Here is some info I coppied from the West Coast Drums website
The cymbal's edge is the thinnest and most delicate part so how you strike it and at which angle is very important. It is generally best to angle the cymbal at a downward position so you will be able to hit it with a glancing blow. You can also strike the cymbal using a pull back stroke technique (see fig. 14 a & b), which avoids undue shock and stress to the cymbal. Hitting the cymbal dead on in a mounted position (see photo 3), will cause unnecessary stress and breakage. This stress does not allow the cymbal to vibrate correctly, and often a player will tend to overplay the cymbal because of incorrect angles and heights.
Sometimes drummers prefer mounting their cymbals all flat, usually for visual effect. If you choose to do this, we suggest you mount your cymbals low enough to strike them with glancing blows. This will make them last a long time while achieving the look you want.
Remember to choose the right cymbal for the situation. An example of a poor choice would be a small, light cymbal for Heavy Metal music. Overplaying a cymbal will not give you more sound, it will only cause the cymbal to break before its time. Overplaying also makes you work harder than necessary. Spend time getting familiar with your cymbals and their dynamic ranges. The more you know about them, the better you will play them.
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