Drum Intro Sample
 

I've never had any formal training on how to write for drum set, so recently, I bought a number of drum-related books in an attempt to learn more about how to write for a drum set in either a dance band, pop band or jazz band setting.

Even though I lean toward jazz and classical, there are a number of pop tunes that I really like, particularly songs from the '70s, which I think were much more musical than the previous pop eras and quite a bit more so than most of those that followed.

So, in the "for what it's worth" department, I think the drum intro to the Doobie Brothers "Jesus Is Just Alright" is nicely done. I've tried to capture it in Notation Composer, and I think it is a pretty fair representation, although it does not sound exactly like the real thing.

I'd like to give credit to the drummer, but the CD I have gives no personnel data.

I've wrapped repeats around measures 2 through 5, just to get a better listen to the pattern.

So, for those of you, like me, trying to learn a little bit more about writing for drums, here's a small example. I hope you find it useful.

Ralph Rayner