• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Hi-hat side of the drummer

#61
When playing drums, I like the bassist on my left (high hat/snare side). When playing bass, prefer to be on that side, too.

Most drummers tend to have a lot more stuff on the "low" side of their kit: floor tom(s), ride cymbal, crashes, and the unbiquitous gigantic Pageantry of Rock China Cymbal. The air space over the HH is usually clearer, which makes for better verbal or non-verbal communication, plus I can see the drummer's feet.

The idea that the drummer and bass player don't need to be able to easily interact is bunk. If you play the same set with the same musicians every night, maybe you could get away with it. However, I've played plenty of short-term, one night, fill-in, or pickup gigs where I relied on the bassist for change cues or starting tempos.

There may also be other unexpected changes that come up during a gig that must be communicated quickly. For instance, we were playing a very well-known club in Nashville one night, when a storm caused part of the roof to cave in and water started coming through the second floor, down over the lighting trusses, and onto me and my drum kit! No one else on stage saw or heard it. The only person I could get to notice my predicament was our bass player, because we maintained pretty regular eye contact, when he wasn't singing. An extreme example, perhaps, but...

BTW, advice for aspiring drummers: Never trust a guitarist, and especially never trust a non-instrument-playing singer, to give you a tempo! :D
 
#64
Lefty-playing righty-standing stage-lefty. :p

Ever since I started playing with my buddy two years ago (and he'd only been playing drums a year then), I just naturally felt better playing on his left - the hi-hat side. I'm also a fairly new bass player; guitar being my primary instrument. So, being able to see him well was the first advantage.

But now, even though we all use IEMs, I prefer being on the HH side: I can hear them pretty well and also have a better line-of-sight to the kick as well as to the other band members. Even though I sing lead vocals most of the time, I do tend to hang back with him whenever I can.

The question that's been nagging me is this: What situations would cause you to have to switch sides? I can see being crammed some and forcing musicians out, but don't see any reason why a band would have to flip. If space is tight, bring a smaller rig, right?
 
#66
dvh said:
Not always possible. The stage is just plain too small or a smaller rig won't do the job...
Click to expand...

Which is the other reason I like standing on the HH side. I'm right-handed, so when I turn to look at the drummer, my neck swings out towards the front of the stage, where there's (hopefully) a little free space. Worst case scenario: I hit a singer or, even worse, a mic stand. On small stages, if I'm on the drummer's low side, I may swing into an amp or even the back wall. :bawl:

Now, in all fairness, Invalid Link Removed broke his on a singer, but look where he was standing!
 
#68
Phalex said:
My right ear aint what it used to be. I stay on the hi-hat side because I don't need to pound the crap out of my left one.

Ear plugs children: Live it, love it.
Click to expand...

QFT!

I used to play on the ride cymbal side of the drummer I played with in college. He also had a wuhan china cymbal on that side of his kit that led to such ridiculous ringing in my left ear that going to the other side of the kit was a welcome move.
 
#71
oniman7 said:
Let me say I totally agree. My drummer likes the bass, snare, and hi-hat, which are all on the left side.

However, for the purpose of argument, I'd like to talk about your experiment. I don't think it's the hi-hat that's important, so much as the driving 16th notes. You can replace the hi-hat in that experiment with a china, a ride, floor tom, just about anything, and I imagine you'd have the same level of success because it's a faster beat, and because it has shorter intervals, you can pick up on it quicker.


Not that I actually tried the experiment :p So correct me if I'm wrong. I was just curious about that.
Click to expand...
You're dead right. It's just that most of the time you're more likely to hear such stuff on the hi-hat rather than elsewhere.
 
#72
teleharmonium said:
I don't care as long as I have enough space. You can hear the hi hat anywhere in the venue, including inside the walk in fridge with the door shut.
Click to expand...
But where can you hear it BEST? ;)

Actually, I've played gigs on stages where I was a good distance from the drummer and due to overall volume or bad monitor mixing I could barely hear the drummer at all, let alone the hi-hat. Not ideal, imo.
 
#73
bassybill said:
You're dead right. It's just that most of the time you're more likely to hear such stuff on the hi-hat rather than elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. Because of the way my practice room is set up, nobody can sit on the right side of my drummer. I'm usually located in front of and facing him, closer to the left side than the right. In fact, even the one time I played live, I was in front of his snare and hi-hat. Hmm. I may have to try the other side.
 
#74
JimmyM said:
I'd advise those of you who have very firm preferences to get over them. Sooner or later you're going to be placed on a stage in an area you may not want to be. What are you going to do? Refuse to do the gig unless everyone else in the band bends to your will? All well and good if you're the bandleader. Not so good if you're not.
Click to expand...
It's not a dealbreaker, of course. But I think the question was more about where do you go if you do get to choose.
 
#76
I remember one of my first studio sessions, about 30 years ago now. I'd got cans on (as had we all) and after three or four takes of the first tune, things just weren't happening. I moved into the drum booth and sat in there, still with my cans on, but about 2 feet from the drum kit. The very next take was the one we kept.

Just sayin'.
 
#78
I actually play stage right...

drummer fills a lot, very Moon/Peart-esque drumming philosophy: as long as it fits, fill it up (which fits perfectly with our music honestly), and he keeps his cymbals low. So eye contact isn't that hard to establish (especially considering I'm the lead singer and I usually give the cues anyway). Plus, having the snare a little bit further away lets me hear myself and the guitarist more clearly.
 
#79
Phalex said:
My right ear aint what it used to be. I stay on the hi-hat side because I don't need to pound the crap out of my left one.

Ear plugs children: Live it, love it.
Click to expand...

Amen to that!

I prefer the left hand side of the kit, not only do you get to hear the hi-hat better but if the on-stage mix goes totally pear shaped and you can't hear anything clearly, you can see the drumstick waving like a conductors baton, you can also see the stick hitting the snare easily and you can also see the kick drum going in - 3 visual clues if all else fails.

The downside is that there is also a crash cymbal at ear height and my right ear has paid the price - I can only hear about 70% as well with my right ear as I can with my left, and I also have constant tinitus ringing in my ear around the 4Khz range
 
#80
bassybill said:
But where can you hear it BEST? ;)
Click to expand...

Where I can hear it best, and how much of it I want to hear, are very different questions...

bassybill said:
Actually, I've played gigs on stages where I was a good distance from the drummer and due to overall volume or bad monitor mixing I could barely hear the drummer at all, let alone the hi-hat. Not ideal, imo.
Click to expand...

I think I've been in that situation just once or twice. Sure, that's a huge problem. I would define that primarily as a soundman or bandmate malpractice problem which at best could only be somewhat mitigated by my placement.

However in practically every gig, I am getting about 2-3x as much drums in my ears as I would like.

Granted, if the drummers had softer touch it would be much less of an issue. They do exist but for me at the moment playing with one of those guys with perfect overall levels and dynamics is a rare treat.

Caveat: I'm one of those guys that thinks most modern pop music (of all kinds) has the drums way too loud. Not that I don't like loud drums sometimes, but it's beyond ridiculous when the kick drum for indie pop or latin jazz bands feels like a bomb going off.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back