Hi-hat
Pair of cymbals of the drum kit opened and closed with a foot pedal.
What it means
The hi-hat is a pair of cymbals of the drum kit arranged one above the other on a stand. A foot pedal opens and closes the two cymbals. One strikes them with the sticks or closes them with the foot, producing a short, sharp “chick”; opened, the cymbals give a hissing, ringing tone.
Musical use
The hi-hat arose in the 1920s from the so-called “low boy,” a small cymbal stand, and soon became a fixed part of the drum kit. In jazz, rock, pop, and funk it often sets the continuous pulse, for instance in eighth or sixteenth notes, and allows many tone colors through opening and closing. Drummers vary between open, half-open, and closed to create emphasis and groove.
The hi-hat should be distinguished from a single cymbal such as a crash or ride, which hangs freely and is struck with a stick or mallet, and from the snare drum, which plays the backbeat. Essential is its operation with the foot pedal.
Performance practice
Practise the hi-hat first with even eighth notes with the cymbals closed and a loose wrist, then with alternating foot pedal for open and closed sounds. Keep the volume even and vary deliberately for accents.