Great lesson on hi-hats, Stephen! I loved how you explained the sound of the hats by looking at their height, the angle of the stick, and where the foot is positioned. Those small details really matter and aren't talked about enough for people learning the drums. Thanks for the valuable info!
Stephen, it has more to do with a shoulder to tip rocking motion than the angle of the hats or hands. You're not wrong, but you have to get that rocking up down motion on the hihat going. Practice that feel of shoulder on the downbeats and the tip on the upbeats. Even when moving to faster sixteenths it's still that rocking swing. Takes time to get this an auto pilot, but it will come.
Another great video lesson, Stephen. As I'm learning to play, I notice so much more of the hi hat playing I hear on records and I'm fascinated by them. I've decided that I really want to get good on the hats and this lesson is a big help with that.
I saw this and thought 'wow, let me try that.' I went to my kit and realized 'I'm already doing that' lol. I'm self taught also and I suppose I just started doing it naturally sometime in the past. Great tips though. I'm glad you make these videos to help less experienced drummers progress quicker. Kudos!
Granted, digging into the open hat notes can give them a great voice, bark, scoop, whatever you might call it depending on their tone etc, but I would not say that a "wimpy" (pianissimo) open note is only applicable to bossa nova situations because, well, just read that again - no velocity is to be limited to any one specific beat or style - obviously dynamic playing may call for that sound for myriad reasons, especially given how fluid improvistational music can be. But yeah, this method for hi hat speed and control is one I learned from John Muzzy back when I started in the 80s, and it was one taught me very early on and I am forever grateful.
I just wanted to say - this was an excellent lesson! It's one of the things I've had to figure out the hard way for myself, and no one has ever mentioned it before (until now). Hi-hat height, angle of attack and where you strike and with what dynamics are crucial when it comes to playing with speed on the hi-hat. I'm sure some people just stumble upon this naturally, but for the rest of us who have struggled with this for years - it's vital information that can't be overstated!!
I"m multi instrument and engineer so I discovered the hit hats less hard recording myself. Still a sort of advanced beginner, this is great information to apply at the next public jam.
Thanks - as always! I either learn new things or review and polish what I (think I) already know when I watch your videos. You have a great instructional "style' as well, btw.
I’m sure I’ve been playing longer than you’ve been alive. lol but I always pick up new tips and looking to better my playing. As for hats. Level placement/height is something I try to be aware of. Yes of course the way you attack the hats with your sticks as you mentioned makes a big difference. I head the great Todd Sucherman say, think of it like cutting into a big juicy steak, the way you carve into that steak is a way to think of how you play the hats. Especially those 16th notes, which you were describing. Also a side note: Kinda funny. What you describe as hi-hat cymbal “bark” I’ve always called “spits” Not saying mine is right and yours is wrong, I’ve never heard it called bark before. lol And I can’t honestly tell you where I first heard the term “spits” before. Good lesson. Keep up the good work!
Reminds of driving the truck somewhat -- You got the high-hat pedal function like the clutch where too heavy or light a foot will vary your sound or affect your transmission adversely by riding or popping the clutch. And there a right-hand moving between shifting through an eight-pattern and then a transfer up to a higher gear range while also steering and adjusting radio and cab-ambience controls, gesturing, and sometimes servicing a coffee - the right hand must do a lot drumming or driving and too heavy a hand at the wrong time can result in a disaster. Yes, it is a fine drum lesson, Stephen Clark, and thank you for that.
That's what i have always done, I thought i was wrong. Your video encourages me to persist. When speed increases, I add a kind of open-close finger/wrist motion. It is hard to describe and even to play slowly, but it became naturel to me at higher speeds. Sorry for my english...
I will definitely incorporate better stick placement into my playing. I also found default pedal tension to make a difference. It's always different between drummers and I swap out with another drummer at my church. I always loosen the clutch, lift my toes slightly above rest and retighten the clutch. That way, my resting foot provides a good hihat tension. For most closed playing.
