Common way to incorporate left foot into playing?

[FattMusiek]

Hello fellow drummers. Over the last three months I have progressed a ton due to pretty consistent rudiment practice. My question is:

On what beat is it most common to play the hi-hat with your left foot? I play mostly rock, punk, metal, you know, back beat stuff. I'm also interested in how to apply it to jazz but that is a genre I don't understand much about.

Thanks!

 

[KineticSound]

FM,
In jazz, you're typically playing the left foot on 2 and 4 while keeping time on the ride cymbal. Same would be true when playing brushes on the snare: 2 and 4 with the left foot, or 3 in half-time.

No real rules... play what sounds good and serves the music. One of my favorites is playing the left foot on and "and" of 1 and 3 when playing a 4/4 groove; brings an interesting texture. Gadd used to play the last note of a triplet with the left foot when playing a shuffle; also very cool.

 

[Elton Bear]

I like playing a basic rock beat on the ride/kick/snare, and trying to incorporate different rhythms with the left foot. Some examples are 3:2 and 2:3 son claves, or a rhumba but I find that a bit more tricky. To get started learning some David Garribaldi grooves really helps, or the iconic '50 ways to leave your lover' intro! Also, practising the same rudiments with your feet that you play with your hands builds control and independence.

Remember, START SLOWLY. Then you can build up speed and be more accurate with your note placement.

 

[Rimshot]

In Jazz it's usually like this:
In a 4/4 rhythm the sock is on 2 and 3
With 6/8 it's usually 2, 4 and 6
On 3/4 it's commonly kick on 1 neither on 2 and sock on 3, but I often play it :kick on 1 and sock on 2 and 3.
In typical jazz playing, you can certainly mix it up and fill in more with the sock(hi-hat)
but there will be old-timers (actually older than me ) on one of the melodic or other rhythm instruments that listen for the sock on 2 and 4 as a constant and if it's not there, it can throw them.

 

[Steve Moser]

Get your other three limbs in order, and the high hat foot will take care of itself.

 

[Elton Bear]

Get your other three limbs in order, and the high hat foot will take care of itself.

Yeah, if you want it to keep the hi-hats permanently closed. How can you possibly play anything interesting or useful without exercising the left foot?

 

[Rimshot]

Oops!

When I wrote :

In a 4/4 rhythm the sock is on 2 and 3

it was a typo. It should have read : on 2 and 4

In Jazz it's usually like this:
In a 4/4 rhythm the sock is on 2 and 3
With 6/8 it's usually 2, 4 and 6
On 3/4 it's commonly kick on 1 neither on 2 and sock on 3, but I often play it :kick on 1 and sock on 2 and 3.
In typical jazz playing, you can certainly mix it up and fill in more with the sock(hi-hat)
but there will be old-timers (actually older than me ) on one of the melodic or other rhythm instruments that listen for the sock on 2 and 4 as a constant and if it's not there, it can throw them.