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By Wesley Newton Published on: Mon May 9, 2022
At a slower tempo, play an eighth note with the kick drum on counts 1 and 3 and the snare drum on counts 2 and 4. On the & of 4, open the hi-hat and try experimenting with changing the feel of the groove at any given count using the open hi-hat technique.
Accomplished drummer and a Grade 8 in Drums with Distinction from Trinity College of Music, your teacher brings 2 decades of professional experience. He has played with iconic bands such as Groovemeister and Blushing Satellite at prestigious music festivals across the country and internationally.
Opening the hi-hat essentially means lifting your left foot from the pedal to get a rich sound from the hi-hat as opposed to a closed muted sound when your left foot is firmly on the pedal. Today, we learn how to play an eighth note groove with the open hi-hat technique.
Remember the standard eighth note groove that we learnt? Hope you are well aware of how to count 8th note grooves (1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&)
For starters, while you play the groove, you can open the hi-hat at any given count. However, as this is your first time learning how to open the hi-hat, let's practise it on the & of 4 and see how it sounds. You might find it challenging in the beginning because when you open the hi-hat, you must open it ever so slightly for the best sound.
Have a go at it, practise well and remember that the secret to sound amazing at drums is to take it slow.
For the next part, lets add the open-hat on the & of 3 on an 8th note groove. Remember, if you feel all this is too much or too fast, isolate the two grooves. Practise opening the hi-hat on the & of 4, get the rhythm going and then shift to opening the hi-hat on the & of 3.
As an alternative, play an entire bar with the hi-hat opened at the & of 4, repeat the entire bar on 8th notes and this time, open the hi-hat on the & of 3.
For a young child learning to play the drums, it is recommended to adjust the hi-hat ever so slightly so they don’t feel uncomfortable opening or closing the hi-hat. On the other hand, if you are an adult, adjust the hi-hat to your convenience. Remember not to open the hi-hat too much, as it doesn’t give the sound you would want to hear.
In the next lesson, we dive into a technique called the hi-hat foot, which is to experiment with the hi-hat just by using your left foot.
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