How to Read Quad Drum Music
Quad drums are frequently used in marching bands, along with the other drums in the drum section. Quads are, like the name implies, compromised of four tenor drums. Each drum is a different size and produces a different pitch, with the smaller drums producing a higher pitch than the bigger drums. Because the quads are comprised of four pitches, sheet music looks different for quads than other percussion instruments. Luckily, many of the same rules for drum sheet music apply to the quads drums as well.
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Instructions
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Look at the time signature of the piece, which is located near the beginning, as well as later if the time signature changes. Is it 4/4? 3/4? 6/8? This will help you understand better how to read the sheet music that follows.
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Look at the tempo of the piece, which can be found near the top of the piece, as well as later if the tempo changes. The tempo will typically be written like, for example, “A quarter note = 60,” with the symbol for a quarter note being used. This says that a quarter note could be hit 60 times in a minute, which indicates the speed of the piece. Use a metronome if you need to hear what the tempo is.
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Look at the piece, finding each quad note. Each quad drum will be written on its own line or space. The quads will be written on the sheet music in the order of their pitches. Thus, the highest drum will be written one line or space higher than the second highest drum and so on, with the lowest quad drum being the lowest quad note on the music staff.
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Play the piece. Drum notation for quads will typically be the same as snare drums. An “>” symbol still means an accent. Rests and notes still mean the same thing. An “x” over the note still generally means a rim click.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider playing along to a metronome to help you lock into the tempo of the piece. If the quad drum part is difficult to play, slow down the metronome until you can work your way up to the suggested tempo of the piece.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit marching band image by Christopher Corgiat from Fotolia.com
