Thread: Is a zill a zill a zill?

I have CT iin my hands and zilling will probably be trouble with heavier zills. How can I figure out how to get lighter weight zills and not sacrifice tone? Is a zill a zill? What are the differences? Or should I just zill until I'm tired and then just hold them?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

on the Saroyan site, for each zill set you can listen to the sound, and the weight and size are indicated..
Saroyan Mastercrafts

Here's my take: I don't think that heavier and bigger is always better when it comes to zills. My favorite zills are small and therefore not too heavy even thought they are relatively thick, and people have often commented very positively on their sound. I like how they balance in my hands, too. Some people love the Grecian zills from Saroyan, which are rather light and large - there is no single one hard and fast rule.

If you have a chance to try out different zills, go for that! People's hands are different, which one may also consider - I have big and wide hands, other people have more small and dainty hands. I bought and sold quite a few sets, especially early in my zill days, before I found the sets that seem to play themselves. And, yeah, practice helps a lot ;-)

I think tone is more important than weight.

Anything by Saroyan is going to sound nicer than the typical student zill or some of the crap sold on e-bay. Turquoise also makes zills with nice tone, including small ones.

I use different zills for different things. I use my big, heavy zills mainly for teaching, where they need to be heard over the crowd. I suppose I would use them for an outdoor event, too, or in a big hall where the music is very loud.

I have a pair of tiny, tinkly 'tinkerzills' that I love to use with more delicate pieces of music, too. Do the other dancers make fun of me? Hmmmm.. I don't know. But I love them!

If you buy Saroyan or Turquoise you can't go wrong, IMO. Zildjian is another highly esteemed musical company, but I've been under the impression they mostly make heavy one-holed zills that might be more challenging to play?

BTW, Saroyan Nefertiti zills seem like a good compromise -- they're full-size but not very heavy.

Zildjian is another highly esteemed musical company, but I've been under the impression they mostly make heavy one-holed zills that might be more challenging to play?
WRONG !!!!!!
2 slots , and a real instrument.i can get more tones out of them than any other zill.i have been playing zills since 1971.
we started with 1 hole zills, because that is all there was.
we never take our off, so the muscles build.

Welcome To Drum World-Shop online for drum equipment-Shopping Cart and Secure Transactions
type ZILDPO77O into search box.$35.95
in fresno, a local drum store stocks them for us.i have seen them priced from $65.00 ,to a set at the guitar center $17.00.
we wear them during arm warm up, it acts like a wrist weight.you can get the most mutted stacatto edge click, the the greatest steeple bell ring.from tinkelling fairy bells, to out and out hairyballs loud, demanding !
they are an instrument not a prop..(i got a little irritated when zills are listed as a prop)

Originally Posted by nadyasidhe

IHow can I figure out how to get lighter weight zills and not sacrifice tone?

Ooh, sorry about the CT! That's no fun. You won't want to push yourself too much on the zills till that gets better.

I don't think lighter weight necessarily means inferior tone. If you give a listen on the Saroyan site, it turns out that when a style comes in a choice of lighter gauge vs. heavier gauge, the lighter ones are always a lower (and to me more pleasant) tone. I think zill preferences are really personal -- it just depends on your ear and your tolerance for different pitches.

In situations where they don't have to be super-loud, I really like the light gauge "Contemporary" style, which is designed to produce a more mellow tone. Those are my favorite for class, practice, and small rooms. Nefertitis are a good compromise as Lauren mentioned. I also like the light-gauge Arabesques and find them easy to play. I have some minizills that are fun to play and very, very lightweight, but they are quite high-pitched and bug me if I play them a lot. My favorite sound comes from the bell-like Saroyan Pros, but they are relatively heavy and I had to put them away for a while when I had tendinitis.

I actually really like one-hole zills because they don't have that long, high-pitched after-ring that goes on and on. Unfortunately since double slots came into vogue it seems like most new single hole zills available to buy are poor quality. I have a vintage set that I just love.
BUT - back to the subject of light weight: I also have a set of the Saroyan Grecians and unless one has tiny hands, I would highly recommend these. Low stress to play, very nice sound.
Rosette

I think it depends on your goal. I have a heavy set that I use for practice. They help me by buiding strength and stamina in my hands and arms....

I use a lighter set when performing...

Regarding the Zildjian finger cymbals, they come in both single holed and double slotted. The singled holed finger cymbals is a musician's style (likely to be added to a drummer's "kit"). The double slotted finger cymbals is a dancer's style. My first Zildjian's were a pair of musician's finger cymbals. I loved how they sounded but they were not very useful for me. My husband, on the other hand, was delighted to add them to his drum kit. ..l;,

Is your CT in both sides, or is it just in your dominant side? If it is only in your dominant side, the best thing you can do (IMO) is learn how to mouse on your non-dominant side. I started developing CT in my right hand/wrist a few years back (surgery might have been likely), but my husband convinced me to try switching my mousing hand. (It certainly wasn't easy at first, but I didn't give up on it.) Now I mouse left handed like I was left handed (and can take notes at the same time). My right wrist hasn't bothered me once since then (it took a huge pressure off). Also, it really freaks people out to try to use my computer (keeps most of them off of it). The couple of people who've taken my advice on this have come back and thanked me profusely. This one thing can make a huge difference.

Originally Posted by zamora

Zildjian is another highly esteemed musical company, but I've been under the impression they mostly make heavy one-holed zills that might be more challenging to play?
WRONG !!!!!!
2 slots , and a real instrument.i can get more tones out of them than any other zill.i have been playing zills since 1971.
we started with 1 hole zills, because that is all there was.
we never take our off, so the muscles build.

I have a set of one-slot Zildjians, and they have the most beautiful sound. I do think they are a little harder to play while you are learning how to handle them, but it's worth it to make the extra effort. Not good zills for somebody with carpal tunnel, though, as they are heavy

When it comes to an in-depth, geek-out discussion of everything one ever wanted to know about zills, and then some, I would recommend the book "The Dancing Cymbalist". The author has done a very thorough job in categorizing sound quality and factors that impact it, including shape, weight and # of holes. The book always makes my head spin, in a good way.

Originally Posted by Rosette

I also have a set of the Saroyan Grecians and unless one has tiny hands, I would highly recommend these. Low stress to play, very nice sound.
Rosette

Oh no! I hope it heals quickly.

I second the recommendation for Saroyan Grecians.

you guys made me think, once again !
perhaps starting with single holes back then, made a strong musician.they are harder to play, but if it is all you know, you learn (like veil w/zills on)
i have a set of PASTE from switzerland, single holed.i love them!
z

Slightly OT - but if you are dancing with a group and doing group zill work, try to get the same zills! Mine are WAY out of tune with the others in my troupe and although they are beautiful when I play them alone, they sound horrible when I play with anyone else.

I bet people here can tell me: is it my imagination that my zills sound weird when they are really cold?

elljay, that can happen with live music too
nothing worse than clashing keys!

The CT is quite old, like 15 yrs old (no surgery), but anything repetitious and forceful will set it off pretty easily, and I already drive in wind (shrug, sets it off) and type frequently.

To TediThomas, I use touchpads, and the CT is worse in the dominant hand, but is still there in the non-dom. Touchpads rock; folks will avoid your keyboard w/those, too, lol

Thanks for so many responses! Very cool!

I have very small hands, and often dance in a small space, so I needed zills that weren't too heavy or loud, and I wanted an antique-y sound. So I use a Saroyan Mini Zill and a Turkish Delight on each hand. It creates a nice tone, and are so light I barely notice them! Maybe that would help you!

I feel for you with the CT - a friend of my just had both wrists operated on. No fun at all! =(