14 October 2026

Flat Ride Cymbals: Almost No Wash, Not Just Jazz

Flat Ride Cymbals: Almost No Wash, Not Just Jazz

Flat Ride Cymbals: Almost No Wash, Not Just Jazz

Drummer playing a flat ride cymbal

A flat ride is a bell-less ride cymbal that gives you very dry, tight stick definition with almost no wash. It lets you play detailed, dynamic patterns without crowding the band, which makes it a smart pick for low-to-moderate volume playing. Common sizes are 18 and 20 inches, though larger sizes like 22 inches exist, and the way a maker hammers and lathes the metal affects its sound.

TL;DR:

  • An 18 inch model responds quickly with a brighter attack and less low end, making it a fit for small kits or quiet rooms.
  • A 20 inch model balances stick definition and body, while a 22 inch model lowers pitch and adds a little more overtone wash.
  • Thinner cymbals bloom sooner; heavier ones sharpen attack and shorten sustain, while hammering and lathing affect decay, so audition the cymbal in your playing room.
  • Flats work beyond jazz in rock, post punk, and hip hop, but their lower mix level may require close miking or added gain on loud stages.
  • Play lightly and vary stick placement: edge strikes add body, while center hits create a drier tick; use controlled dynamics for light crashes.
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Table of Contents

What is a flat ride and where did it come from?

A flat ride is a ride cymbal with no bell. The cymbal’s profile runs flat from center to edge, so there is no raised dome to ring out with a bright overtone. Strike it anywhere and you hear the stick, a short pitch and a very controlled bloom, rather than a ping layered over a cloud of sustain.

The design dates to 1967, when Paiste developed it in collaboration with jazz drummer Joe Morello. Common sizes today are 18 and 20 inches, though 22 inch versions exist as well.

What does that mean at the kit? Expect a quieter, drier ride than any bell-equipped model. You lose the bell as an accent voice, but you gain clarity. If you want a cymbal that says exactly what your hands play and nothing extra, this is the form factor built for it.

How do hammering and lathing shape the sound?

Two manufacturing steps do most of the work: hammering and lathing. Research shows that hammering changes a cymbal’s vibration characteristics by creating plastic deformation and residual stresses in the metal. Those stresses shift the frequency response, and with it the sustain and the balance of overtones.

A separate vibration analysis of cymbal damping found that hammering alters modal frequencies and sound radiation efficiency, and that hammering patterns and lathing noticeably change how the cymbal damps itself. In plain terms, a heavily worked cymbal tends to fade differently than a lightly worked one, even at the same size and weight.

Cymbal maker hammering a flat ride

The missing bell matters too. Without a dome, there is less metal tuned to ring at a high, singing frequency, so less overtone energy competes with your stick attack. The result is a clearer “tick” at the front of every note. When you audition flats, listen for how quickly the sound settles. That decay tells you more about the maker’s choices than the label does.

How do size and weight change pitch and wash?

Size is your first big decision, and it behaves predictably.

An 18" flat responds quickly, with a brighter attack and less low end. It speaks fast and gets out of the way, which suits small kits and quiet rooms.

A 20" flat is the common compromise. You get clear stick definition with more body underneath, which is why it is the size many drummers reach for first.

At 22" and larger, the pitch drops and a touch more overtone creeps in. You may hear a subtle wash that the smaller sizes lack, and it adds a broader, more spacious feel.

Flat ride sizes compared by pitch and wash

Weight works alongside size. Thinner cymbals open up and bloom sooner, while heavier ones sharpen the attack and shorten the sustain. Think about how the cymbal will sit against your snare and toms: a low, heavy flat can blend into the drums, while a thin one floats above them. For more on choosing, see our guide to ride cymbal sizes.

Which playing techniques bring out a flat ride’s best qualities?

A flat ride rewards restraint. Hit it hard and it gets loud, but it never blooms the way a bell-equipped ride does, so your touch and phrasing carry the music.

