DRUM LESSONS

GET CREATIVE WITH

16TH AND EIGHTH-

NOTE HI-HAT BARKS
Incorporating hi-hat barks into your grooves

Q
uickly opened and closed hi-hats,
usually played in conjunction with the
bass drum are often referred to as hi-hat
‘barks’. Essentially, they’re created by
opening the hi-hats as the bass drum is hit
and closing them with the left foot a 16th or
eighth-note later. As is expected this can
place some demands on our four-way
coordination so here we’re looking at a
selection of these kinds of grooves and
playing them in two different ways; the first
version of each pattern is based around
playing eighth-notes in the right hand while
the second plays 16th notes.
As is explained in the video (print and
iPad only) you may find it worth trying two
different approaches for stepping the hi-hats
depending upon the duration of the bark,
perhaps playing the hi-hat heel up for the
faster 16th-note duration and heel down for
the eighth notes. Either way, as with any
technique, there’s no real right or wrong way
but you may find the HEEL-UP approach
beneficial for the 16th notes as it yields a
more accurate ‘bark’.
Once comfortable with the examples try
experimenting with your own grooves that
feature these sounds or try playing along
with Rush’s Tom Sawyer for an excellent
hi-hat bark workout.
HEADS UP! YOUR TUTOR
HEEL UP/DOWN
Most drummers start out playing ‘heel PETE RILEY
down’ and gradually gravitate towards
p.riley@mac.com
‘heel up’, raising the heels off the pedals
to generate more volume. However, heel
down is the most effective and
comfortable technique for playing
quietly so it shouldn’t be abandoned
completely if a transition to heel up
is made.

01 Example 1 features a 16th-note hi-hat bark on the last 16th note of beat 2 and the second 16th note of ‘3’.

Ex 1A > o o > Ex 1B > o o >

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
¿
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
. . . .
‰. ¿ ¿ Œ ‰. Œ

02 Example 2 features two dif ent rates with a 16th note on the last 16th of beat 2 and an eighth not n the ‘&’ of ‘3’.

Ex 2A > o > Ex 2B o o >

..
.. .. ..
‰. . ‰. .

03 Example 3 retains the hi-h barks seen in Example 2 and adds another on the second 16th note on beat 1.
3 3
Ex 3A o > o o > Ex 3B o > o o >
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
. ¿ . . .
‰. ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰. ¿ ¿

04 Three 16th-note barks on the ‘e’ of ‘1’, the ‘a’ of ‘2’ and the ‘a’ of 3.
Ex 4B
Ex 4A o > o o > Ex 4B o > o o>
.. .. .. ..
‰. ‰.

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