Hi Hat "chicka chickas"

[randalpants]

I notice that drummers more advanced them me (which is most) throw in extra notes on the hi hat to make it more interesting. Not sure what they're called ("accents" maybe?), but it sound like taking a basic chick - chick - chick - chick - chick and adding a "chicka chicka" as in: chick - chick - chick - chicka - chicka - chick. Technically, I guess they are sixteenth note between the eighth notes or thirtyseconds between the sixteenths.

In any event - how do you do that? Assuming an overhand style of play, do you just slip them in with your right hand that's already playing the hat? Pull you your left off the snare and around? Or hit it on an up stroke with your left hand?

[billgtx]

I'm sure more advanced drummers will chime in but I do a couple different things like that.

One is - let's say I'm playing a hard high hat by hitting the edge with the shank of the stick, you can add in a tip hit on the top as you retract your hand. I believe this is usually called a Moeller up stroke.

The other thing I sometimes do is play the high hat with the right hand and periodically add a left hand on the hats in between. So...

8th notes on RH. 16th adds in between with the left like so...

R...R...R...R.L.R...R...R.L.R

Is that what you mean?

[Mezzo]

I think everyone has their own style, I have only been playing 4 years so still fresh really and lots to learn. I try not to move my arms more than I need to, so unless I was playing straight 16ths on the HH using both hands, or I need my right hand for the next 8th or 16th for something else then I keep it on the HH and play the extra fill ins with that to break up that irritating straight quarter or eighths. Personally I find it more natural and can still ghost the snare.

If you are struggling with speed on fast beats to land it in the right place then the chances are you are probably putting too much on your wrists and not enough on your fingers and probably want to practice and strengthen your fingers. Most of what you do when you are playing fast is in the fingers even if you dont realise it. There are a multitude of practices and training you can do across youtube on finger techniques and personally for me controlling that was probably one of the biggest turning points for doing things like "chicka chicka" lol, if theres not a name for it then you may have just named it lol.

[electrodrummer]

Simplest is left hand....

[Kabonfaiba]

Yep. The two methods I know of is, moving your ghost notes over. Or performing a double stroke by pinching the stick.

Using both in combination would create a variety of interesting patterns.

I'm trying to hunt down a certain video of a Japanese drummer Kozo Suganuma who did consistent 32nds in a normal beat which I thought was a very prominent bit of his solo. Certainly was unique enough to get stuck in my memory anyway!

Makes good practice routine actually, like a very precise buzz roll on the hi hat lol.

[randalpants]

Thanks all. Sounds like improving my stick control to achieve the result with a single hand will have the most benefits long term, so I will start there.

[drumadidle]

Hi, this video could help you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBByNwSRgYM It's pretty easy to do two 16th notes with your hihat hand between 8th notes! I suggest you to learn some rudiments also, check the ruff rudiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuoeK6GJK2k and try adding it to your hihat fill! Try to learn wrist and finger control so it will help you do 16th with one hand only in fast tempos! Here is the moeller up stroke that someone mentioned https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P--R5K19DYg Remember this is not same technique as double stroke! Chek also long roll rudiment here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWXJQzE6GI4 Right grip and pivot point is very important! Here is sample of a very good book where the right grip and pivot point are explained http://www.sticktechnique.com/images/stsample.pdf

[TangTheHump]

Someone mentioned the Moeller pull-off, which is somewhat related to the more general push-pull technique. I use both all the time for the sorts of things the OP mentions. Here's a great and simple video that breaks down the two techniques. First, the Moeller pull-off. Second, the Freehand technique (don't worry about this one so much for now - just ignore and wait for the third technique demo). Third, general push-pull.

Here's the video:

Push Pull Drum Technique Explained
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CyZTCVK-ls)

That third push-pull technique is used all over the place so I'd really practice that one. The key to getting push-pull to work properly is to practice it in two steps, with a freeze between them. Get the "push" part (the throw) working first, as follows. Make the push (the throw part of the stroke) as follows. Start with your hand about two inches from the playing surface with your stick parallel to the playing surface. Lift your hand slightly (letting the wrist drop) and throw the stick down. This is very much like dribbling a basket ball. Just before the stick hits the head, release your fingers (holding gently and only from the fulcrum), allowing the stick to pivot back (fly back) automatically from the drum head. Your fingers should be open at this point. Freeze and start the push / throw again.

The trick is to release the fingers just before the stick hits the drum so that the rebound does all the work of returning the stick to the upward position. If you get the timing of releasing the fingers incorrect, you'll find the stick catches in your hand and does not pop back to the top on its own. You should never have to manually return the stick to the top position. If you are, you're dong the push part of the stroke incorrectly. Another thing to observer is that while pivoting the stick with the fulcrum, the fulcrum should be just tight enough to stop the stick falling out of your hand, but no tighter. If you find yourself dropping the stick or the stick flies out of your hand on the rebound, tighten the fulcrum just a tad. However, if the fulcrum is too tight, the stick isn't free enough to rebound back entirely on its own. You'll know when the fulcrum is too tight because the stick will go dead in your hand rather than fly all the way back on its own. Another cause of the stick going dead is, as noted above, incorrect timing when releasing the fingers

Once you get the push working properly, go on to the pull. The pull is much easier. First, do the push and freeze with the stick at the top position and your fingers open. Now, close the fingers quickly, snapping the stick downward toward the drum. When the stick hits the drum, release the fingers for a brief moment (so the shock of hitting the head doesn't travel up your arm) and then tighten the fingers (lightly) to stop the stick about one inch above the head. That's the finish position for the pull part of the stroke. To start the stroke again, lift your hand slightly (letting the wrist drop) and throw the stick down to start the "push" part of the stroke. (Again, this is very much like dribbling a basket ball.)

At first, I encourage you to freeze between the two halves of the stroke so that you can examine your hand position and make corrections, if needed. Later on, as both parts of the stroke become effortless, they come together into a singular push-pull motion. You can do push-pull with wide, full finger movements or with small movements from the tips of the fingers. It's the same stroke, using smaller or larger movements (and smaller or larger portions of the fingers) for different articulations and dynamics. With the smallest movement, after the push, the stick may only come back a small amount from the head. Similarly, the pull may be the smallest pull on the fingers to snap the stick back down. Still, it's the same stroke as the larger one where you make a larger push, letting the stick rebound all the way to the top and the fingers open as fully as they can. Practice small, medium, and large variations of the push-pull stroke.