Note taking when someone is playing a new track. What's the most effective way?

Seasonedpro

Seasonedpro

Member
So you are presented a new track. You've never heard it. What (for you) is the easiest, quickest and most effective way to organize the drum part for the track?

Some of us can do it by memory and winging it. What about writing it all down? What have you found to be the best way to write it all down in an organized fashion?
 
I write down the basic arrangement as it plays - how many bars, different sections, and stops & pushes if I can catch them as they go by.

A first pass "chart" may look like this:

4 8 8 4 8 4 8 8 12 8 8

with notes like V (for verse) CH (for chorus) B or Pre (for B-section or pre-chorus) Out, solo, inst, theme, leads, etc. Basically, whatever I will recognize when I need toutilize it. I may also need to split up sections to notate pushes, punches, or special figures (1/4 triplets, etc.)

Once I have a road map of the song, I can at least get through and it and target specifics as I go.

Bermuda
 
bermuda said:
I write down the basic arrangement as it plays - how many bars, different sections, and stops & pushes if I can catch them as they go by.

A first pass "chart" may look like this:

4 8 8 4 8 4 8 8 12 8 8

with notes like V (for verse) CH (for chorus) B or Pre (for B-section or pre-chorus) Out, solo, inst, theme, leads, etc. Basically, whatever I will recognize when I need toutilize it. I may also need to split up sections to notate pushes, punches, or special figures (1/4 triplets, etc.)

Once I have a road map of the song, I can at least get through and it and target specifics as I go.

Bermuda
Click to expand...

exact method I have used for years

works great on the fly and has never failed me

I have walked into record dates having never heard the tune and used this method many times and ended up nailing the track within the first 3 takes
 
Pretty much what Bermuda said. At least we don't have to remember all those chords... was it a Gmin7 or a Gsus7? I give up.
 
I do it like Bermuda does with the numbers, but I do it vertically down a page so I can write notes/ideas next to the numbers. It ends up looking something like:

4 - intro, (fill)
16 - verse, laid back
16 - chorus, double time, driving (fill out)
4 - intro vamp, (fill)
16 - verse

...etc.
 
Here's an example of a printed 'chart' I used to use for a song. Obviously I know what the beat is, where the pushes land, what the fills are, how long the outro is, etc. It's just my personal reminder of the arrangement, I wouldn't expect anyone to immediately (if ever) make sense of it.

chart.jpg


Now, when I write a chart that is more specific or has to 100% correct all the way through, I write notation, and it looks more traditional.

BTW, Bo Eder probably knows what that little chart is for, but I defy anyone else to name the song!

Bermuda
 
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Excellent responses. I was using flash cards. 1 card per song. But I wanted to see if I could condense it all down even more. Didn't know if there was a system that worked best for some of you studio cats.

Are you going to tell us how to translate that note system you posted or is it one of those things where it will probably only make sense to you and other brains should spare themselves the confusion?
 
Seasonedpro said:
So you are presented a new track. You've never heard it. What (for you) is the easiest, quickest and most effective way to organize the drum part for the track?

Some of us can do it by memory and winging it. What about writing it all down? What have you found to be the best way to write it all down in an organized fashion?
Click to expand...

Can't say I've written anything down. I find it best to hear it played 2-3 times in a row then attempt to play it the next time around to get a basic feel for the new song. I'm sure that writing it down wouldn't be a bad idea however!
 
caddywumpus said:
I do it like Bermuda does with the numbers, but I do it vertically down a page so I can write notes/ideas next to the numbers. It ends up looking something like:

4 - intro, (fill)
16 - verse, laid back
16 - chorus, double time, driving (fill out)
4 - intro vamp, (fill)
16 - verse

...etc.
Click to expand...

