Drum Lessons Glossary Of Terms

Ok, so here is a breakdown of drum terms used in the industry. Some of these you may have heard of, some maybe not. But this gives you a better understanding of what I may be communicating in a module, or even how to communicate in a musical setting on your drum set with your band. I Would love to hear any others you may have.

BIG PICTURE TERMS

Technique: execution of an artistic work or procedure; skillful or efficient way of doing or achieving something.

Concept: the understanding of an idea or system of ideas; philosophy.

Feel (musical): emotion or sensation that affects a song or piece of music. (Thanks to GIK, he has a great feel.)

Fill: punctuation at the end and/or beginning of a musical section (You always lose the time in your fills)

Groove: consistent, well-defined musical pulse that feels good/comfortable.

Pulse: rhythmic throb; musical beat.

Lope: to move with a long bounding stride. The way a groove lays in the pocket.

Hook: melody or phrase that gives immediate appeal and/or makes it easy to remember.

TECHNICAL TERMS

Stroke: method of striking the drum; style of moving the arms, hands, and fingers. (What a clearly defined stroke; did you study with GIK?)

Touch: quality of sound produced by the manner of stroke. (He worked through GIK and has a nice touch on the ride cymbal.)

Fulcrum: the point on which a lever rests and on which it pivots. (My fulcrum is jacked, I need to go back to the technique modules from GIK.)

Beat: the steady pulse of a piece of music. (Hey, you lost the beat again,)

Tempo: the speed of a piece of music. (We ended up faster than the tempo we started.)

This is a Drum glossary that contains a general list of technical terms and other useful information to help assist you in communicating effectively with other musicians. Familiarize yourself with these so that you can speak with confidence and intelligently in any musical setting. When studying this list be sure to really understand the meaning and proper use for each word so that when ever you use it will appear as though you know what you are talking about. This is very important, because if you come across as pretending to know what you are talking about, you could raise doubt in your employer which may lead to them not wanting to use you again, or refer you to other gigs. So study well.

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