As a beginner drummer, learning to read music notation will make the learning experience easier. For drummers with more experience who do not currently read music, it will open up a new world of information, understanding, and techniques.
Is it worth learning to read music to play the drums? Will reading music notation make me a better drummer? Is it hard to learn to read music, and what are the benefits? This brief article should be a helpful reference for beginner drummers and hobbyists with more experience who want to get better.
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Learning to read music notation is a massive benefit to drummers of all levels. Still, it is a means of progressing more consistently and strengthening the all-important foundation for the beginner.
Learning the drums is primarily about understanding rhythm and learning the coordination it takes to play the beats and fills. Firstly, learning to read music notation teaches you how to count music, a massively important step in understanding how rhythm works. It's all centered around basic fractions, which is perfectly understandable if you follow simple structured steps. As our free lessons emphasize, it's not hard to get started.
Understanding the notation will help you figure out which hand (or foot, for that matter) plays which note. This is essential because it facilitates control. So many things come from control on the drum set, such as musicality, dynamics, speed, and endurance, to name just a few. The more control you have, the better you play. The better you play, the more fun you have.
Can you learn to play the drums without reading music? Sure. Many self-taught drummers do pretty nicely by themselves. But the reality is that they have achieved this through years of practicing and listening to music. If you want to get the best out of your drumming adventure in a more realistic timescale, learning to read music will help you achieve this.
More experienced drummers also soon see the value of going back to basics and learning music notation. Aside from giving you access to the universal language of all musicians, understanding notation opens the door to thousands of charts, sheet music exercises, educational books, and concepts that can only enhance your drumming further, whatever your level. If you are a more experienced hobbyist stuck in a rut or struggling with creativity - learning to read music will help you break through these barriers.
We designed Drum Ambition for beginner drummers to learn to play the drums, and hobbyists with more experience to fine-tune the foundation and get better. Our curriculum has been created to simplify the early stages of playing in a comprehensive series of 10-minute video tutorials. All of the groove and drum fill lessons come with on-screen music notation and downloadable PDFs so that you can refer to the music notation while you learn. There are also additional learning resources such as audio files and an extensive blog knowledge base.
In addition, over 100 minutes of lesson time is dedicated to understanding the basics of music notation. The first notation lesson is free, so give it a try. Drummers of all levels can benefit from this, and you might be surprised at how understandable this information is when presented in a structured and organized format.
If you need any more convincing on the value of reading music, check out this article.
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