My exquisite padlet on drumming lingo by

kick

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 21:49:37 UTC

To most people, a kick is an action you would do with your leg in Karate class. However in the world of drumming, the term "kick" is a nickname for the bass drum pedal- also called the "kick pedal."

Tom

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 21:54:07 UTC

When drummers refer to a Tom, they are not referring to a person's name, classic book by Mark Twain, or one of the greatest rock songs ever made. Toms are the drums that are on the top of the bass drum, and have a hollow deeper sound that is heard in fills and solos. The drum on the floor is called the floor tom, since it sits on the floor (musicians sure are creative).

Hi- Hat

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 21:57:48 UTC

The hi hat is one of the most crucial parts of a drumset. A hi-hat is what is typically used to keep tempo while drumming, and sounds sort of like a ticking when closed. However, when it is opened (which is done by lifting your foot off of the pedal that is attatched to the bottom of the stand) it delivers a crisp sizzling noise. Hi- hats can be played by hitting them with your left hand (or both hands), or by lifting your foot up and down on the pedal (which is typically used during solos or in jazz music to keep time).

Bass

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 22:02:01 UTC

There are various meanings of the word bass- especially in music. It can mean a deep sound, a low vocal range, a type of guitar-it can even mean a type of fish. In drumming, the word "bass" refers to the bass drum, which is the biggest drum on the set. The bass drum is the lowest drum on the set, and is played by pressing your foot down on the kick pedal.

Ride

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 22:06:18 UTC

To drummers, a ride does not mean some type of roller coaster at an amusement park or travelling via automoblie. The ride is actually a cymbal. Unlike other cymbals that are struck for a crash, this one is used just as the hi-hat is; it is used to keep time and to play on. The ride cymbal is a crucial part of the jazz genre, since swing is played on the ride. The ride has a "ting" sound to it.

Crash

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 22:08:56 UTC

Most drummers do not think of the word "crash" as maybe a car wreck or accident (except for maybe Def Leppard's Rick Allen). The "crash" cymbal is the cymbal that is struck to get exactly what is in its name- a crash.

Single Stroke

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 22:12:00 UTC

A single stroke is not some sort of medical emergency that you have once. A single stroke-or single stroke roll- is the simplest and most basic rudiment out of all 40. A single stroke roll is played RLRL, over and over again.

Double Stroke

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 22:13:50 UTC

A double stroke roll is nearly the same exact thing as a single stroke, except for one thing. Your hands hit two times instead of once, so it is played as RRLLRRLL over and over.

Paradiddle

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 22:19:34 UTC

If you are wondering, "What is this crazy name?" you would not be the only one. The name actually describes exactly how to play this rudiment, since the name is exactly how it sounds. In order to play a paradiddle, you combine both single stroke rolls and add a double stroke roll on the end. RLRRLRLL, over and over. the RL is the para, and the RR is the diddle. Sometimes, drummers even break up the word and will say things like "Add a diddle onto the end," and what they mean is add a singular "double" (stroke roll). Paradiddles are a field of rudiments in themselves, since there are single(RLRR LRLL, double(RLRLRR LRLRLL), and triple paradiddles(RLRLRLRR LRLRLRLL). There are also paradiddlediddles (RLRRLL LRLLRR) and double and triple paradiddlediddles. And the list goes on.

Ruff/drag

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 22:22:11 UTC

A ruff-also known as a drag- is not just the sound a dog makes. A ruff is composed of 2 "grace notes" (quiet hits) on one hand, followed by a "power stroke" (loud hit) on the other hand. It looks something like rrL llR.

Triplet

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 22:24:01 UTC

A triplet is universal in music. A triplet is a certain way to play 3 notes. Just like a paradiddle, it is played exactly how it sounds. TRI-PL-ET.

Quads

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 23:53:24 UTC

Quads/quints are marching percussion that have 4 tom-like drums in a circle with a drum in the middle that has a higher pitched sound.

Tenors

bella_boggs — 2024-06-20 23:56:48 UTC

Tenors are not only a vocal range, but also a type of marching drum. Tenors resemble bass drums, but are much smaller and sound more similar to a tom of a drum set. Tenors can be played with the head of the drum up, such as the picture shows, or can be played as a bass drum is, with the head of the drum to the side.

Cymbals

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 00:01:05 UTC

Cymbals are a staple of any good percussion section or drumline. Cymbals are played by wrapping the fingers in a bandana or a strap like in the picture above. Cymbals can be played by crashing, which is done by clapping the two cymbals together, choking/ crash choking by clapping the two together and quickly bringing them together causing them to "shut", or hi-hat style which is done by pressing the two together tightly shut.

Bass drum

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 00:04:43 UTC

The bass drum is the heart of the drumline and band as a whole. the bass drum is played by hitting both sides of it with a mallet. Bass drums come in a wide variety of sizes, each with their own sound. The smallest one is bass 1, and it goes down the line until the last bass drum. (the bass drum number depends on the amount of bass drum players you have). The variety of sound allows for tonals- which are rolls up and down the bass drums that make it seem like there is only 1 person playing the drum rather than several.

Snare drum

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 00:07:03 UTC

The snare drum is the drum that is in the center of the set and in between the players' legs (one leg is on the hi-hat pedal and the other is on the kick). The snare has an iconic snappy, somewhat rattly sound.

Snare

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 00:09:23 UTC

The snare drum is not only used in a drum set, but also a drumline. The snare drum is one of the loudest drums in the line, and is usually at the forefront of the section. The marching snare drum has a tighter sound than a snare drum on a drumset, as well as a head that is tighter and a different texture, allowing for more stick rebound. The marching snare resembles a drum set snare drum except it is much longer.

