Reading charts for dummies

2bsticks

Platinum Member
Anyone out there want to share some simple charts with a bit of explanation for an old fart? I can read a little but get a bit confused with some of the language. Like after the first ending go back here and then after this sign do this etc. I have a few charts but seem to get lost.
 
Anyone out there want to share some simple charts with a bit of explanation for an old fart? I can read a little but get a bit confused with some of the language. Like after the first ending go back here and then after this sign do this etc. I have a few charts but seem to get lost.

Hi, I can help. Post your chart and les talk about it :- )
 
Hi, thanks for the reply. I understand some of of the chart but when I try and follow along I keep getting lost. It's from the Dave Weckl play along book, Level 1.
 

Attachments

  • straight eights2.jpg
    straight eights2.jpg
    124.9 KB · Views: 3,237
Well, this is how I understand it:

(sorry my english, but I think you could understand me :- )

bar 1, start of song with the drum pattern that is written
the % sign means that the bar is like the bar before it, so
bars 2,3,4 and 5 are the same as bar 1.

bar 6, the / sings means each pulse, 1,2,3 and 4, the fill is
marked in the 3rd slash (/) and an accent in the 4th slash,
so you must play a fill in pulse 3 accenting it in pulse 4

bar 7 and 8, here the drum part changes to a groove that is
2 bar long. the .//. symbols means that the 2 bars repeats,
is like % but with 2 (or more) bars repeating itself.

so, bars 9,10 11,12, are repetitions of bar 7,8

bar 13,14, theres a fill in bar 14, no accent, so the fill
resolves in the 1 of bar 15

bar 15. Notcie de SIGN near to the A mark.
Here begins the A part of the song AND is the SIGN (notice it)

Notice also that the bar begins with a repetition mark :
that means that you will play until another repetition end :


The groove keeps in 2 bar length. So you play from 15,16
to 25,26 the same groove.

bar 27,28, note de "2nd ending on D.S" this means that when you
repeat this bars from the SIGN you must play what is written,
in this case two accents in 3 and 4 of bar 28, but if is this
the first time you play it... nothing happens.

bar 29, here is the casilla 1 (dont know the english term) that
goes from bar 29 to 32, so this means that the first time you must
play the bars as written from 29 to 32.

In bar 32 is the end repetition, so you jump to bar 15 where the
repetition begins

play from 15 to 26. So in bar 27,28 you play the accents

when you finish bar 28 accenting the 4, you move to casilla 2
in bar 33 (so you skip all casilla 1 bars 29 to 32)

You play casilla 2, from bar 33 to 46.

Notice the to CODA sign at end of bar 41 (skipt it for now)

Then you have the solos from bar 47 to the last bar 74

bar 74 you have a fill and then reads D.S al Coda

That means that you have to return to the SIGN in bar 15
and play again.

So you will go again through casilla 1, repeat from 15 again, and
start casilla 2

When you get to bar 41, instead of play bar 42 you go to the CODA
sign at bar 75 till fine in bar 77


Hope it works, sorry my english again.
 
Hey 2b.

What hercraft has said is correct so I won't say the same thing again. However here is a couple of things that may help.

Do you get lost just listening and following along with it? It may be a case of becoming familiarised with the song. Also I would mark important things with highlighters.

A piece of music is black and white and following it can be difficult when everything starts to look the same. If you add a bit of colour, however, your eye is drawn to sections, repeat signs, hits etc. Try this and see if it helps.


One part I don't understand without hearing the song is when repeating the A and B section first time round do you do the first time ending at bar 29 twice or only once and skip to the C section?


Hope i helped

Dave
 
Also just a heads up about some different signs.

The sign that confuse most students in my experience are D.C or D.S so here is what they mean. (don't mean to patronise if you know what them mean already)


D.C al Fine - Da Capo al Fine - To the top of the chart and follow until you see the word Fine or the end of the piece which ever comes first.

D.C al Coda - Da Capo al Coda - To the top of the chart and then to the coda. In this instance when repeating you look for the coda sign (a circle with a cross through it) then jump straight to the coda. More often than not the coda is at the bottom of the page.

D.S al Fine - Dal Segno al Fine - To the sign (the S with a divide sign through it. On your chart it is at Bar 15) then follow to the word fine or the end of the chart.

