The hi-hat is a drum part made of two cymbals that you open and close with a pedal. It handles the fine subdivisions and shapes the sense of speed and texture in a song.
The basic idea
Closed hits are short and tight, while open hits ring longer and brighter. How you subdivide and accent them has a large effect on the groove.
Using it in performance and programming
Start with eighth notes and vary the velocity on some of them. Adding an open hi-hat only at the end of a section signals what comes next.
Difference from related terms
Hi-hat refers to the fine subdivisions, while cymbal is a broader name that covers crashes, rides, and more.
Rather than laying them out evenly, thinking about which beats to accent gives the part life.
