How to Play Quad High Hat Lifts

The hi-hat lift is a simple drumming technique that spices up whatever beat you're playing. By lifting your foot off of the hi-hat pedal and hitting the cymbals, you can create a cool, open sound that nicely fills out the music's rhythmic texture. Quad lifts are a bit overkill for most tunes, but they're appropriate in certain musical styles, especially dance beats like techno and disco.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Place your left foot on the hi-hat pedal, your left stick on the snare drum and your right stick on the hi-hat, itself. This is the basic position for playing a drum kit.

2. Start a simple beat by playing eighth notes on the hi-hat and quarter notes on the bass drum. Then, add a snare drum hit on beats 2 and 4. Make sure you're playing in common time, or 4/4, which has four beats per measure.

3. Lift your foot off of the hi-hat pedal on every second eighth note. Using the traditional "One-and, Two-and, Three-and, Four-and" counting system, you should be lifting your foot on each of the "ands."

4. Set your foot back down on the pedal to close the hi-hat on every downbeat. Another way of remembering this is to close the hi-hat on every numbered beat.

5. Keep the pattern going as long as you can. Focus on maintaining a clean, even tempo, and try to keep any one of the drums from overpowering the others.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also play quad hi-hat lifts in meters other than 4/4, such as 12/8.