Reading: Interpretation Vs Playing What Is Written

Drum parts haven’t always been written with the same detail as other instruments.

We often see 16 bars of ‘Play Sim.’ or ‘Disco Groove’ above slash marks. This has lead us down a path of interpreting drum charts using our skills and ears as opposed to actually reading them.

I now get charts that are written to a much higher standard and more detailed but I still think there is interpretation to be done. I think you have to read each situation to suss out what they want from you especially when you’re handed a very detailed chart.

Personally I would try and play it as written first. You may encounter fills or figures where you think “surely that can’t be what they want me to play” and you’ll always be damned if you do and damned if you don’t. When you think “that can’t actually be what they want me to play there” they absolutely will and when you think “that looks important” they say you don’t need to play it like that.

Air on the side of caution whilst having confidence in your own ears and skills. Just try to serve the music.

Final top tip I got in a lesson with Tim Goodyer: If you’re sight reading something for the first time and you come up to a big 16th note fill it can we hard to decipher whether that is a high tom/middle tom/snare in the midst of it. Just try and play the shape of it - maybe it starts on the snare and looks like it goes up and back down the stave just go for the essence of it. I would think no one is going to fire you because you swapped a mid tom for a high tom.