Drum and Percussion Tips
By: Megan E. Thomas
Opening the Hi-Hat
Opening the hi-hat within a groove can create a different feel. The hi-hat can also be used to accentuate punches in a song by simply opening up the hats at the appropriate times. It can also be used in a fill. There are two things to think about when opening the hi-hat. You will need to think about when the foot needs to come up with the pedal in order to open the hats and when the foot needs to press the pedal down in order to cut off the ringing. You should practice the hi-hat part by itself first to get a feel. If you are playing a standard set-up, right hand on hi-hat and left foot on hi-hat , you will need to practice the left foot and the right hand together. Following is a basic hi-hat pattern with the hi-hat opening on the "&" of 3 and closing on count 4. The “o” is where you open the hi-hat and the arc ends on the note where you should close the hi-hat.
Now lets add the snare and bass drum to make our first groove.
Following are a few more basic drum set grooves with the hi-hat opening on different counts within the measure.
As you play through these grooves you will notice how much of a difference opening the hi-hat can make in the feel and sound of a groove. Experiment with opening the hi-hat on different counts of the measure as well as with different bass drum patterns using eight notes, sixteenth notes, and a combination of both. Don't forget you can also play sixteenth notes on the hi-hat while opening it. The options and combinations are endless!
Meg Thomas Bio
Meg Thomas, percussionist from Chicago, is an active performer and teacher who received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Millikin University. Meg performs and teaches several different percussion instruments such as congas, drum set, bongos, timbales, djembe, tabla, cajon, darbuka, berimbau, cuica, bodhrán, and other percussion instruments.
Meg is involved in several original music projects as well as being an avid performer in the festival and jobbing band circuits. Meg has played in numerous bands over the years, playing in venues that range from House of Blues to Alpine Valley to The Park West to The NBC/Disney Holiday Parade to thousands of clubs, festivals, and bars. Meg has performed on local and national TV, and has also been on local and internet radio. She has experience in a plethora of genres: rock, soca, pop, calypso, blues, punk, fusion, latin-jazz, metal, salsa, world, folk, classical, reggae, disco, R&B, percussion groups, dance ensembles, etc.
In addition to being an active performer, she plays sessions at recording studios, puts on world percussion seminars, facilitates drum circles, teaches private lessons, and writes the Drum and Percussion Tips of the Month column for the webzine, ChicagoMusicGuide.com. Meg is part of the Vic Firth drumstick and mallet company's Education Team as a Vic Firth Private Drum Teacher and has endorsements with Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, and Evans Drumheads.
Meg won runner-up "Rising Star" Percussionist in Drum! Magazine's 2010 Drummie Awards.
Visit Meg's website:www.MegThomasPercussion.com
Visit Meg's myspace page:
www.myspace.com/mtpercussion