The hihat bark CHEAT for nailing open notes in a groove

The solution for nailing those quick open notes on the hihats is actually pretty simple, and it all starts with coordinating your left foot.

The truth is, you CAN conquer the notoriously challenging hihat “barks” when you know what to practice. I’ll show you the best techniques for pulling these off as well as a practical exercise to get smooth open note barks happening in your grooves.

Here’s what we’re covering in today’s video!

  • The ideal stick placement on the hats to achieve maximum contrast between your closed & open notes
  • A simple exercise to help lock your left foot with either of your hands
  • How to coordinate the mechanics of open notes, eventually building them into a groove
  • How to ultimately “CHEAT” at all of this and play rapid barks on autopilot

Don’t miss this! Take action with your left foot and hihat creativity right now. Check out the lesson…

WATCH: The hihat bark CHEAT for nailing...

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How One Single Drum Lesson Forever Changed My Groove-Feel...

In February of 2015 I was wrapping up my college career and enjoying a final semester of smooth sailing to the finish line. I had already performed my senior recital the previous fall, and I was just finishing up a few class credits in the spring. I also had the time and opportunity to take additional lessons outside of school, so I reached out to a respected drummer in town whom my percussion teacher recommended. He solved a big struggle I had at the time by giving me some very counter-intuitive advice.

Now I was playing a bunch in jazz band at this time, and I was really working at being a solid jazz drummer. At the same time, I was also playing at my church every Sunday and playing in a cover band as often as possible. Genre-wise, I was gaining a lot of versatility just from these three groups alone. I had a problem, however, in the jazz realm.

Our jazz band director was constantly hounding me for not having the right feel in my ride pattern. Straight-ahead swing is...

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The Gig I Played Without Rehearsal OR Soundcheck

What is your default? What’s the one thing you rely on that you can gravitate toward and lean on in a tough musical situation? In other words - What are you so comfortable doing that you can excel at it while chaos ensues around you? A recent gig made me think about this…

A drummer friend in town asked me to sub for him on a cover gig. I eagerly accepted, mainly because I like the challenge of learning new songs in a less familiar genre. Sometimes I get so into the groove (no pun intended?) on my regular gigs that it’s easy to stop growing as a musician. When the opportunity came to play with people I’d never met at a venue I’d never played at…playing a lot of unfamiliar songs…I jumped at the chance.

My friend sent me a setlist of the tunes they most commonly played at this particular club, so I got to work charting about 30 songs. I enjoy gig prep, and I love being forced to listen to stuff I don’t hear everyday in order...

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