Ghost Notes

Does anybody here know what ghost notes are and what they do?

I'm asking this because whenever I'm reading some drum tabs for a song, in the key, theres always the ghost note.

Can anybody help?

Thanks

It's one of those things that I find hard to explain in writing, but a ghost note is simply a stroke played on the drum with less volume and emphasis than a regular stroke. Instead of using a full stroke as you would to play a regular note, you basically bring the stick down on the head with less force, from maybe just an inch or two above the head. One way to think of a ghost note is as the opposite of an accent. If you know what a flam is and how to play one, then you know how to play a ghost note, as that first subtle stroke used in a flam is, in esscence, a ghost note.

I could try to make a video for you demonstrating ghost notes, but by the time I got one made and posted it here I'm sure someone else will have come along with a much better explaination.

Hope this helped somewhat.

Nothing wrong with your explanation. Hit it right on the head.

ledzepfan, practice this and it will get better and better with time. It's one of those stick control kinda things. Ghost notes should be barely audible - hence the name.

Thanks for the good explanations, guys.

I'll try my best at learning how to play ghost notes.

Here's the vid.

! . ! . ! . ! . ! . ! . ! . ! . !

1---- 2---- 3---- 4---- 1 etc...

/-----d------/-----d-----/

p-----/------p-----/----- p

This is me playing boom tap boom tap to a pre recorded

track of HiHat and snare. (top line) This track is done

with strict alternate sticking; one hand on the HiHat the

other on the snare. The snare strokes are the ghost notes.

(!) = HiHat

(.) = snare - ghost note

(/) = quarter rest

(p,d) = quarter notes. Bass and Snare respectively

Also I'd appreciate any critique you might have.