Reading Music

jamie10 · Sea Monkey Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 14

Hi guys,

I am having a problem...

I can't read music (tabs or sheets), but I can play the drums quite well. I have learnt to play mostly by myself with some help from my brother who has lots of experience playing...

I have hit a barrier though, now that I am playing in a band. When they write their guitar tabs for the music, it is consistantly the same each time, but of course I can't remember my drum beats and fills for all dowzen songs. How can I write down a way to remember them? Maybe I can learn drum tabs, but don't know where to start...

Thanks a lot for any advice!

Dustin07 · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:19 am Post subject:

I had basically this same question about a month ago.

Have you ever seen drum tabs or drum sheet music? It's NOT hard. It may seem confusing at first, but like anything... one step at a time.

can you read this?

that's just basic tabs. You could do that if you wanted.

In the long run, I'd suggest learning some basic sheet music principals and going that route. I have to run now, but I'll look around later for you. It's really not difficult once you start going on it!

as far as recording stuff so you remember it... if you play the song enough times you will remember it. try to record a session with the band and practice inbetween jams. My guys gave me a disc to work on before I ever met with them.

But other wise you could record your beats for your verses and chorus, and make up fills as you go, or possibly write them down too.

practice by taking your favorite line that you play now, and put it on paper. see how it looks and go from there.

jamie10 · Sea Monkey Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 14

thanks for the reply man!

I will have to look into tabs a bit more. They are useful no doubt!

It will take a bit of time to get used to for sure. I have trouble with the whole time signature thing, but I will have to look into it.

Thanks!

Dustin07 · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:39 pm Post subject:

No problem man. here's a cool page I just found when I looked up some time signature stuff.

http://www.geocities.com/drumlessons101/

I might actually work on that page a bit tonight.

CrazdDrumr · Ferret Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 109

Once you get the fundementals down it only takes practice. Luckly for me I already knew how to read music from playing trumpet. But it does take me longer to read drum music, for the fact that drums are a polyrythmic instrument, were as a trumpet you just have one rythm. No such thing as having 3 different notes being played at once on a trumpet.

Im sure you can find plenty of websites to get you going. If I could remember some I would post them, but one mental note to remember. Notation has a 2:1 ratio; 1 whole note is 2 half-notes, 1 half-note is 2 1/4 notes, 1 1/4 note is 2 8th notes etc.

Good Luck!!!

smokingun · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:09 pm Post subject:

Geezuz I had a look at the offspring tab and though what the F... Transcription is way easier - you'd be better off learning that than TAB, but tab for guitar and bass is cool but hen its harder to read than drum music ... what the heck is the point. How do you read ghostnotes, flams and cymbal chokes in tab - wow - tab is gay.

smokingun · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:11 pm Post subject:

yo dustin those portney toms fills were spectacular eh? Can you do them?

smokingun · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:28 pm Post subject:

Hey jamie, transcription is easier than you think man - and real easy if you're into standard rock drumming considering a lot of it is in 4/4 timing. You will get to recognise patterns with bass added or subtracted from the bar and so on. I will try and find a link for ya.

CanadianDrum · Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:19 am Post subject:

if you are just wanting to learn how to read sheet music you can check out www.howtoplaydrums.com they have a bunch of articles on sheet music and time signatures and stuff like that
_________________
Primary Drum Kit: 1982 Yamaha Recording Customs

12", 13", 16" toms, 22" bass drum, 6.5" x 14" snare. The green finish was only sold in Japan in the early 80s. It was discontinued by the mid 80s.

Cymbals: Too many to list: Sabian, Zildjian, Paiste

Dustin07 · Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:05 pm Post subject:

Dustin07 · Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:06 pm Post subject:

what would the count be on this if you were counting it out? (on the first one)

punkrocker7341 · Lion Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 926 Location: AZ

Me, Id count it as such:

1 &a2e& 3e&a4 digadiga

theres not really a given way to count 32nd notes, you just kinda learn to play them, and know how they sound and such. goes for pretty much anything not triplet based beyond 16th notes.
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The Silvertones

smokingun · Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:24 pm Post subject:

yeah you're right about the feel cos i wouldn't count it 1 & 2 & 3 & 4e&a.