How to Play a Half Open High Hat

Playing the half open high hat is essential to playing a full drum set. The beat would not be a full beat without the addition of a high hat. Learning how to play the half open high hat can be accomplished fairly easy by practice, keeping tempo, and counting. Here are some tips to start rocking.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• High Hat Cymbal
• Drum Sticks

1. Adjust the height of the two cymbals so they are about an inch apart. You can also keep a closed high hat through most of the beat and open occasionally to give it a funky beat.

2. Keeping the count of the half open high hat is the key to incorporating all the instruments in a beat. First start with a simple count, such as 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. Hit the high hat on every beat. Hit it on both “1” and on “and.” Continuously hit the high hat on every number and on every “and.”

3. Change up the speed and how hard you hit the high hat to figure out what you sound you like.
   Pressing your left foot halfway down on the foot pad gives you the half open high hat, when starting from the closed position.
   Vary up the strength of hitting the high hat. Whether you hit the half open high hat really hard or really gentle will give you a different sound. Bang the high hat hard when you want an explosion crashing sound in the beat. Know all the sounds the high hat makes in order to play the high hat to your best ability.

4. Practice. Yes, once again you cannot learn how to do anything without practicing. Practice playing the high hat for an hour a day. Listen to one of your favorite songs with a great half open high hat drum beat and try to get the beat down. Keep listening and playing over and over. Join a band! Practicing the drums with friends is not only fun but it will make you better. So get that half open high hat down, make up a beat and rock out with your friends.

Tips & Warnings

• Find a local music shop and take lessons
• Go to band camp or take band class
• Practice keeping count anywhere with just your fingers and hands
• Be careful there may disturbing the peace laws where you play so, especially if your neighbors are not very nice

Resources

• Half Open High Hat Video

[Melanierose]

on 8/23/2008 Wonderfully written article, I giggled when I first read the title cause I had no idea what it was in reference to.

[vikki9]

on 8/22/2008 This is a very clearly written article. Thank you.