Drum Notation

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Drum Notation

Postby Mathieu Benoit » Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:55 am

This question is more for Malcolm than anyone...

Years ago drum notation was usually separated between the hands and feet. The notes that the hands would play would be grouped together pointing up, and the notes for the feet would be grouped together pointing down. This made it quite a bit different than regular sheet music where the direction of the stems was decided based on the note that was furthest away from the middle of the staff in that particular grouping of notes.

Lately I'm coming across more drum notation that the hands and feet are all combined under the same groupings. This is great and makes writing and reading things much easier. But I guess my question is which is right? Is there a right or wrong here at all?

What are your thoughts Malcolm? You know this shit better than anyone.
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Re: Drum Notation

Postby Malcolm Boyce » Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:03 pm

Drumwaiter wrote:You know this shit better than anyone.
Ummmmmmmm..... No, but...

I don't recall ever seeing things split between hands and feet as you describe. The direction of note stems was more about grouping related rhythms, like patterns that you are riding like hats and cymbals being top line, and kick and snare being bottom line. You've got me curious now, so I'll go back through some of my stuff and see if and how things have changed. I really don't read much notation that I haven't written myself these days. :oops:

Drum notation has never been as standardized as most would like it to be. It really has come a long way in the last 20 years as far as rules that most are following. I would suspect that if you are seeing a change in how things are being written out that it has to do with people using applications to do what was always done by hand before. Most software I'm sure would be setup for all "instruments" as opposed to the screwed up world of drumset.

I'll take a look and get back to you.
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Re: Drum Notation

Postby Mathieu Benoit » Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:40 pm

Malcolm Boyce wrote: I really don't read much notation that I haven't written myself these days. :oops:

Same here.

Malcolm Boyce wrote: Drum notation has never been as standardized as most would like it to be.

No kidding eh?
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Postby Malcolm Boyce » Fri May 01, 2009 2:20 pm

I have looked back at some 20+ year old stuff and I see examples of stems all pointing up, as well as some grouped with kick-snare down, hats up. It's really about 50/50 from what I looked at.
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Postby Mathieu Benoit » Fri May 01, 2009 4:47 pm

Awesome thanks!

I switching to all stems up from here on. It'll make the notation far less complicated to read and write. Thanks for your input.
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