Reading a Groove
One idea does all the work: a column is a moment in time. Everything in the same column happens together; the columns run left to right and then loop back to the start.
The marks
| Mark | Means |
|---|---|
| × | A closed hi-hat, a ride, or a crash — struck metal. |
| ○ | An open hi-hat: same stroke, left foot lifted, so it rings. |
| + | The hi-hat pedal, played by the left foot with no stick at all. |
| ◆ | The bell of the ride, played with the shoulder of the stick. |
| ● | A drum — kick, snare or tom, depending on the row. |
| ◦ | A ghost note: a deliberately quiet stroke. See dynamics. |
| a bar under the mark | An accent — the loud one in a run of otherwise even strokes. |
| · | A rest. Nothing is played, but the moment still passes. |
A rest is not nothing. It is a column like any other. The
commonest reading mistake is skipping the rests and playing the marks back
to back, which turns a groove into a rush.
Counting
The header row is how you say the bar out loud. Four beats to a bar, and each beat divided as far as the groove needs:
| Header reads | Say | Each column is |
|---|---|---|
| 1 2 3 4 | “one, two, three, four” | a quarter note |
| 1 & 2 & | “one and two and” | an eighth |
| 1 & a 2 & a | “one-and-a, two-and-a” | a triplet |
| 1 e & a 2 e & a | “one-ee-and-a” | a sixteenth |
Read this one out loud
Say the header while you point at the columns. Then press ▶ and say it along with the kit. When your voice and the loop agree, you can read.
× cymbal or closed hat · ○ open hat · + hi-hat pedal · ◆ ride bell · ● drum · ◦ ghost note · a bar under the mark is an accent · · is a rest. Press ▶ to loop a groove at the tempo in the bar below; click any single mark to hear just that voice.
The controls
- ▶ loops the groove. One groove plays at a time.
- Tempo in the bar at the bottom sets the speed. Change it while the loop runs and press ▶ again to hear the new tempo.
- Pattern click under More adds a click on each beat, which is how you check whether the groove is where you think it is.
- Clicking a single mark plays just that voice, so you can check a sound without starting the loop.