READING AT THE DRUM SET

By: Peter Magadini

"About the Author:

Peter C. Magadlni has taught Percussion and Theory at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In addition, he has recently (1968) been awarded a Fellowship to the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood. As a drummer he has played with many and diverse artists and organizations including the Denny Zeltlen Trio, the Oakland Symphony Orchestra, John Handy Quintet, the San Francisco Artist's Ensemble, Mose Allison, Barney Kessel, and Art Pepper, to name a few. Among his teachers he lists the following: Percussionists Roland Kohloff and Donald Bothwell; Drummer, Roy Burns; East Indian Tabla Master, Mahapurush Misra; and Composer, Robert Erlckson. Currently, he lives in Los Angeles and teaches at the Professional Drum Shop.

Many drummers (students and professional) have shared in a perplexing problem and frequently have asked this question. "Why do I have trouble reading drum-set music after having a good back.ground in reading standard snare drum repertoire, concert band and orchestra parts?" First, the concert snare drum part and solo exercises (as found in many snare drum method books) are meant to be played and interpreted exactly as written with notes and rests played to their full value. The quality of a well played snare drum part rests entirely on precision reading and exact interpretation of the note values and dynamics written by the composer. To do this well and musically requires a competent reader and musician.
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The pez~onner at the drum set also concerns ]~mse~ ~ t h notes, rests and dynamics and, as the conce~ musician, is subject to the
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+ Drum Chart=Drum part * In rock drum parts the strong accent on the 2nd and 4th beats of a 4/4 bar is felt and played whether written or not. In reading and playing these short general/examples you may find yourself having difficulty in understanding the differences of the three idioms. Unless a musician is somewhat familiar with the style of music beforehand he cannot fully recreate the required sensitiveness and perception necessary to play concert, jazz or rock through notation alone. The drummer, who sincerely desires to learn the art of reading, must spend time listening and practicing the areas of music he wants to play.
DRUM SET READING

In drum set reading, the drum chart must be intepreted by the performer. Many drum charts are merely road maps, offering at best a general outline of the music. Specific rhythmic patterns, except ~vhen unmistakably written, are often left to the inventiveness of the drummer. Here now are four basic examples of drum charts requiring the talents of the reading drummer. These examples and exercises are generally analyzing the essential qualities of the following styles of music. It would be impossible to include all the exceptions in this short S.A.
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1. Shows - a show may have many tunes and several styles of music. The drummer may be required to read in a fast 2/2 for half a page, then, on cue, change to a moderate 4/4 swing.
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* This symbol is used to indicate the notes are to be played on a cymbal. + Bass drum notes are sometimes ~ i t t e n however, they are many times left out of a part. Unless the bass drum has an unmistakable figure the general rule is that the drummer uses the bass drum to enhance and punctuate the written part. The show drummer may also be called upon to play the accessories (wood block, cowbell, tambourine, etc.) along with the drum part. This is known as doubling. Although doubling is not uncommon the usual practice is one player to play the drum set part and a second percussionist to play the accessories along with any timpani and mallet parts t h a t a r e written. Shows vary tremendously and the competent show drummer must have a knowledgeable understanding of many types of music-a Broadway show (usually a large orchestra in a pit below the stage), a nightclub show (usually a singer with anything from a trio to a big band), also comics, rock shows (Hair), and television variety. The good show drummer has to be alert and responsive to many outside events such as visual cues from the conductor, word cues from a performer on stage, dance moves, light cues and a hundred other things that might require a flexible drummer. The complete show drummer is a fine musician and many times his important job goes by unheralded by the cast and audience. Example:

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2. Big Band - The big bands (10 to 20 musicians or more) customarily require a drummer with power and a solid driving pulse. The excitement created by a big band revolves around the feeling created by the rhythm section (piano, bass, guitar and drums). Big band reading, at times, parallels show reading. However, the big band chart usually doesn't have cues and tempo changes as does the show part. The big band chart also leaves more freedom for the drummer to improvise and create. The big band drummer is the strength of the rhythm section and heartbeat of the band. Example:
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3. Small Jazz (trio to octet) In small group playing, creative flexibility is an important objective to the artistic drummer. The small group drummer must master many subtle techniques necessary for proper shadings and sensitive dynamics, while combining a written drum part to the over-all sound of the group. The art of reading while at the same time improvising and creating, is the essential principle behind the small group drum 57

chart. Example:

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4. Rock - the rock drum part is interpreted and felt around the accented second and fourth beat of the 4/4 bar. The fortification of the second and fourth beats (theoretically known as the weak beats of a 4/4 bar) is the primary reason for the driving moving pulse of the music. When reading a rock drum chart this pulse must not stop or the essential rhythmic drive will be lost. In rock playing eighth notes are predominant and played to their full value. The bass drum patterns and the interpretations of the rock "feel" are usually not written in the part but left to the drummer's own taste and style. Example:

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These are four basic situations that may require a reading drummer. Although the style of playing differs and each situation is unique, there are two factors that are common to all. The first and foremost consideration is the drummer's responsibility as timekeeper, technical skill and reading proficiency mean nothing if the time is not steady and reliable. The time has to be played consistently in all four styles of music. Yet this time has to conform with the music being played. A jazz time feeling does not work well in a rock group. On the other hand a rock "back beat" (2 & 4) played through an entire jazz tune, that tends to float on a straight (1, 2, 3, 4) syncopated time feel, would limit greatly the freedom of the other musicians. To the set reading drummer this means not only playing the time to fit the music but the interpretation of notes and rests to conform with the time. The second and perhaps the most difficult obstacle in set reading is the problem of space. As previously mentioned the composed snare drum book or concert drum part, has the spaces indicated by rests. In this playing situation the drummer stops and counts, exactly the full duration of the rest. The silence is complete. The contrary generally applies to a drum set chart. When a drummer has rests designated on a chart the rests are frequently an indication for drum *"fills". In order to keep the music alive the drummer usually fills the space indicated by rests and long note durations. Many times the word "fill" is written over the rests when the composer feels it is fitting. However, this is not always true, therefore the drummer must sometimes instinctively sense where and when a drum fill would enhance the music. The ability to feel space, long and short, is the art of a creative drum set reader. The competent drummer has developed the talent to play what is written and improvise what is not. Example:

* A fill is a short improvised drum solo anywhere from one beat to four bars long. The fill is played in open spaces from one written note to another.

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PRACTICE Here are some pointers which may help in the development of drum set reading. First read as many syncopated rhythms as you can find. Drum set technique requires the ability to read syncopation at sight. Along with sight reading you should work on fills. Practice long and short fills while playing from one written drum figure, fill through the rest, to another. Here are some exercises utilizing the drum fill. It is also suggested that you write out your own drum figures. Writing your own drum chart exercises help a great deal in understanding some of the problems a composer may have when writing a drum part. Example:

Finally, work on reKding all styles and tempos. The same chart has shorter spaces at faster tempos and longer spaces at slower tempos. This author recommends an excellent book by Ron Fink called "Drum Set Reading," Published by Ron Fink, North Texas State University School of Music, Denton, Texas. Above all else, when you are behind the, drum set it's your chair, be creative. 60