Guide to Standardized Drumset Notation Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)WOW - I should have looked my own book up here much earlier. To make a few comments:

Insufficiently Authoritative?? - that hurt! I have a DMA in percussion performance from Indiana University. I am the Director of Percussion Studies at the University of Arizona. I have a number of works published: over a dozen musical compositions, three books, and over 400 published articles. This book was the result of over two years of research for my DMA document. The entire document and rationale of why certain recommendations were made, was over 900 pages long. I honestly feel that my background and research makes me an authoritative figure on this topic. I started writing music calligraphy back in 1973, and have worked with computer-based notation since Professional Composer came out on the Mac in 1984.

These recommendations were not decided by some arbitrary means. The claim that these recommendations are contrary to standard practice is simply wrong. This book was created by making a very thorough analysis of the notation used in over 200 drumset examples, both using precise notation - such as actual transcriptions and drumset method books, and improvisatory notation - such as big band and studio drum charts. In addition, over 25 books on contemporary notational standards were analyzed in respect to drumset notation. The final recommendations were nothing more than an acceptance of what is currently being done the most. HOWEVER, some recommendations were made in order to help drumset notation work for a small 5-piece kit, or a kit the size of Terry Bozzio's!

"Theta" claims that some of the instructions are "absurd", but please keep in mind that requirements change depending on what the composer is trying to do. For a short example, having one cross-stick rimshot on the snare is an easy notational example - Theta suggests using an "X" on the snare space. That's fine, but what if you want to use that same technique on a tom tom? Using the "X" for that technique now means that it can easily be confused with the cymbal. Not a big problem if you've only using two cymbals, but what if your kit includes 8 toms and 8 cymbals. Then the book's recommended notation makes much more sense.

Concerning the statement that the "standardization" has yet to be implemented - I put forward the FACT that the book has been adopted by: The Percussive Arts Society and the PAS Publishers Committee, Hal Leonard Publishing, Alfred Publishing, Studio 4 Publishers, Meredith Music Publications, Modern Drummer Magazine, Drum! Magazine; as well as the Finale and Sibelius notation programs - to name just a few influential organizations. Hell, I wrote the section in the Sibelius manual for drumset notation. I was also a beta tester for Finale for over two years, working exclusively on their drumset notation capabilities.

To make a comment to Max Parish's suggestion to use "my own Guide", is exactly the reason why this research was done in the first place! So that everyone didn't create their own notation from scratch. The book also goes so much further than simply recommending the proper line or space for a particular instrument. The main purpose was.... Here's something that works for every type of musical situation, let's just all adopt it and we'll be much better off.

If you're looking for a book that HAS been and CONTINUES to be a standard for drumset notation, then this is the book. Check it out and you'll agree.

Here's what Peter Erskine said about the book: "...I hope and recommend that ALL composers, arrangers, authors of pedagogical studies and drummers read, digest and use this long-awaited standard of drumset notation. Norm Weinberg has done contemporary music a great service with this book..."

Here's what Ron Spagnardi (founder of Modern Drummer) said about the book: "After much research, Norm Weinberg has carefully refined and clarified the current, most common methods of drumset notation. If everyone who writes for drumset adopts these guidelines, the ambiguities inherent in much current drumset notation can be alleviated."

Here's what Joe LaBarbera (one of Jazz' top composers and arrangers) said about the book: "This book is a must for all arrangers and orchestrators. I wish this text had been around years ago when I was trying to make sense of the collective, 'hand-me-down' drum notation of the day. Let's have a big drum roll for Norm Weinberg!"

Here's what George Gaber (percussion performer, educator, and PAS Hall of Fame recipient) said about the book: "Authors, publishers, composers and performers are now liberated to communicate in a common notational language. What a triumph to release us from the 'medieval' practice of slash marks with the term ad lib."

Click Here to see more reviews about: Guide to Standardized Drumset Notation

Product Description:
One of the biggest challenges for anyone attempting to notate a drumset part is that there is no absolute "standard" in terms of what makes up a drumset. Through this book, the Percussive Arts Society provides guidelines to aid performers, teachers, students, composers, arrangers, orchestrators and music engravers in producing clear drumset parts for a variety of uses. These guidelines cover the majority of situations and provide basic principles to help people arrive at logical solutions to unique circumstances. Topics covered include: general notation, drums, cymbals, noteheads, voicing, improvisational notation, and more.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Guide to Standardized Drumset Notation now ?