This. I will also sometimes refer to specific accents or rhythms, usually in a format that reflects how I refer to them in my head (which makes it completely unreadable to anyone else)

Example chart (number denotes number of bars):

1 - Guitar intro noodle
2 - Riff: Guitar only
2 - Riff: Ride on tom rim, rimclick backbeat, kick on every other 1
8 - Verse: Continue rim groove
8 - Prechorus: Continue rim groove
8 - Verse: Closed hihat shuffle
8 - Prechorus: Slightly open hihat shuffle
8 - Solo: Ride shuffle
8 - Verse: Back to rim groove
12 - Prechorus: Slightly open hihat shuffle
8 - Solo: Ride shuffle
12 - Prechorus: Slightly open hihat shuffle
Snare fill -> Tom period.
 
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Attached is what I plan to use with my new band. We are a 3 piece playing classic rock.

I dont have trouble remembering fills or beats, but for the love of God I can't remember the sequence of a song.
Too much Carlsberg going down the pike for too many years-)

We are going to learn 4 songs per rehearsal and I will hand out the below 1 week before.
This way we dont have to discuss starts, endings, key, chords, tempo, arrangement, etc. but can immediately focus on feel, groove and singing harmony.

I play with a click/backing track and may record some cues on top of the click. In this case I might need a cue to the end of the solo rather than counting the 36 bars. There is no going an extra round for the solo's because of the backing tracks. The arrangement is fixed and important not to screw up.

thx

jorn
 

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I need to get into this immediately as remembering a songs structure is currently my biggest challenge when playing. Anyone have any of these to share? Save me a little "transcribing"...

Easy to do I guess but would love it if anyone wanted to share some. I have made some notes like this but never in a standard format and wish I had done it on my computer (excel would be great). Good ideas.
 
When I'm writing with the band I do something similar for new tracks, for example:

Intro - 2 (1:Guitar, 2:Guitar & Bass)
Verse - 4 (1-2 Guitar, Bas Drums.. 3-4(Lead Guitar & Vocals)
PreChorus - 2 (Guitar & Bass build-up)
Chorus - 4 (1-2 Everyone.. 3-4 Double time)
Etc, Etc... Or what ever way it would go..
 
I do the same thing, write out the arrangement, except I don't write how many bars there are. I just know from writing out the arrangement (for instance) that the chorus comes after the bridge followed by a lead on this particular song. I kind of rely on my instincts, it's not hard to realize when the verse is transitioning to the bridge, and when the bridge is over and it's chorus time. There's no way I'm going to be counting bars, but that's just me. I just listen for when the verse is done and so on, because I know which section is next. But writing bars is a good thing. Whatever helps you get it right.

I do the Intro/Verse/Verse/Bridge/Chorus/Lead/Chorus/Bridge/Verse/Verse/Ending type of notation abbreviated to: I/V/V/B/C/L/B/C/V/V/E. I'll also write the time sig, kick pattern, ride pattern and any other pertinent info using my own terminology below. Also the song title is really helpful lol so I know which song this is.

I like Caddy's suggestion of writing each section on it's own line, column style. Leaves room to notate different beats for each section if necessary. Good tip Phil/Caddy.
 
I love the way this forum finds and fills my knowledge gaps. I'd never heard the term "pre-chorus" before ... but it's a mighty good name for that bit that goes dum da dum dum dum [um, you know] that's between the verse and the chorus :)

I write tempo and basic terms - intro verse chorus bridge solo outtro etc. If there's anything atypical I add it ... maybe # of bars, stops, quiet etc
 
Anon La Ply said:
I love the way this forum finds and fills my knowledge gaps. I'd never heard the term "pre-chorus" before ... but it's a mighty good name for that bit that goes dum da dum dum dum [um, you know] that's between the verse and the chorus :)
Click to expand...

It's a term that sort of replaced "B section" to indicate that transitional part that wasn't quite a verse or a chorus. But if a song has more than one transition between the verse and chorus, you might have a B section and pre-chorus to help define each further.

