Hi Hat Stand

The hi-hat Stand is an active piece of mechanical hardware. See also Remote HiHat and X hat

For a right handed drummer the hi-hat sits to the left of the snare drum and the drummer's left foot is placed on top of the pedal.

The hi-hat cymbals are placed on top of the hi-hat. The lower cymbal rests on a felt pad. A thin metal rod extends from the pedal, through the centre of the lower cymbal rest and continues upward. The upper cymbal is attached to this thin rod using a hi-hat 'clutch'. The rod passes through the clutch which has a locking mechanism to hold it in place on the rod. The cymbal is held in place between two felt pads.

With the foot off the pedal, the cymbals are separated by a spring mechanism within the stand. When the pedal is depressed this rod goes downward which brings the cymbals together with a 'chick' sound. The sound depends on the speed that the pedal is pressed.

The Hi-hats are played closed to produce the 'ticking' sound you hear from a drumset and when opened the ring more freely. The combination of ticking and ringing give the hi-hat its distinctive sound and provide many rhythmic variations.

The hi-hats can also be used for all kinds of effects and may be struck in a number of ways. Occasionally bells or a small tambourine are also attached to the top of the rod.