John Bonham’s performance on “The Crunge” was in Modern Drummer many years ago, and it was the first time I saw drum set music written out on the staff. I had no idea how to read drum music. Even though I had worked on piano and snare drum for a short time and understood how to read music, the drum set notation was overwhelming at first.
Reading drum music, like most musical notation, is about understanding rhythms, voicing, dynamics, and “road map” symbols. This article focuses on developing these skills well enough to become fluent and practical about sight reading drum charts.
What’s First?
Learning how to read drum music starts with few basics. Beyond the drum key below, you’ll need to know the each note duration, how to count rhythms and rests, and other notations that inform the musical performance.
Drum Key
The Staff (and Time Signatures)
The staff is comprised of lines and spaces. Depending on the clef, the symbol at the beginning of the staff, the lines and spaces will correlate to different notes (pitches) or instruments. In the case of drum set and percussion, the different lines and spaces represent different drums, cymbals, and percussion instruments.
Time signatures are one of the most important things to look for on the staff. The top number indicates how many beats are in a measure (or bar), and the bottom number tells us which type of note is considered a beat. Sometimes you’ll see a big C instead of 4/4. This stands for common time, which is usually four beats per measure and the quarter note is counted as a beat.
Cut-time is another time signature symbol like common time that is not represented by numbers. It means that the notation looks like 4/4 (or common time), but the beat is felt on the half note. You’ll see this notation on Latin charts written by experienced arrangers because Latin music, like the music of Cuba or Brazil, has a lot of two-bar rhythmic cycles.
Check out this article for more information on clave rhythms, the most important two-bar rhythmic cycle in Latin music.
Other frequently used time signatures include 2/4 (march), ¾ (waltz), and 6/8. The trick to figuring out how to count the time signature is to use the top number. If the measure is 6/8, it will be counted with six counts and the eighth note equals a count. Let’s dig deeper into this issue in the next section.
Note Values
Reading music starts with understanding how the beats can be divided. These are often referred to as subdivisions of the measure. For example, a quarter note is already a quarter of a 4/4 (or common time) measure. One quarter note can be divided into two eighth notes or four sixteenth notes. There are more subdivisions, but we will stick to these for the purpose of this tutorial.
Other notes that are very common in sheet music include whole and half notes. The whole note is equal to four quarter notes and it takes up the space of an entire measure. Half notes are just their name suggests — each note is half a measure (in common time or 4/4).
Each type of note has a correlating rest symbol (see image below). It’s important to count the rest because it becomes difficult to play at the right time if you don’t account for the space between the notes. Advanced musicians will attest to the importance of mastering the times you’re not playing. Essentially, the space without music performance defines the performance.
Reading Rhythms for Drum Music
At the University of North Texas, all freshman percussionists had to take a percussion methods class with Mark Ford. The first lesson was “Rhythm is King.” Ford used to also say that to be a good reader, you needed to read everyday.
The golden rule for music starts with counting. If you can’t count it, you can’t play it.
- Four quarter notes, the rhythm is counted 1, 2, 3, 4.
- Eight eighth notes, it’s counted 1 + (and), 2 + (and), 3 + (and), 4 + (and).
- Sixteenth notes, the rhythms are counted 1 e + a, 2 e + a, 3 e + a, 4 e + a.
Try these counting exercises. Once you are comfortable with the counting, count along with a metronome set at a comfortable tempo. Increase the tempo a few times to push the edges of your ability.
Counting Exercise 1
Counting Exercise 2
Counting Exercise 3
Articulations and Voicing
Articulations are how long or short a note is played on the instrument, and the voicing is which instrument is chosen to play the notes. Choosing the right drums and how long the notes are played can be the difference between being a legendary drummer like Ringo Starr or a garage band hack.
Short notes can be played by dampening the drum head with your hand, the stick, or other material means. The cymbal can be played long or short by letting it ring or by grabbing it with your hand to choke off the sound.
How do articulations and voicing help you learn how to read drum music?
The idea that an eighth note and a quarter note are the same for drummers is unacceptable. I can’t remember how that got into my head – probably a woodwind teacher acting as fourth-grade percussion instructor – but it’s false.
An eighth note is shorter than a quarter note. Think of a quarter note as having a duration comparable to saying the word “chord.” Likewise, the duration of an eighth note is similar to saying “hit.” If you want to be more sophisticated, use “do” for quarter notes and “dat” for eighths.
Choosing the Right Voices
For drum set, the voicing is highly improvisational. In fact, very rarely will a professional chart include specific notation for instruments. This is mostly because the rhythmic styles usually have instrument choices that are understood by the players.
