Playing Closed Hi-Hats

FifthHorseman

Junior Member
I am relatively new to drumming and have been struggling a little playing closed hats. When I have the pedal pressed down there is a VERY fine line between closed "just right" and too much (where the cymbals just clang instead of ring). I spend more time focused on the pressure applied by my left foot then I do focusing on other aspects of the song I'm trying to play. Am I missing something in the set-up or is this normal? I watch other drummers play and it seems as though when they open the hats and go back to closed they still have the perfect chick sound each time (without variation). Is it possible to just put full pressure down and still have that slight separation?

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Is it possible to just put full pressure down and still have that slight separation?

"Full pressure?" Ultimately, no. Full pressure, by very definition, would entail keeping those hats closed nice and tight.

Of course, it is entirely possible to control the amount of pressure your foot applies to the footboard which in turn controls the amount of "tight chick" through to "loose slosh" that you get from your hats. Developing that sort of control is what practising your hi hat foot work is all about.

Enjoy your musical journey.......from really open......to tightly closed!!:)
 
"Full pressure?" Ultimately, no. Full pressure, by very definition, would entail keeping those hats closed nice and tight.

Of course, it is entirely possible to control the amount of pressure your foot applies to the footboard which in turn controls the amount of "tight chick" through to "loose slosh" that you get from your hats. Developing that sort of control is what practising your hi hat foot work is all about.

Enjoy your musical journey.......from really open......to tightly closed!!:)

Absolutely. It's just something you need to work at. You don't have to just sit there and practice applying the right amount of pressure, but just be mindful of it while you are playing, and it should naturally come around with time.
 
I does require some finesse for sure. I've found that keeping my heel down and just resting my foot with a given amount of weight on it helps to get a consistent slosh. I'm not a fan of suddenly open accents within a sloshy pattern as it kills the flow--how do you "close" the hats right back to the established level of slosh? It just doesn't quite fit with what I'm looking for. My open hi hat accents are generally book-ended by completely closed hats.

I do quite often use a pair of X-hats (hats that just sit there) at a pre-determined level of sloshiness. Thos are off to my right near the ride cymbal. They allow me to have perfectly consistent slosh and leaves the main hi hats available for open/close accents. Fun!
 
Foot pressure is not the only crucial element for a given hat sound, also use the tilter on the hat stand (it gives an angle to the bottom hat cymbal) to give that nice closing sound, how you hit it with the stick is also very important.

I have two hats, one "normal" on the left and one permanently closed (x-hat) on the right, but I can adjust the x-hat to the desired sound and also get sound variations by striking it with different stick angles.
 
The hi-hat is probably the most rewarding part of the drum kit. You can play a song straight with the snare and bass drum, and add some spice on the hi-hats, and make a song sound totally different. Hi-hats are the heart beat of the drum kit, and should never be neglected. It really chaps me when I see metal drummers close their hats and turn them around so the hi-hat pedal isn't the in the way of their precious double pedal.

There are a lot of settings, even on most lower level hi-hat pedals. Near the bass of the shaft, there should be a gear you can turn - this will adjust the pedal tension. Mine has three settings. I use the most loose. You should also adjust the clutch accordingly. Take the time and make sure the tension and the clutch are exactly where you're comfortable, or as you said, you'll focus on your foot keeping pressure more than the music, and that's never good.
 
I remember worrying about this at one time. Now I dont even think about it anymore. It will become a natural part of you rplaying at some point. The key is to find the sounds you like and focus on getting those sounds out of the hats. At some point it will become second nature to you.
 
This will become better with experience. However, I'd check and adjust your hihat pedal tension. It sounds like it may be too tense. You shouldn't really have press with too much effort to get your hi hat closed and stay closed. With you left leg in a relaxed position, your hi hat should already be pretty closed. At least that's how mine is set up.
 
with time you develop a feel for how open you want them. In some songs, I start tight and kind of follow the crescendo leading into the chorus and loosen my foot just the right amount to allow the sound Im looking for. Years ago I didn't have the feel to do it. Check the tension as was said also.
 
The hi-hat is probably the most rewarding part of the drum kit. You can play a song straight with the snare and bass drum, and add some spice on the hi-hats, and make a song sound totally different. Hi-hats are the heart beat of the drum kit, and should never be neglected. It really chaps me when I see metal drummers close their hats and turn them around so the hi-hat pedal isn't the in the way of their precious double pedal.

There are a lot of settings, even on most lower level hi-hat pedals. Near the bass of the shaft, there should be a gear you can turn - this will adjust the pedal tension. Mine has three settings. I use the most loose. You should also adjust the clutch accordingly. Take the time and make sure the tension and the clutch are exactly where you're comfortable, or as you said, you'll focus on your foot keeping pressure more than the music, and that's never good.

Great observations and advice. Good use of the hats will add so much finesse to the music.

Don't think you have to keep the hats at the same pressure all the time. I pump my left heel up and down all the time, usually quarter or eighth notes, while I play the hats with one or two hands. When I move to the ride, I move my foot up and down and keep time that way. It adds texture to the music and opens up a whole new area of possibilities.

As I have said before: The left foot and hihat are the drum kit of the drum kit. They do for the drum kit, what the drum kit does for the rest of the band: Temporal anchoring, steady pulse, consistent reference.
 
Thanks for all the advice! Several very valuable pointers that I hadn't considered! Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something simple and turns out I wasn't...... just need to keep up the practice! Thanks eveybody!
 
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