A Practical Guide to Buying Finger Cymbals - Finding Your Instrument
- Natalie Borg
- Jul 1
- 10 min read
Updated: Jul 18
By Natalie Borg - Dancing Cymbalist in Edinburgh
A guide to what to look for when buying finger cymbals for the first time or if adding to a collection and considerations during the buying process.
When purchasing finger cymbals it can be exciting to gain a new instrument, the beautiful brass or silver tones and all they promise for future practice, connections and performance.
Here are a few tips and considerations to think about, some may be obvious and others might not, but here are some of what I've encountered while adding to my personal collection.
2 slots or 1 hole
The first thing to check when buying cymbals is if they have one-hole (often considered traditional 'sagat' from Egypt or other countries) or two-slots (often considered as 'zills' from Turkey or USA): where you would thread the elastic to attach the cymbals to your hands.
Neither of these options is actually more 'traditional' than the other and I've bought Egyptian Sagat from Egyptian-makers with two slots and seen turkish zills with one hole.
Considerations on choosing one or the other might be: If you are a beginner you will probably find the 2 slot cymbals will give you more stability and control over the cymbals. If you are are further along on your cymbals journey you might enjoy the different sound techniques such as 'rsh' or multi-tonal playing which can be 'easier' to make on one-hole set of sagat.
Size of cymbals (measured in diameter) and also your Hand size
When considering the size of the cymbals you are buying: cymbals are usually measured in diameter (straight across the centre of the back of the cymbal) and can range from very small 5cm to large 12cm diameter for professional 'toura' cymbals that the musicians would use.
Do you have small, medium or large hands?
When I learnt piano up to university level it became very apparent to me that I had very small hands and a lot of the music I played had to be 'doctored' as my hand span wasn't big enough to physically play some of the chords. With cymbals your hand size should be taken into consideration. If you have large hands the very small size cymbals might feel incredibly frustrating for you to play. Whereas if you have small hands you will struggle to have control over some of the very large cymbals. It's good to take the time to really look at your own hands and decide what category you might fall into and how this might effect what cymbals will be the best fit for you.
Small size cymbals
I started first playing cymbals with a very small pair of cymbals which were 5cm in diameter which were 'Tinkerzills' by Saroyan. These lightweight and small cymbals gave me larger dexterity to pick up faster cymbals rhythm combinations faster when first starting out, which boosted my cymbal-playing confidence whilst I hadn't yet developed the hand-strength to play larger cymbals. This is great for mastering the two main foundational sounds on cymbals - the open
ring and the closed muted sounds. However small cymbals can be harder to play other sounds on such as 'tik' and 'tok' and 'clam shell' sounds which you will probably want to explore further on in your cymbal journey.
Photos above: Playing 'Tik' sound can be easier on large size cymbals - 1st pictures show 'Saroyan Tutankamun' with an easy T shape in the hand vs. the smaller sized 'Saroyan Silver Arabesque' where the hand has to curve more in tension in order to make the sound.
The smaller the diameter of the cymbals the quieter the sound as a general rule of thumb. So if you are planning to perform with these to a very loud amplified stage music or with live musicians your cymbals your sound is likely to get drowned out.
Small cymbals I enjoy include: saroyan tinkerzills or small grecian and vintage small one holed sagats.
Medium size cymbals
If you don't fancy starting with very small cymbals you can jump straight into using medium size cymbals. A lot of dancers might stick with a medium size cymbal for their whole dance journey. For medium size cymbals I really enjoyed the Nefertiti's by Saroyan and cymbals by Turquoise International.
Large/ Professional Size Cymbals
Large or professional size cymbals tend to range from 7cm to 8.5cm. These larger size cymbals will be loud enough to stand out while playing heavily amplified music sets in large performance settings or alongside live music. My current main pair of large cymbals I enjoy playing are Tutankamun in brass by Saroyan, but the Afghani's are also on my wish list. You can get large one-holed sagat by Siina Brand in Egypt in 7cm or 8.5cm which are lovely before they go to the biggest Toura sizes.
Professional Toura Cymbals
Professional toura cymbals are what the musicians play and start from 9cm up to 12cm in diameter and tend to be one holed. I have toura from 'DarbuckaCat' who sells for Gawharet El Fan which can be made with different designs.
Tones for different pitch sounds
Cymbals come in different pitches. A lot of dancers choose their cymbals on what pitch is most appealing to themselves - which is a good option to make you want to practice with them!
Silver metal cymbals will have a higher pitch tone than brass cymbals. Sometimes I find the silver tone pitches can sound 'too high' but it depends on the design. I prefer a brass ghawazee cymbal to the silver, but then I prefer a 'Silver Arabesque 2' to the brass version of the same! The Saroyan website thankfully has sound files so you can hear the tones before you buy, but as with anything else it's down to trial and error and the fun of experimentation to find your 'perfect' set.
Low-tone cymbals might be more enjoyable for solo practice (like the large Grecians) but might not sound right when playing with live musicians where a higher tone will sound better (prefer playing the Tutankamuns.) Again this is mostly based on personal preference and experimentation. If you aren't getting on with the tone of your cymbals though it might be worth trading for a different set, or have several for different situations.
