EXAMPLE CHARTS

Here are some example charts showing the unique combination of text and notation that makes Ben’s charts easy to read and a handy tool on stage. Scroll down for more detail on how they work and to download our free reference guide.

example one page pdf chart of all the small things
example one page pdf chart of mr brightside
example one page pdf chart of i predict a riot
example one page pdf chart of summer of 69
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THE DETAIL EXPLAINED

SONG STRUCTURE:

The song structure is clearly labelled throughout the chart. Typical examples include…

  • V (verse)

  • B (bridge)

  • C (chorus)

  • M8 (middle 8)

  • PC (post-chorus)

  • SOLO

  • INTRO / OUTRO

  • RIFF (instrumental section with the main song riff)

  • INST (general instrumental section with no vocals)

  • BREAK (musical breakdown)

SECTION LENGTH:

The number of bars (measures) that each section contains and how long you should do something for. So ‘8 BARS HH BEAT’ means play an appropriate hi-hat beat for 8 bars. If the songs is in 4/4 then play 8 bars of 4/4.

TYPES OF BEAT:

Rather than score out the whole beat for the entire section and take up loads of space on the page this is a simple way of describing what the drums should be doing. This is where an understanding of the song comes in handy so that you can play an appropriate beat/groove to suit the song. Typical examples include…

  • HH BEAT (play either closed, half open, or fully open as marked)

  • RIDE BEAT (timekeeping hand on the ride cymbal)

  • CRASH BEAT (timekeeping hand on the crash cymbal)

  • DISCO BEAT (usually 16ths on the hi-hat and kick 4 to the floor)

  • HH & RIM BEAT (timekeeping hand on the hi-hat with cross stick on the snare)

  • HH & KICK (just hi-hat and kick, no snare)

  • 4TTF (beat with kick on every beat)

  • HH ONLY (usually in dropdown sections to keep time)

  • SYNCH BEAT (indicated that the groove has some syncopation on the kick and/or snare)

  • TACET (don’t play - it’s latin for “is silent”)

ESSENTIAL DYNAMICS:

Drums are loud and playing them loud is fun but there are times when we need to increase or lower the dynamics. To keep this simple there is occasionally a crescendo (get louder) or a decrescendo (get quieter) when it really matters. These are marked on the charts as standard music notation ‘hairpins’.

STOPS / IMPORTANT FILLS / ICONIC HITS & ACCENTS:

As drummers we’re probably the band member that can get away the being the most “inaccurate” when it comes to playing the general beats of a song. Does anyone care if the kick and snare pattern aren’t an exact match in ‘Summer Of ‘69’? Not really. However there are certain parts of a song that make it iconic for both the whole band and the drums. These can be anything from playing a specific groove to stops, accents, hits and fills. Getting these right can make the difference between a good drummer and a great drummer.

To provide the most accuracy and signify their importance on the chart these parts have been written out using standard drum/music notation.

If you see an arrow this dictates that you should continue playing the beat until the notated drum fill.

All this information and more can be found in our quick reference guide which you can download by clicking the button below.

REFERENCE GUIDE