Why do drummers feel the need to tap the hihats before a band begins to rock?

[Joel-RZ]

You know what makes me wanna punch my own teeth out? When those wimpy ass singers have to use a microphone just so the audience can hear them. L-A-M-E. I mean, they are already wearing pants so tight that half the chicks go home pregnant and they can't use that power to magnify their voice past the front row? Jesus flippin' Christ. You never heard any of the castrato's needing any kind of voice magnification device. And if anyone needed it, it would be the guys who opted to have their nuts chewed off by cows just so they could hit those high notes.

And another thing, why is black the color of choice for metal? I think anyone wearing black should all be segregated to the back of the bus, including band members. Be original for crying out loud. Invent your OWN evil color, friggin hacks.

Im with ya Michael. Maybe the audience should count the bands in? That would go well and keep a pace the majority of the audience would be most comfortable with.

 

[No-Mercy]

yea its for cue time. if i have a song where everythin just cuts in explosivly like that, i usually just hit one quick tap.

 

[Michael TEOF]

I guess what I'm mainly referring to is how I half amusingly pointed to something I feel (and hoped everybody would agree with me on) is a cheesy minor annoyance to a progressive metal live band experience.... But somehow, not only did people disagree with me on the level of annoying it is, but people are actually supporting it as if its a wonderful thing that somehow elevates the concert experience through a means other than keeping the band on time. I thought it was pretty obvious that my post was tounge in cheek and not to be taken too seriously (although I thought I had a point most could agree on). When so many posters put the angry and vomit faces over this, I can only assume I somehow offended some peoples patriotic feelings toward the hihat tap as if it was some celebrated tradition in concert-going that I was attacking.

The "hihat tap" may be a cheesy obnoxious evil we have to live with (and no it is not comparable to a show being too "loud" or "crowded" or "beer spilling")... but to read people attacking my post and then having the audacity to show support for the "hihat tap" as if it somehow elevates the concert experience boggles my mind!

The hihate tap is a very cheesy distracting experience, and IF it can go away, the world would be better for it. We can debate about how much better it would be (slightly or incredibly) for it to go away or if the end would justify the means in its ban from the live experience.... but lets not debate over whether or not its a good or bad thing... Because it is bad... how bad, is perhaps debatable.

But for people to come out of this debate somehow PRO hihat tap, for Gods sake, just boggles my mind. Its like someone coming out and saying they are "pro abortion." Keeping it legal may be a necessary evil for the good of society, or in this case keeping band members playing on time. But for Gods sake, why are people arguing in favor of the hihat tap?

The Michael

 

[sh0kr0k]

The hihate tap is a very cheesy distracting experience, and IF it can go away, the world would be better for it. We can debate about how much better it would be (slightly or incredibly) for it to go away or if the end would justify the means in its ban from the live experience.... but lets not debate over whether or not its a good or bad thing... Because it is bad... how bad, is perhaps debatable.

I think this whole thread has proven that you are the only one annoyed by the hihat, as opposed to seeing it as a necessary part of having a band stay on time to make a good performance. It's not a "cute little habit" that can be done away with. And it most certainly is not like debating abortion.

I'll get myself in trouble if I don't shut up

 

[skyrefuge]

I think this whole thread has proven that you are the only one annoyed by the hihat

No, I find it annoying too. Not annoying enough to make a thread about it, but if the hi-hat tap disappeared and never came back, I would be mildly pleased.

I think Michael is kinda dumb for not being able to figure out the *reason* for the hi-hat tap on his own, but it's even more dumb to label his post as elitist bitching. It seemed relatively humorous and light-hearted to me, and an interesting topic discussion for music fanatics. At least a couple of alternative possibilities were brought up in this thread, and I wouldn't mind if bands took advantage of them!

Neil

 

[Joel-RZ]

...or...we could just do away with hi-hats altogether! Duh! Why didn't I think of that before. If they are annoying before a song, they certainly have to be somewhat annoying during the song as well, no? Or do they make sense during the song? I don't know. Maybe drummers should do a hi-hat solo in 6/37 time before each song. Or we could make a law that states ALL drummers from this point on MUST be women. And any drummer must be nude in order to appear in a live setting. I bet you wouldn't be half as annoyed by the count-in then!

This thread is SO much fun.

