Thanks, Timothy... I've been looking forward to you doing something on hi-hats, and look forward to future posts. I currently have 5 pair of hi-hats, I just find them such a fun and expressive part of the kit. I might even look at you crafting me a pair of 15" in the New Year. Cheers.
Wonderful video! Hi hats are so underappreciated. They can literally speak for themselves. I use different weights and styles for different venues. This is one area where, "one size fits all" does not apply. Your playing at 2:30 is exactly the sound that I like. When not playing the "2 and 4" I lift my heel on these), the hi hats really help a waltz on the "2 and 3" (I leave my heel down and press gently on the toes) or on the "1" (heavier on the toes on "1"). Even without sticks or brushes on the hi hats, they should stand out, "just enough". When there is a break in the song, the couples on the dance floor still need something to guide them. Playing with brushes and wood tip sticks, gently or aggressively, can give the hi hats many different personalities. Don't forget the acoustics in the room (fabric, carpet, hard floors and walls, etc.) and the size of the room and ceilings. Everything affects what you hear which is not necessarily what the audience hears. Thank you! You obviously have a lot of experience and knowledge for you young age. I'm 74 years old and I'm still learning. Keep up the good work!
It's true! I hope to make more videos like this in the future! Also, thanks! Many years ago I fancied myself a musician so maybe some of that is still hanging around... haha
My piano playing friend of over 60 years still refers to drummers as being, "the guys who hang out with the musicians". It's a friendly joke and he is responsible for my being exposed to so many wonderful jazz musicians over the decades. His favorite motto is, "Less is More!". Because of him I tried to be more like Papa Jo Jones or Joe Morello than Buddy Rich. We are still playing and laughing. Someone asked us one time, if we grew up together and our response in unison was, "Grew up? We've never grown up. We just got old together. We never intended to grow up!"@@ReverieDrumCo
Thanks! I have noticed what you said about me liking a sound behind the kit, that later might not work at the gig. I’ve also found that for the pop, rock gigs I do I need a heavy, thick bottom hi hat. And the top hi hat can be pretty thin. I’ve also tried thin top and thin bottom, and when I hear back recordings from those gigs I can’t hear the hi hats. :-)
Gotta tell ya, Tim . . . I'm drinking up your knowledge. Sometime in the (hopefully) near future I'll do some business with you. Your knowledge of cymbals is expert. I have yet to view any of your videos on your various drums. I'll start paying attention. BTW - I'm mighty curious about how much time you spend in your shop? You're always 'at-it', I assume. I'm curious because my father and his brothers and their father spent a hell of a lot of time in the shop as tool & die makers. When he got home from work, the . . . . . um, ''fragrance'' of the shop was with him; even with his sweat. I spent time there, and it hit me - I'm not a shop guy. Thanks Tim.
Thank you! Currently, I spend about 10hrs a day in the shop and another 2-3 on the computer doing admin stuff. It keeps me super busy! (also yes, my wife likes to comment on how bad I smell after a long day... haha)
One thing possibly worth mentioning re: a top hihat is the amount of curve to the bow. I haven't measured this, but I've heard that top hihat cymbals are generally more akin to ride cymbals than crashes in this regard, which makes sense. I haven't reworked hat cymbals very much at all so I may not know what I'm talking about here, but in the case of a top cymbal that I felt like lightening up on the lathe but was afraid of losing the stiffness required for stick definition/foot sound, my first-pass, naive approach would be to check for changes in its profile frequently.
That's a good observation. Both my top and bottom hats are structured much more like rides than crashes. This gives them the strength they need so I can make them thin.
Fuck yeah Amigo, been hoping for a hats video. I’d love another maybe covering sizes? Great chops to boot! I’ve been rocking 16s myself 1100g on the top and 850g on the bottom. It’s like playing a slurpee! Super stank and trashy just like me😂
Hey Amigo, follow up on this video, how does the profile of the cymbal effect the hi hats? EI is there an advantage to a really flat profile verses really high? Or versy visa?
I've been experimenting quite a bit with different combinations as of late. Thought I'd found THE pair until I noticed how little they projected. I ended up going back to hats with a bit more heft. It's all a balancing game haha What do you think of flat hats? Not just flat bottoms but also tops
I'm currently designing a set of flat hats, but in order for them to fit on a hihat stand they'd have to be really tall and triangle-shaped. So much so they wouldn't sound too good. That, plus they need a bell on at least one cymbal so they can project enough. The flat hats I'm making are very soft and mellow.
