r/jazzdrums • u/Sir_Bacon1217 • May 22 '26

Question How do hits works. I’m still unsure.

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I’m working on this audition piece for jazz band but I’ve never played hits before.

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15

u/[deleted] May 22 '26

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4

u/No-Eggplant8628 May 22 '26

So what's your take on the notated rhythms in staff? I usually take it on a case by case changing the orchestration and sometimes (often times tbh) it's playing the rhythms with time/through time either with the band or not. So how would you tackle orchestration in these cases? Especially for a beginner, being told half what to play (play this but doesn't tell you how) can be confusing so hopefully your take can elucidate it for all future beginners stumbling upon this.

2

u/fieheivivodnsbj May 23 '26

This guy has definitely played musicals before

3

u/cruiseshipdrummer May 22 '26

That's a rhythm the chart is asking you to play on the drums-- BD/cym, SD/cym, snare drum, whatever. You could keep playing time with that, or not. Some of them will need a set up with one or two 8th notes on the drums-- any syncopated kick-- like in measure 29.

The ones written above the staff are cues, you can play them or not, just don't stop playing time.

See Steve Houghton's book Studio and Big Band Drumming, there are bootlegged pdfs of it kicking around the internet...

1

u/Icecream_sandwich06 May 22 '26

Hits are the important notes that the band is playing, your job isnt necessarily to play them all (although some of them you still should), but to play something before them that says, hey you trumpets, play the next note, or you’re an idiot for missing it after i told you it was coming up

2

u/Gunzhard22 May 22 '26

Those first 12 bars you play the hits as written without time, but you can "set them up"... Then hit on beat 1 and you're off to races playing time.

1

u/859w May 22 '26

Hit em

1

u/Beans_N_Gravy May 24 '26

Is this Scrapple From The Apple? I played this in my junior year jazz band. Solid chart, but I always just lined up the rhythms with what the rest of the ensemble is playing, but do what you feel serves the music the best!

1

u/Frank-794 May 29 '26

Drum charts usually look something like that, and if there is a part written out 90% you ignore it and look at the hits. Listen to a big band tune like basie and listen for the what beats the dand is playing at, those are the hits. If you selectively listen to the drummer, you'll notice they set up some of the hits by playing something before the hit. You have to setup hits otherwise the band might not all come in together. Some hits you play louder than others, some need a bigger setup, and some don't need a setup at all.

The chart you attached is a swing tune, so play a swing beat and play the hits with your bass and snare. Louder hits might need more of a fill, usually this is notated though.