How to Read Drum Notation

One of the most useful skills you can learn as a drummer is How to Read Drum Notation. For beginners and even more experienced self-taught players, your playing can only improve after acquiring the ability to read drum music.

Introduction
- Whether you're learning drums for the first time or just looking to improve upon the skills you already have, an ability to read basic drum notation is a must. Once you're fluent, there will be no stopping you from learning any number of new songs and techniques. This page will walk you through the basics of reading drum notation and get you well on your way to becoming an expert reader!
Step 1: Rhythms
- The first step to reading drum notation is to learn how rhythms are represented. These are exactly the same as the rhythms in regular music notation, only percussion instruments are represented with a mixture of notes and Xs.
Quarter Notes
- If you can count to four, you can read quarter notes. One measure (or "bar") in common 4/4 time contains four quarter notes (we will discuss other time signatures in Step 4). Quarter notes have a "stem" (a vertical line coming off them) with no flag. They look like this (we're using Xs because we're not talking specific notes right now, just rhythms):
- Here is an audio example of 2 bars of quarter notes:
Eighth Notes
- The next rhythm to learn is the eighth note. There are 2 eighth notes for every quarter note (8 in a measure), so they are half the length. An easy way to remember how eighth notes sound is to say "and" after each beat from one through four. Eighth notes have a single flag on the top of the stem. When there are multiple eighth notes next to each other, their flags can connect in a straight line.
- Here is one bar of eighth notes:
- Audio of 2 bars of eighth notes:
16th Notes
- 16th notes are four to a beat (or 16 to a measure). Count 16th notes by adding an "e" (pronounced "eee") and an "a" (pronounced "uh") like so: 1 - e - & - a - 2 - e - & - a ("one eee and uh two eee and uh"). 16th notes have 2 flags and can also be grouped together by using straight double lines.
- Audio of a bar of 16th notes:
Combining Rhythms
- Applying your shiny new knowledge of rhythm is easy now. Take a look at the figure below. If you subdivide each beat into fours using the syllables we discussed above, it's easy to figure out when each note sounds. The circled beats are where the rhythm falls, so out loud you would say "ONE eee and uh TWO eee AND uh THREE EEE AND uh FOUR eee and uh." Try clapping out the rhythm as you recite the syllables until you can clap it without accompaniment.
- Take it slow at first, and soon it will become second nature.
More Rhythms
- Most of the music you'll see in drums consists of the three types of notes we've already discussed, but there are others out there. Here are a few more you may encounter:
  - Whole Note: These last for an entire measure, equivalent to the length of four quarter notes. Whole notes don't pop up in drum notation too often.
  - Half Note: Equivalent to half a measure, or two quarter notes.
  - Dotted Notes: Any time you add a dot to a musical note, it extends its length by half the note value. For example, a dotted quarter note is the equivalent duration of three eighth notes. A dotted eighth note is as long as three 16th notes, etc.
- For more practice with reading rhythms, check out FreeDrumLessons.com or pick up some instructional books at your local music store!
Step 2: Drums on the Staff
- Drum notation is just like normal music notation, but instead of each line and space on the staff representing a note, it represents a different instrument.
- Drum notation varies from publisher to publisher. Any good transcription will include a key that describes where each drum set component is represented. However, here is where you typically find each drum on the music staff.
1. The snare drum is usually in the second space from the top.
2. Tom-toms are on the top space, the line below that, and the second space from the bottom. This is for a three-tom set-up, with the two higher notes representing the rack toms and the lowest being the floor tom.
3. The bass drum is on the lowest space in the staff.
4. The hi-hat is represented with an X on the top space of the staff. Cymbals are almost always denoted with an X as opposed to a note.
5. The ride cymbal appears as an X on the top line.
6. Crash cymbals are above the top line and have an appearance resembling a half note.
  - This is probably because crashes are often hit once and left ringing.
- Although there are additional possible components for the drum set (like tambourines and splash cymbals), this covers the basic components that you will come across. Any auxiliary percussion instrument should be clearly labeled in transcription.
Step 3: Read the Beat
- You can now combine your knowledge of rhythm and where each drum and cymbal is represented on the staff to start reading some drum beats. Here are a few examples of simple beats complete with audio samples of how the pattern sounds.
- Example 1:
- Example 2:
- Example 3:
- There are 2 main ways to write drum notation. Although the above illustrations are probably the easiest to read, you will probably come across the alternate method of transcribing drums that splits the notes up between components you play with your hands and feet. In this method, everything you play with your feet (bass drum, hi-hat pedal) has its note stems facing down. Everything played with your hands (snare, hi-hat, etc.) has stems facing up.
- Here is what Example 1 and Example 2 look like in this format:
- You'll notice you have to read two separate rhythms at once using this method. This is a bit more difficult, but it can be the best way to transcribe more complicated beats and patterns.
Step 4: Time Signatures
- Everything we've played so far has been in the 4/4 time signature (four notes per measure, quarter note gets the beat), but there are many other time signatures that are used.
- 6/8 is one of the most common alternatives to 4/4. In 4/4 time, a triplet consists of 3 notes played evenly over the course of time that 2 notes are normally played. In 6/8 time, triplets are the basis of the beat, with each measure consisting of six 8th notes.
- Take, for example, "We Are the Champions" by Queen. Listen to the song and count along with the measures in groups of six ("ONE two three four five six ONE two three four five six"). This is a perfect example of 6/8 time. 12/8 is almost the same, only the phrases last 12 beats instead of 6 (like "Texas Flood" by Stevie Ray Vaughan).
- The notation for the time signature is simple, as seen in the example above. The number on top is the number of beats per measure. The number on the bottom is which note gets the beat.
- Some songs are in 7/8 or 7/4. 7/8 consists of measures of 7 eighth notes. 7/4 has measures of 7 quarter notes. There are plenty of popular examples of these time signatures, like "Money" by Pink Floyd. The number on the bottom has everything to do with the feel of the song and how long the musical phrases are. You could also think of 7/4 as a measure of 4 beats and then a measure of 3 beats like the verses in The Beatles' "All You Need is Love".
- If you prefer to get even more complex, there are lots of other time signatures like 11/8 (The intro to "Whipping Post" by the Allman Brothers, 15/8 ("Limo Wreck" by Soundgarden), and 5/4 ("My Wave", also by Soundgarden, and "Take 5" by Dave Brubeck).
- For more good examples, check out Pandora's Meters & Time Signatures Page.
Step 5: More Notation Symbols
- Considering all of the nuances of music, there are still plenty of notational tools that we didn't cover on this page. However, the basics we went through will pave the way for you to become completely fluent in reading drum notation.
- Some more symbols you may learn:
  1. Triplets and other Tuplets
  2. Ties and Rests for more complex and syncopated rhythms
  3. Hi-hat Closed (+) and Open (o)
  4. Drum Rolls (notated as tremolos)
  5. Rim Shot (an X in the snare space)
  6. Cross Stick (a hollow note in the snare space)
  7. Hi-hat Pedal (an X below the last line of the staff)
  8. Ghost/Grace Notes (parentheses)
Resources for How to Read Drum Notation
- Wikipedia: Percussion Notation | 8th Note | 16th Note
- Wikipedia: Staff | Tambourine | Splash Cymbal | Time Signature | Tremolo
- FreeDrumLessons.com: Understanding Drum Theory & Notation
- Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory: Triplets and Other Tuplets
- Pandora Blog Post: Meters & Time Signatures