Drums and percussion

Pitched and unpitched percussion

Percussion instruments are mostly hit to make a sound, though some are shaken or played in other ways. Pitched (tuned) percussion plays definite notes, and unpitched percussion does not.

Timpani (kettledrums) are pitched drums. Many have foot pedals so the player can change the note during a piece.

The percussion clef

Unpitched percussion is now usually written with a neutral clef (also called a percussion clef). On this stave, each line or space stands for an instrument, not a pitch.

Pitched percussion is written in ordinary clefs: timpani in the bass clef, and xylophone and glockenspiel in the treble clef. The xylophone sounds an octave higher than written and the glockenspiel two octaves higher.

Drum kit notation

There is no single universal standard for drum kit notation, and different publishers place the drums on different lines. Good drum music includes a key (legend) at the start, or labels each drum the first time it appears.

Some habits are very common, though. Cymbals and hi-hats usually have x-shaped noteheads, and a small o above a hi-hat note means open while a + means closed.

Sticking: R and L

Sticking tells you which hand plays each note: R for right and L for left. It is written above or below the notes.

Good sticking makes fast patterns easier and more even, which is why drummers practise rudiments.

Rudiments

Rudiments are the basic sticking patterns of drumming. The Percussive Arts Society publishes a list of 40 International Drum Rudiments, grouped into rolls, diddles, flams and drags.

• The Percussive Arts Society suggests practising rudiments slow to fast to slow again, or at an even, moderate march tempo.

Practice tips

• Use a practice pad and a metronome to keep your strokes even.
• Start each rudiment slowly and only speed up when both hands sound the same.
• Protect your hearing when playing a real drum kit.