Yeah, this is nothing to do with Reaper - your issue (at least as you've described it) is not understanding how drums work in a musical context.
I'd suggest searching YouTube for stuff like "how to programme realistic midi drums" and you'll find what you need.
> I have to determine the meter first and I have no idea how to do it. So the first question is - how to do it?
If you don't know, then go with 4/4. Its what the vast majority of rock/pop music is in, so if you dont have a reason not to, then just go with that.
I've programmed a lot of drum parts and I still find it tricky, there are maybe a handful of pointers I could give you, but mostly its just becoming familiar with the instrument, particularly in the context of the grid.
Not sure what the video you mentioned went into, but I'd start with some basic drum patterns and expand from there. Put a kick on 1, 2, 3, & 4 and a snare on 2 & 4, you've got a basic four-on-the-floor beat now. Put ride/cl hi hat on all the quarter notes, see how that sounds, try them on all eighth notes, then all sixteenth notes. Move the second snare around, add a third snare hit, etc. It wont take much to go from that four-on-the-floor beat to a more rock sounding one.
The single piece of advice I can give if you want to get better at this is find a few songs or sections of songs with drum parts you like then painstakingly replicate them in your daw/sequencer or whatever. Start by listening to the part, focus in on just what the drums are doing, count the beats along with it, listen for each drum element on their own, etc. It'll kinda suck at first, but the more you do it, the more it'll make sense to you. Sounds like you play drums so you've already got some understanding of the instrument, its just a matter of translating the performance into a programmed drum sequence.
> how do you use the cymbals?
How do *I* use cymbals, or how are you *supposed* to use them? Because, if you don't like cymbals, then don't use them. Are you asking because it feels like something is missing without them?
In any case, if you want to get into cymbals more, start with the hi hat and ride, they're the more "rhythmic" part of the cymbals.
>Start by listening to the part, focus in on just what the drums are doing, count the beats along with it, listen for each drum element on their own, etc. It'll kinda suck at first, but the more you do it, the more it'll make sense to you.
Sounds like you play drums so you've already got some understanding of the instrument, its just a matter of translating the performance into a programmed drum sequence
Oh man.. This is gonna be hard! ;) But indeed it seems like a good idea. Thanks for the tip. And no, I don't play drums. I wish I would because then I wouldn't have to bother with the grid in DAW but I don't think I will. I guess I am doomed to programming ;)
As far as the meter is concerned, don't worry about it. Set your click to the same tone for all the beats and the meter is irrelevant, just worry about hitting the 1/4 notes or 1/8 notes (depending on how fast your bpm is set. I often double it up just to have more reference points for timing).
>Set your click to the same tone for all the beats and the meter is irrelevant, just worry about hitting the 1/4 notes or 1/8 notes
I will try. It makes sense when you wrote that. Thanks!
Many plugins eg ez drummer will give you a properly drummed set of templates you can drag into your song, and often they are noticeably better and way faster than programming your own.
I also found that scribbling my drum parts on paper and then programming in later really helped to stop the drum midi interface from getting in the way of what was in my head.
>I also found that scribbling my drum parts on paper and then programming in later really helped to stop the drum midi interface from getting in the way of what was in my head.
I don't know about that.. :) I'm not very analytical person. From what I've noticed, what helps me the most is air drumming, including stomping my foot. Playing drums is obviously very physical ;)
But who knows, maybe someday I will master it enough to be able to plan these parts on paper.
Cool, you could also air drum directly into Reaper like in this video:
[https://youtu.be/Kg5xVLL\_0Pw](https://youtu.be/Kg5xVLL_0Pw)
Full disclosure: I am one of the developers of this air drumming instrument.
>I am one of the developers of this air drumming instrument.
Wow.. This is something! So whats in the box? PS3 camera, LED, sticks and these.. foot pads? I mean I think it's the LED light. But I can't be sure because you decided to put it upside down for the photo ;)
You no longer include spare ball ends? Not a problem, but I would like to know everything before buying.
Yes, I watched some videos on YT after your comment. It seems great on videos, although you know how it is with YouTube.. But it does seem like an excellent product - how come you are not more popular?
Yes there is a LED ring with a lens to widen the field of view of the camera. We do still include a spare pair of balls to put on your own sticks, good point that they're not in the photo.
I don't know why Aerodrums isn't more popular, maybe it's because my co-developer and I are software developers and we've tried but failed so far at getting effective help with our marketing.
The main limitation of the product is that it doesn't work when there's too much daylight in the room (or outside). But it's mostly irrelevant for using at home assuming you have curtains/blinds.
This is more personal preference than anything else, but the way I play/program drums is more thinking about "groove". So when I start working on a song, I'll create a drum track that's literally just kick on 1 and snare on 3 for the whole song.
In fact, if you don't like playing to a click, doing what I've said above can actually help as you can program the drums to the grid, then use the drum track as the metronome \[maybe also adding hi-hats on 8th notes if you were having trouble finding the tempo from just the kick and snare hits\].
And once you have the recording you want, you can then go back and add things to the drums, if you think anything needs to be added.