Good video ! I've been studying and obsessed with the hi hat and all the great "Hi Hatists" for many years now. Bernard Purdie, James Gadson, Buddy, Max Roach, Stewart Copeland. It's an incredible instrument and lifelong study. Keep that top hat loose so its not choked. Tilt the bottom hat for a great sound. Leave a good gap in between the cymbals. "Stay loose" so your grooves dont sound forced/mechanical. Experiment with different stands. They dont all function/feel/sound the same. Go see as many great drummers in person as you can and the ones you can't on video. Listen to the tunes that made em famous. Be a "lifelong student" ! 🥁
The song "I Can't Quit You Baby" by Led Zeppelin is a great example of when to use a tight high hat sound. It has a very slow blues rock feel, and the vocals are not screaming, so you have to be careful with your dynamics. Bonzo uses a lot of quiet triplet snare fills a couple times using open hats, and plays around with the kick, as he always does. As the vocals and the feel increase, so do the drums.
I’m not about speed anymore. After 40 years of playing, I’m more into placement, economy and space. The power comes in what’s not played sometimes. I think there is too much overplaying going on. Just sayin’.
Yes but that’s not what he’s talking about. Jeff Pocaro is a master at playing what a song needs. I completely agree that economy is as, if not more important than speed: Charlie, Simon, Ringo, on and on. However, conversely you got Neil, Kieth, etc. ya know?
Totally agree, @bobblatzer. Some of these young cats seem to be trying to annihilate their drum set in an MMA cage match. If you want to be a great band member, listen, find the pocket and try to be tasteful with each note.
Too many drummers obsessed with blast beats! Its so overdone!! Some of the pedals almost make it too easy. To me it sounds OK here & there with a burst fill. And maybe its because my camco pedal broke! But when I give lessons that's ALL kids wanna learn. I tell em learn to groove first!
I used to literally adjust my hat height song to song depending on what it needed. But lil off subject & sounds weird. But a fast 16th notes pattern like 'everlong' i find it easier to do paradiddles so it's my left hand on the snare still. I don't do it with all 16th notes patterns like that,but alot. I think i started it from having a pitching injury in my right shoulder.
I see you play your cymbals with the shank of your stick, (or dog is chewing stick) if you see technical and fast players are using the tip of the stick (that's why sticks are made with a actual tip on a tapered end and not the same diameter from end to end) if you watch a stick on slow motion cameras it actually is flexing. this flexing will bounce the stick off of the cymbal and give you a quick recovery for the next hit.
Great video. I would suggest al interested watch Alex Van Halen the Cafe Wha? video of Hot For Teacher. Trap Kit set up but he is whipping through the hi hat via rebound technique. Very worthwhile to watch. Cheers!
Lowering the high hats makes me have more control with stick placement & being tall sitting with little more than 90 degrees on my right leg..gives more power n drive to my kick drumming
Ok its aggressive snare sound you like that shotgun crack off the snare. Thats whats shredding your sticks? Some call it rim shot not to be mistaken with cross stick
See what happens when you limit yourself to less than 60 seconds to delivery the same info. Re-shoot in portrait view so it will qualify to be a short ; )
I used to chop my sticks to pieces and realized lowering the hi hats saved them. I take some foil and wrap it around my little finger creating a deep narrow bowl and I put some glue in there and dip my tips in there to coat them and they last much much longer. If one starts to chip I put another coat on them
Not trying to be a jerk, but in your demos, the e's and a's are significantly quieter. A casual listener might miss them. When I think in particular of Tom Sawyer, every hit in the 16ths sounds identical. All these techniques to make it more effortless seem to lose that. I suspect Neil just powered through.
That's how it should be. The downbeat is the strongest, And is second strongest, E is third, and A is the weakest. That pattern gets applied to beats 1 through 4 also. Beat 1 strongest, next 3, then 2 then 4 is the weakest. This is something that applies to every type of western music.
@@jankington216 There are no rules for how things should be except for what the music needs. If the music sounds better with all the notes at the same volume, then that is how you should play.
