Musical Terms Every Drummer Should Know
Every subject in the world has it’s own terminology, from your basic math and science to dieting and fitness. The music world is the same and besides music itself being its own language, musicians have their own terminology as well. In this blog we’ll focus on some universal terms that are relevant to all musicians and some that are specific to drummers.
Staff - The staff is where the notes of the music are written. It consists of five lines that determine the pitch of the note being played or in the case of the drum set, which piece of the kit to play. The staff also contains the time signature and clef.
Clef - The beginning of the staff contains a symbol known as the clef. The two most common clefs are the treble clef, which tells us that the pitch of the staff is higher and the bass clef telling us that the staff is pitched lower. Then there is the percussion clef which tells us that the notes on the staff will be played by percussion instruments like the drumset for example.
Time Signature - The time signature defines the count within a measure of music. It contains two numbers, a top and a bottom number like this 4/4. The top number tells you how many beats are in the measure and the bottom number tells you the note value of each beat. The 4/4 time signature lets you know that there are four beats in the measure and each beat is counted as a quarter note.
Measure - A measure (also referred to as a Bar) is where the notes from the time signature are written. Measures also divide the sections of music, commonly in groups of 4 measures or 8 measures. Some sections of music can be up to 16 measures or more. If the time signature is 4/4, then the measure would contain 4 beats (quarter notes) which can be arranged in any combination of note durations within those 4 beats.
Pickup Measure - A pickup measure is a partial measure of notes before the first measure of the music and is often used to creatively bring in the music.
Barline - A standard barline (a thin vertical line) separates measures and is literally a line between the measures.
Final Barline - Another type of barline that you will come across in music is the final barline. This is a double barline with the first line being thinner and the second line thicker. This signifies the end of the music, hence the word final.
Repeat - The repeat symbol is a bracket between any number of measures that need to be repeated. This can be as little as a single measure which is great for writing exercises in a drum book or this can be a whole section of a song that needs to be played 2 times. How to play a repeat. After the first pass through the repeat brackets, just jump back to the beginning of the measure with the first bracket and play through those measures again. Once you reach the end of the second pass, continue on through the measures as normal.
Note - Notes are placed on the staff and define what to play on your instrument. For Piano and Guitar, or other pitched instruments, the notes position on the staff tells you which note to play (C, C#, D, etc). For drummers, the notes position on the staff tells you which piece of the drum set to play (Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Toms, or Cymbals). Unlike, the standard circular notes, cymbals on the staff use an ‘x’ to tell you that a cymbal is being played.
Notes Valuations - Notes also have a duration of time that it should be played and this comes in a few forms. A whole note, half note, quarter note, 8th note, 16th note, and 32nd note. Below are a few examples of how notes are related to each other. Going from whole notes down, each note duration has double the amount of notes as the previous duration. So, if a whole note is played once in a measure of 4/4, then a half note will be played 2 times in a measure of 4/4 spaced evenly over the 4 beats. Then for quarter notes we would play 4 notes spaced evenly across the measure. This process continues with 8th, 16th, and 32nd notes. And as we double the note durations, we Do Not change tempos, rather we fill in the space between the notes, packing the measure with more notes.
Rest - Just like notes and their durations, there are equivalent rests like the quarter rest, 8th rest, and 16th rest. During the rest no notes are played.
Metronome - A metronome keeps the tempo (speed) of the music, creating even spacing among the music. A metronome creates a clicking sound at set tempos called Beat Per Minute or BPM. There are analog metronomes which are my favorite and there are digital metronome apps that you can download on your phone which are great for when you’re on the go.
Groove - A groove is when the beat has a feel that makes you want to move or dance to it. You can really feel when a drummer plays a good groove. Just like when playing in the pocket, you will feel a drummer’s groove when they play a really cool drum beat.
Backbeat - The Backbeat is where the snare drum is consistently hitting in the beat. Most commonly it’s the snare on the 2 and the 4 or for Half Time it’s on the 3. When you see someone clapping to their favorite music, they are clapping to the backbeat.
Kick Drum - This is another term for the Bass Drum. These terms can be used interchangeably.
Drum Fill - A drum fill is a part in the music that deviates from the main groove and creates a transition into another section of music. A common myth about drum fills is that they always have to be fast tom fills or something exciting. Though, the best drum fills are usually subtle and simple things like an added crash cymbal or two 16th notes on the snare drum at the end of the 4th measure.
In The Pocket - This term refers to when the drummer is locked in with the music and playing a very tight beat. When a drummer is in the pocket, the whole band will feel it. The beat literally drives the music.
Double time - Double time is a term used when the feel of the music needs to come up in energy. Double time makes the music feel faster and more upbeat without changing the tempo. For example, if you are playing a straight 8th note hi-hat drum beat, we could double the hi-hat into 16th notes creating a faster feeling beat without changing the Kick and Snare positions. Double time hi-hat.
Half Time - Half time is the opposite of double time and is used to make the feel of the music slower and spacey. A common way to do this is to go from playing a 2 and 4 backbeat on the snare to playing it on the 3. This simple shift will drastically change the feel of the groove.
Syncopation - Syncopation is creating patterns of notes outside of their simplest form (playing static 16th notes or 8th notes). Mixing up the note valuations (durations) is what gives music it’s rhythm or groove. This can be done by playing a variety of quarter, eight, or 16th notes within the same measure or adding rests between notes. The space between notes is what creates rhythm. Getting creative with your note combinations is creating syncopation.
Ghost Note - This is everyone's favorite. Ghost notes are where you get the deepest groove and the best feel. A ghost note is a very soft hit on the snare, played outside of the normal backbeat. The note is played just hard enough to rattle the snares on the bottom of the drum while giving minimal attack on the drum itself. This creates a soft airy touch around the beat and adds depth to your groove.
About The Xgroove
Chad is an ambidextrous extreme drummer out of Las Vegas NV. Blending dynamics, tight grooves, and a deep understanding of rudiments, Chad's innovative approach pushes the boundaries of drumming, creating captivating phrasings through the seamless combination of hands and feet. Join Chad Peters on his mesmerizing musical journey and witness the boundless possibilities of drumming.
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