I have begun my foray into the world of reading sheet music for drums. Understanding to read music is very important, as I feel you don't have to then stutter your way through to figuring out a particular lick or groove. So, lets get started.
I am just gonna point out a few basics that need to be memorized to a certain extent:
Notations are typically printed on a series of 5 lines which is known as a 'Staff'
The below shown image is usually how a contemporary 4/4 beat is listed out for a groove. This is called the time signature of a groove/beat/a piece of music etc. We will be getting into the different kinds of time signature a little later on. For now the focus will be on standard 4/4 rhythms.
Next are the different note values that are available in western music and these when put together make up a groove or a beat
The first one shown below is known as a 'Whole Note' and this note would last an entire count. It could also be a 'Whole Note Rest' which means nothing is to be played for that entire count. This is counted out in 4/4 like this: One - x - x - x ('x' would be the rests)
The next one is the 'Half' note which should be pretty obvious that this one would last for two beats of an entire count. It too has a 'Half note Rest' or in other words the half note and rest are half as long as a whole note and is counted in the following manner: One - x -Three - x ('x' would be the rests)
The third one would be the most commonly found note value in almost any contemporary rock/funk and especially jazz music and that is the quarter note and the quarter note rest. These last for four beats in a measure of 4/4 or the quarter note and rest are one-quarter the length of the whole note and one half the length of a half note and is counted as : 1 - 2 - 3 -4
Next on the list would be the next most common note value in contemporary western music and that would be the 'Eighth Note' and 'Eight Note Rest'. This would last 8 beats in a measure of 4/4 and would be counted as : 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and
Next would be the 'sixteenth note' and 'sixteenth note rest' and these would have 16 notes in a measure of 4/4 and would be counted as 1-e-and-ah 2-e-and-ah 3-e-and-ah 4-e-and-ah.
I am just gonna point out a few basics that need to be memorized to a certain extent:
Notations are typically printed on a series of 5 lines which is known as a 'Staff'
The below shown image is usually how a contemporary 4/4 beat is listed out for a groove. This is called the time signature of a groove/beat/a piece of music etc. We will be getting into the different kinds of time signature a little later on. For now the focus will be on standard 4/4 rhythms.
Next are the different note values that are available in western music and these when put together make up a groove or a beat
The first one shown below is known as a 'Whole Note' and this note would last an entire count. It could also be a 'Whole Note Rest' which means nothing is to be played for that entire count. This is counted out in 4/4 like this: One - x - x - x ('x' would be the rests)
The next one is the 'Half' note which should be pretty obvious that this one would last for two beats of an entire count. It too has a 'Half note Rest' or in other words the half note and rest are half as long as a whole note and is counted in the following manner: One - x -Three - x ('x' would be the rests)
The third one would be the most commonly found note value in almost any contemporary rock/funk and especially jazz music and that is the quarter note and the quarter note rest. These last for four beats in a measure of 4/4 or the quarter note and rest are one-quarter the length of the whole note and one half the length of a half note and is counted as : 1 - 2 - 3 -4
Next on the list would be the next most common note value in contemporary western music and that would be the 'Eighth Note' and 'Eight Note Rest'. This would last 8 beats in a measure of 4/4 and would be counted as : 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and
Next would be the 'sixteenth note' and 'sixteenth note rest' and these would have 16 notes in a measure of 4/4 and would be counted as 1-e-and-ah 2-e-and-ah 3-e-and-ah 4-e-and-ah.