Tom Sawyer is an exception. Usually it sounds better and is more effortless to have an accent pattern like that. Neil purposefully played with "bad" technique to get all the hi-hats to sound identical on that song, which is why he considered it his hardest song.
Tight hats can give you more speed on the high-hats because when the hats are really tight, you can get better rebound off of them. Other than that, I agree that a little "sssss" when you hit the high-hats is nice!!!🫡👍🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I like how you’re constantly refining your technique, plus your excitement is contagious.
Great lesson on hi-hats, Stephen! I loved how you explained the sound of the hats by looking at their height, the angle of the stick, and where the foot is positioned. Those small details really matter and aren't talked about enough for people learning the drums. Thanks for the valuable info!
Stephen, it has more to do with a shoulder to tip rocking motion than the angle of the hats or hands. You're not wrong, but you have to get that rocking up down motion on the hihat going. Practice that feel of shoulder on the downbeats and the tip on the upbeats. Even when moving to faster sixteenths it's still that rocking swing. Takes time to get this an auto pilot, but it will come.
Another great video lesson, Stephen. As I'm learning to play, I notice so much more of the hi hat playing I hear on records and I'm fascinated by them. I've decided that I really want to get good on the hats and this lesson is a big help with that.
It's so hard to hear hi hats sometimes though on recordings! I suspect it's cause they don't mic a hi hat usually which still blows my mind
Same here, word for word, as Mike already said above (Drummer in my old band was a Mike 😉) ... hihat is definitely a wily beast to master 🥁🤟😎
This was the most impactful tip I ever extracted from a YT Drumming video. Instant application and improvment. Thanks sir!
I saw this and thought 'wow, let me try that.' I went to my kit and realized 'I'm already doing that' lol. I'm self taught also and I suppose I just started doing it naturally sometime
in the past. Great tips though. I'm glad you make these videos to help less experienced drummers progress quicker. Kudos!
Me too!
Granted, digging into the open hat notes can give them a great voice, bark, scoop, whatever you might call it depending on their tone etc, but I would not say that a "wimpy" (pianissimo) open note is only applicable to bossa nova situations because, well, just read that again - no velocity is to be limited to any one specific beat or style - obviously dynamic playing may call for that sound for myriad reasons, especially given how fluid improvistational music can be. But yeah, this method for hi hat speed and control is one I learned from John Muzzy back when I started in the 80s, and it was one taught me very early on and I am forever grateful.
I just wanted to say - this was an excellent lesson! It's one of the things I've had to figure out the hard way for myself, and no one has ever mentioned it before (until now). Hi-hat height, angle of attack and where you strike and with what dynamics are crucial when it comes to playing with speed on the hi-hat. I'm sure some people just stumble upon this naturally, but for the rest of us who have struggled with this for years - it's vital information that can't be overstated!!
I"m multi instrument and engineer so I discovered the hit hats less hard recording myself. Still a sort of advanced beginner, this is great information to apply at the next public jam.
Hi Stephen, you are a very good person. Many thanks for your passion to share your knowledge with us.
Thanks - as always! I either learn new things or review and polish what I (think I) already know when I watch your videos. You have a great instructional "style' as well, btw.
I’m sure I’ve been playing longer than you’ve been alive. lol but I always pick up new tips and looking to better my playing.
As for hats. Level placement/height is something I try to be aware of. Yes of course the way you attack the hats with your sticks as you mentioned makes a big difference.
I head the great Todd Sucherman say, think of it like cutting into a big juicy steak, the way you carve into that steak is a way to think of how you play the hats. Especially those 16th notes, which you were describing.
Also a side note:
Kinda funny. What you describe as hi-hat cymbal “bark” I’ve always called “spits” Not saying mine is right and yours is wrong, I’ve never heard it called bark before. lol
And I can’t honestly tell you where I first heard the term “spits” before.
Good lesson. Keep up the good work!
This is a gem.... very useful to this beginner here.
