Perhaps the one thing that scares drummers the most is reading a chart for a gig. There is a lot of justification behind that fear. Charts can be scary, especially if you have never read music before, and for those of us who have an understanding of note values the drum chart can still be scary. On cruise ships and in pit bands charts are often handed down from drummer to drummer each bearing markings carried over from generation to generation resembling the changing show. Entire sections can be scratched out. Pencil, and worst yet pen marks, scar the entire piece making it difficult to decipher what you should be playing. And to be honest many drummers do not understand how they should be reading the music that is in front of them in the first place.
For a drummer reading music is much different than any other member of the band, but with a few basic understandings of what is expected of you, you can achieve the task at hand. I am going to assume that you have an understanding of what notes look like and what values those notes hold. If you have never read music before you may want to start off by finding a basic music theory book that explains rhythms, for the drummer a simple snare drum reading book from grade school will work just fine. Look for anything by Mel Bay or Alfred Music Group. Once you understand the basics of notes you will be surprised at how easy reading a drum chart can be. So let’s move on.
The fundamental rules for the chart-reading drummer are these. You must keep the beat. Even if you do not know what is happening on the music the band will require you to keep the music going. After all the rest of the musicians just need to regurgitate what they see on the page. KNOW THE ROAD MAP FIRST! Look for repeats, D.S. signs and first and second endings. You must know where you are going in the music. The second rule is this: drum charts are interpreted not read. Very few composers will write out the exact beat and fills you are to play. They understand that you must keep the music going so they will give you a basic understanding at the beginning and then fill in the bars with time slashes |////|////|////| so you know how many bars you are to keep the beat going. With practice you will learn to love this writing style because it gives you the freedom to be creative with your time keeping and add you own distinctive style to the music.
Section Hits and Ensemble Hits:
As you read through the chart you will begin to notice that the composer has written in specific hits throughout the piece. These hits will be written above the bar line (Section Hits) and through the staff (Ensemble Hits). Think of it like this if the hits are written above the staff you are to keep on playing and make the hits with the section that is playing those notes. Keep these hits simple using the snare and/or bass drum to mimic what that part of the band is playing. If the notes are written through the staff the entire group will be making the hits together and you will not be grooving through them. These hits often occur at the beginning or end of the piece.
Setting Up the Band:
When you encounter Ensemble Hits it will be your job to set up the next hit. Each drummer will develop their own style for this task but the basics of the job are the same. You lead into the hit with a simple roll, flam, or other stylistic maneuver. Your hits should be simple so the group can anticipate the hits together and make the stabs at the same time. Listen to some old Buddy Rich, Joe Morello, or Peter Erksine so you can get an idea of what I am saying.
Understanding the Markings:
Always look for the freshest set of markings. I always take some time to talk with the band director before rehearsal to see which hits are the newest ones. It never hurts to look over other instrument's music, especially the piano parts because they have both the treble and bass clef, so you can gauge what is happening in the piece. And when it is your turn to mark charts ALWAYS USE A PENCIL. If you are serious about your craft always carry a pencil and big eraser in your gig bag because when the gig is over you are usually required to clean your markings. I always make notes to myself and have created my own little set of symbols to dictate what I should expect. Circle those D.S., Coda, and repeat measures because it is vital that you know the road map over all the little hits. In fact here is a little sight-reading tip. Read through the road map first, then the specific hits. You are the drummer and you must be able to keep the song going from start to finish no matter where all those repeat markings may take you!
Final Notes:
Drum charts are usually long with many pages for one piece and because we use all our limbs it may be hard to flip pages while keeping the groove. I usually tape pieces together and use a double music stand or elongated piano stand for my charts. Make sure you place your music in a spot that is convenient so you can read the music, see the band director, and actually hit all your drums easily. Always use a stand light if you can, pencil markings are hard to read under low lights.
If you do not have or can’t find the drum charts piano charts are best. They cover both clefs and you can gauge what the bass and other top instruments will be doing.
Broadway books will usually give you a kit set-up diagram at the beginning of the chart book. You should set-up your kit as close to their recommendations as possible. It will make your movement from song to song and drum to drum much more efficient.
If you don’t read you will loose it, so take time to practice your reading. Tommy Igoe has a great set of groove songs with charts available called “Groove Essentials 1.0 and 2.0”. Steve Houghton has a great book called “The Ultimate Drumset Reading Anthology” and Bobby Gabriele has a great introductory book called “The Chart Reading Workbook.”
Finally you must understand playing to charts will require you to have your fundamental skills down solid. You will be required to play different styles effortlessly. Perhaps the biggest challenge will be independence. Often you will have to keep a groove going while making the Section Hits. All your limbs and your brain will need to be working on all cylinders. You will need to have your basic time keeping, independence, and technical skills in check or it will be that much harder to bring the charts to life. In return chart reading will step up your game. You will begin to notice that well written music follows specific divisions of four in four, eight, twelve and sixteen bar sections. After a while you will be able to feel when the music is about to change from section to section. You will become a better musician and not just a drummer.
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