Very interesting take on the weight of the hihat cymbals, thanks! Do you think it would be possible to have a medium weight hihat cymbal that can function as bottom under a light top and also as top on a heavy bottom? Than one could play the light/medium set for practice and low volume gigs and the medium/heavy set when more projection is needed...
Great tips for hat selection and cymbals in general! I noticed that some hi-hat pairs have a bigger interval of pitch between the top & bottom cymbal than other pairs. Is it better to have a bigger interval between the top & bottom cymbals, or is a smaller interval better? Perhaps it's just a matter of personal preference, but I noticed that in the funk genre drummers tend to play a lot of hi-hat accents & quick barks. This seems to be highlighted when the top & bottom cymbals are further apart pitch wise. Just my thoughts, I welcome any comments or info that you may have, thanks! PS Those are beautiful sounding hats for sure!! 💯
Tim, have you been able to figure out what causes the pitch-bending effect in hi-hats, when they are closed with varying foot pressure? It's something that really annoys me and I try to avoid in a pair. I'm wondering if it's due to if there is a thinner band of alloy in either cymbal, between the bell and edge. I notice Paistes, esp. ones with heavier bottoms, tend to be pretty good for not pitch bending (and being some of the most awesome hats in general); my Dark Energy hats barely have any discernable bending. Thanks
To me, that's entirely a weight issue. If one or both of the cymbals are too thin, it won't have a solid chick sound and will be a little hollow/pitch-bendy.
What you said about the sound behind the kit vs the sound for the listener is very valuable. Always looking forward to your videos!
Glad to hear it!
Thanks, Timothy... I've been looking forward to you doing something on hi-hats, and look forward to future posts. I currently have 5 pair of hi-hats, I just find them such a fun and expressive part of the kit. I might even look at you crafting me a pair of 15" in the New Year. Cheers.
Thanks! Feel free to reach out if you want to chat about hats - tim@reveriedrums.com
Mu favorite hats ive everbokayed are from Tim. They are pretty thin, so i use them on most gigs, not all. But they sre absolutely beautiful!!
Wonderful video! Hi hats are so underappreciated. They can literally speak for themselves. I use different weights and styles for different venues. This is one area where, "one size fits all" does not apply.
Your playing at 2:30 is exactly the sound that I like. When not playing the "2 and 4" I lift my heel on these), the hi hats really help a waltz on the "2 and 3" (I leave my heel down and press gently on the toes) or on the "1" (heavier on the toes on "1").
Even without sticks or brushes on the hi hats, they should stand out, "just enough". When there is a break in the song, the couples on the dance floor still need something to guide them.
Playing with brushes and wood tip sticks, gently or aggressively, can give the hi hats many different personalities.
Don't forget the acoustics in the room (fabric, carpet, hard floors and walls, etc.) and the size of the room and ceilings. Everything affects what you hear which is not necessarily what the audience hears.
Thank you! You obviously have a lot of experience and knowledge for you young age. I'm 74 years old and I'm still learning. Keep up the good work!
It's true! I hope to make more videos like this in the future!
Also, thanks! Many years ago I fancied myself a musician so maybe some of that is still hanging around... haha
My piano playing friend of over 60 years still refers to drummers as being, "the guys who hang out with the musicians". It's a friendly joke and he is responsible for my being exposed to so many wonderful jazz musicians over the decades. His favorite motto is, "Less is More!". Because of him I tried to be more like Papa Jo Jones or Joe Morello than Buddy Rich. We are still playing and laughing. Someone asked us one time, if we grew up together and our response in unison was, "Grew up? We've never grown up. We just got old together. We never intended to grow up!"@@ReverieDrumCo
Thanks! I have noticed what you said about me liking a sound behind the kit, that later might not work at the gig. I’ve also found that for the pop, rock gigs I do I need a heavy, thick bottom hi hat. And the top hi hat can be pretty thin. I’ve also tried thin top and thin bottom, and when I hear back recordings from those gigs I can’t hear the hi hats. :-)
Very good video on hi-hats🔥🔥🔥
Thanks!
Those hats sound really good.