Reminds of driving the truck somewhat -- You got the high-hat pedal function like the clutch where too heavy or light a foot will vary your sound or affect your transmission adversely by riding or popping the clutch. And there a right-hand moving between shifting through an eight-pattern and then a transfer up to a higher gear range while also steering and adjusting radio and cab-ambience controls, gesturing, and sometimes servicing a coffee - the right hand must do a lot drumming or driving and too heavy a hand at the wrong time can result in a disaster. Yes, it is a fine drum lesson, Stephen Clark, and thank you for that.
Thanks AGAIN Stephen. Another lesson that I needed so much. Really appreciate your videos.
That's what i have always done, I thought i was wrong. Your video encourages me to persist. When speed increases, I add a kind of open-close finger/wrist motion. It is hard to describe and even to play slowly, but it became naturel to me at higher speeds. Sorry for my english...
Lovely explanation. Like the slippers, too!
Stephen, excellent lesson. Needed that. Thank you.
I will definitely incorporate better stick placement into my playing. I also found default pedal tension to make a difference. It's always different between drummers and I swap out with another drummer at my church. I always loosen the clutch, lift my toes slightly above rest and retighten the clutch. That way, my resting foot provides a good hihat tension. For most closed playing.
Great video! Always helpful and well-done! Thanks!
Thanks for your time and energy and good ideas
Good video ! I've been studying and obsessed with the hi hat and all the great "Hi Hatists" for many years now. Bernard Purdie, James Gadson, Buddy, Max Roach, Stewart Copeland. It's an incredible instrument and lifelong study. Keep that top hat loose so its not choked. Tilt the bottom hat for a great sound. Leave a good gap in between the cymbals. "Stay loose" so your grooves dont sound forced/mechanical. Experiment with different stands. They dont all function/feel/sound the same. Go see as many great drummers in person as you can and the ones you can't on video. Listen to the tunes that made em famous. Be a "lifelong student" ! 🥁
The song "I Can't Quit You Baby" by Led Zeppelin is a great example of when to use a tight high hat sound.
It has a very slow blues rock feel, and the vocals are not screaming, so you have to be careful with your dynamics. Bonzo uses a lot of quiet triplet snare fills a couple times using open hats, and plays around with the kick, as he always does. As the vocals and the feel increase, so do the drums.
I’m not about speed anymore. After 40 years of playing, I’m more into placement, economy and space. The power comes in what’s not played sometimes. I think there is too much overplaying going on. Just sayin’.
Half of it are the notes or rests that aren’t being played, I feel..
Yes but that’s not what he’s talking about. Jeff Pocaro is a master at playing what a song needs. I completely agree that economy is as, if not more important than speed: Charlie, Simon, Ringo, on and on. However, conversely you got Neil, Kieth, etc. ya know?
Totally agree, @bobblatzer. Some of these young cats seem to be trying to annihilate their drum set in an MMA cage match. If you want to be a great band member, listen, find the pocket and try to be tasteful with each note.
Too many drummers obsessed with blast beats! Its so overdone!! Some of the pedals almost make it too easy. To me it sounds OK here & there with a burst fill. And maybe its because my camco pedal broke! But when I give lessons that's ALL kids wanna learn. I tell em learn to groove first!
Yes a lot of Thomas Lang types,who treat drumming like Karate, have no legacy of being part of any music ,anyone wants to hear.
Good lesson but what did you do to that stick? 😊
many thx from Slovakia to you dude...
Getting a remote high hat so I could separate pedal placement from hat positioning made the positions for both perfect.
Great info to refresh a 70 yr old veteran drummers chops.tome to come back up to speed.
Love your lessons! 👏👏👏👏👏
That's a great lesson! Thanks.
Great content. You have a great attitude as well.Thank you.
Great lesson!!
Great instruction. Thank you very much
Note length, love it
I used to literally adjust my hat height song to song depending on what it needed. But lil off subject & sounds weird. But a fast 16th notes pattern like 'everlong' i find it easier to do paradiddles so it's my left hand on the snare still. I don't do it with all 16th notes patterns like that,but alot. I think i started it from having a pitching injury in my right shoulder.
