My cymbals are cracked. I have tried drilling, but the crack continued right through the hole. I have Pulse cymbals.

I also have a serious problem with breaking sticks and I don't know why. I just got a pair of 5B's yesterday and one already broke. I have tried playing softer, lowering my toms, angling my cymbals differently...

I need help...

Well yeah that IS a problem. Our drummer hits everything hard, and I mean HARD, and he can last months with his sticks.

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Don't bother trying to save Pulse cymbals... The only purpose Pulse cymbals have are to give you something to bang on until you have the money to get rid of them completely. They are made in very shitty quality and they are almost made to break on you. You really need to replace your cymbals even if it's with something cheap. All cymbal companies have cheaper low end series that sound decent.

Breaking sticks isn't all about how hard you play with your sticks, it's about where you strike your cymbals. Correcting this will also improve the life your cymbals give. You have to strike cymbals with the shaft of the stick(or the tip) at a downward motion. It's also important to glance "off" of the cymbal, do not play "into" the cymbals. In other words, hit a cymbal like you're trying to get its natural sound out of it, not like you're beating the sound out of it. Watch some videos of your favorite drummers and observe how they hit their cymbals. They're going to have the technique down well because no drummer wants to be breaking cymbals and sticks while on tour especially.

Breaking a pair of sticks after one day just means there was a manufacturing problem, or just bad wood. Shitty pairs of sticks happen! Before every pair of sticks you buy, examine the wood grains and make sure there's no knots or uneven lines in the wood. Also, test them out and make sure they feel right, even if you hit them on the floor a few times. Out of almost 10+years playing drums, I've only cracked one cymbal and i've broken maybe 2 pairs of sticks. Some of that may be luck, but you will definitely see better results if you change up your playing. Remember to play off of your cymbals, not into them.

I also completely forgot to add, don't over-tighten your cymbals on the stands! If you have them on there tight, the vibrations will be choked and you'll be stressing the metal. They sound way better if they can move about freely anyways.

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Well there is your problem. If you are poor you should go with something like zildijian zbt series, those are pretty thick. later when you have better control move to sabian AA series.

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Upgrading/replacing cymbals has nothing to do with control. Getting AA series also has everything to do with what kind of sound you're going for, not control...

Thicker cymbals have a tendency to break more than thin cymbals. While Thicker cymbals may be louder, Thinner cymbals tend to 'give' when you strike them; they are more resilient to hits and can bend a bit.

Don't listen to D&Q.

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well yes it does, if you have shitty technique you dont want good cymbals until you know what you are doing.
Different series have different feel to them and effects how you hit them.

cheap as shit pulse cymbals are probably sheet metal and most likely pretty easy to break.

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Cymbals are for sound. If you buy cymbals for how they feel, you are a dumbass. Having a bad technique is a sacrifice you have to take when going for the sound you want. You buy a cymbal, and then you learn how to play it. You don't buy cymbals based on how you play.

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Thanks, guys.
I'll take your advice for sticks and as soon as I have money, I'll replace my cymbals. Just one question: How the fuck did you only break 2 pairs in 10 years??? Is that even possible??!?!?!!?!??!?!!

Well for one, I don't really break sticks on the spot. Eventually the tip and taper wears away or becomes too dented and maybe cracks. Chances are you are using shitty sticks bought in bulk and hitting too hard and hitting the rims too much.

I'm not saying to buy cymbals just for the feel, but how a cymbal plays is almost as important as the sound, for example if you play with a lot of fast blast beats you don't want to waste energy hitting harder on a thicker cymbal to get a "full" sound out of it.

I'm pretty sure the excrementor is going to find another way to tell me I'm wrong, don't listen to me, and that I'm a dumbass.

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keep it nice children

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I dont actually use bulk bought sticks. I use Vic Firth 5A's. I usually only have like 2-3 pairs at a time. I do hit rims a lot, but my toms are weird and I can't tilt them any closer or further away.

I keep my cymbals pretty loose on the stands, but tight enough that they don't move all over the place.

Excuse the double post, but I figured out my main problem. I tend to hit through the cymbals instead of glancing off. I do it mainly with the crash and hi-hat, and the ride if I'm playing too hard. I figured this out today when testing some new sticks. (Which are still intact )

I'm taking a brief drumming hiatus while I get the money to buy a new set (I'm currently looking at a Tama Superstar Hyperdrive) some new cymbals (I'm not sure what kind, need some recommendations) and stuff. Hopefully I can get some soon and begin playing again. Until then, I'm trying to form a band and hopefully mooch off of someone else's set until I get mine.

Well that's good that you figured out your problem. Just remember to practice it whenever you start playing again! Whatever cymbals you are going for depends on what sounds you're going for. The best way to pick out a cymbal is to head to your local shop and test out every one they have. You can even shop/browse at www.cymbalsonly.com and listen to homemade recordings of the actual cymbal you're looking at.

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