DRUMMERS QUICK GUIDE TO

READING
Introduction To Drum Notation
By Denise Johnson (DJLadydrummer)
Introduction Guide to Drum Notation
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This Quick Drummers Guide was desiged to !amiliari"e drummers o how to
uderstad drummig otatio ad read music at a #uick glace$ As the drummer lears
how to ideti!% what each ote stads !or& he'she will the be able to mo(e to more
ad(aced readig$ As %ou lear more about drum otatio& %ou will !id that the otes
ma% (ar% de)edig o the arrager but geerall% will be eas% to ideti!%$ With )ractice
ad re)etitio a drummer ca add (alue to his'her career i uderstadig the
!udametals o! readig music$
*ou do+t ecessaril% ha(e to become a e,)ert reader& but beig able to ideti!% timig
sigatures as well as beig able to site read will )ro(e to be a (aluable asset$ This asset
could (er% well aid i obtaiig a wider scale o! -ob o))ortuities$ ./0/1 limit %our
abilities$ 2ear to liste ad )la% b% ear$ 2ear at least the basics o! drum otatio$
This geeral guide will get %ou started33$ 4o 2ets 5egi 666
THE 5 LINE STAVE/STAFF
The (erticals lies show abo(e are called bar lies$ The% di(ide the music ito e#ual
beats$ The s)ace betwee the lies are ideti!ied as a 7bar8 ad is where otes are
show$ We will ow start to ideti!% s%mbols !or each )art o! the drum kit$

The s%mbol to the le!t o! sta!! is the drum cle!$ 9t lets the reader kow that the
!ollowig music is ot writte !or a )itched istrumet ad that the )ositio o! the ote
idicates the drum& c%mbal& or other )ercussio istrumet )la%ed$ .ow we will take a
look at s%mbols that are used !or each )art o! the drum kit$
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Lets start with the ..
SNARE DRUM
*our sare drum is the most im)ortat )art o! %our drum kit ad is used i almost e(er%
beat or !ill %ou )la%$ The sare drum is usuall% located i the middle o! the sta!! i order
to easil% ideti!%$ *ou ma% also !id the sare drum ote o the 2
d
lie or the otes ca
be )oited u) or dow3$$de)edig o the arrager$ 4ometimes the arrager will label
otes$ Whe sare )atters are used the 728 !or le!t had ad 718 !or right had o sare
will be abo(e the otes$
BASS/KICK DRUM
:! course we kow that the bass drum is most im)ortat i establishig %our groo(e or
timig$ The bass drum is o!te matched with the bass guitar groo(e$ This establishes a
tight or cohesi(e !oudatio !or the bad to build u)o3$$ a little tidbit !or *:;
The otes are t%)icall% ideti!ied at the bottom o! the sta!!$
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DOUBLE BASS DRUM (2
ND
BASS DRUM)
9! aother bass drum is eeded& the otes are located well below the sta!! bar$
HI-HAT CLOSED
<i-hats are show o to) o! lie with a 7,8 c%mbal$ *our !oot is )ositioed o hi-hat
)edal i dowward )ositio i order to kee) the hi-hats closed$
HI-HAT OPENED
=edal is released o hi-hat to gi(e a slush soud ad is show below with circle to s)eci!%
as 7o)e8$ As oted below& some arragers might use the > s%mbol as 7closed8$
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Introduction Guide to Drum Notation
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HI-HAT PLAYED WITH FOOT
The hi-hat ca be )la%ed b% usig the !oot :.2* which causes the hi-hats to clash
together$ Di!!eret e!!ects ca be obtaied b% the ad-ustmet o! the c%mbals& but the
drum otatio is show similar to bass drum but is located below the bottom lie$ A 7,8
is used to ideti!% that this is a hi-hat !oot )edal$
RIDE CYMBAL
The ride c%mbal is oted wa% abo(e the sta!!$ .otice that the s%mbol is ot restig o
to) o! the lie as the hi-hat s%mbol i the illustratio below$

!"
AND 2
#$
TOM TOMS/FLOOR TOMS
The tom toms are the most di!!icult to read due to the slight (ariatios o! where the
arrager might )lace s%mbols o chart$ 4ome charts ma% ot s)eci!% tom otes& but ol%
the core o! bass& sare& hit-hat ad )ossibl% c%mbals$ Most arragers uderstad how
drum charts ma% be iter)reted so the% will iclude a re!erece b% labelig o makig
otatios o! music )age$ :ce %ou ha(e the leared the basics o! drum otatio %ou will
be able to ideti!% each )art o! the drum& o matter where the arrager )laces the otes$
The !irst tom is usuall% )laced o !irst lie& the 2
d
tom o 2
d
lie& ad the !loor tom o
?
rd
$ 9 this case 3the bass drum will be oted directl% o middle lie o! chart$ Do+t
!orget that arragers ma% )lace otes di!!eretl%& but %ou will still be able to uderstad$
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2
#$
TOM
%
r$
TOM
Dont worry although drum notation can be a little confusing, you will be able to
understand more as you are comfortable with notations. There are more advanced
symbols to learn, but learn the basics first.
.ow let+s )ut it all together ad look at a cou)le o! sim)le e,am)les$
1 2 ? @ 1 2 ? @
The sig all the wa% to the le!t is called a Drum Clef$ This lets the reader kow that
otes are !or )ercussios$ To the le!t %ou will also see the timig sigature$ This is @'@
timig3$$@ beats to a measure$ 1&2&?&@ 3$ 1&2&?&@3etc$ Athere should be a lie a!ter the
@ cout i this e,am)leB3$but this to !amiliari"e %ou with s%mbols !or ow$
*ou otice that the closed hi-hat is o all @ beats3$Ato) lie with 7,8 s%mbolB
The bass drum is o the 1 ad 2 Ashow o bottom lieB& Aad the sare is o the ? o! the
beat Amiddle or 2
d
lieB The hi-hat e(er sto)s & ad are )la%ed o the 1&2&?&ad @$
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9+ll let %ou !igure this oe out3$but 9+m sure %ou got it 66666666666 Cee) learig more 6
1 2 ? @
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HERE IS A &UICK 'LANCE OF DRUM NOTATION$ 4ome s%mbols we did+t
co(er are oted below as e,tra tidbits$ <a(e !u ad kee) learig 66
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A!ter %ou lear the basics& challege %oursel! to lear more$
Note & Rest Values
1eadig ca be !u i! take slowl% ad leared ste) b% ste)$ Take %our time ad
remember with re)etitio ad )ractice %ou will become a great site reader$ /.J:* 66