Snare Drum Sheet Music Symbols

[Lad.]

Hello guys. Its been a while. Anyway, I'm here to ask about sheet music, since I've been reading a lot of pieces lately. I'm going to ask about a few symbols that have me confused.

First of all, what does a z going through the note mean? I was under the impression that it was a buzz roll, but I think I'm wrong.

Next, I'm confused about the bold slash that goes through the note. I thought that each slash counted as a diddle, but once again, my experiences prove my knowledge wrong.

I am also confused about paired notes. You know, with the little curved line going underneath two different notes. From a book I read, it said that the note that it is connected to is silent. For example, even though a note is there, it is not to be played.

Now, to talk a little more about the bold slashes.
From what I thought ,if there was one slash, that means two hits with one hand.
Two slashes, I thought meant that you do two with whatever hand you start with, and then two with the other hand.
Three slashes I thought meant, for example, RRLLRR. I'm confused, and I'm probobly confusing all of you too.

I would much, much, much, much, much, much (continued) appreciate help, or an explaination on each. Don't be surprised if I come back asking about more.

[GreenPremier]

You're right about the z and the slash, z is a press and slash is a diddle. The curvey thing you're talking about is a tie. These are weird but it means you hold the note out and play the second note only, feel free to correct me on that.
If you see two slashes simply means a 5 stroke roll. You've pretty much got everything right dude. Keep practicing.

[Lad.]

Two slashes means five stroke? hmm...that needs an explaination. I can't see the connection.

[GreenPremier]

Like if you have two 8th notes and a quarter note and the 8ths have slashes through them, that's a five stroke roll. But I think if one note has two slashes that it's a 32nd note short roll, a five stoke...so it would be like a buzz roll..sorry if I don't help you much.

[Lad.]

Hey man that's fine, any help at all is appreciated.

[Matus]

Actually those slashes are equal to the flags on regular notes. For instance, if you have a quarter note with two slashes it means you have to play enough 16th notes to fit that note, in this case four.
If there are three slashes then it means 32nd notes. The reason to do this is because it's much easier to count a quarter note and fill it with a subdivision than count all the notes. It's mostly done for rolls.
The correspondence is rather easy, one slash is one flag (8th notes), two slashes means two flags (16ths), three means 32nd notes, etc. You get the idea.
Actually, that's the notation used in the PAS international rudiments when describing the rolls, with slashes and linking different notes. I think you can also download files with the sound of the rudiments there (www.pas.org) or at vicfirth.com.

EDIT: I forgot, the Z is indeed a buzz roll. The slashes are for more open rolls with single or double strokes, mostly doubles.
Also, when linking notes the second note isn't silent, it loses the attack and is united with the sound of the one it's linked to. With tonal music it's kinda different but in snare drum notation and most atonal percussion it's just that. For example, a dotted quarter note would equal a quarter note linked to an 8th note.

[jemmy]

Actually those slashes are equal to the flags on regular notes. [...] The correspondence is rather easy, one slash is one flag (8th notes), two slashes means two flags (16ths), three means 32nd notes, etc. You get the idea.

The correspondence "#slashes = #flags" is only true for "flagless" notes. In general: "#flags per (roll) note = #flag parent note + #slashes". E.g., an 8th note with two slashes means four 32nd notes.

[jimi]

Hey Jemmy, you're still around this board! Thats cool, how've you been? still the techie head we know you as from the PX board i see! :)

[Matus]

Oops! That's true dude, I forgot that part. Good call there :D

[DavidPartay]

If that tool Lad hadn't blocked me, I would have been able to tell him that GreenPremier got tied notes wrong - if you have two tied notes, you play the FIRST one and ignore the second one. Ie. If you have a 1/4 note tied to an 1/8th note, it's really a dotted 1/4 note that you play.

Just don't get them confused with slurs, which you SHOULDN'T see in drum notation.

Make sure you're not getting slashes on notes confused with the tails that represent the subdivision - ie. if you see a quarter note with a slash through it (through the middle), it means that you play two 8th notes there (ie. If the exercise is R L R L, it would become RRL R L if the first note was slashed).

The tails, obviously determine the value of the subdivision. If there is one tail, it is an eighth note - or quaver, two tails is a 16th note or semi-quaver, etc.

[flam13]

Anyone know?? When you see a "light diagonal slash" (similar to the slash that is on the grace note on a flam) through a quarter note - what does that indicate? Does it mean to diddle (two hits) the note? Please help. I have a piece of music with this on it, and I can't find it in any books that I have. (Apparently, I have the wrong books)

Thanks!!!

[Wankmaster Joe]

You're right about the z and the slash, z is a press and slash is a diddle. The curvey thing you're talking about is a tie. These are weird but it means you hold the note out and play the second note only, feel free to correct me on that.
If you see two slashes simply means a 5 stroke roll. You've pretty much got everything right dude. Keep practicing.