Thanks! This is really helpful. ❤️
Thank you!
Now we need a video on how to play ride as fast as possible!
I see you play your cymbals with the shank of your stick, (or dog is chewing stick) if you see technical and fast players are using the tip of the stick (that's why sticks are made with a actual tip on a tapered end and not the same diameter from end to end) if you watch a stick on slow motion cameras it actually is flexing. this flexing will bounce the stick off of the cymbal and give you a quick recovery for the next hit.
Whta about how open the cymbals are from each other?
Amazing lesson
I am new to the channel. What is on the top of your snare?
great lesson
I play open handed and I´m looking for years for the right adjustment of the hihat-stand to play fast, but I stocked at 185-190 bpm...
This is great advice and I’m wondering if it also applies to EKits?
Why not?
There’s only one way to find out. I’ll try it on my Roland kit and will let you know
Great video. I would suggest al interested watch Alex Van Halen the Cafe Wha? video of Hot For Teacher. Trap Kit set up but he is whipping through the hi hat via rebound technique. Very worthwhile to watch. Cheers!
What is the thing of beads on the head of your snare?
gold, thank you.
Lowering the high hats makes me have more control with stick placement & being tall sitting with little more than 90 degrees on my right leg..gives more power n drive to my kick drumming
N.. both great tips I picked up from you!
THE hihat MASTER is the drummer in New Model Army. Listen to "Impurity" as an example.
Guys a great teacher, but more waffle than a Texas Waffle stop❤
Why does your stick look so fuzzy?
Ok its aggressive snare sound you like that shotgun crack off the snare. Thats whats shredding your sticks?
Some call it rim shot not to be mistaken with cross stick
The best hi hat player EVER; was Buddy Rich!
why is your wooden stick producing hairs that are not supposed to be on that part? you are a great magician
...I wish I HAD KNOWN as a beginner.
5:27 That's what she said.
I admit it. My open hi-hat is whippy . 😂.
See what happens when you limit yourself to less than 60 seconds to delivery the same info. Re-shoot in portrait view so it will qualify to be a short ; )
i raised my hihat bc i would wack my knuckles w it lower.
Is your hihat cymbals offset doing that to your sticks? Or is is a pen knfe😂
I’m crazy
Poof. Mind. Blown.
Increasing the gap between bottom and top to about an inch... now where did i hear that ;-).
You need some new sticks brother…..or a piece of sand paper.
I used to chop my sticks to pieces and realized lowering the hi hats saved them. I take some foil and wrap it around my little finger creating a deep narrow bowl and I put some glue in there and dip my tips in there to coat them and they last much much longer. If one starts to chip I put another coat on them
I broke many a tip learning to play Use Me
Get to the point. Distill your language to the minimum necessary. Thank you
Get straight to the point! Wasted first 3 minutes just babbling.
I'm a 60 year old woman and these technique can be harmful to me. This is focused for man
Not trying to be a jerk, but in your demos, the e's and a's are significantly quieter. A casual listener might miss them. When I think in particular of Tom Sawyer, every hit in the 16ths sounds identical. All these techniques to make it more effortless seem to lose that. I suspect Neil just powered through.
That's how it should be. The downbeat is the strongest, And is second strongest, E is third, and A is the weakest. That pattern gets applied to beats 1 through 4 also. Beat 1 strongest, next 3, then 2 then 4 is the weakest. This is something that applies to every type of western music.
That's assuming none of the notes are accented
If every stroke is the same, isn’t that just mimicking a drum machine?
@@jankington216 There are no rules for how things should be except for what the music needs. If the music sounds better with all the notes at the same volume, then that is how you should play.
Tom Sawyer is an exception. Usually it sounds better and is more effortless to have an accent pattern like that. Neil purposefully played with "bad" technique to get all the hi-hats to sound identical on that song, which is why he considered it his hardest song.
Tight hats can give you more speed on the high-hats because when the hats are really tight, you can get better rebound off of them. Other than that, I agree that a little "sssss" when you hit the high-hats is nice!!!🫡👍🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