallets to produce a slower, swelling crash. Sometimes a drummer may hit two different crash cymbals in a kit at the same time to produce a very loud accent, usually in rock music.