Bo Eder
Platinum Member
Oddly enough, I play about half the time on a cocktail set, where I use no foot hihat at all and I alternate bass drum between the right and left foot to avoid fatigue. What's curious is that in threads about cocktail drum set playing, people often say the main drawback is that they can't keep their left foot going! When they have a hihat pedal, they neglect it and when they don't have one, they want it. Go figure.
The difference between a crutch and a musical instrument should be obvious. The hats are a musical instrument and are available for anyone to use provided they have the skill, judgment and coordination to actively employ them in playing. I know I do. One of the things that makes an intricate groove is the sound of the hats going in the background keeping time or playing some counter beat. Even if the hats aren't heard, their influence is felt, much like a ghost note on the snare or bass drum. Again, one has to have the skill to pull this off.
Whether or not she could have "easily" added in her left foot is something neither one of us will ever know. True, she is a better drummer than me, maybe you too as you state, but if someone puts something up here to critique, that's what I'm going to do. In my opinion, her disregard of the left foot brought her playing down a notch. Others can disagree and I welcome the discussion.
Was the video put up for a critique? Are all videos meant to be critiqued upon? This is worse than when I was in college