Drummers Don’t Need to Read Music, But it Can’t Hurt
Most drummers don't read music. Virtuoso drummer Buddy Rich never read a note of music. However, today's studio drummers generally read music.
Musicians who read music sometimes become frustrated by fellow band members that don’t read music. Most drummers, for example, don’t read music. However, most drummers don’t need to read music. They play by feel, and that often works well and the drummers sound good.
The exceptions to this, however, are the show drummers from Vegas or show drummers in any city where there are lots of ’show business’ jobs. The jobs are competitive, and the drummers often read. The recording studio is another place where you’re likely to come across reading drummers. This is especially true for television and film recording.
In most situations such as wedding bands, party bands, club bands, jam bands, etc., the drummers play primarily by feel and by ear. There are some drummers who read functionally, but not by sight or under intense pressure.
Reading is a skill that is often helpful but not always mandatory. The musical style has little to do with the ability of drummers to read or not read. There are jazz drummers who read, and those who don’t. The same can be said about rock, country, and funk drummers.
In the long run, reading is a musical skill that will never hurt you and will sometimes help you!
Note from LRG: For more on reading music, see:
3 comments
Posted 02/06/10 at 3:36 am
First, it’s good to see the older musicians still at it. I also wanted to point out that a lot of us, as we get older, end up as chronic pain patients. Among other things, chronic pain can, after a time, cause a substantial loss of brain mass. Learning to read music, on the other hand, increases it! I’ve seen people with nerve injuries rehab themselves by playing, and in general, music can end up engaging our emotions, how we relate to our own bodies and physicality, helps with perception of lonliness (a frequent problem of age) and a lot of other things. You don’t have to be a professional (I am) to love playing, or even to just listen, but the more you learn, the more you hear. My wife passed away seven months ago, and I really believe that music has made the difference in my own survival. I’ve played out int the woods, and learned that there doesn’t seem to be any mammal that doesn’t react to music (bears, mountain lions and skunks like Am and Em – so far!), and I’ve had friends swear their plants thrive more with the right music playing, as some books agree.
Music speaks to something primal in us all, but it can also interact with some of our most sophisticated thinking. There’s simply nothing like it, and I’ll never put it down as long as I’m me.
Ian
Posted 02/06/10 at 2:30 pm
This story just goes to show how making music is a natural, inherent part of being human. In fact, we are biologically programmed to make music, and rhythm is within us and surrounds us. I’m a classical pianist, and I improvise, but when I improvise on a drum I feel even more “connected.” Thanks for sharing this post!
Posted 02/12/10 at 11:42 pm
There’s an interesting middle-ground somewhere between reading music “cold” and avoiding it completely. Understanding how to make sense of a chart is incredibly useful. The drummer who can focus on the form and structure of a tune becomes sensitive to keeping every one on the “same page”, literally. Passion, intuition and even spectacular technique can’t make up for simply knowing the changes for each tune. From a rhythmic stand point, reading music is really a very cool discovery for a drummer. All hail the chart!
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