How to Read Drum Notation (Part 2): Understanding Quarter, Eighth, and Sixteenth Notes

How to Read Drum Notation (Part 2): Understanding Quarter, Eighth, and Sixteenth Notes

In the previous article we learned the common instrument positions on drum notation and which note represents which drum.
Next we’ll look at when those notes should be played.

When you first look at drum notation, you might notice notes sometimes have tails and sometimes are connected, which can feel complicated.
A simpler way to think about it is: “How many hits are in one beat?”

In the common 4/4 time, each bar has four beats. We usually count:

1 2 3 4

1. Quarter notes

Think of a quarter note as “one hit per beat.”

Counting method:

1 2 3 4

If you play on all four beats, you strike on each number. This is the easiest rhythm to start practicing with a metronome.
Below is one bar of quarter notes — listen to hear it clearly.

2. Eighth notes

Eighth notes divide each beat into two, so there are eight hits in a bar.

Counting method:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
or
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

The numbers are the downbeats and the “&”s are the upbeats. On drum notation eighth notes are usually connected by one beam; when you see two notes per beat, count “1 &.”
Below is one bar of eighth notes — listen to hear it clearly.

3. Sixteenth notes

Sixteenth notes divide each beat into four, so there are sixteen hits in a bar.

Counting method:

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
or
1 2 3 4 2 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 4 2 3 4
Below is one bar of sixteenth notes — listen to hear it clearly.

You can also use your preferred mnemonic, like “1, 2, 3, 4” or “R, L, R, L.” The key is to divide the beat into four equal parts and keep them even.

On notation, eighth notes usually have one beam or flag, sixteenth notes have two. If you’re unsure at first, check the number of beams above the notes:

One beam: eighth note
Two beams: sixteenth note
Below are the beam differences for quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes — compare them closely.

The difference between quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes isn’t which drum you hit, but how many hits occur within the same beat. The note’s position on the staff indicates the drum; the notehead shape and beams indicate the rhythm.

So when reading drum notation I use two steps:

1. First, check the note position to confirm which drum to play.

2. Then check the note durations to determine when to play.

Don’t worry about reading the whole bar at once. Slow down the metronome and count along, practicing quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes separately.
Once you’re comfortable, mix them together and the notation will become much easier to read! 🥁