For example, a cascara pattern is often played on the hi hat, ride cymbal bow, or the drum shell during the lower dynamic sections of a mambo. The louder dynamic sections call for the cascara or mambo bell to be played on a cowbell or the cymbal bell. These are also worked out in rehearsal or through arranger / producer recommendations in a recording session, so you won’t necessarily see this information on the rhythm or drum chart (sheet music).
Sometimes you need to just think about what else is happening in the song. If the part that I’m playing is in support of low sounding instruments or sounds, I’ll choose to play a tom sounding drum or cymbal. In this case, how to read drum music is more about how to best contribute to the music.
Like the golden rule for reading rhythms, the rule for voicing is such that if you can’t sing it, you can’t play it. Try singing the melody of the song and make choices to support all or parts of the melody with your drums, fills, or groove. This is easily the best advice for learning how to read drum music.
Dynamics
You don’t need to have the most chops to get a call for a session. But if you can’t pay attention to the dynamics, you will not get a call back. It’s one of the non-negotiables of good music, like playing in tune or with a good sense of time.
Dynamics refer to how loudly or softly you play. The following table includes the most common dynamic notations you need to know for reading drum music.
| fff | fortississimo | Very very loud |
| ff | fortissimo | Very loud |
| f | forte | Loud |
| mf | mezzo-forte | Halfway loud |
| mp | mezzo-piano | Halfway soft |
| p | piano | soft |
| pp | pianissimo | Very soft |
| ppp | pianississimo | Very very soft |
When it comes to drumming, drumming the stick heights often determine the dynamics. To maintain dynamic control, define the stick heights. For example, piano may be around three inches, mezzo-forte at six inches, and forte could be around nine inches.
Increasing or Decreasing Dynamics
Sometimes the music requires you to play louder or softer over a period of time in the piece. Getting louder is called a crescendo, and playing increasingly softer is called decrescendo. These are notated by the words themselves written below the staff or with a greater than or less than symbol that extends under the measures that contain the change.
Interpreting Styles
Styles and keeping time (slashes) are the drummer’s job, so it’s important to know a wide range of styles, including ways to adapt those styles to what the composer or arranger is trying to achieve. It could be a samba with a light kick pattern or a particular style of funk with a reference to a drummer like Joseph “Ziggy” Modeliste.
Good arrangers are good at labeling and describing what they want to hear, and great session drummers are the best at providing what arrangers want when they don’t know how to describe it. Steve Gadd has been labeled as one of those drummers who can play anything and will use feedback during sessions productively.
Ensemble Figures
The big hits that everyone in the plays together are called ensemble figures. Depending on the dynamics and style of music, drum set players might set up the figures with filles leading to the downbeat before the hit. They are often notated on the staff, but this sometimes
Rock music or smaller group settings generally don’t need as much of a fill to establish the downbeat before the figure starts. In lot’s of pop / rock, the drummer might not even hit the ensemble figures with the band. There are no hard rules, only guidelines that generally lead to better sounding music
Big band jazz, for example, often requires the drummer to play fills with more rhythm and voice to establish the time, which keeps the band together. The example below includes an ensemble figure as it looks in a chart and basic fills that a drummer could use to set up the ensemble figure.
Section Figures
Section figures are support rhythms played by particular section in the band. These phrases are often behind a solo and don’t require the drummer to set them up. They are often notated above the staff.
These figures are often doubled by the drummer on a drum that best matches the voice of the instruments playing the figures. For example, if it’s trombones, then the drummer may use the kick drum to support the section. If the figures are played by the trumpet section, the drummer may use the snare drum to match the voice.
For pop songs and small groups, the section figures can get too heavy if they are supported by drums every time. It depends on the arrangement. Plus, with fewer players, keeping time is easier to establish among the consensus than with a big band.
Road Map Signs
The following sample chart includes symbols that indicate various types of repeats. It also includes some explanation of other text and symbols you may see on a chart.
What should you do first when a chart is handed to you?
- Identify the style. Ask questions if it is not clear.
- Make sure you know when to play and when not to play.
- Scan the chart for road map symbols,
- Look for any edits made to the arrangement and not notated
- Identify the dynamics and make notes of any clarifications throughout the session.
- Locate the ensemble or section figures, and begin to think about how to approach them.
- Be ready to make notes on the chart as the arrangement changes or if something is unclear.
What do you do when there’s no chart provided?
Some sessions won’t have a rhythm chart. But most studios have a copy machine, so it’s not hard to grab lead sheet and sketch out your road map. And don’t worry too much about time because the professionals who are concerned with how much time it takes to learn a song and track are usually organized and provide charts (sheet music).
Final Thoughts
If you’re just starting to learn how to read drum music, this can all be overwhelming. Start with counting and playing rhythms on one surface before voicing the parts around a drum set. Use a metronome to develop good time, and have fun. Read the drum music for a song that you like. It gets easier, especially if you read a little every day.
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