entry direct link date
My First Original Linear Groove owngroove.pdf May 23, 2026
My Favorite Ruffs and Rolls ruffsnrolls.pdf Apr 28, 2026
All Limbs on Deck all-limbs-on-deck.pdf Apr 10, 2026
Triplets in 4/4-Drum-Grooves triplets.pdf Dec 01, 2025

Code Notation in Log Entries

In my entries, I sometimes use standard musical notation accompanied by MIDI playback and at other times employ a code notation, which may look something like this:

Beat       1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Hi-Hat     x x x x x x x x
Snare          o       o
Bass Drum  o       o

I refer to this as code notation because, much like snippets of programming code, it is formatted such that the characters and spacing are always uniform in width. This allows for perfect vertical alignment, making it quick and easy to discern the intended rhythm at a glance. In this system, the spacing within the text corresponds directly to the exact spacing in the music. In contrast, this is not necessarily the case with standard musical notation, where musical spacing is defined by specific note values ​​and rests.

Symbols and Instruments

Symbol Instrument Meaning
o Cymbal Open cymbal
x Cymbal Closed cymbal
o Drum Standard hit
. Drum Soft hit (i.e., a ghost note)
O Drum Accented hit

Beat Counting

Quarter Notes

1 2 3 4

Eighth Notes

1 & 2 & 3 &

Sixteenth Notes

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

For example, a hit placed on the 2a signifies a strike on the fourth sixteenth note of the second beat.

Thirty-second Notes

Thirty-second notes do not receive their own distinct count syllables. Instead, they fill the empty whitespaces between the sixteenth notes. For example, this means:

Count         1 e & a
Snare         ooo o o

that the first three 32nd notes of the first quarter note are played, followed thereafter only by the 16th notes.

Example: Rock Groove with Ghost Notes and Open Hi-Hat

The closed hi-hat plays the first seven 8th notes. The last 8th note (i.e., the 4&) is an open hi-hat. The snare plays normally loud strokes on 2 and 4, and a ghost note on 2a (i.e., the last 16th note of the second quarter note). The bass drum sounds on 1, 2&, and 3.

Count         1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Hi-Hat        x   x   x   x   x   x   x   o
Snare                 o     .         o
Bass Drum     o           o   o

Example: 3-Stroke Ruff

In the 3-stroke ruff, an accented stroke is played on the snare on every beat. Ghost notes follow on the & and the a subdivisions. The hands alternate continuously.

Count  1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Hand   R   L R L   R L R   L R L   R L

Snare  O   . . O   . . O   . . O   . .

Musical Notation in Log Entries

I also use musical notation in entries based on abcjs. This even allows for MIDI playback. However, I haven’t found a good solution for displaying ghost notes. Therefore, I use forte, piano, etc., as shown in the following table.

Symbol Meaning
$f$ forte (loud), accented
$mf$ mezzoforte, normal volume
$p$ piano, soft
$pp$ pianissimo, very soft

When such a symbol appears, it sets the volume for all subsequent notes. This remains in effect until the next symbol. For reasons of space, it is quite possible that $f$ and $p$ are used to distinguish between normal playing and ghost notes. If every beat is accented, then no beat is accented.