If you hate your hihats, watch this video

[@OscarUnderdog]

My Foundations courses ► courses.underdog.brussels Underdog Mailing List ► eepurl.com/gZmNbv Patreon ► www.patreon.com/underdogmusicschool Discord ► discord.gg/trDbVcDHB3

[@mjbellantoni]

Oscar, sometime in the last few months your videos have just gone to another level. Super practical, inspiring, and just a lot of fun to watch.

[@M.W.777]

I concur!!

[@aiden7274]

Yes, so much value in these, thank you Oscar, amazing work!

[@ThePaulynho65]

johnny sinns really can do any job

[@AbstractBlend]

Doctor, Plumber, and a Hi-Hat genius

[@victorloya1590]

Lol

[@BradTucker]

I hear he has a big kick

[@minde1337]

One of my favorite vids from this channel by far

[@Andrew-rz7qt]

So I made my self a coffee, grabbed the chocolate biscuits and watched this 3 times. When I finish watching I gave myself a few minutes to think about what I was going to do and wrote a bassline then went to work on the high hats. This is the first time I have been happy withy high-end because they both worked off each other. Thanks mate ❤

[@MagnusThorJonsson-v8z]

I took a forced hiatus from my production journey 3 years ago and I have been dipping my toe back into the whole production game again and I am glad that my reentry was on your videos. A lot of little techniques you casually demonstrate have turned out to solve so many issues I didn't know how to solve. Especially on the various ways you create that little bit of movement that I could never get right

[@samprock]

One technic I developed for myself is to have different hi-hat sounds on L/R or L/C/R. This make search space wider and finding groves more fun. Can’t wait for 12 update to get more playful with midi manipulation features. Plus what you’ve listed, Oscar, in such a pristine presentation. Great delivery, enjoyed your skills on top of musical inspiration.

[@Endle185]

Must sound great on a mono club set up.😂🇬🇧😂😂

[@samprock]

@@Endle185 One place my music will never play is in club LOL Best case scenario in ear buds and studio cans of few dedicated friends listeners …. one of them is … me 😂

[@JamesMcMeeken]

@@Endle185this won’t necessarily mess up the mix on a mono sound system. It’s the phase of stereo effects you need to watch out. You can and should always check mix in mono as part of the mixing process

[@JackBlackNinja]

@@JamesMcMeekennot just phase effects. Also just simple loudness. When layering things that share frequencies, you’ll probably need to turn down the elements being layered more if you just used on of the elements alone

[@dominikschneider7794]

I recently start watching your videos after finishing a ton of courses in the last three years. You surprise me with teaching me so basic elements with such an extraordinary love for the detail and perfect demonstration. Thank you, i am a big fan now!

[@mttlsa686]

When you said "name one genre without hi hats", instantly came to my mind "Oasis" by Peter Dundov. It's not a genere but it's a track without top end elements. The only top end element you can hear (at the last part of the track) is actually a noise layer, following the main synth envelope/filter. I love that track. Heard it for the first time played by Ernesto Ferreyra at the end of a 4 hour House/tech house dj set in Rome (so it was totally unexpected to listen to a 10 minutes classy underground techno track. We all asked for a last record and he pulled out this absolute psychedelic trip in acoustic form. I flew. What a night.

[@reculture]

What a killer of a track! When you've mentioned Peter Dundov and 'psychedelic', have you listened to "Distant Shores" track? What you think of it?

[@zubileegluckgluck]

'we will rock you' by queen also has no hihats, it'a all stomping, clapping and guitar.

[@Extaz93]

Your videos are getting better and better and it's a pleasure to see you enjoy the process of doing music and sharing tips. I've been struggling with life and two an almost two years break for production, and what made me start making music everyday again was that little smile on my face while in the process of creating. I'm not focused on the result anymore (which sometimes led me to a lot of frustration) but on the journey, and it is so much more rewarding !

