Master Classes

Session Type
Workshop

Category
Drum Set

Session Description

Drum charting is one of the most effective preparation tools available to percussionists, yet it is often overlooked or inconsistently taught. This hands-on workshop provides a clear, practical approach to drum charting that educators, students, and performers can immediately apply in real-world musical settings.

Participants will explore how effective charts improve musical awareness, time feel, and confidence by clarifying form, structure, and ensemble communication. The workshop begins with an overview of why charting matters and how it supports better rehearsals, smoother performances, and stronger auditions.

Through guided listening and interactive exercises, attendees will create charts in real time using paper or digital tools. Topics include identifying song form and creating a map of a song, listening and identify time signatures, tempo, and feel, and using practical shorthand symbols to capture figures, hits, and transitions efficiently. Multiple charting approaches will be discussed to demonstrate flexibility based on musical context and experience level.

The session also focuses on teaching educator’s concrete strategies for teaching charting as a core preparation skill and creating charts for their students. Attendees will learn how to adapt charting concepts for different age groups and ability levels, integrate charting into rehearsals, and use charts to reinforce musical understanding rather than rote memorization.

This workshop is designed for percussion educators, students, and working drummers seeking practical tools that lead directly to better preparation and performance. Participants will leave with simple charting process that saves time, strengthens musicianship, and supports confident, professional level playing.

Learn How to Write A Simple Drum Chart
Without Writing out Bar After Bar of Notation and Still Play the Song EXACTLY Like the Recording--Every Time!"

Today you can learn a method of charting a song so you can make your gigs, sessions and practice go smoothly....And I GUARANTEE You Will Never Miss an Accent or Fill Again!

How To Write A Fast and Easy Drum Chart
A simple 12 step master class to writing a one page drum chart using a piece of paper and a pencil for cover and original songs.

Purpose: To teach drummers, musicians, and teachers how write a simple drum chart for cover and/or original music.

Goal: To teach a career changing skill that will make any drummer play with confidence, perform, stand out from the rest and land that great paying job as a working drummer.

Level: Advanced beginner to the professional level drummer, teacher, and musician.
Basic notation knowledge is needed.

This Clinic Targets:

Teachers, Students, Professional, Working and Returning drummers who:

1. get the last-minute call, a chart is not available, and the gig starts in an hour.
2. get an audition with a road band or national act and have to play the song just like the recording.
3. play with many different bands and needs charts for all the songs so they can play them right the first time
4. are composers that would like to write a part for their drummer.
5. are teachers that need to write a simple drum part for their students.

Clinic Will Cover the Following Topics:

Why should you chart a song?

Different Kinds of Charts That Drummers Use
What You Will Need to Start Writing Your Chart
How to Identify Time Signatures, Tempo, and Feel of a Song
Identify The Song Form and Counting the Bars
Basic Drum Patterns Notation
Bass Drum and Snare Drum Patterns That Are Used the Most
Listening and Identifying Notated Drum Patterns Class Participation - Take the Test. Ear Training
Writing out the Drum Patterns
How To Write in Song Pick-Ups, fills and accents In a Chart.

Full Outline:

1. Different Kinds of Charts That Drummers Are Handed
   Nashville Number system
   Lyric Sheets
   Chord Sheets
   Lead sheets
2. Basic Rhythmic Theory
3. What You Will Need to Start Writing Your Chart
4. How to Determine Time Signature
   Demonstrate how to use metronome to find tempo
5. How to Determine Tempo
   Demonstrate how to use metronome to find tempo
6. How to Determine Feel
   Demonstrate how to use metronome to find tempo
7. Song Form
   Identify The Song Form and Counting the Bars
   What is an Intro, Verse, Chorus, Pre chorus, Bridge or Solo, Tag, Ending
   Music phrasing
   How to count bars in 4/4, ¾, 6/8
8. Writing Out the Complete Form Of The Song
   Count out measures and label song form
9. Bass Drum and Snare Drum Patterns That Are Used the Most
   Demonstrate Practice sheet Patterns.
   Listening and Identifying Notated Drum Patterns
   Discuss what to listen for to identify patterns on a recording
10. Class Participation - Take the Test. Ear Training
    Identify patterns by listening and seeing basic patterns
11. Writing out the Drum Patterns
    Listen to the Recording and Notate Patterns
12. How to Write in Song Pick-Ups in A Chart.
    How To Write Out Fills in Your Char
    How To Write Out Accents in Your Chart
13. Review the Steps to Writing a Drum Chart

Can you tell your drummer at a session or gig exactly what you what them to play?
Do you hand them a chart of chord changes or the Nashville number system chart and expect them to know the right feel and tempo of your songs?
Do you give a drummer an mp3 and hope they know how to chart your songs to play it correctly?
Today you will have an opportunity to learn how to communicate with your drummer, hand them a drum chart and get your songs played just like you envisioned.
Come to
How to Write a Fast and Easy Drum Chart Interactive Workshop for Songwriters

• Learn how to create a one-page drum chart of a song.
• Learn the simple drum patterns that are used the most
• Learn what they look like in drum notation.
• Learn how to write them in drum notation
• Learn how to write a complete drum chart of a song.
• Learn how to count out the song form.
• Learn how to use a drum chart template

Write drum charts of all your music so it is played right the first time.
Take control of the way your songs are played.

This Interactive Workshop teaches an innovative and simple approach to writing a drum chart that takes no time to learn.
This Workshop is designed for songwriters and composers, to learn how to write a drum chart for any drummer who is hired to play their music.
This method does not require you to write bar after bar of music.
Instead, you will see the full form of a song on one page and only need to a measure of drum notation to keep the groove.

Do you want to be a fast and efficient audio engineer?

Do you want to know the secret to making your client or artists session go smoothly and successfully so you have repeat clients?

• Learn how a song is built
• Learn how to identify song form fast so you can save your client money and time.
• Learn how a simple chart of a song can help you find punch in points.
• Learn simple drum notation and time signatures.
• Learn how to count out the song form to help you navigate parts of a song.
• Learn how to count out a song

This Interactive Workshop teaches an innovative and simple approach to writing a drum chart that takes no time to learn.
This Workshop is designed for audio engineers, to learn how to count out song form by simply learning out to write a drum chart.
This method does not require you to write bar after bar of music.
Instead, you will see the full form of a song on one page and only need to a measure of drum notation to keep the groove.