Basic Theory to Get You Started

The Staff: The horizontal line on which the music is written
Time Signature: This tells you the number of beats there are in each bar and how those beats should be grouped. It also lets you know if your drum score is in simple or compound time
Bar: Also known as a measure, a bar contains the correct number of grouped notes to match the time signature
Bar Line: A small vertical line on the staff that lets you know when each bar is starting and finishing
Note Heads: These dots let you know what and when you'll be playing. In pipe band drumming, a note head written above the staff is played with the right hand and a note head written below the staff is played with the left
Note Stems: Stems let you know the value of the notes you'll be playing. Note stems, when combined with note heads are collectively referred to as notes
Rhythm Tree


What is a Beam?


The Mystery of Note Groupings
