The Drum Journal

  Reading the Beats: A Beginner’s Guide to Drum Notation and Sheet Music If you’ve ever opened a drum score and thought it looked like a foreign language, you’re not alone. Drum notation can feel confusing at first, but once you learn the basics, it becomes an incredible tool. Reading drum music not only helps you understand rhythms on paper, it also makes learning songs faster and gives you access to countless exercises written by other drummers. The Basics of Drum Notation Unlike piano or guitar, drum sheet music doesn’t deal with melody or pitch. Instead, each line or space of the staff represents a different part of the kit. Here’s the standard placement: Snare drum : on the middle line. Bass drum (kick) : bottom space. Hi-hat : top space or above the staff (x note heads). Toms : scattered across middle and upper lines. Cymbals : usually written with “x” note heads above the staff. Stems, note values, and rests work the same as in traditional music notatio...

Getting Started on the Drums: Techniques and Setup for Beginners So you’ve just sat down at a drum kit, sticks in hand, and you’re not quite sure where to start. Don’t worry, every great drummer began right here. Before you dive into flashy fills or complicated grooves, it’s worth building a solid foundation. The basics of setup and technique will make your drumming journey much smoother. Setting Up Your Kit A drum kit can look intimidating, but it’s just a collection of instruments arranged around you. Here’s a simple five-piece setup most beginners start with: Bass drum (kick drum) : the big one on the floor, played with your foot. Snare drum : the crisp, cracking drum between your legs. Toms : usually two mounted above the bass drum and one floor tom on your right. Hi-hat : two cymbals on a stand, opened and closed with your left foot. Crash and ride cymbals : for accents and steady grooves. Adjust everything so it feels comfortable. The snare should sit just above y...

  The Groove Behind Mandopop: Drums in a World of Melodies When most people think of Mandopop (华语流行音乐, huáyǔ liúxíng yīnyuè, “Chinese popular music”) , they picture soaring ballads, heart-thumping dance tracks, or heartfelt R&B tunes. What often goes unnoticed is the backbone of it all: the drums. In a scene where the singer is usually front and center, the drummer carries a special role—quietly shaping the feel of entire genres and subgenres. A World of Subgenres, A World of Drum Styles Mandopop isn’t just one sound. It stretches across hip-hop, R&B, contemporary pop, ballads, rock, even electronic-infused experiments . Each requires its own drumming approach. Contemporary Icons A-Mei (张惠妹, Zhāng Huìmèi)  and  Wang Leehom (王力宏, Wáng Lìhóng)  embody the Mandopop mainstream. Their songs mix ballad sensibilities with rock, funk, and cinematic orchestration. Drumming in this space requires versatility: delicate brushwork or rim clicks for ballads, then explosi...

The Story of Gospel Drumming: From the Church Pew to the World Stage When you listen to Gospel drumming, it hits differently. There’s power in the groove, a kind of electricity that comes from more than just chops or speed. At its heart, this style grew out of community and faith, out of Black churches where music was more than entertainment. It was worship, it was release, it was survival. Roots in the Church The sound of Gospel drumming traces back to African American church traditions. Early services leaned heavily on clapping, stomping, and hand percussion to carry the rhythm when instruments were scarce. As churches started incorporating drum kits in the mid-20th century, drummers brought in the same intensity you’d hear from a choir belting at full strength. The rhythms blended call-and-response patterns, syncopation, and improvisation. You can hear echoes of West African drumming in it, alongside jazz, blues, and funk. By the time the Hammond organ and electric bass joined t...