I went to musictheory.net and thats exactly what it says a tie is, so no correction needed. :)

[Brxii]

Anyone know?? When you see a "light diagonal slash" (similar to the slash that is on the grace note on a flam) through a quarter note - what does that indicate? Does it mean to diddle (two hits) the note? Please help. I have a piece of music with this on it, and I can't find it in any books that I have. (Apparently, I have the wrong books)

Thanks!!!

You mean it goes through the note head? What kind of music is it? American, Swiss, Scottish? I've some times encountered that in snare drum music from Switzerland where it meant to be played as a flam. Some composers use it also to illustrate another perc. instrument i.e. cowbell or a rimshot.

[flam13]

You mean it goes through the note head? What kind of music is it? American, Swiss, Scottish? I've some times encountered that in snare drum music from Switzerland where it meant to be played as a flam. Some composers use it also to illustrate another perc. instrument i.e. cowbell or a rimshot.

Thanks for the reply! (sorry about taking so long to answer back) Unfortunately, I don't have the piece of music in front of me (I loaned to a student without first making a copy- duh!)
Yes, the 'very light slash' goes "through" the note head itself. The name of the piece is called "Ice." I don't know who the composer is, nor the country of origin. 4/4 time signature. This particular measure has 8 eighth notes grouped together, as usual, in two pairs of 4. There is a slash on the "and" of 1, and the "and" of 3. I think, as you mentioned earlier, that it may be meant to be played as a flam. But when I get the music back I can (hopefully) clarify the origin.
Thanks for the help so far!

[DrummerGirl7]

Hey, It's DrummerGirl7! I'm a 7th grader and the 3rd best drummer (2 8th graders r 1&2) in my school (that counts 4 sumthing right?) so maybe I could help u! 1st, the "z" is a buzz role adn the "z" could also be slashes depending on what kind of role you're playing.The paired notes are played as 1 note, so if u had 2 quarter notes connected, u would play that as 2 beats and so forth. And The rest of what you're talking about confuses me, but I hope I helped u!
DrummerGirl7 :D
Hello guys. Its been a while. Anyway, I'm here to ask about sheet music, since I've been reading a lot of pieces lately. I'm going to ask about a few symbols that have me confused.

First of all, what does a z going through the note mean? I was under the impression that it was a buzz roll, but I think I'm wrong.

Next, I'm confused about the bold slash that goes through the note. I thought that each slash counted as a diddle, but once again, my experiences prove my knowledge wrong.

I am also confused about paired notes. You know, with the little curved line going underneath two different notes. From a book I read, it said that the note that it is connected to is silent. For example, even though a note is there, it is not to be played.

Now, to talk a little more about the bold slashes.
From what I thought ,if there was one slash, that means two hits with one hand.
Two slashes, I thought meant that you do two with whatever hand you start with, and then two with the other hand.
Three slashes I thought meant, for example, RRLLRR. I'm confused, and I'm probobly confusing all of you too.

I would much, much, much, much, much, much (continued) appreciate help, or an explaination on each. Don't be surprised if I come back asking about more.

[mathcore]

There's a lot of things on my wilcoxon snare drum solos copies that I'm not sure how to play. I'll check it again and ask here. I think it was around solo #40 or higher. Hopefully somebody got the book as well to use it as a reference.

[DrummerGirl7]

OHLA!






I Like CHANISAWS & Taking Over The WORLD! It Shall Soon Be Mine!Oh & ORANGE! :eek:

[DrummerGirl7]

You're right about the z and the slash, z is a press and slash is a diddle. The curvey thing you're talking about is a tie. These are weird but it means you hold the note out and play the second note only, feel free to correct me on that.
If you see two slashes simply means a 5 stroke roll. You've pretty much got everything right dude. Keep practicing.

Ok! You're right about the "z's" and the slash, but not the tie! In the tie, you only play the first not and hold it 4 as many beats as the 2 notes combined. (Don't be offended that i corrected u! :p ) ;)

[DrummZ]

Thought i'd paste in a link ?
http://www.pas.org/Resources/rudiments/rudiments.html
the slashes indeed indicate a "filler" symbol, with doubles,
time depends on note value slashed or "gap".
Z is multiple bounce roll, or buzz :
can be one or two-handed ?

DrummerGirl7 you are on 15 usefull posts per day..
R u taking your tourette pills regularly ?

[DrummerGirl7]

DrummerGirl7 you are on 15 usefull posts per day..
R u taking your tourette pills regularly ?

Hey! The only thing I normally get high off is an empty tin of Ice Breakers Sours! It smells SoOoOoOo good!