Drummers: Back in the Day Question

[pearlsnaredrummer77]

When I first got involved in the activity back in the late 70s, early 80s (still in HS), my HS band director was wary. He claimed that I could join a drum corps and become super fast (speaking of hands), but drum corps drummers mostly could not read music. Now when I got involved with my first corps Finleyville Royal Crusaders, it seems everyone could read. I found that reading was the norm through my drum corps career. But I always wondered about the band director's advice.

So was this info passed on by my band director completely false or was there some truth that at some point, folks were taught licks, but not how to read? Did drum corps drummers get stereotyped as not being able to read?

[G-horns]

When I first got involved in the activity back in the late 70s, early 80s (still in HS), my HS band director was wary. He claimed that I could join a drum corps and become super fast (speaking of hands), but drum corps drummers mostly could not read music. Now when I got involved with my first corps Finleyville Royal Crusaders, it seems everyone could read. I found that reading was the norm through my drum corps career. But I always wondered about the band director's advice.

So was this info passed on by my band director completely false or was there some truth that at some point, folks were taught licks, but not how to read? Did drum corps drummers get stereotyped as not being able to read?

As a horn player, I know that SOME drum players in drum corps didn't read well, if at all. But then again, SOME band drum players are terrible readers - as are SOME trumpet players, sax players, flute players, etc. I think you get the picture. Virtually all of the good DRUMMERS in drum corps could read. Unfortunately sometimes band directors get a single bad impression and immediately stereo-type the whole activity.

Edited May 3, 2010 by G-horns

[Achilles]

When I started in drum & baton corps in the mid 70's, it's true that none of us could not read. But what we found is that percussion notation is, in my opinion, fairly easy to decode. Of course I'd learned to read music at an early age in Catholic school, so I knew the diff between eighth, quarter, half, whole notes well before joining corps. Then it was just learning the notations for flam, drag/ruff, triplet, rolls etc. from various drum books and photocopies of the NARD rudiments. That and a combination of rote memorization got us thru.

When I finally joined drum and bugle corps it was more the norm that the drumline could site read, that put additional pressure on me to learn to practice my reading skills. Normally I would take the score and 'de-code' it at home on my own time since I was not in the HS or college marching band and was not used to playing from a written score. After a while my skills were adequate enough and the arranger didn't do a lot of changing of the parts at that time, so I was fine.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Achilles

[Achilles]

hmmm...double post sorry

Edited May 3, 2010 by Achilles

[DAvery]

When I first got involved in the activity back in the late 70s, early 80s (still in HS), my HS band director was wary. He claimed that I could join a drum corps and become super fast (speaking of hands), but drum corps drummers mostly could not read music. Now when I got involved with my first corps Finleyville Royal Crusaders, it seems everyone could read. I found that reading was the norm through my drum corps career. But I always wondered about the band director's advice.

So was this info passed on by my band director completely false or was there some truth that at some point, folks were taught licks, but not how to read? Did drum corps drummers get stereotyped as not being able to read?

When I marched Cavies in 79 we had maybe 2-3 of the 11 snares that could not read. Mostly the ones that came up thru the cadet corps. When we had the Cavaliers Anniversary Corps in 2008, most of the snares that marched prior to 1976 could not read. In the 50's and 60's most drum corps people were not part of their school bands and did not learn how to read music. That began to change in the 70's. Of the 11 snares that marched in Cavies in 79 maybe 4-5 were music majors. It was a big deal in the 60's to have an instructor that had a music degree, members in a music degree program were pretty much unheard of.

[FlamMan]

I marched with a guy in the Snare line who couldn't read a lick of music. He learned the show by ear, & the other guys in the line would help him. His greatest difficulty was getting the sticking right. Throughout the season we were frequently helping him get the sticking right. This guy was one of the fumiest guys I ever marched with so no one cared!

[Piper]

When I marched we only had about two guys who knew how to read (I'm talking letters - not music ) We were total animals who learned everything by rote. We finally got a perc instructor who DEMANDED and TAUGHT us how to read. It was the first time that we ever knew exactly what the hell it was that we were playing.

