Hi-Hat Basics: 3 Tips for Playing Hi-Hat Cymbals

A hi-hat consists of a pair of cymbals mounted to a hi-hat stand. The hi-hat stand consists of a metal frame, rod, clutch, and pedal. It's a standard fixture of the drum kit in many styles of music including blues, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, pop, and hip-hop. A standard drum set consists of a bass drum (or kick drum), snare drum, floor tom, rack toms, and various cymbals including the hi-hat, ride cymbal, and crash cymbal. Each of these musical instruments has its place in the overall drum kit, but when it comes to keeping time, drummers lean heavily on the hi-hat.

Drummers play the hi-hat by striking the edge of the cymbal with the drumstick. The hi-hat pedal controls the position of the cymbals, opening and closing them. This aids in producing a variety of different sounds that add texture and help keep time.

There have been several iterations of the hi-hat throughout history, but the modern hi-hat didn’t start to appear in recordings until the 1930s. Prior to that, drummers used “clangers,” a pair of small cymbals mounted on top of the bass drum. The first spring-operated cymbal controlled by a foot pedal—called a "lowboy" at the time—made its way into the drum kits of jazz drummers in New Orleans in the early 1900s. In the late 1920s, the cymbals were raised from ground level to chest level, and the hi-hat was born.

Today, hi-hat cymbals are typically made of copper alloy. They come in a variety of colors and textures that produce unique hi-hat sounds.

There are several components that make up a complete hi-hat stand.

1. 1. Cymbals: The main components of a hi-hat are the hi-hat cymbals.
2. 2. Clutch: The bottom cymbal rests on the top of the hi-hat frame. For the top cymbal to be manipulated into an open or closed position, it is affixed to the metal rod by the hi-hat clutch. The clutch itself consists of multiple parts including felt pads, threaded bolts, and a wing nut.
3. 3. Rod: The pair of hi-hat cymbals are mounted to a metal rod. The rod screws are fitted into a metal piece within the frame of the hi-hat stand. This allows musicians to manipulate the rod with the foot pedal.
4. 4. Pedal: Drummers typically control the hi-hat foot pedal with their left foot. When decompressed, the pedal raises the rod to lift the top cymbal into an open hi-hat position. When compressed, the cymbals close together.

If you're looking to upgrade your cymbal skills, try these hi-hat techniques.

1. 1. Vary the note lengths. Whether you're playing eighth notes or quarter notes, you can make the notes sound longer or shorter by hitting the cymbals with different parts of the drumstick. If you want to play short notes, use the tip of the stick. For long notes, hit the cymbals with the stick’s shaft.
2. 2. Rock the pedal heel-to-toe. In their early days, drummers played the hi-hat by rocking their foot heel-to-toe on the hi-hat pedal. This makes the hi-hats open and close on the downbeat in a smooth, fluid motion.
3. 3. Swivel your foot side-to-side. By swiveling your foot side-to-side, you can play the hi-hat pedal with alternating sides of your footboard. This technique makes it easy to play the hi-hats on all four quarter notes of the measure.

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