How to Improve Sight Reading a Drum Chart
Learning to read drum notation may help you learn to play new songs more quickly and make you a more efficient drummer. Drum notation is written on an ordinary musical staff, with a drum clef on the far left, which looks like a vertical rectangle with slightly darkened ends. Notes are placed at various places on the staff, as with ordinary music notation, but the different positions indicate different drums that must be hit.
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Instructions
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Familiarize yourself with the positions of the notations representing different drums on the staff. The hi-hat note is located above the top line of the staff, and it is shown with a note with an "x" at the bottom instead of an ordinary dot. The bass-drum note is found in the space above the bottom line, and is shown with an ordinary musical note symbol. The snare drum notation is located in the space above the central line. Check each piece of music for a key, because some drum notation is different. For example, some notations put the snare drum on the center line as opposed to above it.
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Focus on the relevant or changing sections of the piece of music. Most pieces of drum music have a constant element that continues throughout; for example, a hi-hat that is hit on every eighth note. Focus your attention on the other aspects of the piece of music. You know the hi-hat is going to continue, so you focus your attention on getting the bass and snare drum section right.
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Identify repeating patterns in the music as soon as possible. Many drum beats consist of repetitive measures, which loop throughout sections of a song to provide a consistent backing. Identify these repetitive measures as soon as possible and look ahead on the music. Count the beats you are playing in your head, and look for any section with a fill or other different element. This may help you stay ahead of the music and give you time to prepare for more difficult sections of the music. Generally, there is a fill in the fourth or eighth bar of a section.
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Test your knowledge of more complicated elements of notation. Ensure you understand repeat symbols, accents and dynamics. Look for thick bar lines with two dots on the inside to identify multi-measure repeats, which are common in drum notation. A section is encased by two thick bar lines, with two colon-like dots on the inner side. Play this section again when you reach the end. Look for small, forward arrows above a note to spot an accent. This means that the note should be played with emphasis. Look for letters such as "f" and "p" to identify dynamics, or playing instructions. "F" means "forte," or loud, and "p" means "piano," or softly. Multiples of these letters mean "very," so "ff" means "fortissimo," or very loud.
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