Writing for Drum Set

[jamalbee]

Hi everyone,

I have problems understanding how drum notation is dealt with in Notation Composer. Is there a way to display proper drum notation with the right symbols for each piece of the drum kit (high hat, ride, crash, high hat foot, etc..) ? Also, the displayed key is the bass key, but it should be the drum key (two vertical bars at the beginning of the staff). This one particular point isn't important, but the rest is if I want to print drum parts for drummer to read and play them. For those not familiar with drum symbols and drum notation, I would like my drum parts to display the proper symbols as shown in the link below. Can anyone help me achieve that ?

https://www.onlinedrummer.com/drum-key/

[Sherry C]

Hi,


The notation that is shown is really the "working MIDI" pseudo-pitches that represent each drum/percussion instrument. Composer does not currently have a standard 5-line drum kit notation feature. We have done some research on what that would entail, and it's more work than the demand for such a feature has been (the drummer in our big band might argue with that statement ). We have been quite busy with other areas of the software, but do still have standard 5-line drum kit notation in the task database.


If you're arranging for a concert band or orchestra, you can indeed "fan out" these different instruments into appropriate single-line staves for each instrument.



For more information, please see Help -> User Guide and use the Index to look up "drum" for a variety of helps with the drum staff and notation.


ttfn,
Sherry

[rrayner]

If you would like to see some examples of how I use drum set notation in Notation Composer, browse through the Share Your Music forum and for example search for septet. You will find a number of arrangements that I have shared that use a fairly basic drum notation. That forum also has a number of big band charts and a couple of concert band charts that I wrote and had performed.

For example, look at my Sermonette. It's pretty basic. I'm not a drummer, but I've written parts like these and drummers will say it's a help (and generally not give me any specific suggestions).

You might also search for drum in this forum, for example, Drum Groove and a Story, which includes a little discourse about drum notation.