Beckenkuppel: meaning and use in music

Beckenkuppel names the raised central dome or bell of a cymbal as the playing point; write the complete German headword in full.

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How is Beckenkuppel played?

Strike the raised section surrounding the centre hole rather than the cymbal’s bow or outer rim. On a Turkish-style suspended cymbal, a dome stroke is commonly made with a drumstick to obtain a more focused, bell-like sound, but the exact pitch focus, attack and sustain depend on the particular cymbal, implement, stroke and dynamic. Do not infer a crash, edge stroke, damping or one universal stick contact from the noun alone; follow all separately notated rhythm, articulation and resonance instructions.

How does Beckenkuppel sound?

A bright, focused, higher-pitched 'ping' with much less spread and shimmer than a normal cymbal stroke.

In context

The Beckenkuppel is the cymbal’s dome, bell or cup, a physical region rather than a separate instrument or a graphic sign. Musicca’s Bck., Beck. and Bkn. abbreviate Becken only and cannot be transferred to the longer headword Beckenkuppel. No exact textual candidate met the three-independent-source rule, so Beckenkuppel remains written out.

Music theory and score context

See also

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