Do drummers use sheet music?

I often wonder about this.
How would the score be represented?
Images of particular drums, cymbals?
What about when the drum stick hits the drum hoops?

Yes, drummers have to keep the beat. The beat is in the sheet music.

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We all march/shuffle to the beat of our own drum :innocent:

Some of the most influential drummers of all time never took a single formal lesson in their life, and by extension, never learned to read sheet music. Despite that, their ability to “speak” the language is so developed that practically anyone can relate to it on a more primal level. Even then, the metrics of what makes a drummer or musician “good” are somewhat subjective and are largely related to an individual’s cultural upbringing and musical background. So is it totally necessary for drummers to know how to read sheet music?

. . . Sometimes. The short answer; it depends on what kind of music you primarily play or intend to play, and your preferred learning style.

While a drummer may be able to skirt by without knowing how to read music in more of a rock, funk, or metal setting, the inability to read sheet music won’t fly in an orchestral or large ensemble setting. The only way to coordinate 30 musicians with 7 different types of instruments is with the structure of a score and sheet music.

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What do you call someone who hangs around with musicians?

A drummer…

Boom Boom

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I always thought they had music sheets on one drum in front of them.

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Drum notation is on first glance, similar to conventional sheet music, except each line represents a particular drum/cymbal, and not pitch. The cleff at the start of each stave is two vertical lines, as opposed to a standard treble or bass cleff.

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Quite … like this:

or, to make it clearer, like this (From MuseScore3):

However, I doubt that Clem Burke used notation … :wink:

Very interesting because my daughter’s fallen in love with a drummer who has studied playing the drums and , apart from playing in a band, also teaches it. She’s going to introduce him soon. Now I know what to talk with him about . :grinning:

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Oh do stop banging on about it! :wink: :grinning:

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He joined The Ramones briefly as " Elvis Ramone" but was drummed out very shortly as he was unable to modify his style and keep up with the rest of the band, very fast were The Ramones!

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@Bretrick Not only have the ability to read music, but also have excellent hand, eye and foot coordination alongside a very fast brain output. The coordinated involvement of the feet is essential with a full percussion set or the bass drum and those rhythm cymbals won’t play themselves.

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It is an amazing skill to possess.
I doubt I could ever accomplish such a feat.

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