[@xmeoff]

What a great tutorial. As someone who is lazy with drum programming, especially when it comes to hi-hat patterns, you’ve opened my eyes to what is possible. Thanks so much, I’ll be spending more time on my hi-hat patterns in future 😊

[@Nexusjmusic]

Loving these videos so much. The emphasis at the end of every video on HAVING FUN is an all-too-needed reminder to our community. So important to love the process & stay inspired.

[@maxmustermann-cy9zn]

damn, I dont think I've ever had someone explain this in such a straightforward yet entertaining way. Thanks man!

[@AndyMangele]

I'm not a drummer (a home recording guy though) and I love the HiHat and the things it can do - in most of the cases it defines the whole pulse for a piece.

[@willespalazzo]

OSCAR, you are seriously one of the best dance music educators out there, thanks for another masterclass

[@cavedwellersound]

Man your tutorials go above mere education, this is wisdom

[@iggysixx]

Hi hats convey the feeling of the bpm / speed of the track. A 160bpm track with consistent 16ths on the hihat can FEEL faster than a 180bpm track with only kicks on the 1/4 notes (and the occasional 1/8 accent kick)

[@cheetahlion79]

That arrangement flow using the rhythmic cell was immediately useful. I rely too much on the randomize buttons. However this process made me realize that, even within one bar, there needs to be a more structured feel (for what I want to dance to). I started reworking a track I've been fighting with and within 5 mins it was 65% better.

[@Hari-du6pt]

I really love how in all the arts the artists use words like "airy dustiness" to describe stuff, so cool.

[@martinstagnaro]

Ty Oscar. You put some groove on my hats and a smile in my face with the level four

[@RogerFaught]

I took "name one genre of music that doesn't use hi-hats, you can't" as a challenge: various ambient styles don't often use hi-hats.

[@Azalraku]

This is 100% an area I'm lacking. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@M.W.777]

Hell yea

[@akmumtaz6723]

Hats have always been an Achilles heel for me, where i have disregarded projects just cuz I couldn’t get the tops right. THANK YOU for this! Im certain I won’t be repeating past mistakes again and have fun experimenting with the most hypnotic part of a track 🤘🏽

[@krispysox]

I like to think that groove is the play between the hats and their troop of subplayers, in the 16ths and beyond.

[@krispysox]

I feel touched to get a like from the maestro!

[@Fundaground]

Some of us old fogies program on hardware and I still find this info useful. Bravo

[@CypiXmusic]

This comes in the perfect time. Been searching for how to improve my hats for a while. Hope this thing is gonna help a bit

[@DielectricFailure]

I had to been my weakness for probably the past two years since I started trying to write this type of music. Thank you so much for showing how you create manually the swing-groove!

[@streglof]

Nice! Please do shakers and tambourines next. I struggle.

[@mollyoko]

buy one get a mic, shake it, record it , put it in sampler. genius.

[@Pavillionairez]

Aaaah....i think you mean the Shirley's and the Twirlies

[@malegria9641]

Shaker- literally just use some white noise with hipass and shortish delay. Tambourine- don’t know how to help you here, sorry ;-;

[@sajp8859]

This is great as far as programming is concerned. However, years ago when trying to solve this problem, I just went to the local pawnshop and bought a pair of old Ludwig high hats, riveted the bottom cymbal, and it has worked like a charm with my tube vxl mic for over 10 years! Change rooms, use plate, try a large picture window with a surface mic to get that weird phasey sound like when a car drives by-no probs! I also mic up a $20 pawnshop snare drum-great variety of sounds! Good info though Professor! Thanks!

[@patrickguth3796]

Also one of the main issue I see in tracks made with sample packs containing loops (of course used unedited): The loop(s) don't match in groove or even fight against each other. I see this a lot both in drums as well as any other elements. Your lesson was very valuable, I think. Great work.

[@emnigmamachine]

I hate to say it but hi hats are always an afterthought for me. Gonna change that now

[@shuashock]

Same

[@nimbusnoise]

Same same

[@DunLan]

Same same same

[@jvaddison]

Same same same same

[@AbrahamHicksCorner67]

same bro

[@selfconscious_glider220]

Dude I love the way you teach. It involves both the heart and the brain elements of music.

