Comping using hi hat

A

Abhishek_K

Junior Member
Hi everyone,

I'm just getting into jazz drumming and have started working on some jazz standards. I started playing through this version of Blue Monk and was blown away by Art Blakey's playing, especially him comping using the hi hat. I've mostly been working on hi hat on 2 and 4 but this sounded really musical to me. Any ideas on how I can approach it or build the independence?

As an aside, any links to the a solo transcription that he plays at the end?

Thanks!
 
I love that record. I think it's actually Max Roach on that track. You can hear that not all the hihat stuff is not fully worked out-- it's a little rough.

I would start with single 8th notes-- from whatever book you use for your snare drum comping rhythms. And quarter note triplets, starting on 1 and on 2. If you have Jack Dejohnette's book, there's a whole lot of stuff.

Independence is the same as anything else-- know what the combined rhythm of the cymbal beat + comping rhythm is supposed to be, and make sure you're playing it accurately. You might also start by playing the hihat rhythm with both feet in unison-- bass drum and hihat together. Splashing the hihat, and playing it as a short sound.
 
toddbishop said:
I love that record. I think it's actually Max Roach on that track. You can hear that not all the hihat stuff is not fully worked out-- it's a little rough.
Click to expand...

It is definetely Art Blakey, there are several of his liks here, and I agree that this track is "a little rough", hahah.

Yes Blakey was one the first who used some hihat independence, but was Roy Haynes who opened up really the thing, follow by Elvin, Tony and Jack Dejohnette who took it to the limit.

To develop this the same as to develop the rest, lot of study and transcribe the liks to be familiar with the languaje and what is efective to start.

Having a drum teacher well versed in this music and players is a must if you intend to arrive fast (shortcut), or else hardly get to master this...
 
If you're into the technical side of things, use your left foot in the place of your left hand on the triplets section of Chapins' independence book. Just take the quarter note triplets and play them with the hats while playing the ride. Hard at first; easier as you practice.
 
Abhishek_K said:
Hi everyone,

I'm just getting into jazz drumming and have started working on some jazz standards. I started playing through this version of Blue Monk and was blown away by Art Blakey's playing, especially him comping using the hi hat. I've mostly been working on hi hat on 2 and 4 but this sounded really musical to me. Any ideas on how I can approach it or build the independence?

As an aside, any links to the a solo transcription that he plays at the end?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Cool that you are branching out and listening/playing along with these! This is awesome to do and there are MANY recordings you can explore to do this with. The list is endless...

In terms of trying to answer your question, approaching/building the independence, there are several different options. You can go as far as you wish with these, but essentially there's no substitute for practicing independence to develop the control needed to be able to play any limb where you wish in the context of the music. There really are no short cuts.

Some of the more popular / common ones include (not limited to):

* The entire library of John Riley - Art of Bop Drumming, Beyond Bop Drumming, Jazz Drummer's Workshop and DVD - The Master Drummer.

* The application of the book Syncopation to the drum set - Ted Reed's Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer + The Drummer's Complete Vocabulary As Taught by Alan Dawson ( Alan Dawson / John Ramsay ). Other books can be used for the Ramsey one as well such as Modern Reading Text in 4/4 For All Instruments by Louis Bellson / Gil Breines

* Already mentioned - Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer by Chapin

* Jazz Drum Set Independence by Steve Fidyk

My favorites remain the first two I list. They can take and last a lifetime if you so choose.

Good luck!
 
When I was in college, my teacher had me work out of the Syncopation book. There are so many ways of interpreting the rhythmic content in this book to help develop independence. One great example is to assign a limb a note value. For example: Right foot plays all notated quarter notes, while left foot plays all notated eighths (it's harder than it sounds...lol) while you keep time on the ride cymbal. This is also a helpful comping exercise between snare and bass drum, or snare and hi hat. The variations are endless...and frustrating...lol.
 
I just came across this 10 minute video lesson on comping. I find his unpretentious and lucid teaching style refreshing.
 
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all great suggestions

I've always seen proper use of the hi hat as a lost art today ... it is the most expressive instrument within a drum kit

and if I am honest the 2 things that have helped me develop my ability to freely express musical ideas spontaneously using my left foot have been 2 transcriptions

one is in a John Riley book ... it is a Jack DeJohnette transcription of Picture 3
the other is a Jorge Rossy transcription of Monk's Dream from the Mehldau Trio Art of the Trio Vol 2

I worked on those two things for years and they created absolute freedom

I have nothing against the system type learning ... using Syncopation and all that ... I use those in my teaching regularly... but for me personally musical phrases someone has played that I find beautiful and interesting have always worked better.

Transcriptions are a huge key to sounding authentic ... find things that catch your ear and transcribe it or find a transcription of it

my 2c
 
dmacc_2 said:
Cool that you are branching out and listening/playing along with these! This is awesome to do and there are MANY recordings you can explore to do this with. The list is endless...

In terms of trying to answer your question, approaching/building the independence, there are several different options. You can go as far as you wish with these, but essentially there's no substitute for practicing independence to develop the control needed to be able to play any limb where you wish in the context of the music. There really are no short cuts.

Some of the more popular / common ones include (not limited to):

* The entire library of John Riley - Art of Bop Drumming, Beyond Bop Drumming, Jazz Drummer's Workshop and DVD - The Master Drummer.

* The application of the book Syncopation to the drum set - Ted Reed's Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer + The Drummer's Complete Vocabulary As Taught by Alan Dawson ( Alan Dawson / John Ramsay ). Other books can be used for the Ramsey one as well such as Modern Reading Text in 4/4 For All Instruments by Louis Bellson / Gil Breines

* Already mentioned - Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer by Chapin

* Jazz Drum Set Independence by Steve Fidyk

My favorites remain the first two I list. They can take and last a lifetime if you so choose.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

My teacher makes me work from the John Pickering Jazz Drum Cookbook with select exercises from The Art of Bop Drumming
 
Gary Chester - New Breed Vol. 1. Before I started that book my hat foot was dull.. steady but dull. now it's like an extra limb that I can do whatever I want with.. although usually I play it steady, I can easily use it like a hand pattern as another voice in the rythmn.. works great for jazz..check out some Vinnie C. transcriptions.. what he does with his left foot is unreal.. and Horatio Hernandez with his left foot hat/cowbell patterns.
 
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