Hi-Hat

Kit & Gear

Also called hat, cymbal hi-hat.

The hi-hat is two cymbals on a stand, operated by your left foot on a pedal. Press the pedals together and you get a short, closed tick. Lift your foot and the cymbals open into a washy sustain. Strike the edge with a stick and it rings; play it with the foot alone and you get the airy chick sound.

The hi-hat is your timekeeping hand. Most rock and pop grooves ride steady eighth notes on it while the kick and snare dance underneath. Opening the hat slightly at the end of a phrase is one of the oldest and best ways to add lift before a chorus or a fill.

Your foot does more work than most beginners expect. Practise the open-close motion separately from your hands: press with the ball of your foot, hinge at the ankle, keep the heel free. Sloppy foot motion is the number one reason beginner grooves sound stiff.

Set the hi-hat so the top cymbal sits level or tilted a few degrees toward you, at a height where your shoulder stays relaxed. If your left forearm burns after a few minutes, the stand is too high or the pull spring is too stiff for your ankle.