Cymbals are an essential part of modern percussion. Usually round and made of some kind of metal, they complement the booming sound of drums with a percussive sizzle or a ringing crash. Almost every drum set has a pair of hi hats, and most add also some combination of crash, ride, splash and china cymbals. There are also cymbals for percussion, orchestral and marching band uses.

Zildjian, Paiste, Sabian, Istanbul and Meinl are some of the largest cymbal brands, and there are many other smaller cymbal manufacturers as well. The choice of what combination of cymbals to buy is unique to every drummer. Different forms of music and require different cymbal sounds, from light jazz to heavy metal. Choose the right cymbal for your particular style and sound. You can learn more about the tradition of Turkish cymbal making in this article.