D.S al Coda - Dal Segno Al Coda - To the sign (the S with a divide sign through it. On your chart it is at Bar 15) Then follow to the coda.



Hope i was able to help and I'll try and find some easier charts and send you them to play along with.

Cheers


Dave
 
Thanks very much for your very helpful replies. I guess like anything else I need to sit down and really go over this stuff again and again.
 
What I'd like is an easy reference key for what drums and cymbals go on which lines. That's what trips me up.
 
What I'd like is an easy reference key for what drums and cymbals go on which lines. That's what trips me up.

In DRUM! magazine they usually have a page devoted to that topic.

also what I did so help solidify the knowledge is I downloaded a program like tab trax or Finale and started notating some of the grooves and beats in the various articles from the magazine.

-Jonathan
 
I'm just starting to learn how to read charts, and this thread was super helpful, so thanks everyone.

What I'm still confused about, though, is what's going in bars 29 and 33. Those bars have the slashes, which my instructor explained means to play the groove that's been established, but they also have an extra note thrown in. I don't know what to do with those. Bars 35 and 36 are similarly puzzling, though at those I can guess: in bar 35 you play the groove with the slight modification that the hi-hat 8th notes are ghosted, and in bar 36 you play the groove with the slight modification that in the first 2 beats, you don't play the hi-hat downbeats; you only play the upbeats ghosted. And while I'm at it, bar 76 is a complete mystery to me. How can you have (what appear to be) 8 quarter notes in a bar of common time?

My instructor started explaining this stuff in our lesson last week, and he gave me an assignment for next week. Unfortunately, I didn't fully understand him, hence my questions above. Of course, he can answer it all next week, but I'd rather not whiff on the assignment. I'll also buy a book to help me out, but in the meantime, if any of you are willing to help me out, I'd appreciate it. Cheers,

-- Bobby
 
At 29 and 33 it looks like they want you to put a crash there, while you continue playing time; a long sound at 29 and a short one at 33; maybe just a strong bass drum hit there. Listen to what's going on in the arrangement to make a decision.

The thing at 35-36 is not a hihat part- it's a section figure- a line someone else in the group is playing. Usually those are just included FYI, but you can support it however you like.

Bar 76 is 8th notes- the beams got cut off of the scan of the chart.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. (I'm always looking for good learning material.) Heard lots of good things about the Petrillo DVD. Does it cover charts or just the traditional (dense) notation? The thing I still find confusing on charts is when there's a mix of slashes and notes as in measures 29 and 33 in the example earlier on this thread. Todd was kind enough to take the time to explain those measures, but I still have trouble extrapolating to other examples. I'm sure, though, that my instructor will explain it all. Thanks again.
 
Tommy Igoe's Groove Essentials books (1.0 and 2.0) are both great for reading charts, but not strictly notated pieces per sé; it'll have a groove notated out (and two variations) at the top of the page, and then it has different charts to play along to (with an excellent CD).

The charts will say things like "Play 8 bars of this" and then there might be a whole band figure, and a section of 8 bars telling you to improvise .etc.

If you really wanna get into it, try and find a concert/brass/wind band to join - they'll give you percussion scores (very good experience, especially trying to include the 2nd percussion part where you can). Reading is one of my stronger points (although I'm sure there are many better than I), and I got there through things like playing through grade exam books, playing in brass bands and concert bands (Army Cadet Force music if anyone here is from the UK) and through having a basic understanding of classical-style music theory; eg following a flute part in an orchestral score is just like following a drumkit or percussion score even if you can't tell the flute pitches without having to stop and figure them out.

A lot of drum charts can be thought of as guides rather than strict instructions how to play (obviously if you're playing a classical snare drum part, then you should play exactly what is written). Eg, if you're playing a broadway/west end musical piece, you don't have to play the exact fills and exact grooves but you should try and keep to the feel and style of the piece. Don't through in a tom/double-kick insane linear fill in a ballad, and if it says "big band swing" then play a big band swing, not some insane Max Roach bebop. If there's a conductor, watch him like a hawk, and listen to the band.

I like to play a piece out as is written the first time I play it, and then the next time I'll take more liberties as I have a better understanding of the piece.

Peace!
 
That sounds like good advice. Thanks. I know I'll get there. I'm nothing if not persistent.
 
Back
Top