Lesson 1 – Part 3

The Hi-Hat

In this session you will learn how to make a dental plosive to make a hi-hat sound.

The Classic Hi-Hat

The second sound you need to learn to make your first beat pattern is called a hi-hat.

On a drum kit, a hi-hat is is a combination of two cymbals and a foot pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. When the two cymbals are together the sound it is called a closed hi-hat, and when the two cymbals are apart the sound is called an open hi-hat.

This is the symbol for a closed hi-hat:

Closed Hi-Hat

The Dental Plosive

The Classic (closed) Hi-hat sound uses a dental plosive. This is the iconophonic for a dental plosive:

Dental Plosive

And it sounds like this (click on the Play button):

Dental means teeth and the sound is made using the tip of your tongue and the back of your top front teeth.

A dental plosive sounds a bit like the letter ‘t’ in English.

Learn how to make the classic closed hi-hat sound by watching this video:

When a closed hi-hat is used in a beat pattern it can be played. This closed hi-hat uses the dental plosive you learned in this lesson.

Click on the icon below to play the hi-hat four times:

When you are ready, click on the QUIZ button to take the Hi-Hat quiz.

QUIZ

 

BZZKTT Version 8.2 • © 2015-2020 Gavin ‘Beatbox’ Tyte (aka TyTe) • All Rights Reserved

BZZKTT is kindly hosted by Alex Tearse from Reefnet.

Special thanks to Alex Tearse, Paul Arnett, Michael Wyatt, Tyler Thompson, Helen Tyte, David ‘Goznet’ Gosnell, and Jerusalem Productions.