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The Art Of Cymbal Making, Marcus Gazaway

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of my research paper was to study, analyze and compare cymbal-making processes by popular and independent cymbal manufacturers to understand the individual elements that make cymbals sound the way they do. I researched the history of cymbals, their alloy construct, their physical sound design, and their frequency output.

My investigation of individual cymbals began with understanding how each cymbal was made, what it consisted of, and how those factors applied to the sound the cymbal made when a drumstick struck it. I measured the frequency output of five different cymbals by recording each cymbal as it was struck …