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Most of the time that alone is enough for a versatile drummer to know what kind of groove, feel and fills to play. Shuffle funk, Latin, Brazilian Samba, straight eight Rock etc. Specify at the top of the chart what type of groove, feel or music it is.Indicate a time signature and tempo only at the beginning of the chart and whenever there are time signature or tempo changes.Avoid using unnecessary words in your verbal instructions: instead of “play a 16th note groove on hats”, write “16th's hats”.Try to keep your score to up to 3 pages if possible (so that it can fit on a single stand without having to turn pages).Here is an example of a well written drum chart. The page should look clean and easy to follow, while not being too spacious and extending over too many pages. Make sure to space the staves properly, so that they are not too crowded or too far apart.Use only a single-stave system for notating a drum chart.Remember to specify the feel: straight 8's or 16's vs.“Broken 16 ths hats” or “8 ths hats” etc.
#CHECK PATTERNS DRUMS HOW TO#
Instead, give a simple verbal instruction to the drummer as to how to interpret the chart: eg. The more complicated it is to read, the more it will distract the drummer from playing music. Avoid complicating the groove with ghost notes and broken hi-hat patterns, unless it is a very particular and musical drum groove that is the signature for the song and must be played exactly as written.
#CHECK PATTERNS DRUMS FULL#
Don't write out every bar (measure) of the song with full drum parts (ie.So, here are the best practices to creating great drum charts. Drummers that do not know how to interpret simple drum charts will most likely have a hard time reading any chart and will not make music, so you should be writing for those that can and avoid hiring those that can't. Proficient drummers have been trained to interpret simple writing on a drum chart into a full musical drum orchestration.
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While in a classical piano piece it is necessary to notate every single note and articulation, that is very much not the case when charting for drum set music. There is a big difference in, say, writing a drum chart and writing a classical piano piece. So, only the crucial information should be included in a drum chart. A drum chart is there to help get him from point A to B smoothly without distracting him with unnecessary ink. Things to keep in mind: a drummer's main focus needs to be on time-keeping, playing a solid groove that feels good and flowing with the music with all the dynamics and finesse. The same goes with sight-reading a drum chart. Ever notice how those long alerts with lots of information fly over you before you manage to read the entire text? Or if you are so eager to read the entire message of the billboard, you may cause an accident. Signs that are simple, clear and contain only the most relevant information are absorbed in time. Road signs come up and and swoosh by you quickly and there is only a little bit of time to intake the necessary information. Think of sight-reading music as driving down the highway at 60mph. Our brain power is best utilized in doing what we are there for: playing music. It is because we play with all four limbs simultaneously and while that is second nature, having to read a chart notating all four would be tedious, pointless and counter-productive. So, why is it that drummers need special attention when it comes to drum charts? Simply converting your programmed midi drum part into a drum chart is just not going to cut it! There is a fine balance of useful info and cluttered writing that needs to be taken into consideration when writing drum charts. Some were beautifully written and easy to execute despite being musically challenging, while others were nearly impossible to read even though they only contained several measures and were easy to play.
#CHECK PATTERNS DRUMS PROFESSIONAL#
Over the years as a professional session drummer, I've come across just about every kind of drum chart out there. In this article I will give you some feedback from a drummer's perspective and provide guidelines to creating drum charts that will result in successful performances.
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When it comes to writing a drum chart, there often seems to be uncertainty as to what to notate and how to do it. How to write efficient drum charts that will make your drummer happy and produce great results fast.