But pre-chorus is the cooler term. B section is kinda old school, so the jazz guys probably still use it. :)

Bermuda
 
larryace said:
I do the same thing, write out the arrangement, except I don't write how many bars there are. I just know from writing out the arrangement (for instance) that the chorus comes after the bridge followed by a lead on this particular song. I kind of rely on my instincts, it's not hard to realize when the verse is transitioning to the bridge, and when the bridge is over and it's chorus time. There's no way I'm going to be counting bars, but that's just me. I just listen for when the verse is done and so on, because I know which section is next. But writing bars is a good thing. Whatever helps you get it right.

I do the Intro/Verse/Verse/Bridge/Chorus/Lead/Chorus/Bridge/Verse/Verse/Ending type of notation abbreviated to: I/V/V/B/C/L/B/C/V/V/E. I'll also write the time sig, kick pattern, ride pattern and any other pertinent info using my own terminology below. Also the song title is really helpful lol so I know which song this is.

I like Caddy's suggestion of writing each section on it's own line, column style. Leaves room to notate different beats for each section if necessary. Good tip Phil/Caddy.
Click to expand...


for me with the number written....I'm not necessarily counting.....

I see 8 and I know what that feels like.....I see 16 or 12 or 5 I know what that feels like

the numbers signify how a progression feels ....no counting involved

a lot of times on a record date a producer will say ....take me to the top 8 or the middle 8 or the back 16 ......in this case I will know exactly what he means because in most cases these producers and or songwriters and band leaders will have close to if not the exact type chart I have written

it is pretty standard in the industry
 
bermuda said:
It's a term that sort of replaced "B section" to indicate that transitional part that wasn't quite a verse or a chorus. But if a song has more than one transition between the verse and chorus, you might have a B section and pre-chorus to help define each further.

But pre-chorus is the cooler term. B section is kinda old school, so the jazz guys probably still use it. :)
Click to expand...

Ta. Good info, Jon. Usually I've include pre-choruses etc in "verse" but if those parts don't appear every time, or vary in form, then I write complex technical terms like "change bit" :)

Most of my band's songs are so simple or common that I don't write anything down. Exception was Michael Buble's arrangement (adapted to small group) for Feeling Good, where no section is played quite the same way. Being, blues-based I broke it into progressions (jazzers would call them "verses") and then noted the idiosyncrasies of each one.
 
Gvdadrummasum said:
for me with the number written....I'm not necessarily counting.....

I see 8 and I know what that feels like.....I see 16 or 12 or 5 I know what that feels like

the numbers signify how a progression feels ....no counting involved

a lot of times on a record date a producer will say ....take me to the top 8 or the middle 8 or the back 16 ......in this case I will know exactly what he means because in most cases these producers and or songwriters and band leaders will have close to if not the exact type chart I have written

it is pretty standard in the industry
Click to expand...

I agree that writing the number of bars out is the better way. What you say makes a lot of sense about how it feels by knowing how many bars in each section, even if you don't actually count them. At this point I'm sure you have an ingrained understanding of how long 8 bars is without counting them. I really should start doing it. I haven't had to transcribe a song arrangement in such a long time, I kind of do it in my head now. The music I play is easy in that respect though. It's not like it's Math Rock. The Blues form is so ingrained in me...if I don't have it by now, I never will.
 
bermuda said:
you might have a B section and pre-chorus to help define each further.
Bermuda
Click to expand...

Jon can you provide a well known example of a song with a pre chorus? This is a new term for me too Grea.
 
larryace said:
I agree that writing the number of bars out is the better way. What you say makes a lot of sense about how it feels by knowing how many bars in each section, even if you don't actually count them. At this point I'm sure you have an ingrained understanding of how long 8 bars is without counting them. I really should start doing it. I haven't had to transcribe a song arrangement in such a long time, I kind of do it in my head now. The music I play is easy in that respect though. It's not like it's Math Rock. The Blues form is so ingrained in me...if I don't have it by now, I never will.
Click to expand...

I'm sure brother

I know you could play a 12 bar progression in your sleep wearing a straight jacket
 
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