  • Use a light touch and a controlled rebound, and loosen your grip slightly so the cymbal can sing without turning washy.
  • Lean on paradiddle-based and syncopated sticking to build rise and fall into your phrasing.
  • Move the stick around the surface: edge hits add body, while strikes nearer the center give a drier tick.
  • Try pairing the flat with your snare in alternating patterns, or set up two flats for tonal contrast.
  • Practice paradiddle variations at low volume, then drills that swell from very quiet to moderately loud and back again.

Pro Tip: Record yourself playing the same pattern at three stick heights. The flat ride will show you instantly where your dynamics are uneven.

If you struggle to hear the difference between a clean ping and a cloudy wash, this short guide on telling ping from wash helps train your ear.

Which genres and musical roles suit a flat ride?

Jazz is the classic home. The clarity and low wash let solos breathe, and the band hears every note you play. But the cymbal is not limited to that label. Drummer Paul Wertico notes that flat rides also work effectively in rock, post-punk and hip-hop, where a tight ride sound lets you play intense patterns without excessive wash.

Here is how the roles break down:

  • Main ride: Best for jazz, quiet rock and acoustic sets where definition matters more than shimmer.
  • Secondary ride: A clean rhythmic voice next to a standard ride, handy in rock and indie when a song needs a tight, driving pulse.
  • Studio texture: In hip-hop and modern production, a flat gives you a ride sound that loops and samples well, with very little bleed into other mics.

Volume is the trade-off to plan for. Flats sit lower in the mix, so a loud stage may need a closer mic or extra gain.

What practical tips cover choosing, mounting, miking and light crashing?

Work through this checklist before you commit.

  1. Choose by ear: Decide on pitch, how much attack versus body you want, the size, and how the cymbal blends with your snare and toms. Audition it in the room where you play.
  2. Mount with care: Use felts and sleeves so the cymbal does not choke, and leave enough freedom for the stick to articulate. Our piece on cymbal resonance control covers how to manage wash with mounting.
  3. Mic close: Place a cardioid near the edge to capture stick definition. A distant mic brings in room wash and undoes what the flat gives you. A dedicated drum mic such as the AKG P17 kit suits this kind of close placement.
  4. Crash lightly: Use the tip or shank of the stick near the edge, and keep dynamics controlled so the sustain does not smear.
  5. Fix volume at the source: In a live setting, close-mic the cymbal or bring up the gain if it disappears in the mix.

Pro Tip: Mic the flat slightly above the edge, not over the surface, so you catch the attack without picking up too much of the snare.

Why you might add a flat ride to your toolbox

My advice is simple: audition flats in context, not in isolation. A cymbal that sounds perfect alone in a shop can vanish in a band, or sit beautifully where you never expected it. Try an 18", a 20" and a 22" if you can, and notice how each one changes the way you phrase.

At Temple of Sound we distribute Alchemist Cymbals and London Drumstick Co. in the UK, so we spend our days around handcrafted cymbals and the drummers who choose them. That daily contact is why I push people to experiment with mounting and mic placement, using the setups described above, before deciding a cymbal is wrong for them. Small changes in felts, height and mic distance often matter more than the label on the cymbal.

— Will

FAQ

Why do you need to hammer a cymbal?

Hammering shapes how the metal vibrates. Research shows it creates residual stresses that change frequency response and sustain, which lets a maker tune the tone, pitch and decay of each cymbal.

What is the best flat ride size?

There is no single best size, because it depends on your kit and music. A 20" is the common compromise, offering clear stick definition with some body. Choose 18" for a quicker, brighter response or 22" for a lower pitch and slightly more wash.

What are ride cymbals?

Ride cymbals are the larger cymbals used to keep steady time, usually with the stick tip. Most have a bell for accents. A flat ride drops the bell for a drier, tighter sound.

Can you use a flat ride outside jazz?

Yes. Flat rides work in rock, post-punk and hip-hop as secondary or main rides, wherever you want clarity and controlled wash. They also record cleanly in the studio because they bleed little into other mics.

Sources

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