[@CatFish107]

Oh good, you sat down after the intro. That stance is a spine killer, maaaan.

[@CatFish107]

Also, I don’t have a sampler, and refuse to take the time to learn a DAW. Happy to apply the ideas to other gear / software though!

[@lightburning9693]

Brilliant opening description. Theory of hats! love it.

[@cassiomendes13]

More cowbell! Excellent video, Oscar!! Thank you!!

[@dzaxys4643]

I can think of a bunch of genres that don't use hats but we mek techno and we need hats so lets goooo

[@54dermot]

You're in particularly good form in this one Oscar

[@shala_shashka]

One thing that i don't hear talked about often is making certain hihat samples that are mono have spread. One easy way is to do it with a Haas effect but that effect may not always work. The way I've been doing it is putting an ambience reverb on it (usually no more than about 25% wet) and sidechaining it to a room reverb and moving the fader up/down to taste (though I usually find about ~3db-9db less than the main hihat channel usually gives a subtle spread that doesn't completely wash out the hihat). It may or may not be beneficial to add an imager on the drum buss as well. This works for pretty much any drum sample, but it is good to be careful with low-frequency heavy samples (like the kick or a fat tom, etc.) for the sake of phasing - it also should be noted if you want to do that with low-end heavy samples, it usually works better if there's more mid/high-end on the attacks for extra impact, and keeping the verb more subtle than the rest (again, phasing, and it also sounds a little unpleasant depending on what you're making/going for). Anyways, that's my technique for spreading out mono samples, I'm sure there's other ways to do it that might actually be easier or more efficient. Thought i could add to this :)

[@FaBianrecord]

Almost 25k people hate Hi Hats! Good video, was fun to watch.

[@M.W.777]

That's funny lol

[@antonynewland5834]

This is good because there’s a tendency to program hats in predictable ways I find , and I want to find different/ more interesting approaches 👍👏

[@enkidux88]

Best school and teacher ever!

[@astoshowyouhow]

I have replayed that "SCHLACK, SCHLACK" at 9:38 more often than I care to admit

[@ricardojmestre]

Me too. Oscar, you should sample that!

[@brian2706]

This is the only video you need as a beginner to understand hats. But the greater value is how Oscar explains his thought process - he's constantly dropping little mental gems. Try to get inside his mind and think about how HE thinks, you really get a sense of what a pro focuses on, vs. trying to be fancy and use a ton of notes/effects.

[@uhhhclem]

This is really great, inspiring stuff. Though I have to say, the section on group design has a really strong "now draw the rest of the owl" vibe.

[@AbrahamHicksCorner67]

Hey Oscar, thank you very much. Enjoying a lot the educative and intelectual approach while being extremely creative. In 8:37, when you cicled through your hats with that Sampler technique, it sounded really gnarly... some playing around with resampling could yield very interesting results.

[@LautaroGutierrezArbiza]

Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge! Extremely helpful

[@iamtheguitar]

"Name one genre that doesn't use high hats!" "Baroque!" "I know it, you can't!" "Oh okay I can't!"

[@OscarUnderdog]

Hahahahaha i cant argue with that

[@19Lqueen17]

I thought of gamelan music, but baroque fits too.

[@iraklismoschonas5214]

Great video, thanks Oscar! I almost always lower quite enough the level of my hi-hats, so they can be heard less, but still be felt in the track.

[@stefankatic1337]

Looking forward to watching this! Just what I needed.

[@antondhondt9851]

Gosh, KHS transient shaper is in this vid - absolutely love this freeware transient masterpiece! In my humble opinion, delays are always top-notch for giving hi-hats more flight - the trick from the dawn of dance music (early "Prodigy" albums and so on). Besides, I recommend the advanced trick with MIDI arping. Any MIDI Arp plugin gonna work, but in freeware terms "Fanan Team - 999gen2" is just excellent for hi-hat variations. I am not an Ableton bloke, but the FL Studio one - in FL Studio MIDI Arping looks like this: freeware Grace sampler with any hi-hat on the board + Fanan 999gen2 = GREAT FUN!

