The Complete Handbook of Hi-Hats

Chapter 1: Understanding Hi-Hats

Hi-hats are a pair of cymbals mounted on a mechanical stand and operated by a foot pedal. When you press the pedal down, it raises one cymbal toward the other; when you release, the pedal springs back and the cymbals come together. The two cymbals clash briefly and then ring for a sustained tone, or they click shut tightly if you want a short, dead sound. This simple mechanical action—raise, strike, close—is the foundation of modern drumming and has remained virtually unchanged since the 1920s. Yet because the motion is quick and often taken for granted, the engineering principles that make hi-hats work are frequently misunderstood.

To understand hi-hats, you need to grasp three separate systems working in concert: the cymbals themselves, the clutch mechanism that holds them, and the stand and pedal that control them. Each system has specifications and behaviors that directly affect how your hi-hats sound and feel, and understanding each one—and how they interact—is the key to choosing wisely, setting them up correctly, and troubleshooting problems when they arise.

The Cymbals

A hi-hat pair typically consists of two brass alloy cymbals, each ranging from 12 to 14 inches in diameter. The top cymbal, called the "hat," sits in a clutch mechanism. The bottom cymbal, called the "pad" or "bottom cymbal," rests on a felt washer or cork gasket on the stand. The felt or cork allows the bottom cymbal to vibrate freely without buzzing against the metal shaft.

Each cymbal is shaped