Trying to Write Amen Break for Drums

• Nov 11, 2023 - 16:48

I'm new to MuseScore 4. I'm trying to learn it by writing a simple groove from Amen Break (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amen_break).

I create a new score with 4 measures, I insert all the closed hi-hats on the first measure then move the cursor back to beat 1 and insert the first two bass notes on beats 1 and 1& using the SHIFT key to add bass to those beats which already have hi-hats.

Everything I try to transcribe from that point on is wrong.

I insert an 1/8th snare on beat 2 and toggle the augmentation dot on that note. Wrong, Musescore adds that augmentation dot to the snare, but also the hi-hat, which is wrong.

I want to add the snare on 3e. I cannot move the cursor to 3e, my only choices are 3 or 3&. I try to insert that snare by moving the cursor to beat 3& (on the next hi-hat note after 3e), selecting the 1/16th note duration, and inserting a snare with (key 'A'). Unfortunately, that operation inserts the snare on 3& instead of 3e, and also pushes the existing hi-hat that was on 3& to 3a.

I've followed some simple tutorials on Youtube that get you started writing drum sheet music on MuseScore, but the trivial grooves they teach don't have any syncopation, so they don't run into these sorts of problems.


Comments

It's not easy, but it is possible. Entering drum notes has its pitfalls.
Since cymbals and crash cymbals are on the same voice 1 by default, you have to write them in voice 3 if they have different durations than the snare. I wrote these notes in voice 1 first and then swapped voice 1 and 3.
Then you can write the snare in voice 1 and finally the base in voice 2 (default setting).
Finally, you can hide the unwanted rests and move the remaining rests to the correct vertical position. The rests of voices 2 - 4 can also be deleted if desired.
See my version in the appendix, created with MuS 3.6.2

Attachment Size
Amen_Break_362.mscz 9.31 KB

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