[@docjoesweeney]

This video was absolutely perfect. A niche topic, but so well described

[@wethepeople6940]

You are an amazing teacher!

[@drydessert4198]

Aside from smaller aspects, the main deal with hihats is what function they are supposed to cover in a track and how you achieve that. A very important aspect is how high in the frequency spectrum high hats and other individual cymbals are and which and how many you layer to create and take away tension and drive throughout your track. The same goes for the envelopes. In certain genres (like Berhain Techno: Subzero (Original Mix) · Ben Klock) you have a low frequency shaker type of sound, a low pitched sample probably. In more forward going tracks you would have more layers and rides in particular to add more and more drive. Sometimes, you can use noise sounds (like noisy vinyl sounds or background noise floor from an analog recording). These sounds have more of an aesthetic function in contrast to a hardgroove Techno track where the hats are supposed to drive the track forward. You made a video about music having to have a steady element so that groovy elements can be groovy in relation to the steady element, the metronome video. That is one purpose of hihats, not the only one but an important one. And I would say that with hihats, you can create patterns that are not just 4/4, 8/8 metronome type of click tracks but are groovy yet serve as metronome of sorts. But you need to have the idea that some tracks have that and that this is a thing. Then you need to find out how to do it (hint: short rhythmic patterns that drive the track forward and have a recognizable identity. So you need to make it a bit interesting otherwise it's too generic. But when you try to make it too clever, it's going to be too clunky.). You added modulation on the decay. That is a good idea but it wasn't rhythmically functional but random. Can use intentionally make some sounds have different attacks and decay phases so that this creates a certain rhythm? Can you then modulate these to make the contrast stronger and then dial it back again to help evolving the entire track? Can you use pitch on your hihat samples to create and take back tension? What can you do with delay and reverb on individual hihat tracks, or even individual hits (so just one particular hihat hit instead all hihats of that type)? Take a listen to Beautification by David Alvarado to get an idea. When you use white noise to create hihats, where do you distinguish between a hihat function and a snare drum/percussive function? What other effects are useful for hihats (distortion, flangers with and without envelope followers, phaser, ...)? What is the relationship of hihats and snare drums in Techno and House? Can snare drums be an extension to hihat tracks with more weight? ... There are so many more things about hihats..

[@LUPART]

“Charlies” I'm having that. I love The Charleston. And something I call “Charleston Techno”, too. Such swingers as; BLAM THE TARGET by Neil Landstrumm, Game Form by Joey Beltram and Cristian Vogel's Body Mapping. The whole album. GET YER SHUFFLE ON!

[@dj_instruments937]

A video on the hi Hats and the "groups" would be appreciated. Like actual visual demonstrations changing out hh for rides, using and adding an energy reverse etcetera and building a solid drum groove. Just want to improve my drum programing. Thanks in advance 😊

[@Bass_Nomad.]

hihats are those things where the open one is between the kicks and the closed on every sixteenth. that sums up my hihat pattern i use. i hate programming them, usually i just get some top loop or a shaker and be done with it.

[@bladelores-o1k]

Fun and well put together!

[@meis18mofo77]

You should check out Au5's FM technique for synthesizing cymbals. Noise based Hats don't always work and they can get a little dull if overused.

[@pavlekocbek]

this is a nice channel, professor. It's very nice to watch this for me. Affirmative to my pioneering and deepest top underground secret research lab work at the dawn of electro. So glad to see other researchers,scientists and professors came to the same results, solutions and paradigms.I Look forward to watching more and enrage in debates about new breakthrough solutions, ways, levels and future experiments.

[@helixrider]

Especially the reminder to keep it simple totally gets me. My HHs are mostly wayyyy to busy and over the top… 🤪🙌

[@cassettedisco6954]

Amigo muchas gracias por tus consejos realmente son muy buenos y te cargan de energía, saludos desde México 🇲🇽

[@Grooveshaper]

Very cool!!! When I started watching your lessons, I finally started to understand how it all works!

