Hi Hat Control

[Tylerdrums109]

Hey recently i have been working alot on getting my left foot to be completely independent in working the hi hat pedal...i was just wondering if u guys had any exercises u guys do to work on your left leg independence that u can share with me and any other drummers looking to improve their hi hat pedal control...i appreciate all contributions thank you

[stasz]

What exactly do you want to control? Executing foot-pedal strokes consistently and with finesse, or controlling your open/closed hi-hat ability? If you want to practice foot-pedal strokes, I recommend starting really slowly and practicing some basic ideas. You could for example ractice playing eighth notes (remember: slowly) while playing a groove with the hands and right foot. I personally dont find a use for playing fast or crazy things with my left foot as foot-pedal strokes on the hi-hat, it's mainly a timekeeper (although there are times when it does more than just keep a steady beat).

In jazz I like to add in something more than just stomping 2 & 4 on the hats, and those can be some great exercises. You could practice playing the & of every beat, or playing eighth note triplets but playing only every other one, hitting 2 & 4. That's a tough one to explain, and I don't have notating software. You start on the second eighth note triplet and hit every other triplet note.

[babliku]

This thread has good stuff on hi-hat independence.

http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39328

[Wavelength]

Start out by playing Stick Control stickings by playing the R strokes with your hi-hat and the L strokes with the bass drum, the left hand or the right hand. This will get your basic coordination and timing into shape. Next, incorporate a basic hi-hat ostinato in various 8th note and 16th note grooves: work on playing quarter notes, 2&4, 8th notes, 8th note up beats while playing different beats. Once you have the basics down, start working on playing Syncopation melodies with your hi-hat while maintaining a groove with the rest of your limbs. Practice different styles that incorporate the hi-hat in different ways, and get creative!

[drumbandit]

I've got a fairly simple exercise but it works well.

Prepare a beat which you find very easy, and they play off-beats on the ride (sounds best on the bell) and on beat with the hi-hat (quarter notes) . Start slowly and increase the difficulty of the groove.
Then when that feels 'easy' swap around and put off beat hi-hats on beat ride strokes. The 2nd half is usually hardest as you've become to used to the previous task so you sometimes fall back into the off-beat ride pattern. Sounds good when it's been practised.

Tom

[aydee]

Practice different styles that incorporate the hi-hat in different ways, and get creative!

time keeping ostinatos, and creative expressions of that in various combinations.......20164

[Trent-Drummer]

I got the whole left-foot pulse on the hi-hats going last year and I must say it has helped my playing a lot. I find it much easier to keep time now, especially when doing fills and solos. Having the left foot banging away becomes second nature after a while and most of the times I don't even realise I am doing it.

To be honest I did not do any particular exercises to develop this independence. My drum teacher mentioned I should just start doing it everytime i played and before I knew it, it was happening without me even thinking. It's not a huge technique to have to develop because our feet are already so use to tapping away at beats etc

[SEVNT7]

In general, I find that following "Wavelengths' " advice is a good idea.

[Andy Borghi]

I think that a very good thing you could try is to play whatever you use to, but, keeping the tempo ( in different figures like 4ths or 8ths) with your hi hat foot.
So, you will be able to do something else with the hand you usually use for that...

Just something ...

[Ekim]

I've got a fairly simple exercise but it works well.

Prepare a beat which you find very easy, and they play off-beats on the ride (sounds best on the bell) and on beat with the hi-hat (quarter notes) . Start slowly and increase the difficulty of the groove.
Then when that feels 'easy' swap around and put off beat hi-hats on beat ride strokes. The 2nd half is usually hardest as you've become to used to the previous task so you sometimes fall back into the off-beat ride pattern. Sounds good when it's been practised.

Tom

Sounds like a very good exercise to me. I'll have to try and do that one.

[Der Februar]

Maybe its not as hard as I think it is, but try playing the bass guitar intro rhythm of "Crazy Train" on bass drum while playing quarter notes on the hi-hat with your foot. It's easy for me now, but it took a while.

[king fail]

something i like to do is to play standard 8th notes rock beat (RH on hat)
but actually play sixteenths, by adding a hi hat chick with your foot on "e" and "a"

so, H being hand and F foot, it would be like this

1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
H F H F H F ETC.

[aboylikedave]

something i like to do is to play standard 8th notes rock beat (RH on hat)
but actually play sixteenths, by adding a hi hat chick with your foot on "e" and "a"

so, H being hand and F foot, it would be like this

1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
H F H F H F ETC.

And in the way that Gary Chesters 'New Breed' approaches it, what would be great would then be to do this with a simple backbeat, but making sure you can do it solidly with all your favourite kick drum patterns.