Concert/Orchestral Cymbals

Firmly hold strap between pointer finger and thumb. Do not place hand through straps, grip outside for quick cymbal changes.
Learn to turn wrist over ending with thumb on top, similar to turning a key in the car door.

Always strike cymbals together so one edge strikes the other first. Thus, a "Flam" sound is achieved when the bottom (or top) edges meet before the opposite side. This will avoid an 'airlock'. When playing a cymbal crash, visualize two circles moving in opposite directions.

Make sure that you start with the cymbal edges closely together for soft crashes. For loud crashes, start farther apart. Remember, the louder the crash, the bigger the motion.