Drums make excellent resonating chambers. I like to place small cymbals, Gongs, objects on top of the drums, playing them by striking, scraping, rubbing & bowing

Here are some small Cup Chimes played atop a snare drum.

Another view of the Cup Chimes

A small Chines Opera Gong on the snare. Note that I am muting & releasing

the Gong with my hand. There are also small Chau & Thai Gongs on the toms.

The track below is Small Gestures, from a live performance. It features a

small Opera Gong played on the snare drum, plus lots of other percussive sounds.

Guess them all and win a prize!

A Paiste Mega Cup Chime played on a floor tom. Note the bent mallet shaft

in the left hand as I am pushing the mallet down to change the pitch of the drum.

I like to lay Chinese cymbals on my drums and play them. The photo below shows 2 Chinese cymbals on a floor tom. This is great because the cymbals also rub/clang against each other. I can also mute them with one hand, while playing them with the other.

The track below is Chaos Theory, from my CD, Stars Show The Way. It is 2 China cymbals played atop a gong bass drum.

Here are more Gongs and cymbals on the tom.

Here’s a video featuring a Chinese cymbal played on top of a floor tom. This was recorded in Toronto at the Now Lounge on july 23, 2006.

Photo, Patterns, © 2008 Michael Bettine. All other photos © 2002 & 2008 Michael Bettine

All sound examples, © 2002 Michael Bettine