Gigantic aartis along the Ganges, which are revered by Hindus all over the world, are incomplete without large cymbals.

[citation needed] The Shahnameh (circa 977 and 1010 CE) mentions the use of cymbals at least 14 times in its text, most in the context of creating a loud din in war, to frighten the enemy or to celebrate.

Originally in the ceremony, two pieces of stone were beaten on the sides of the mourner with special movements accompanied by a lamentation song.

Their unique timbre allows them to project even against a full orchestra and through the heaviest of orchestrations and enhance articulation and nearly any dynamic.

Cymbals have been utilized historically to suggest frenzy, fury or bacchanalian revels, as seen in the Venus music in Wagner's Tannhäuser, Grieg's Peer Gynt suite,[9] and Osmin's aria "O wie will ich triumphieren" from Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail.

9, the percussionist is employed to first play cymbals pianissimo, adding a touch of colour rather than loud crash.

), secco (dry), or equivalent indications on the score; more usually, the percussionist must judge when to damp based on the written duration of a crash and the context in which it occurs.

Crash cymbals have traditionally been accompanied by the bass drum playing an identical part.

This combination, played loudly, is an effective way to accentuate a note since it contributes to both very low and very high-frequency ranges and provides a satisfying "crash-bang-wallop".

This came from the common practice of having one percussionist play using one cymbal mounted to the shell of the bass drum.

The percussionist would crash the cymbals with the left hand and use a mallet to strike the bass drum with the right.

This method is nowadays often employed in pit orchestras and called for specifically by composers who desire a certain effect.

The first known instance of using a sponge-headed mallet on a cymbal is the final chord of Hector Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique.

Suspended cymbals can produce bright and slicing tones when forcefully struck, and give an eerie transparent "windy" sound when played quietly.

A tremolo, or roll (played with two mallets alternately striking on opposing sides of the cymbal) can build in volume from almost inaudible to an overwhelming climax in a satisfyingly smooth manner (as in Humperdinck's Mother Goose Suite).

Other methods of playing include scraping a coin or triangle beater rapidly across the ridges on the top of the cymbal, giving a "zing" sound (as some percussionists do in the fourth movement of Dvořák's Symphony No.

Other effects that can be used include drawing a bass bow across the edge of the cymbal for a sound like squealing car brakes.