Harness

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 00:14:20 UTC

A harness is used to actually wear the drum. Snare drums and quads have 2 holes attatched tp the drum that you can insert the rods that are on the base of the harness in to support the drum, whereas bass drum harnesses (see above) have hooks on the shoulder area of the harness that hook onto eyebolts that are on the bass drum. the rods on the bottom are used to support the bass drum up and off of the wearer.

Straps

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 00:20:40 UTC

Straps are used for bass drum, snare drum, and tenor drum. They were traditionally used in the military, and are the reason that traditional grip was developed. Snare drum straps are a sling that go over the right shoulder. There is a clip on the bottom that hooks into a bar on the snare that has various holes in it, allowing for the wearer to balance the snare by using diffferent holes. There is a hook on the other end of the strap that then can either hook onto the bar of the drum for extra support, or be hooked onto a hole that is on the side of the clip. This strap can be used for tenor drums that are played with the head facing up. Bass drum straps resemble a backpack, just without the bag itself. There are 2 arm holes that the wearer puts on as if it is a back pack. Next, the wearer clips the clips that are attatched to the shoulders of the strap to the eye bolts that are on the bass drum. These straps can also be used for tenor drums that are played with the heads facing the sides.

Key

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 00:28:26 UTC

A key is not just a tool to get into your home. A drum key is the universal tool to fixing anything drum related. A drum key is similar to a wrench and can be used to tune drums, tighten heads, fix kick pedals, and even more. A drum key is a very important tool to have!

Mallets

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 00:35:55 UTC

Mallets aren't just hammers, even though they are also hammers in drumming. There are countless types of mallets in drumming and percussion. There are yarn mallets that are used to play marimba and vibraphone, like in the picture above, and hard, plastic mallets that are used to play xylophone and bells. Soft mallets that look like cotton balls are used to play timpani, as well as mallets that have compressed cotton arounf them or hare platic wrapped in felt. Mallets also can resemble hammers, and are used to play chimes. Mallets can even be used to play cymbals, suspended cymbals that is. They can create a crecendo and eerie effect that is used in concerts. Concert bass drum mallets are extremely large mallets that are cotton with a hard center, whereas marching bass drum mallets are hard and felt. Marching bass drum mallets usually have ropes on the ends that can be used for showmanship and tricks, as well as prevention of dropping them. Just like how marching bass drums vary in size, the mallets that are used also vary along with the drums. They increase in size as the drums do. Tenor drums are also played using mallets.

Sticks

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 00:44:38 UTC

There is no way to know all of the different types of sticks there are. Drumsticks vary nearly as much as regular sticks found in nature do. Drumsticks come in all different sizes, thicknesses, materials, colors, tip shapes, and tip materials. There are sticks that are used for playing drumset, sticks used for marching snare, sticks used for quads, and sticks used for concert snare. Sticks can be made of wood, plastic, and even metal, and can have wood or nylon tips. Drum set sticks also come in various thicknesses, 5A usually being the standard size. Drum set sticks can have a variety of tip shapes and sizes, as well as materials. Sticks also range in a variety of colors. Marching snare sticks are much thicker than drum set sticks, and usually have a very round wood or nylon tip. Marching snare sticks come in a vairety of colors, but they are usually white or various shades of brown. Quad sticks are very similar to marching snare sticks, aside from their tip. The tip is usually nylon and shaped like a flat disk. Concert snare sticks usually resemble drum set sticks but are slightly thicker.

Head

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 13:23:41 UTC

A drum head is the part of the drum that you hit, and is what gives the drum sound. There are heads on both the top and bottom of drums on a drumset, as well as marching percussion such as snares, tenors, and bass drums. Quads only have 1 head on the top of the drum. There are different types of heads for different drums, as well as different heads that give different sounds. The head of a snare drum is usually coated and feels slightly gritty, whereas a tom head usually feels somewhat plasticy, just like bass drum and tenor heads. A drum head's sound can be altered by tightening the screws that hold down the rim that keeps the head on the shell. Tightening these screws adds tension to the spot on the head by where the screw is, and loosening takes that tension away. Tension can affect the sound of the drum as well as the rebound of the stick.

Shell

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 13:26:26 UTC

The drum shell is the hard cylinder that the headon. It somewhat makes up the drum itself. The drum shell varies in size for different sounds.

Fill

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 13:31:02 UTC

Drum fills are shorter drum solos or a series of rhythmical patterns around the drumset that can occur between measures, or signify the next verse in a song.

Cadence

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 13:37:00 UTC

A cadence is basically a "song" that a drumline plays. A cadence can be just 4 measures long or several minutes. Cadences can be compiled together to form a show. The video above is a drumline show that the drumline that I am apart of put together (in one week I might add) where we took several cadences that we had learned and composed and put them all together to make a show. Cadences are also more than just rythmical ability. Cadences also include "sticking" (which are stick tricks such as backsticking, hi moms, stick flips, pancake flips) and dancing/ moving around. In this show, I am the snare drum that is on the right side.

Sticking

bella_boggs — 2024-06-21 14:26:26 UTC

Sticking has various meanings within drumming. Sticking can mean how you play a part. For example, four notes can be played in a large number of ways. It can be played as RLRL, RRLL, RLRR, LRLL, RRRL, LLLR, RRRR, LLRL, RRLR, and LLLL. In order for everyone to have uniformity, it is crucial to know what hand to play with for a part. Sticking can also mean stick tricks, such as backsticking, pancake flips, hi-moms, stick flips, and more. This cadence was made by the famous Sudden Impact drumline at Bethune Cookman University. It demonstrates a wide variety of sticking. Colorblind is still performed today by Sudden Impact, as well as neighboring high schools and middle schools.