How To Play Jazz Hi-Hat Fills

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Learn how to play Jazz hi-hat fills that are simple, sound great, and give your playing a nice Max Roach/Buddy Rich kind of vibe.

Jazz Drumming Hi-Hat Course

  • Instructor: Von Baron
  • Level: Intermediate-Advanced
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My Jazz Hi-Hat Course teaches you how to add smooth and creative hi-hat drum set fills to your Jazz drumming. 

You’ll learn:
  • How to play Jazz hi-hat
  • 5 unique hi-hat fill patterns
  • Explore fanning and
  • Other dynamic hi-hat sounds
  • Practice mixing fills smoothly into your playing
  • Focus on timing, feel and musical application
  • Develop confidence and control


By the end, you’ll feel more connected to your drumming and have new tools to make your hi-hat playing more exciting and musical.  
Course Overview
This course breaks down how to play smooth Jazz hi-hat fills in a super simple way.

Just 5 solid patterns to help you add some swing and personality to your hi-hat with stuff that sounds really good.

  • Drum Lessons Video: 1 hour
  • Drum Lessons: 10
  • Multiple Instructor Playing Examples
  • 8-Page PDF Download
  • Drum Practice Tracks: 2
  • Drum Lab Monthly Drum Class
  • Lessons In 9 Languages:
    English, Deutsch, Français, Español, Italiano, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 한국어, 日本語

The ABC's of Killer Hi-Hat Fills

You know how the ride cymbal usually gets all the attention in Jazz drumming? Well, your hi-hats have way more potential than just clicking on 2 and 4. This course is all about unlocking that.

I’ll show you how to play Jazz hi-hat fills that are smooth, musical, and give your drumming a ton of personality.

We’ll keep it simple. Just five fill patterns, nothing overwhelming, but they’ll open up a whole new side of your playing. These are fills you can drop in during a melody, a bass solo, or when the tune’s opening up and you want to say something with your hi-hat. They sound great and they’re really fun to play.

What This Course Covers

Here’s what we’ll work through together:

 • How to play jazz hi-hat fills that actually sound good in real music
 • 5 fill patterns that swing and feel super natural
 • Mixing them into your grooves and comping without sounding forced
 • Jazz hi-hat techniques like fanning and dynamic accents
 • How to use the hi-hat to support solos or create space
 • Tightening up your timing and feel with a few focused exercises
 • Practice tracks to lock it all in and a PDF to keep it organized

This isn’t a course where we just learn licks. It’s about making your hi-hat feel like part of the conversation in the music. We'll make your hi-hat more than just something you stomp on. You’ll start to hear the hi-hat differently after this. It becomes more expressive, more musical and more you.

Why It’s Worth Doing

Honestly, Jazz hi-hat fills are kind of a hidden gem. Everyone focuses on the snare, ride and bass drum, but the hi-hat is where you can really add some unexpected color. Especially when you’re comping behind a soloist or leading into a section change.

These patterns are simple, but they work. They let your hi-hat speak without overcomplicating the rhythm. And because they’re built to flow with your grooves, they won’t throw your time off or distract from the music. They just fit.

Let's Get Swinging

If this course gets you fired up about your hi-hat (and I think it will), you might want to check out the Total Lessons Course Pack and get lifetime access to every course I offer including this one. You’ll be covered from beginner to advanced, from comping to soloing, brushes, Brazilian grooves, and way more.

If you’re ready to make your hi-hat more than just a background instrument, this course is a great place to start. Solid Jazz hi-hat patterns that feel great and help your drumming sound more alive.

Let’s swing those hats.

PREVIEW THE COURSE

Here's the lesson on playing in "2" and the rhythm that we'll use in the rest of the course to play our Max Roach and Buddy Rich style hi-hat fills. 

There is a PDF download for this and all of the lessons in the course when you enroll. It's a short and sweet course to learn how to play Jazz hi-hat fills  like the greats. 

Click on the "CC" in the video screen to select your language. 
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Jazz Drums Total Lessons Pack

From clueless to gig-ready! Start from scratch and groove your way up to advanced Jazz drumming. Grab all my courses to go from your first beat to stealing the show!

Includes the Jazz Drumming Hi-Hat Course! 
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The Lessons On How To Play Jazz Hi-Hat Fills

Learn how to play Jazz hi-hat with some fantastic hi-hat fills!
  1. INTRO - 02:38
  2. PLAYING IN "2" AND THE RHYTHM - 09:21
  3. HI-HAT FILL PATTERN #1 - 08:23
  4. HI-HAT FILL PATTERN #2 - 09:27
  5. HI-HAT FILL PATTERN #3 - 03:51
  6. HI-HAT FILL PATTERN #4 - 02:58
  7. HI-HAT FILL PATTERN #5 - 03:58
  8. HI-HAT FANNING AND OTHER SOUNDS - 03:52
  9. MIXING THE FILL PATTERNS - 15:14
  10. CONCLUSION - 01:06
  11. EXAMPLE PERFORMANCES VIDEO - 03:44

Drum Lessons Starter Pack

Learn more essentials of how to play Jazz hi-hat in my Intro To Jazz Drumming course and get it at a nice discount! A beginner drummer lessons package to get you ready to play with other Jazz musicians. 
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The Jazz Drumming Hi-Hat Fills Course

FOCUSED

This course saves you time and money by breaking down how to play Jazz hi-hat fills used by the greats. 

By the end of these online drum lessons, you'll be able to play smooth, cool fills on your hi-hat. 
  • 1 hour of online drum lessons
  • 10 drum lesson videos
  • 8-page PDF
  • 2 drum practice tracks
  • Multiple live performance examples
  • Drum Lab Monthly Drum Class

AFFORDABLE

One-Time Payment. Lifetime Access to your course. Pay once, drum forever!

Pocket-friendly subscription plans also available through Groove Pass. 

PAINLESS

Learn with a relaxed, step-by-step method at your own pace.

You can also track your progress and see how much you have accomplished. Example below is from the Brushes Mastery Course.

Need a little more help with how to play Jazz hi-hat fills?

Send me a direct message in the School and ask your questions in my monthly Drum Lab class. Just some of the perks for joining Jazz Drum School! 

Von Baron

Jazz drummer, educator, composer

About YOUR TEACHER

Performing regularly on stage and in the recording studio for 35+ years, Von Baron is one of the busiest drummers in Japan. 

Playing with Stanley Jordan, Benny Golson, Eddie Henderson, Geoff Keezer and many others gave Von the opportunity to hone his Jazz drumming skills. 

It's with this real world experience, Von created this course to give you a solid foundation for your Jazz drumming.
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Kobe, Japan

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