This lesson looks at a pretty handy idea. Whilst in basic form here, there’s a stack of possibilities when you get stuck into it. Basically, instead of keeping a straight hi-hat (not that that is necessarily a bad thing mind you) we can emphasise different parts of the patterns with accents. The hi-hats can often get overlooked in a groove since the bass and snare drum can have these really complicated patterns but if you dig a little deeper, the hi-hat plays a massive roll and altering it can cause massive changes to a groove.

This idea of adding accents creates a new ‘flavour’ and could be the very thing that differentiates the same groove you’ve always done. In other words, you could play the same beat but just change the hi-hat part and get a different vibe. Simple!

There’s not a gig that goes by that I don’t use this idea. It’s a natural part of my playing now. It’s incredible to hear the different feel and texture that comes from simply changing the hi-hat part.

See how you go with this and let me know your progress. Enjoy!

Enjoy the vid.