Songsterr (Drums)
Huge user-submitted catalog with an online player. Filter for drum parts, loop sections, change speed, and (on many songs) play along with the original audio. Also supports AI-assisted tab generation from YouTube links.
Drum Tabs
What are Drum Tabs?
Drum tabs are a simplified, text-based way to write drum parts. Each line represents a drum or cymbal, and characters on the line (like x, o, g) show when and how to strike it. Unlike standard notation, drum tabs don't use notes on a five-line staff or key signatures—they're closer to a grid that marks hits in time.
Mini Example
Here's a one-bar rock groove in 4/4 shown as tab:
HH|x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
SN|----o-------o---|
BD|o-------o-------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Common Line Labels (Legend)
-
HH = Hi-hat SN = Snare BD = Bass drum (kick)
RD = Ride CC = Crash T1/T2/FT = Toms
How Drum Tabs Came To Be
Drum tabs grew up alongside guitar/bass tablature on early internet forums and newsgroups in the 1990s. ASCII text was easy to post and share, so drummers started mapping out grooves and songs line-by-line. As tools improved (notation editors, Guitar Pro files, and browser-based players), tabs migrated from plain text to interactive sites with playback, looping, and tempo controls.
What Purpose Drum Tabs Serve Today
- Quick learning: Get the essential orchestration (which drums/cymbals) and rhythm at a glance.
- Practice tools: Modern sites let you loop sections and slow down playback to shed tricky parts.
- Sharing/teaching: Easy to create and distribute for lessons, forums, and community requests.
Limitations: Tabs can be inconsistent across sites, may omit dynamics/nuance, and aren't a replacement for full drum notation. Many drummers use tabs to get started, then reference proper sheet music or the recording for details.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Not really. Line labels and symbols are common, but conventions differ by site or author. When in doubt, look for each site's legend or "drum key."
Tabs are fast and approachable. Full drum notation is more precise and portable across publishers and DAWs. Most working drummers benefit from reading both.
Community tabs vary. Cross-check with the recording, and favor sources that provide licensed or editor-reviewed charts when accuracy matters.
Popular Drum Tab & Transcription Websites
These are widely used by drummers today. Some focus on tabs, others on full drum notation (sheet music) with similar benefits like playback and looping.
Ultimate Guitar (Drum Tabs)
The largest tab community on the internet also includes drum tabs. Quality varies by submission, but breadth and community ratings make it a common first stop.
DrumTabs.org
Long-running drum-specific tab site with how-to-read guides and a curated set of links to additional free drum tabs and lessons.
Drumeo
Subscription platform with song transcriptions, lessons, play-alongs, and artist courses. Strong for structured learning and accurate, licensed scores.
Drumscore.com
Large catalog of drum sheet music (full notation) plus browsing by artist/drummer, free samples, and custom transcription services.
OnlineDrummer
Extensive drum sheet music library, lessons, and a handy drum-notation key. Great for printable, song-specific charts.
MuseScore (Drums)
Massive community of user-shared scores. You'll find many drum parts as full notation, often with playback and downloadable PDFs.
Soundslice
Interactive notation platform with support for drum tab and standard notation. Many educators share transcriptions here with synced audio/video and looping.
TheDrumNinja
Free collection of drum transcriptions and sheet music. A solid starting point if you want zero-cost charts.
DrumBum (Tab Links)
Old-school link hub that points to lessons and drum tab resources around the web—handy for discovery.