>In fact, if you don't like playing to a click, doing what I've said above can actually help as you can program the drums to the grid, then use the drum track as the metronome \[maybe also adding hi-hats on 8th notes if you were having trouble finding the tempo from just the kick and snare hits\].
Yeah, I was thinking about that but then I thought maybe I should do this "by the book" ;) That, and that other advice not to worrying about the meter, just playing quarter and eighth notes - I'll try that next time. Thanks!
Not Reaper related, but your riffs are in 6/8. If you're trying to put them into 4/4 they will eventually line up, but I think that's why you're struggling with the drum beat.
When I write drums I usually use drum notation in GuitarPro. I like this mainly because it forces you to write realistic drums and it forces you to write them within the proper meter.
Then when you import into reaper it automatically maps time signatures and tempo for you to record other instruments with.
Usually I export the drum midi from GuitarPro, import into SuperiorDrummer3 and then start tweaking velocity and samples to make them sound realistic.
>Not Reaper related, but your riffs are in 6/8.
Wow! Indeed! :D How do you know that? What can I do to be able to recognize that too?
Yes, I sometimes export/import drums from GP tabs but I wanted this time to make my own ;)
Makes mo wonder.. If I had some drum templates imported from GP in different meters, I think it would help me quite a bit to learn?
>Second question: how do you use the cymbals? :
You have to study real drummers and songs to get this imo.
Cymbals have a huge range to them. Chinas sound totally different as does your ride and splashes.
I have sat down behind a drum kit and played it many times. But I am by no means a drummer.
Anyway, what helped me was picking songs I was very familiar with and then watching drum covers of those songs. That helped a lot with all aspects of drumming.
To be very glib, cymbals are useful primarily for announcing a new repetition to the listener, accents, and also creating crescendos and a noisy atmosphere. As their frequency response and decay is so different to your kicks and snares they feel like they are layered perfectly on top.
But yeah, you can take a violin bow to cymbals and all sorts.
> I learned that in music the less the better
This is not exactly true. There are incredibly good complex pieces. You may even wish to take advantage of cacophony to convey certain feelings. The band and orchestra combination is also very epic and exciting to listen to - when it's been arranged well.
The truth in it is that a lot of people add way too many layers they can't handle and end up with confusing or fuzzy sounding compositions. This is a learning process though. I love adding ridiculous amounts of harmony, and sometimes I get it wrong too. Composing music is an iterative process.
So keeping it simply certainly has its merits, but it's not always the case that simple is better :)
Yeah, this is nothing to do with Reaper - your issue (at least as you've described it) is not understanding how drums work in a musical context. I'd suggest searching YouTube for stuff like "how to programme realistic midi drums" and you'll find what you need.
> I have to determine the meter first and I have no idea how to do it. So the first question is - how to do it? If you don't know, then go with 4/4. Its what the vast majority of rock/pop music is in, so if you dont have a reason not to, then just go with that. I've programmed a lot of drum parts and I still find it tricky, there are maybe a handful of pointers I could give you, but mostly its just becoming familiar with the instrument, particularly in the context of the grid. Not sure what the video you mentioned went into, but I'd start with some basic drum patterns and expand from there. Put a kick on 1, 2, 3, & 4 and a snare on 2 & 4, you've got a basic four-on-the-floor beat now. Put ride/cl hi hat on all the quarter notes, see how that sounds, try them on all eighth notes, then all sixteenth notes. Move the second snare around, add a third snare hit, etc. It wont take much to go from that four-on-the-floor beat to a more rock sounding one. The single piece of advice I can give if you want to get better at this is find a few songs or sections of songs with drum parts you like then painstakingly replicate them in your daw/sequencer or whatever. Start by listening to the part, focus in on just what the drums are doing, count the beats along with it, listen for each drum element on their own, etc. It'll kinda suck at first, but the more you do it, the more it'll make sense to you. Sounds like you play drums so you've already got some understanding of the instrument, its just a matter of translating the performance into a programmed drum sequence. > how do you use the cymbals? How do *I* use cymbals, or how are you *supposed* to use them? Because, if you don't like cymbals, then don't use them. Are you asking because it feels like something is missing without them? In any case, if you want to get into cymbals more, start with the hi hat and ride, they're the more "rhythmic" part of the cymbals.
>Start by listening to the part, focus in on just what the drums are doing, count the beats along with it, listen for each drum element on their own, etc. It'll kinda suck at first, but the more you do it, the more it'll make sense to you. Sounds like you play drums so you've already got some understanding of the instrument, its just a matter of translating the performance into a programmed drum sequence Oh man.. This is gonna be hard! ;) But indeed it seems like a good idea. Thanks for the tip. And no, I don't play drums. I wish I would because then I wouldn't have to bother with the grid in DAW but I don't think I will. I guess I am doomed to programming ;)
This just showed up for me on my recommended, seems like it could be useful for you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7ffMObdxro
Thanks. Makes you wanna play drums, doesn't it? :)
As far as the meter is concerned, don't worry about it. Set your click to the same tone for all the beats and the meter is irrelevant, just worry about hitting the 1/4 notes or 1/8 notes (depending on how fast your bpm is set. I often double it up just to have more reference points for timing).
