Bee Gee's Night Fever hi-hat question

F

FrontierGibberish

Senior Member
I am learning Night Fever by the Bee Gee's cuz I like the groove. I hated disco when I was a kid but as an adult I like the four on the floor groove and cool hi hat stuff featured in Night Fever, and many other disco tunes. On to my question -

At the beginning of the song and then throughout the song, there is a hi hat pattern that is:

1 & 2 & a 3 & 4 & a

The & of 1 and 3 is played with an open hi hat. I watched a few drum covers of the song ans saw guys playing this hi hat part with two hands and some guys playing it with one hand. Is there a preferred way to play this? I can handle it with one hand, When I tried to play it with two hands I fell all over myself. I can play two-handed hi hat patterns but I am used to all the notes being 16th notes - if that even makes sense. Yeah confused new guy.

Thanks in advance -

MM

P.S. Ignore my signature since the technique question was posed by me :) or come to Kansas and kick me in the...
 
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FrontierGibberish said:
I am learning Night Fever by the Bee Gee's cuz I like the groove. I hated disco when I was a kid but as an adult I like the four on the floor groove and cool hi hat stuff featured in Night Fever, and many other disco tunes. On to my question -

At the beginning of the song and then throughout the song, there is a hi hat pattern that is:

1 & 2 & a 3 & 4 & a

The & of 1 and 3 is played with an open hi hat. I watched a few drum covers of the song ans saw guys playing this hi hat part with two hands and some guys playing it with one hand. Is there a preferred way to play this? I can handle it with one hand, When I tried to play it with two hands I fell all over myself. I can play two-handed hi hat patterns but I am used to all the notes being 16th notes - if that even makes sense. Yeah confused new guy.

Thanks in advance -

MM

P.S. Ignore my signature since the technique question was posed by me :) or come to Kansas and kick me in the...
Click to expand...

If you were doing straight 16th notes, the count would be:

1e&a 2e&a 3e&a 4e&a

So for me, in order to get the "a" on two and 4, I'd just keep the right hand constant eighths, 1& 2& 3& 4&, and add in the "a" with my left hand right before each downbeat.
 
alparrott said:
If you were doing straight 16th notes, the count would be:

1e&a 2e&a 3e&a 4e&a

So for me, in order to get the "a" on two and 4, I'd just keep the right hand constant eighths, 1& 2& 3& 4&, and add in the "a" with my left hand right before each downbeat.
Click to expand...

Thanks Al - I will give that a shot.
 
The hat is pretty straight, with the disco open on the choruses. There is a gentle hip-hoppy vibe, in the timing is as you described - 1 & 2 &(a) 3 & 4 &(a) - but I'd leave it to the guitar scratchin'. If you really feel the need to do it, make it subtle. If there's a perceptible shuffle happening, it's too much.

I played it it straight back in the day (1977) and it worked great leaving the rhythms to the guitar.

Under no circumstances should it be straight 16ths! That's the KC & Sunshine Band vibe, and absolutely won't work on Night Fever!

Bermuda
 
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bermuda said:
Under no circumstances should it be straight 16ths! That's the KC & Sunshine Band vibe, and absolutely won't work on Night Fever!

Bermuda
Click to expand...

I wrote out the straight-16th notation to clarify that the "e" is being left out... no KC here.

Alternately, ghost the "a" on the snare...? That can lift a straight disco-style money beat into the funkisphere.
 
Thanks Al and Bermuda (ha not the first time that has been written or said I bet!) -

Appreciate the tips and advice. Hope to post a video within the next few (or more) days.

MM
 
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