#READING DRUM SHEET MUSIC HOW TO#

Reading music can help you learn drum parts quicker. Being able to read drum parts like this can help you understand these parts more easily and get the timing just right. These rests do not always last for exactly one bar, nor do fills always start on beat 1. If you listened to these parts, you might miss some of the nuances of these time changes, making them harder to learn.Īnother example is in pieces of music where the drums might drop out and come back in, for example coming back in with a big fill. There are a number of benefits to learning to read drum music: Improve your timingĭrumming is about rhythm and timing, but if you’re reliant on learning by listening, you might find you can struggle with more complex drum parts, particularly those in odd time signatures (where the beat might not be a standard 4/4, or even include bars that vary in length).

What are the benefits of learning to read drum music? While you may be fine playing in a rock band, you’re unlikely to be able to play in a theatre band or big bands, where all musicians are expected to read music.Īnd if you wanted to make money from drumming by becoming a tutor, you’ll need to be able to read music as many students will expect to learn this.

#READING DRUM SHEET MUSIC HOW TO#

If you want to one day become a professional drummer, not knowing how to read music could limit the types of gigs you get. However, there are cons to only knowing how to play drums by ear. Of course, you can make things easier by finding a drum cover of that song on YouTube, giving you a visual guide of what to play. These three components allow you to listen along to a song, recognise what the drummer is playing, and have some ideas on how to replicate that sound. If you want to start playing the drums by ear, you’ll need to know a few common drumming patterns, the main five rudiments, and know what playing surfaces on the drum kit make what sound. In fact, being able to listen to a song and play it back, or improvising along to other musicians are important skills to have on the drums, regardless if you choose to learn reading music or not. Yes, it is certainly possible to play drums by ear. Where can you learn to read drum music? Is it possible to learn drums by ear?.Should you be daunted by reading drum notation?.What are the benefits of learning to read drum music?.As the hi-hat and ride cymbals have the same note placement, you play the hi-hat unless the sheet music specifies otherwise. The cymbals are represented by Xs on the staff instead of circles. If it rests on the second line, you play the mid-tom. If the note sits above the third line, you play the snare drum. Here is a breakdown of note placement for each part of the drum set:įor example, if the note is above the fifth line of the staff, you play the bass drum. The placement of the notes on the staff tells you what piece of the drum kit to play.

If you see a “4” at the beginning of the staff, each measure consists of four beats. At the start of the staff is a time signature, which is a number that indicates the number of beats (the count) for the measure.

Reading drum sheet music