[@ryanperrault8174]

Thanks for making this....One of my weaknesses in production I think...Could always use more Hi-hat tips.

[@rodnee2340]

My solution is hi hat on the off beat and a rhythmic delay to give it some interest! I think I need this video!😂

[@nimbusnoise]

I live for that ending 😂 go off king 🔥

[@Drummer9027]

A tiny bit of pitch modulation can help make them feel even more alive and ‚real‘ :)

[@arturom628]

Thank you!! Super timely. I was just struggling with mine a few hours ago 😢

[@delugedj]

hahaha this is great. on point and fun. good to see ya happy bro! thanks for the vid x

[@lnnerTemple]

Amazing and helpful as always❤

[@i4mt1m94]

Literally watching this on the bathroom... loving your videos btw such good work and of great value all the time

[@NebulizorOfficial]

Hats off to you sir! :D

[@OscarUnderdog]

I see what you did there!

[@MessingerDAD]

Thanks so much, you are a great teacher! ❤

[@FfanitTech]

Legend! Fantastic video

[@docjoesweeney]

Got my education pants on! Great session. Definitely learning something good.

[@MyshkoMusic]

Hhahahah I LOVE the energy right from the start 😆 I can tell you had a lot of fun recording this video :) Great work!

[@Georgemelhem]

Love you papppi always fun and engaging educative videos 😘😘

[@patricketp8356]

Yeah, baby. I love that!

[@AlexblackTV]

I always put your videos when i need some kind of inspiration or motivation, thanks a lot!!!

[@edoardobrenna1389]

You re my new favorite channel

[@shortcutDJ]

yeah i feel like that, love listening to crispy hi hats but i suck at making them

[@dennisrochat7747]

Think you’ve outdone yourself with this one. Good stuff. Also the intro was so fun hahah

[@brezskrben_fant]

Oh my god! It was such an awesome tutorial. Thanks man!

[@Jo_van_Tatz.aka.Mr.T]

Thanks a lot Oscar ! one of the best hi hat tutorial i've seen now ! nice and funny , some of the steps were really nie to see and hear :)

[@nicolasrouiller3885]

so simple but so deep, thx Oscar!

[@davidjangdal]

Hey! Amazing job as always ❤ But where was the best part, "Stay producing, be good to each other and take care" ?

[@M.W.777]

Dude, it's not often that im like" whoa ---for real" Noice one

[@Sundownerrr]

Brilliant as always - love your dancing 😅

[@sophiefau1648]

thank you!! amazing video :)

[@omapots]

Great intro!! 💯 and overall content of course

[@nifako5294]

Thank you so much ☺️

[@ropeburn6684]

Brotip for mixing: Especially beginners are mixing their hihats way too loud. The reason is simple: you make a new hihat track in your DAW, and it starts at standard volume close to maximum, which is way too loud. So you turn it down - the problem is, perception is relative, your ears instantly got used to the too loud volume, so "a bit less" now sounds "right" to you - but it isn't, it's still too loud. Your ears and brain fooled you. A simple way to fix that is turning the channel all the way down, then slowly up again until it sounds right. Effectively, you're turning your natural perception bias upside down.

[@jean-marcdecanter7719]

Very good job ! Helpful for me. High hats are as important as kick !

[@bengineer_the]

Sounds wicked!

[@the_tp]

dude, honestly, at second 48 I stopped the video right now and gave u a streight thumbs up :D these are the vibes man haha love your vibe! and now putting on my helmet to be prepaired for the gems u`ll throw at me in the video! ;)

[@BFHPET]

pls make more of this and rhythm stuff there isnt alot of that on youtube

[@BoboLearns]

I did take notes.

[@lemurdreamur9257]

Really like your style of explanation. That is all :)

[@Animo1681]

loved the intro!

[@cush7696]

Masterfully explained!!!! Very useful !

[@isabellapakulska]

Another fantastic video, thanks Oscar! If anything would be good to elaborate a bit on where all the percussive elements sit programing and frequency wise..