Gotta tell ya, Tim . . . I'm drinking up your knowledge. Sometime in the (hopefully) near future I'll do some business with you. Your knowledge of cymbals is expert. I have yet to view any of your videos on your various drums. I'll start paying attention. BTW - I'm mighty curious about how much time you spend in your shop? You're always 'at-it', I assume. I'm curious because my father and his brothers and their father spent a hell of a lot of time in the shop as tool & die makers. When he got home from work, the . . . . . um, ''fragrance'' of the shop was with him; even with his sweat. I spent time there, and it hit me - I'm not a shop guy. Thanks Tim.
Thank you! Currently, I spend about 10hrs a day in the shop and another 2-3 on the computer doing admin stuff. It keeps me super busy! (also yes, my wife likes to comment on how bad I smell after a long day... haha)
One thing possibly worth mentioning re: a top hihat is the amount of curve to the bow. I haven't measured this, but I've heard that top hihat cymbals are generally more akin to ride cymbals than crashes in this regard, which makes sense. I haven't reworked hat cymbals very much at all so I may not know what I'm talking about here, but in the case of a top cymbal that I felt like lightening up on the lathe but was afraid of losing the stiffness required for stick definition/foot sound, my first-pass, naive approach would be to check for changes in its profile frequently.
That's a good observation. Both my top and bottom hats are structured much more like rides than crashes. This gives them the strength they need so I can make them thin.
Fuck yeah Amigo, been hoping for a hats video. I’d love another maybe covering sizes? Great chops to boot! I’ve been rocking 16s myself 1100g on the top and 850g on the bottom. It’s like playing a slurpee! Super stank and trashy just like me😂
Hey Amigo, follow up on this video, how does the profile of the cymbal effect the hi hats? EI is there an advantage to a really flat profile verses really high? Or versy visa?
Love the vids as always my friend! Hope you and the fam are well!!
Thanks Aaron! You too!
I've been experimenting quite a bit with different combinations as of late. Thought I'd found THE pair until I noticed how little they projected. I ended up going back to hats with a bit more heft. It's all a balancing game haha
What do you think of flat hats? Not just flat bottoms but also tops
I'm currently designing a set of flat hats, but in order for them to fit on a hihat stand they'd have to be really tall and triangle-shaped. So much so they wouldn't sound too good. That, plus they need a bell on at least one cymbal so they can project enough. The flat hats I'm making are very soft and mellow.
Yeah, can imagine. I'm really curious to hear your take on them!
Very interesting take on the weight of the hihat cymbals, thanks! Do you think it would be possible to have a medium weight hihat cymbal that can function as bottom under a light top and also as top on a heavy bottom? Than one could play the light/medium set for practice and low volume gigs and the medium/heavy set when more projection is needed...
Yeah! I've made some sets for people like that. It's a really functional way of getting some hats that can cover a lot of ground.
Great tips for hat selection and cymbals in general! I noticed that some hi-hat pairs have a bigger interval of pitch between the top & bottom cymbal than other pairs. Is it better to have a bigger interval between the top & bottom cymbals, or is a smaller interval better? Perhaps it's just a matter of personal preference, but I noticed that in the funk genre drummers tend to play a lot of hi-hat accents & quick barks. This seems to be highlighted when the top & bottom cymbals are further apart pitch wise. Just my thoughts, I welcome any comments or info that you may have, thanks! PS Those are beautiful sounding hats for sure!! 💯
It’s definitely a preference, but in general a bigger pitch difference means a heavier bottom. That gives you volume, clarity, and “bark”.
@@ReverieDrumCo Thanks Timothy!
Were your hi-hats with wide weight difference between top & bottom the Bosphorus "Hammer"?
Yep!
Tim, have you been able to figure out what causes the pitch-bending effect in hi-hats, when they are closed with varying foot pressure? It's something that really annoys me and I try to avoid in a pair. I'm wondering if it's due to if there is a thinner band of alloy in either cymbal, between the bell and edge. I notice Paistes, esp. ones with heavier bottoms, tend to be pretty good for not pitch bending (and being some of the most awesome hats in general); my Dark Energy hats barely have any discernable bending. Thanks
To me, that's entirely a weight issue. If one or both of the cymbals are too thin, it won't have a solid chick sound and will be a little hollow/pitch-bendy.
Apologies if i missed it but what are the weights of these hats?
1:00 he mentions the weight
@@davidcalingasan8131 thanks! clearly went in one ear and out the other