Ghost Notes Explained: How to Play Ghost Notes on Drums

Ghost notes are a form of music notation that represents rhythmic value but not pitch or timbre. Composers notate ghost notes in sheet music using an "x" symbol. For example, ghost notes can appear in a guitarist's lead sheet or tablature, particularly when a composer calls for palm muting (from the player's picking hand) or muted strings (from their fretting hand). In drum notation, ghost notes serve a slightly different purpose: They indicate a note played softly between accented beats. Other names for ghost notes include "false notes," "dead notes," and "muted notes."

Notate ghost notes with an "x" symbol in place of a note head. Ghost notes can appear for any rhythmic duration, from whole notes to half notes to quarter notes to eighth notes to sixteenth notes and beyond. In percussion sheet music, ghost notes might also appear as a note head bracketed by parentheses.

Drummers are particularly likely to encounter ghost notes in their musical notation. Ghost notes are essentially anti-accents, so play them quietly in between accented notes. Consider these four ways to approach ghost notes on your own drum kit:

• Play the note quietly. Ghost notes are meant to be played softly. If you see a ghost note on your sheet music, it means the composer or arranger wants you to play the drum beat softer than you normally would.
• Pay special attention to hand technique. Proper performance of ghost drum beats involves hand control. Keep a low stick height over the drum head to control your volume.
• Focus on groove. You can play a full drum groove—from a steady backbeat to a funk feel full of sixteenth notes—interspersed with low-volume ghost notes. To hear an example, listen to Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro's steady feel on "Rosanna." He plays a convincing groove, and his ghost notes remain just as subtle as if he were playing single strokes.

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