Note and Rest Values
The longest note commonly used in music is the whole note, which lasts four beats. The table below shows how the whole note can be divided into shorter notes. Whole notes and half notes are not common in drum notation but are very common in music written for other instruments and are definitely worth learning to recognize and count.
Notes Used In Drum Beats
The note values most commonly used in drum notation are the quarter note, the eighth note and the sixteenth note. Most drum beats and patterns are made up of combinations of some or all of these note types.
How To Read Drum Music
Drum music is commonly written on the Stave or Staff. This is made up of five lines and four spaces.
The Staff is divided into sections with Bar Lines.
Each section between the Bar lines is called one bar or one measure.
A Double Bar line indicates the end of the music, or the end of a section such as a verse or chorus of a song.
Two Dots next to a double bar line are called a repeat sign and indicate that the music is to be repeated from the beginning, or from a previous repeat sign.
Here is another sign called a Bar Repeat Sign which indicates that the previous bar is to be repeated. If the same bar is to be played several times in succession, repeat signs are often used.
The percussion clef sign is used at the beginning of each line of drum music.
The Time Signature appears next to the Percussion Clef Sign and indicates how many beats are to be played in each bar and what type of notes these beats represent. The time signature shown here is the four four time signature which indicates four quarter note beats per bar.
Drum music is usually written in the spaces of the staff, including the space above the staff, to represent different parts of the drum kit. The most commonly used method is shown as follows:
The Quarter Note
This is a quarter note. It lasts for one beat.
There are four quarter notes in one bar of * time.
The Quarter Rest
This symbol is a quarter rest.
It indicates one beat of silence.
In the following example, we have taken one bar of time, cut it into 4 equal chunks and put a note at the start of each chunk. Four equal parts = four quarters, so we call these notes quarter notes or crotchets. Practice this rhythm while counting the beats out loud. Aim to make the space between every beat as even as possible, giving the whole bar as smooth a feel as possible.
Using A Metronome
One very good way of developing this skill is to practice with a metronome keeping time for you - there aren’t too many professional drummers in the world who haven’t spent some serious time playing along with a metronome. Practice the previous exercise on your snare drum, practice pad, thighs, desk, handle-bars… anywhere you find yourself. This goes for any rhythmic exercise you are given. Also practice in time with music - the vast majority of popular music has bars 4-beats long (called 4/4 time), so you can tap along with it, counting every beat.
Play this simple rhythm on the hi-hat with only your right hand. Keep the hi-hat closed with your left foot. Keep counting 1, 2, 3, 4 as you play.
The Backbeat
Now get ready to hit the snare drum with your left hand on beats 2 and 4. This is called the backbeat and is the most important characteristic of Hip-Hop and contemporary RnB drumming (as well as Rock, Funk, Metal and Punk drumming). Your left hand should be under your right hand.
With your right foot on the bass-drum pedal, hit the bass-drum on beats 1 and 3. This simple pattern is very important and is found in most styles of music throughout the world.
Try playing the bass-drum on every beat (your right hand and right foot should be hitting at the same time now). This will give the beat a more driving "house" kind of feel. Aim to have your hi-hat and bass-drum hitting exactly together.
Know Your Drum Accessories…
Sticks
Drumsticks come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes and materials. The most common woods are hickory, maple and oak. Sticks can also be made from aluminum and various synthetic materials such as nylon and carbon fiber. The weight of the stick affects both its projection and how easy it is to control, as does the length. The shape and material of the tip also has a big influence on tone production and comes in various shapes such as round, pointed, tear drop and barrel. Nylon tips are brighter in tone and more durable than wood.