 

[Wayniac]

It doesn't ELEVATE the experience- it is a neccessary evil... deal with it or invent something that makes it go away!
The world would be better if war and disease and stuff like that could go away - if hihat counts are all you have to worry about - man - you should run for pres, cause that is a nice world bro !


AND BTW_ I agree with Joel - how dare those powerful singers need microphones to fill a 1200 seat arena with their voice. The mic gets in the way of seeing their faces, which affects MY concert enjoyment ! They need to do away with mics!! And what's up with drummers needing sticks or high hats in the first place? And why do they need more than one drum!


I'm not wasting any more time or energy with this thread... begone ! lol

 

[sh0kr0k]

No, I find it annoying too. Not annoying enough to make a thread about it, but if the hi-hat tap disappeared and never came back, I would be mildly pleased.

Alright, you win!

 

[DAVETHEMETALGUY]

as a drummer i must say this is a funny thread. that someone actually felt the need to ask. like every freeking band does it. without that little 'chic chic' guitarists will be wanking off outta time. lol

 

[Perpet]

as a drummer i must say this is a funny thread. that someone actually felt the need to ask. like every freeking band does it. without that little 'chic chic' guitarists will be wanking off outta time. lol

Oh sure blame the guitarists Damn drummers BTW Michael you still rock man.

 

[Perpet]

... Maybe drummers should do a hi-hat solo in 6/37 time before each song.
This thread is SO much fun.

BTW exactly how fast is a 37th note?

 

[Joel-RZ]

BTW exactly how fast is a 37th note?

ready? _ <-------that fast.

 

[Michael TEOF]

For the record, let me just say that I don't mind the "chic chic" on the hi tap to keep time.

This post was about the drummer standing up with a cheesy ass smile and smashing the hi hat with a "tsh! ... tsh! ... tsh! ... tsh!" right before a kickass symphonic intro or instrumental part that bothers me.

So drummer out there, can you honestly tell me that this is necessary?

And also for the record, I don't find this is a bigger problem than children starving in Africa. This thread already has three pages... so some must find it interesting

So to all the hihat tap complainer haters out there... boo F'n hoo Cry me a river. I'll complain about what I want

The Michael

 

[TXHOSER]

BTW exactly how fast is a 37th note?

That would depend on the tempo...which would be determined by the drummer going tst...tst... tst...tst...

How did this thread get so long?

 

[DT Jesus]

I'll bite. I never thought about it before, but now I can picture it. In a lot of rock and metal settings it wouldn't bother me, but in a very dramatic, epic setting it'd be an evil that was unfortunately necessary. Classical orchestras find a way around it, there's no jarring cymbal tapping transitioning those musicians from one section to another. If I were watching a metal performance that had lots of classical/orchestral/moody elegance to it and then like a shrieking reminder that it's still basic rock n' roll some lousy tap-tap broke through that elegance, it would probably shatter the graceful illusion a bit. I could see that being annoying.

Maybe not a bad idea to try to think outside the box on this.

 

[nvandyk]

Classical orchestras find a way around it, there's no jarring cymbal tapping transitioning those musicians from one section to another.

It's called a "conductor." You might have noticed him. Guy in a tuxedo, with a baton, stands right in front of everything?

In smaller emsembles, say a string quartet, (a) one of the instruments is basically always playing in time, and (b) there is foot tapping going on.

 

[Unca Kev]

There ya go Michael! If you would sponsor a conductor for PPVIII, Glenn might have those pesky tss tss tss tss banned for you, this year! I hear that John Williams has nothing to do that weekend and he's a BIG fan of Redemption!

 

[edgeofthorns]

Would Back In Black be Back In Black without the famous hihat tap? I think not.

 

[DAVETHEMETALGUY]

i cant believe we're talking about this.

 

[Michael TEOF]

Can you imagine listening to a famous classical piece like Berlioz Fantastic Symphony... right after the quiet horn section, the percussionist gets on a pedestal with a cheesy ass smile and smashes his cymbol with a stick 4 times as a que to get the orchestra on time. I can't imagine anything more distracting. A conductor with an orchestra would be perfect for Prog Power. We could force every band to work with one

Bands like Primal Fear, would be shit out of luck, and be forced to work with one No cheesy ass hihat tap for them. The thought of a guy in a tuxedo waving his wand to Primal Fear is just great.

The Michael