Today we will talk about what a cymbal is. You will find a photo of this tool in our article. We are talking about a paired instrument, consisting of two, mainly iron or copper plates, which are mounted on a belt or cord. Often this term is used in the plural.
A cymbal is a tool with plates, the size of which ranges from 5 to 18 centimeters. In modern music, cymbals are sometimes referred to as plates. This tool is often confused with cymbals, although these are completely different concepts. In this case, you must be careful and not confuse it with the antique plates introduced by Hector Berlioz.
Myth mention
The cymbal is an instrument with a mysterious story. It is impossible to say for sure which culture or country it came from. The origin of the term can be attributed to Greek, Latin, German or English. However, an assumption can be made based on when and where the cymbal instrument was mentioned.
In ancient Greek culture, for example, it can most often be found in cults dedicated to Dionysus and Cybele. If you look closely at the sculptural compositions, frescoes and vases, you can see the cymbal in the hands of various mythical creatures or musicians serving Dionysus. In Rome, this phenomenon became widespread thanks to the percussion ensembles operating there.
Despite the created dissonance, the cymbal is mentioned not only by myths and legends, but also Church Slavonic laudatory psalms. Two types of cymbal come from Jewish culture.
Why confused with cymbals
A cymbal is a tool that is difficult to confuse with others externally. The differences between the concepts that interest us are obvious. One instrument has paired iron plates, and the other has a trapezoidal wooden deck with strings. By origin, the tools are also different. Presumably, the cymbal reached our days either from Rome or from Greece.
Cymbals are known on the territory of modern Belarus, Ukraine and Hungary. The same thing with both instruments is actually just the sound. Cymbals have strings, but are partially percussion.
The named old instruments have a sharp, relatively loud, ringing sound. Perhaps, therefore, some people easily confuse them. In the modern world, both tools are widespread in the Slavic countries, as well as beyond.
Today
A cymbal is a tool that has been used to accompany in temples to create a sound effect to this day. Its use in orchestras is not so common, while antique plates are becoming increasingly popular. These tools are very similar, but have some cardinally distinctive features.
Cymbals, unlike the cymbal, have a relatively high, gentle and clear ringing, it can be compared with the iridescent sound of crystal. Plates are located on special racks, up to five pieces on each. They play on plates with a thin metal stick. Moreover, the name of this tool comes from the second name of the cymbals, which are sometimes called plates.