How to Play a High Hat with a Side Top Grip

While most drumstick grips are only slightly different from one another, there is one that stands out as being unique. The top grip (or, as it’s more widely known, the traditional grip) has seen its way around various marching bands, battlefields and drum kits. Some say that it’s going out of style, but many premier drummers are still using it today.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Two drumsticks
• High hat

How to Play a High Hat with a Side-Top Grip

1. Bring the high hat into a position you are comfortable with. Usually, drummers will place their high hats behind the snare drum. For the purpose of practicing this technique, you don’t actually need the rest of your drum kit. Just make sure you can easily access the high hat with both your foot and your hands.
2. Place the stick between your thumb and pointer fingers. Let the other end rest on top of your ring finger, just behind the end of your fingernail. Close your middle and pointer fingers over the top to keep the stick secured. Your thumb should also provide some security for the stick. Getting this grip right is important. Playing in this style will feel awkward and uncomfortable if you are holding the stick wrong.
3. Grip the stick a little higher than you would with the other grips -- that is, grab it more toward the center. The other grips rely more on forearm power and the wrist snapping downward. The traditional grip relies more on the twisting of the wrist. Gripping too far forward on the stick is going to make you work harder to bring it down, and gripping too far back will make it tough to bring back up. A grip toward the center, with a little more weight on the tip side for striking power, is your best bet.
4. Hold the stick so its side is over the side of the high hat and it is angled upward at about 45 degrees. You don’t need a protractor to measure the angle. Just keep in mind that you will be bringing your stick down onto the edge of the high hat.
5. Bring your entire forearm, wrist and stick downward to strike the side of the snare. Contrary to what was said in Step 3, the power of this hit comes from the downward motion of your arm. If you were hitting the top of the high hat, you would twist your wrist. But that’s not possible with a side hit.
6. Practice. This grip feels awkward to most drummers the first time they use it. But it may feel better the more times you use it. Some drummers prefer it. Whether the high hat is open or closed makes no difference. Experiment with both options, and perhaps even different styles of hitting.