[cabalumnidrummer]

That was probably a valid observation by your band director for that era. My own experience mirrors that somewhat. When I was taught how to play as a kid, we all learned rudiments by rote, and did not read music. As time went on, we were exposed to the musical aspects of note values, etc. to some degree, but never given sheet music. When I went to the Caballeros in 1966 I figured all could read, but soon found out differently. Three of the four snare drummers I played with initially could read, but virtually no one else in the line did.

During the off-season between the '66 and '67 seasons, our instructor, Les Parks, made it his 'mission' to teach us all basic reading, using a new drumming book he had just written for -- Band Instructors! I still have it, in fact. That's what got me started, and most of the rest of what I know, I learned on my own and from George Tuthill and Bob Peterson, later Caballeros instructors.

Currently in the Cabs' Alumni line, about half of us read drum music fairly well. I give sheet music to every member in every segment of the line. Many use it, some try, but struggle with it, and a small number ignore it and learn from others. Elsewhere, when I teach my young student drummers, I now begin immediately with the basics of reading in the very first lesson, along with correct playing technique.

[Paul Milano]

When I marched Cavies in 79 we had maybe 2-3 of the 11 snares that could not read. Mostly the ones that came up thru the cadet corps. When we had the Cavaliers Anniversary Corps in 2008, most of the snares that marched prior to 1976 could not read. In the 50's and 60's most drum corps people were not part of their school bands and did not learn how to read music. That began to change in the 70's. Of the 11 snares that marched in Cavies in 79 maybe 4-5 were music majors. It was a big deal in the 60's to have an instructor that had a music degree, members in a music degree program were pretty much unheard of.

Hey Dave,

Urban myth about to be derailed . . .

I'm not sure about Mike Neer (who marched after 1976), but I was the only snare in the Anniversary Corps who could not read (well). I actually taught myself to read drum notation in the year prior to the Anniversary Corps after marching, off and on since 1962, with nothing but some decent hands and a great memory. My sons challenged me to learn to read music before the Anniversary Corps after 45 years as a non-reader.

I honestly think you have to go back to the early 60s to find snare drummers who didn't read music in the Cavaliers. In fact, I can only think of two other snare drummers in the Cavaliers who did NOT read (Curt Johnson and Greg Pacer - who both won multiple drum titles!), prior to 1976, going all the way back to 1962. Ralph Poznanski might be a non-reader too, but I think he was.

I suspect that more tenors, basses, cymbals, etc., did not always read well when they joined, but they did by the time they made it to the snare line.

[DAvery]

Hey Dave,

Urban myth about to be derailed . . .

I'm not sure about Mike Neer (who marched after 1976), but I was the only snare in the Anniversary Corps who could not read (well). I actually taught myself to read drum notation in the year prior to the Anniversary Corps after marching, off and on since 1962, with nothing but some decent hands and a great memory. My sons challenged me to learn to read music before the Anniversary Corps after 45 years as a non-reader.

I honestly think you have to go back to the early 60s to find snare drummers who didn't read music in the Cavaliers. In fact, I can only think of two other snare drummers in the Cavaliers who did NOT read (Curt Johnson and Greg Pacer - who both won multiple drum titles!), prior to 1976, going all the way back to 1962. Ralph Poznanski might be a non-reader too, but I think he was.

I suspect that more tenors, basses, cymbals, etc., did not always read well when they joined, but they did by the time they made it to the snare line.

OK, maybe I stand corrected. I remember when we started playing Battle Hymn and Bully with the CAC. One side of the line (mostly newer guys) would play what was written and the other side of the line would be playing something else. I thought there were issues reading, but maybe it wasn't. Maybe the other side of the line was playing a changed part or something.

I think Ralph reads. I know there were a few in the 79 line that did not read. When Gus handed out parts we would pair up, one reader and one non-reader. I was usually paired with a certain 14 year old snare, from the cadet corps. My issue wasn't reading, I just couldn't play it very fast (it's still that way). I would play it (very slow) and my partner would repeat it back to me at tempo. He would play it a few times and have it memorized.

Edited May 7, 2010 by DAvery