4 ms·
This is part of the reason why you commonly see cymbal players in orchestras use an oblique motion for a crash rather than a head-on direct motion. Bringing tw
by nateburke 7y ago
This is part of the reason why you commonly see cymbal players in orchestras use an oblique motion for a crash rather than a head-on direct motion.
Bringing two symbols together directly along their axis of rotation risks getting them stuck together like suction cups--the crazy part is that even when holes are drilled to release the near vaccum between two stuck cymbals, they remain glued together by the forces described in this article.
- mrob 7y agoAre you sure that's not just the air pressure difference? Cymbals often have a shape with many concentric ripples, so you might need multiple holes to equalize the air pressure between each ripple. Wringing only works with extremely flat surfaces, and it works even in vacuum.
- defterGoose 7y agoYep, admit I was a little taken aback after the drilled holes explanation. This seems correct, as no practically priced cymbal could be so precisely made.
- emmelaich 7y agoI don't think they need to be precise; any reduction in the natural vibration can be detrimental to the sound. They never get "stuck" together, however, imnsho.
- defterGoose 7y agoYeah, I was saying that getting the surfaces to adhere sans vacuum seems unlikely for such an imprecise object
- cmroanirgo 7y agoI was wondering about (what I presume to be) this effect the other day with regard to things sticking to my bench top that I hadn't moved in a few weeks. One was a glass jar and the other a plastic lid. The bench is oiled hardwood. I was thinking that it seemed related to the two coefficients of friction (static vs moving). That is, the static part of friction could well be this phenomena on a less sticky scale. My thoughts led me to how it could be an electron transfer going on that bonded the two materials on some way... (This was all backyard conjecture of course) So, many thanks for this post: it shows how much better thought has gone into the problem.
- theOnliest 7y agoIt’s less the risk of them getting stuck together than it is the fact that they sound better if you don’t create that partial vacuum.