How the heck is a drummer supposed to read music with both eyes while concentrating on playing the drums with all 4 limbs? You’re playing the hi-hat cymbals with your right hand, the snare drum with your left, the hi-hat pedal with your left foot and the bass drum with your right.
You’re responsible for counting off the song, playing different beats on the verse and chorus, and keeping the tempo steady as you play beats and fills. With all that going on, how are you able to watch the song sketch you’ve written (see “The Magic of Song Sketches”) and figure out where you are in the song?
If you want to know how to do all of those things and still be able to pay attention to a sheet of music then keep reading.
There are 3 key elements to reading music while playing the drums:
- Using a music stand
- Placing the music stand in the right place
- Splitting your concentration and eyesight between your playing, your band mates and the sheet music.
The art of reading music while playing drums starts with a music stand. I’ve tried reading music placed on the bass drum, on a rack tom, on a floor tom and on the floor. I’ve tried reading music taped to my bass drum, hanging from a cymbal stand and laying on top of the hi-hat. But by far, the easiest way to read sheet music is when it is on a stand.
Music on a stand can be placed at the height and distance that is most comfortable for you. It must be placed out of the way of your hands (and feet) but still be close enough so that the musical notes can be easily read. The stand must also be placed so that you can see the rest of the band out of the corner of your eye (your peripheral vision).
I’ve tried placing the stand in different locations around the drum set and have found that over or next to the hi-hat on my left side is the best. This allows me to see my hands and my fellow band mates within my peripheral vision. It also makes it easy to flip music pages and reach the metronome that I always have resting on the music stand.
I usually place the stand so that the bottom is just above and over the top hi-hat cymbal. Sometimes if I don’t want the music stand to show as much I’ll set it lower, just the left of my hi-hat stand but this is usually for situations where I’m glancing at the music infrequently.
Which stand should you buy? I use a lightweight folding stand because it’s light and easy to carry. Some drummers use the heavy duty black stands with a solid back. These can also double as a percussion stand to hold tambourines, shakers and cow bells.
Once you have the music stand in the right place, focus just the right amount of attention on reading music without losing track of what you are playing and what your band is playing. You can do this by splitting your concentration and eyesight (what you’re looking at) between your drum set, the members of your band and the sheet music.
If I focus too much on the sheet music, I start hitting the drums in weird places and I start to drag (slow down) or rush (speed up) the tempo. I also miss cues from my band mates.
If I focus too much on my playing or on the band, I lose track of where I am in the music. So I tend to “round robin” my attention, quickly asking myself over and over:
- “Am I playing the right part? Is the tempo right?”
- “Am I playing with the band? Are they about to do something that I should follow?”
- “Where are we in the song? How many measures left in this song section? Is there a transition coming up where I need to play a fill?”
It will take some practice but you can learn to divide your attention between your 4 limbs and 2 eyes. Buying a music stand and putting it in the right spot can really help.
I’m interested in learning about your experiences. What are your tips for reading music while you play the drums? What music stand do you use? Where do you place your music stand?