Transcribing Drum Parts

Transcribing music is the process of writing down (in musical notation) something that has been played – either by you or someone else. I have found that transcribing my own drum parts greatly benefits me in a few ways.

The first cool thing is that I may play something today that I could possibly forget over a period of time. By transcribing it, I have a way to refer back to it at any time and even share it with others. It’s been fun to look at stuff I wrote down years ago and try to play it today. Some ideas have become a part of my vocabulary, while other ideas seem fresh and new. It’s pretty fun.

A second benefit is that the more I transcribe my own playing, the easier it seems for me to transcribe other drummers. These other drummers are playing ideas that have inspired me, so some of their playing creeps into my own playing. When I transcribe their musical ideas, I get a fresh look at not only their drumming but my own as well.

Maybe the thing I like the best is that after transcribing something I’ve played, I seem to play it better than before. Transcribing it seems to strengthen it in my mind. I like that a lot. Not everyone learns the same way, but (for me) seeing it written down puts it in a different light and seems to give it a bit more life. I can see other possibilities from that one idea and then start playing those and writing them down as well. It’s so much fun for me to take an idea and to twist it around a bit and see what else I can do with it.

Please try transcribing drum parts and share your experiences!