Start the section with a slightly loose hi-hat, and gradually loosen the hi-hat tension for all of the strokes under the dotted line. You only need 3 things from a simple drum key - a good fit on the tension rods, robust enough that it doesn't scar or damage itself or the tension rods, and is affordable but not so cheap that it has sharp edges or anything.

The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. This master drum key isn't exhaustive, meaning that we didn't include every possible notation that you might encounter.The grace strokes can be achieved by bouncing the stick, or for a more orchestral sound you can play the grace strokes as a buzz against the drum head. Our Master Drum Key shows these modifiers in the snare drum space, but they can apply to any drum or cymbal. Crash Ride: Play the ride cymbal as if you were crashing a crash cymbal, with the shoulder of the stick hitting the edge of the cymbal. The stick you're playing the grace stroke with should start about 2 inches above the drum head while the primary stroke starts in normal position.

Bass 2 is played either on a secondary bass drum or on the same bass drum with the slave pedal of a double bass drum pedal (see below).

Telling the reader to let the cymbals ring out throughout those rests gives the reader extra confidence. If something on your kit can’t be adjusted by a drum key then the likelihood is you’re not meant to touch it. This method keeps the sheet music looking cleaner without the need for multiple loose hi-hat symbols in a row.

Additional flam notes: A power flam is achieved by playing the flam's grace stroke at the same volume as the primary stroke. In some setups, the lowest tom(s) are attached to a cymbal stand with a clamp rather than resting on the floor. Please give us the reason for your assessment in the following text box and – if possible – your e-mail address for further questions.You can experiment with moving the tip of the stick closer to the edge of the drum head to product different sounds. However, sometimes it's important to reinforce to the reader that the hi-hat stroke needs to be played closed. Note on crash cymbals in sheet music: Since every drummer has their own unique cymbal choices and placements, you'll sometimes have to get creative when interpreting drum sheet music.