Emphasis not accent...

In my previous post, I talked about the relative sound balance of the instruments when playing rock - snare drum loudest; then bass drum; the hi-hats/ride should be controlled and not too loud in the mix. There's another way to add more life and even a little swing to the proceedings...

The eight-notes on the hi-hats can be played evenly - each note exactly the same as the rest. However its more natural to emphasise the quarter-notes. Not an accent, mind you, just an emphasis. This gives rock beats a lilt, a slight swing which sounds very natural.

Speaking of emphasis, this playing up of the quarter-notes on the cymbals can also be applied to swing and shuffle beats. This doesn't have to apply just to the cymbals. Instead of accenting the backbeat when playing the shuffle with the left hand, I've started to emphasise the two and four instead. This sounds more natural than a heavy accent and is easier to play, giving me the strength to play the double shuffle for longer.