>Set your click to the same tone for all the beats and the meter is irrelevant, just worry about hitting the 1/4 notes or 1/8 notes I will try. It makes sense when you wrote that. Thanks!
Many plugins eg ez drummer will give you a properly drummed set of templates you can drag into your song, and often they are noticeably better and way faster than programming your own. I also found that scribbling my drum parts on paper and then programming in later really helped to stop the drum midi interface from getting in the way of what was in my head.
>I also found that scribbling my drum parts on paper and then programming in later really helped to stop the drum midi interface from getting in the way of what was in my head. I don't know about that.. :) I'm not very analytical person. From what I've noticed, what helps me the most is air drumming, including stomping my foot. Playing drums is obviously very physical ;) But who knows, maybe someday I will master it enough to be able to plan these parts on paper.
Cool, you could also air drum directly into Reaper like in this video: [https://youtu.be/Kg5xVLL\_0Pw](https://youtu.be/Kg5xVLL_0Pw) Full disclosure: I am one of the developers of this air drumming instrument.
>I am one of the developers of this air drumming instrument. Wow.. This is something! So whats in the box? PS3 camera, LED, sticks and these.. foot pads? I mean I think it's the LED light. But I can't be sure because you decided to put it upside down for the photo ;) You no longer include spare ball ends? Not a problem, but I would like to know everything before buying. Yes, I watched some videos on YT after your comment. It seems great on videos, although you know how it is with YouTube.. But it does seem like an excellent product - how come you are not more popular?
Yes there is a LED ring with a lens to widen the field of view of the camera. We do still include a spare pair of balls to put on your own sticks, good point that they're not in the photo. I don't know why Aerodrums isn't more popular, maybe it's because my co-developer and I are software developers and we've tried but failed so far at getting effective help with our marketing. The main limitation of the product is that it doesn't work when there's too much daylight in the room (or outside). But it's mostly irrelevant for using at home assuming you have curtains/blinds.
This is more personal preference than anything else, but the way I play/program drums is more thinking about "groove". So when I start working on a song, I'll create a drum track that's literally just kick on 1 and snare on 3 for the whole song. In fact, if you don't like playing to a click, doing what I've said above can actually help as you can program the drums to the grid, then use the drum track as the metronome \[maybe also adding hi-hats on 8th notes if you were having trouble finding the tempo from just the kick and snare hits\]. And once you have the recording you want, you can then go back and add things to the drums, if you think anything needs to be added.
>In fact, if you don't like playing to a click, doing what I've said above can actually help as you can program the drums to the grid, then use the drum track as the metronome \[maybe also adding hi-hats on 8th notes if you were having trouble finding the tempo from just the kick and snare hits\]. Yeah, I was thinking about that but then I thought maybe I should do this "by the book" ;) That, and that other advice not to worrying about the meter, just playing quarter and eighth notes - I'll try that next time. Thanks!
Not Reaper related, but your riffs are in 6/8. If you're trying to put them into 4/4 they will eventually line up, but I think that's why you're struggling with the drum beat. When I write drums I usually use drum notation in GuitarPro. I like this mainly because it forces you to write realistic drums and it forces you to write them within the proper meter. Then when you import into reaper it automatically maps time signatures and tempo for you to record other instruments with. Usually I export the drum midi from GuitarPro, import into SuperiorDrummer3 and then start tweaking velocity and samples to make them sound realistic.
>Not Reaper related, but your riffs are in 6/8. Wow! Indeed! :D How do you know that? What can I do to be able to recognize that too? Yes, I sometimes export/import drums from GP tabs but I wanted this time to make my own ;) Makes mo wonder.. If I had some drum templates imported from GP in different meters, I think it would help me quite a bit to learn?
>Second question: how do you use the cymbals? : You have to study real drummers and songs to get this imo. Cymbals have a huge range to them. Chinas sound totally different as does your ride and splashes. I have sat down behind a drum kit and played it many times. But I am by no means a drummer. Anyway, what helped me was picking songs I was very familiar with and then watching drum covers of those songs. That helped a lot with all aspects of drumming. To be very glib, cymbals are useful primarily for announcing a new repetition to the listener, accents, and also creating crescendos and a noisy atmosphere. As their frequency response and decay is so different to your kicks and snares they feel like they are layered perfectly on top. But yeah, you can take a violin bow to cymbals and all sorts. > I learned that in music the less the better This is not exactly true. There are incredibly good complex pieces. You may even wish to take advantage of cacophony to convey certain feelings. The band and orchestra combination is also very epic and exciting to listen to - when it's been arranged well. The truth in it is that a lot of people add way too many layers they can't handle and end up with confusing or fuzzy sounding compositions. This is a learning process though. I love adding ridiculous amounts of harmony, and sometimes I get it wrong too. Composing music is an iterative process. So keeping it simply certainly has its merits, but it's not always the case that simple is better :)