Understanding Music

Lesson 5/41 | Study Time: 5 Min
Course: Introducing Drums
Understanding Music

Understanding Music

By now you should have a good basic understanding of how rhythm works, how beats can be subdivided and how different drum parts work. However, just as other instrumentalists often neglect their rhythm skills, many drummers also neglect developing an understanding of the other aspects of music such as melody, (e.g vocals or lead guitar) and harmony e.g (keyboard or rhythms guitar).

If you have a basic understanding of these subjects you can contribute much more to band arrangements and songwriting. In fact, it is strongly recommended that you learn at least a bit of general music by taking up bass, guitar or keyboards. Ask the other musicians you play with about what they are doing and get them to show you a few things. Of course, the drums will still be your main instrument, but drummers who understand music well are always popular and usually get lots of work. Lets look at the musical tools used to create melody and harmony.

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Peter Gelling

Peter Gelling

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Class Sessions

1- The Triplet 2- The Dotted Quarter Note 3- Beats Based on Eighth Notes 4- The Eighth Note 5- INTRODUCTION 6- Playing Notes Together 7- Playing Fills 8- Rests 9- Sounds of the Drums 10- Using the Left Foot 11- The Three Four Time Signature 12- 16 Positions for Sixteenth Notes 13- Sixteenth Notes 14- The Shuffle 15- Notating Swing Rhythms 16- 12 Note Positions for Triplets 17- Creating Variations 18- Snare Drum Control 19- Creating Your Own Beats 20- Using the Hi-Hat Cymbals 21- The Cymbals 22- The Tom Toms 23- Playing the Open Hi-Hat 24- A Final Solo 25- Before You Begin 26- Ghost Notes 27- Musical Form 28- Singing What You Play 29- Snare Drum Control 30- Counting Drum Beats 31- Playing Drum Beats 32- How to Sit at the Drums 33- Fills Using Triplets6 34- How to Hold the Drum Sticks 35- Understanding Music 36- How to Read Drum Music 37- Music Notes 38- Note and Rest Values 39- The Grand Staff 40- Notes Used in Drum Beats 41- The Keyboard

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