Symbols and Terms in Drum Charts

A drum chart, also called a drum score or a drum transcription is a written form of music intended for use by a drummer. It can be a single sheet of paper or a book that is designed to be read and played along with the song. It can also be a recording of an actual drum performance. Drum music is very similar to piano or violin sheet music in that it consists of a series of notes with a specified rhythm and tempo. Drum charts can include a variety of notation symbols and terms that you must be familiar with in order to play a piece correctly.

Some of the most important symbols are the time signature, which tells you how many beats there are in a bar and what note value represents one beat. You may also see a drum clef, which looks like the bass and treble clefs used for melodic instruments but is meant specifically for drums. Drummers often count out loud to help them keep track of where they are in the bar and how long to hold each note for. This is a great way to develop muscle memory and become more proficient in reading drum notation.

Other important symbols include the inverted repeat sign, which looks like a normal repeat symbol but has an upside-down triangle over it. This indicates that you should play the previous measure or two (or more) again before continuing on with the current bar. The inverted repeat is common in songs that have repetitive sections.

Another important symbol is the double slash. This indicates that you should play the last note of a bar twice before moving on to the next bar. This is especially useful for songs with long repeated choruses or bridges that you will want to practice over and over again.

Lastly, you will frequently see a bar line with 2 dots. This indicates that you should repeat the previous measure for one full bar before continuing on with the current bar. This is a great way to get the feel of a new song and make sure you have it down before moving on.

You will also find a lot of slash symbols in drum music. This is used to indicate when a note should be swung or bounced. Bounced notes are indicated by a slash through the stem of the note, while closed rolls and buzzes are noted with a slash or ‘z’ through the stem. Longer rolls of either type are noted by a tie and will have a number written next to them that indicates their length.

Another commonly seen symbol is the sforzando, which means to play with a lot of force. This can be indicated by a’sf’ over the note or with an exclamation point. This is generally used to indicate when a beat or riff should be hit harder than usual and is a good way to add emotion to your playing.