Hi-hat
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A hi-hat, hihat, or high-hat is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock, pop, jazz, and blues.[1] Hi-hats consist of a matching pair of small to medium-sized cymbals mounted on a stand, with the two cymbals facing each other. The bottom cymbal is fixed and the top is mounted on a rod which moves the top cymbal toward the bottom one when the pedal is depressed (a hi-hat that is in this position is said to be "closed" or "closed hi-hats").
The hi-hat evolved from a "sock cymbal", a pair of similar cymbals mounted at ground level on a hinged, spring-loaded foot apparatus. Drummers invented the first sock cymbals to enable one drummer to play multiple percussion instruments at the same time. Over time these became mounted on short stands—also known as "low-boys"—and activated by pedals similar to those used in modern hi-hats. When extended upward roughly 3 feet (76 cm) they were originally known as "high sock" cymbals, which evolved over time to the familiar "high-hat" term.[2]
The cymbals may be played by closing them together with the pedal, which creates a "chck" sound or striking them with a stick, which may be done with them open, closed, open and then closed after striking to dampen the ring, or closed and then opened to create a shimmering effect at the end of the note. Depending on how hard a hi-hat is struck and whether it is "open" (i.e., pedal not pressed, so the two cymbals are not closed together), a hi-hat can produce a range of dynamics, from very quiet "chck" (or "chick") sounds, done with merely gently pressing the pedal—this is suitable for soft accompaniment during a ballad or the start of a guitar solo—to very loud (e.g. striking fully open hats hard with sticks, a technique used in loud heavy metal music songs).
While the term hi-hat normally refers to the entire setup (two cymbals, stand, pedal, rod mechanism), in some cases, drummers use it to refer exclusively to the two cymbals themselves.
Description
[edit]Standard terminology has evolved. Open and closed hi-hat refer to notes struck while the two cymbals are apart or together (open or closed), while pedal hi-hat refers to parts or notes played solely with the pedal used to strike the two cymbals. Most cymbal patterns consist of both open and closed notes.[3]
History
[edit]Initial versions of the hi-hat were called clangers, which were small cymbals mounted onto a bass drum rim and struck with an arm on the bass drum pedal. Then came shoes, which were two hinged boards with cymbals on the ends that were clashed together. A standard size was 10 inches (25 cm), some with heavy bells up to 5 inches (13 cm) wide.[2]
Hi-hats that were raised and could be played by hand as well as foot may have been developed around 1926 by Barney Walberg of the drum accessory company Walberg and Auge.[1] The first recognized master[4] of the new instrument was "Papa" Jo Jones, whose playing of timekeeping "ride" rhythms while striking the hi-hat as it opened and closed inspired the innovation of the ride cymbal. The editor of the 2008 Jazz Profiles article made specific mention of others who are thought to have invented the hi-hat, including Papa Jo Jones and Kaiser Marshall. A 2013 Modern Drummer article credits Papa Jo Jones with being the first to use brushes on drums and shifting time keeping from the bass drum to the hi-hat (providing a "swing-pulse focus").[5]
Use
[edit]
When struck closed or played with the pedal, the hi-hat gives a short, crisp, muted percussive sound, referred to as a "chick".[7][8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Nichols, Geoff (1997). The Drum Book: The History of the Rock Drum Kit. London: Balafon Books. pp. 8–12. ISBN 0879304766.
- ^ a b Guide to Vintage Drums, John Aldridge, Hal Leonard Corporation, 1994, ISBN 9780931759796
- ^ "Audio Graffiti: Guide to Drum & Percussion Notation" (PDF). August 2004.
- ^ "Drumming Innovators: Papa Jo Jones". Drum!. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
- ^ "Papa Jo Jones: The Bridge". Modern Drummer Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ Peckman, Jonathan (2007). Picture Yourself Drumming, p.201. ISBN 1-59863-330-9.
- ^ Miller, Michael (2003). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Drums. Alpha Books. pp. 143, 164. ISBN 9781592571628.
In rock music, the hi-hat is more often than not kept closed. When you do play your hi-hat with your foot, you typically use it to make a "chick" sound on two and four, in unison with your snare drum. [...] Note that you slightly open the hi-hat on one and three, and then snap it closed for a firm chick on two and four.
- ^ Mattingly, Rick (2006). All About Drums: A Fun and Simple Guide to Playing Drums. Hal Leonard. ISBN 9781476865867.
You want to bring the two cymbals together quickly and solidly so that they make a "chick" sound. But then you need to hold your foot down briefly. If you bring it up as soon as the cymbals strike each other, instead of a "chick" sound you'll get a crash (referred to as a hit-hat "splash").
Sources
[edit]- Fleet, Paul; Winter, Jonathon (8 April 2014). "Investigating the origins of contemporary basics on the drum kit: an exploration of the role of the hi-hat in Anglo-American popular musics from 1960 until 1974". Popular Music. 33 (2). Cambridge University Press: 293–314. doi:10.1017/S0261143014000269. eISSN 1474-0095. ISSN 0261-1430. JSTOR 24736809 – via JSTOR.
