Different hats

The hi hats are a pair of cymbals on a special stand that holds them together like a cymbal sandwich. They make different sounds when struck depending on the position of the stand’s foot pedal, which squeezes them together. When pressed against each other, they make a tight, crisp sound, but when left loose, they make a jangly metallic sound that decays. In electronic drum kits, these are often separate sounds that are used together to create patterns.

Try this

Press play to listen to the hi hat pattern. Notice how the closed hi hat cuts off the sound of the open hi hat. This is called choking, and is meant to mimic the behavior of real-world hi hats (which can’t be open and closed at the same time).