# What is this drum notation?



## Andrew0568 (Jan 4, 2023)

What does the "x" notation indicate in this example? cheers!


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## David Cuny (Jan 4, 2023)

First hit on Google:



> The bass drum, snare drum, floor tom, and rack toms (hi tom and low tom), each have a space on the staff and are written with an elliptical notehead. *Cymbals, including hi-hat, ride cymbals, splash cymbals, and crash cymbals appear with "x"-shaped noteheads.* The note stems point downward to indicate when a player sounds a note with their feet, as with a kick drum or a hi-hat. Stems point upward when notes are played using handheld beaters, like drumsticks, rods, mallets, or wire brushes.









So basically things made of metal instead of drum heads. 

See:


https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-read-drum-sheet-music


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## Andrew0568 (Jan 4, 2023)

Thanks for the reply!

So in my attached photo, the "x" notation is a rack tom?


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## David Cuny (Jan 4, 2023)

Andrew0568 said:


> Thanks for the reply!
> 
> So in my attached photo, the "x" notation is a rack tom?


Ouch! 






Wikipedia to the rescue!

Sorry for not reading more carefully.


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## Saxer (Jan 4, 2023)

Normal HiHat. If a ring is around the x or above it's an open HiHat.


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## sumskilz (Jan 4, 2023)

It's almost certainly hi hat, but hi hat is more commonly written on the space above that, as in David Cuny's first post, which I actually prefer. If it was actually meant to be the high rack tom, an x in that case indicates hitting the rim only (not hitting the head at all).


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## OleJoergensen (Jan 4, 2023)

It differs from drummer to drummer where in the system the different drums are notated but mostly the hi hat is above with an x-head.


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## Woodie1972 (Jan 5, 2023)

The first note is Crash cymbal together with Bass drum (kick), continuing on Hi-hat with a kick drum/snare pattern.


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## Jerner (Jan 5, 2023)

Sometimes, if it's in the same lane as another instrument using normal note heads, a tom for example, it means to play on the rim or shell of said instrument. Despite that, without other instruction I would play your example as hihat simply because it looks like a regular drum groove.


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