With this virtual drum battery you can get a sense of what it feels like to be in a drum line at either a college or high school level all from your web browser. Simply click/tap the surface of each drum with your finger or mouse and away you go! If you want a quicker way to play like a real drummer, you can also use your computer keyboard. It has an easy interface and you dont need any prior knowledge about marching band techniques to begin making some music.
From above it gives you an idea of how the battery look. It’s laid out as you would expect with four quads (tenor drums) across the rear. They go from left to right, starting small and high pitched on the left, then increasing in size and pitch around to the bottom-right. On the centre stage, the snare drum form the backbone of the battery section. The big bass drum is on the far left to provide the low end, and the pair of crash cymbals is on the extreme right. All the drums have been labelled and if you hit one it will play and flash for a second to let you know that you’ve selected correctly.
How to Use the Virtual Drums
It uses keys that can be easily reached with the hands to control the drums. For example the main snare hit is on S; this has a tight sound common to marching snares. Rimshots add definition to fast passages and are triggered by R. Number keys 1-4 is mapped to the four tenor drums so you can run quick phrases around these pitches. F is for the bass drum while C is for the cymbals. Keeping the hands fairly close together makes playing less physically demanding over long periods.
Another satisfying effect to experiment with is the buzz roll on the snare. Simply press and hold down the snare drum with your mouse (or even hold down the B key) to make it sound as if you are rapidly rolling the stick across the drumhead. It is particularly useful for bringing drama into the music and finishing off phrases. As you take your finger away or let go of the key, the buzz stops instantly, giving you complete control over how long it lasts.
You will also notice that there are some built-in patterns so you can begin to familiarize yourself with these common marching rhythms. Pressing the Street Cadence button plays an eight-beat loop that contains quads, bass and snare drums combined into one rhythm. This highlights how each drum type works with other types in a musical way. Use the Tempo slider (between 88. 148 beats per minute) to slow down or speed up the loop. This allows you to play along at a speed you find comfortabley. Then, gradually increase it to test your timekeeping. For another taste, use the Roll-off button. It fires off a typical end-of-patter that features a final buzz roll followed by a fast run across the tenor drums. You get an illustration of how the rhythm passes between the snare and quads, as both take turns playing the melody and the accompaniment. Each time you play through this pattern, each drum illuminates in the visual interface. That helps you to grasp the rhythm’s structure even if you’re not reading sheet music.
At the bottom of the interface is volume control. This controls the master output. It is handy if your speakers are sensitive or you’re practising late at night. The help button or pressing the question mark key toggles on and off the help panel. Here you have a quick reference to control functions and keyboard mappings.
Don’t be afraid to mix in some automatic patterns and then some manually hit notes too. Try playing along with the street cadence loop, maybe hitting an extra bass hit or two and personalising the groove. For added dynamic variation try switching between the full snare tone and the sharp rimshot. Explore what else the drum has to offer and work out a feel that you find naturaly to yourself.
Get a feel for how quickly this responds by tapping on the snare a couple of times. Next, make a quick sweep up the tenor drums (1,2,3,4) and back down again. After you’re familiar with the straight hits, turn on the Street Cadence and slow it down or speed it up until it matches your preferred marching pace. Start playing along with the auto-generated beat while adding some fills and accents of your own. Soon, you’ll be locked in.