DRUMMER CAFE

I should also add that although the 12 O'Clock Hi Hat is a very ergonomic idea, I had to forgo that for practical reasons. The main one being that I play in so many situations where the drum set is already there and set up in a conventional matter. If I fell in love with and got used to a custom/remote hi hat solution, I'd have to experience weirdness on these gigs.

I'd like to try it one day but.... maybe when I'm making my second million in my own band. Let the cartage guys worry about it. 

Jim

That's hilarious to think about!
"Uhm, I wanted to show my stuff, but that hi-hat, uh... better not."

I find this thread important, especially now that I have to cover Iron Maiden's "Wrathchild". No fill or chop too hard, but I can't keep up with the right arm on straight eights like on the song, so I need to do everything I can to improve my right arm's usability and enhance my left arm's supposed loudness.

Looking forward to the Cafe video, Mr. A's 11 o' clock method seems a little unfeasible to me at the moment. Feels like I would end up neglecting the floor tom's easy use and I can't see how I'd get myself and the hardware in that position in the first place.

Back inthe day I developed endurance and groove speed by playing my 33 1/3 records on 45 speed.  Not sure what kids are doing now-a-days...

I have my hi-hats set up at the 11 o'clock position like the second set up in Mr. A's diagram. Since doing that, I also started putting my slave pedal of my bass drum pedal on the left side of my hi-hat pedal. I use a normal hi-hat stand and the connecting rod of the bass drum pedal goes over the hi-hat pedal towards the top of it. It might sound like it would get in the way but I have never once had a problem with it. It actually puts my feet the distance apart I like when playing double bass. I love the set up. No more crossed arms and no more reaching a huge gap to play my hi-hats with a traditional double pedal set up.

No, not necessarily, but then again it depends on your hardware and body size. 

Hang loose ... I finished a video which I entitled "Ergonomic HiHat Placement" which will air next week on Drummer Cafe TV. The video is over 15-minutes long and I demonstrate how to set-up your kit, piece by piece, to get the most relaxed placement of the Kick, Snare, HiHat and Mounted Tom. I demo the 11 O'Clock HiHat position as well as the 12 O'Clock HiHat position using a standard HiHat stand and Remote Cable HiHat respectively. There's also a few aerial shots.

FWIW: I was just watching Billy Ward's Voices in My Head DVD. Billy dances across his hi hat from say, 10:00 o'clock to 11:00 clock, arriving at 11:00 clock for back beats. It's actually a very cool way to work this issue. Although this is still using the 11:00 clock method, there's a natural flow to the way his hands are working. Billy is a very involved hi hat user, incorporating all kinds of color and dynamic ideas with footwork, hands and different striking implements.

BTW: VIMH is a great instructional DVD. I noticed him doing this in the sections where he explains what he's doing on the the CD included with the video.

Jim

Bart, excellent video! Really puts everything together ergonomically. I especially enjoyed the few aerial shots.

Big thanks to you, Bart! 

Z

If you missed the DCTV episode that featured my Ergonomic HiHat Placement segment, it's now available as a 5-Minute Lesson. Included in the lesson is a complete description of my approach, photos, and the supplemental video.

View it here:
http://www.drummercafe.com/content/view/193/19/

Only registered members of the Drummer Cafe will be able to view this complete lesson.

Just an FYI ... there's a slight difference in what I'm suggesting versus what Mr. A is suggesting.

If I understand correctly, Keith is referencing more about where you play on the HiHat, so that your sticks don't cross. The HiHat stand can still remain around the 9/10 O'clock position. This works very well and is definitely something I approve of doing.

What I'm suggesting is more about where you place your HiHat stand, which allows you to play with the left foot forward on the HiHat pedal AND play on the HiHat without having your sticks cross.

Both work ... so you have to find the method that works best for you. Obviously I like and use what I'm suggesting, and I feel a lot more comfortable because both of my feet are facing forward, as opposed to the left foot facing off to the side ... which varies a lot between individuals.

Hey Fellow Drummers,

Cool forum, 1st time here.

When I started playing the drum set I assumed the hi-hat went in the 9 o'clock position, but this did not make sense to me because for me it seemed like the rest of my set was too far away when I was playing the hats. Just starting out at the time it was a big leap to go from the hats to the toms. So just of of sure comfort I started staging my hi-hat in the 10:30/11 o'clock position and that did the trick. For me it seems more natural to have everything relatively in front of you.

I was glad to see the Bill Ward DVD where he covers this and plays the same way. I thought I was out-of-step with the rest of drumming community until I seen this DVD. I do like my hats low and close to the snare so the Bill Ward technique of angeling your right hand out like in the 2nd diagram perfect for me.

Also for more leg room you might try a 13" snare. With a deep 13" and some tuning and proper heads you can make it sound like your 14". You would be surprised how much more room 1" gives you.