Multi-tonal playing
The shape of the bell (concave part of the cymbal) effects the resonance of the cymbal - or how long the ring tone lasts. The more bulbous the bell shape the longer the ring tone will play. If you enjoy mainly playing with an open ring sound when dancing it might be better to go for a flatter bell shape so that the ring tone lasts a shorter amount of time. This means that when you play fast rhythms the pattern will still sound distinct rather than one ring tone bleeding into the next and causing a blur of sound.
For 'tik' and 'tok' and 'clam' sounds a larger size cymbal in your palm will make it easier to make these sounds whereas a small set of cymbals will be harder to manipulate into the correct position.
What your personal goals are (these may change over time)
It's worth checking in with yourself as to what your personal goals are with your finger cymbals and also realise that these goals may change over time.
Are you playing for yourself as a hobby - small lower-pitched cymbals will probably suffice if you are playing for yourself. Lower tones can be easier on the ear with frequent practicing. Buy the best pair your budget will allow with a pleasing tone that you will enjoy playing.
Wanting to perform for intimate hafla audiences - medium sized cymbals will have enough sound to be heard with background music at haflas.
working in restaurants - medium sized cymbals will suffice, you may want to include one cymbal performance as part of your set.
performing on large stages with amplified music - you will need a large set of cymbals for the sound to be heard
performing with other live musicians - you will need a large set of cymbals to be heard with the other musicians. Higher tones sound better with live music than lower tones.
playing as a cymbalist as part of percussion section - ideally playing the larger toura that the professional musicians play.
Whatever your personal goals are for playing the cymbals these may affect your budget you want to set and what type of cymbals you want to buy.
Pros and cons of buying new cymbals
Peace of Mind and Quality
When buying new cymbals you have the peace of mind of buying from a reputable dealer and know that you will receive a great quality instrument. It is worth investing in the best set of cymbals that your budget will allow as you will be inspired to play them and will love them.
Shipping costs can be high
The downside to buying from the reputable dealers is that the cost of shipping has become so high when buying from outside that country, that you really need to take this into account with your budget when shipping can be between £45-70 alone.
Sound Choices
Websites like the Saroyan website have soundbites so you can hear the different tones of the cymbals and choose one which is appealing to your own ear.
Pros and cons of buying secondhand cymbals
You can get some great bargains buying secondhand cymbals from bellydance secondhand groups on facebook, or from sites like ebay or vinted or etsy.
Bargains to be found and low shipping costs
The bonus of buying secondhand is that you often don't have to pay the increasing postage costs to ship in from other countries. The cost of the cymbals will often be lower as they are considered second-hand although in most instances they will be as good as new, or just needing a very good polish(!) It pays to nerd out on different cymbals designs by the top brands and I've been very lucky to get several sets of Saroyan cymbals secondhand from memorising the designs, even when they weren't advertised for sale as Saroyans.
Are there a full set advertised? A full set of cymbals is 4 individual cymbals. Often times only 2 cymbals might be advertised or 3 where one has gone missing. Its rare to see but I have even seen 1 solo finger cymbal advertised for $40(!)
Does the photo match the description? I have to admit I got had by this one on ebay. The photo showed some amazing vintage cymbals from the renowned Egyptian music shop 'Gawharet El fan' (see below left) and I was taken in and didn't check the description properly...."the item might not completely match the photo" and was sent some low grade cymbals which I wouldn't play (see below right.) The purchase hurt my pride and my wallet in this instance(!) so I left a photo review to hopefully warn any future buyers.
Photo of what was ordered and what was received - disappointing
Metal Quality? I have bought two sets of cymbals previously that have the same design (see photo) but if you look at back rim of the cymbals you can see that one has the lines where it has come straight of a machine and on the other you can see where the brass has been hammered to a soft, shiny edge.
You can hear the quality difference due to the metal content between these two cymbals; which other than that have the same design. So look for a smooth metal rim on the back of the cymbals as it can be a sign to the quality of the metal used.
Same design but the top and bottom cymbal are actually from two different sets. You can see when looking at the back of the cymbal that the top set has slightly better metal quality as the rim of the cymbal has been hammered smooth while they've not bothered on the cymbal below as the metal alloy was not as good. I would avoid buying cymbals where you can see the circular lines in the rim as above.
Fakes vs. the real brands
There has been an increase in copies of the popular brands designs in the cymbal market. I've seen some indian manjira cymbals advertised on Ebay as Saroyans for over $70 (they weren't!) as they just happened to have a saroyan booklet with them. The Nefertiti design by Saroyan has been copied as well - see Sahira's video blog on this over on You Tube. The Oriental cymbal designs by Turquoise International also have a lot of copied fakes on the market. Check with the website of the original manufacturer for comparison before buying.
Feeling
When you buy a musical instrument you enter into a unique relationship with it. It transcends the tactile feeling of the instrument itself and becomes an emotional, spiritual and intellectual link, that becomes deeper with each practice session that you do with it. It's important then to think about how you 'feel' about the instrument. Does it excite you to own and want to play it? Do you respect it as an ancient instrument with a rich history or view it as just a prop? Are you ready to engage with this item which will become a creative extension of yourself? What ways can you make practice feel like self-care or an exciting experiment in sound?
I hope this article has given you some help on considerations when buying cymbals. As always do what's right for you and your own dance journey and have fun finding your way with finger cymbals.
Copyright 2026 Natalie Borg - Dancing Cymbalist in Edinburgh
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