A few startup questions

[This question was asked by a customer via email; answers written right below the questions in the email]

Hello XpressPads,

I’ve long wanted to learn how to play my own drum parts on a pad controller, so I am very excited to take this class. I bought the complete program, order [XXX]. I’m using one of the new IK iRig controllers on a late 2014 iMac with NI Studio Drummer, and have just downloaded your preset scenes.

I’m concerned that I’m missing something.

When I run the app, the first section is “Introduction” with only one short page. I took your advice and read all the Introduction entries on your blog. Then I returned to the app. The next section is “Basics” and begins with “Linear 1-bar quarter beats.”

Right away it says, “Remember the rules that we set earlier and use only one specific finger per vertical pad row.” I haven’t seen any such rules! I don’t know what this is referring to at all. I can obviously guess at what to do, but I’d feel a lot better if I was able to see the place where these “rules” are presented, so I can see what else I should know, and so I can be using the fingers that you expect I’ll be using.

COMMENT Andreas: The rules are explained in the “get started now” section, the red-colored menu item number 2 on the website.

Then the page presents a bit of notation, but with no background on how to read it. I presume that HH means high hat, and from listening to the audio I’m guessing that the X note head means the closed high hat, but I’d sure feel a lot better seeing a summary of what this notation means. In the same way, I’m guessing that BD and SD are bass and snare drums respectively, but I bet there are other abbreviations to come that will confuse me. And I don’t know if the position of the note heads mean anything – and I don’t even recognize the double vertical line clef (I’m a piano guy, so I know treble and bass clefs – this thing is new to me).

COMMENT Andreas: The note definitions are: HH = HiHat / BD = Bass Drum / SD = Snare Drum / HT = High Tom / FT = Floor Tom / RD = Ride Cymbal / CR = Crash Cymbal [Meanwhile the definitions have been added to the layout picture in the “get started now!” section]. Each of those notes has its defined position on the staff and if there are special articulations then those are defined by the look of the note head and explained at the place where they appear in the eCourse. Page 4 of the “get started now” section on the website explains the pad layout in detail.

Can you tell me where to find:

1) the “rules” the text refers to,

COMMENT Andreas: get started now

2) an introduction to the notation, and

COMMENT Andreas: See screenshot below. The green-marked notes are introduced in the “Xtreme” section of the Core Program when finger drumming on two pad controllers is tought, the other note symbols are the ones that are part of the standard layout that is used with one pad controller up to the “Advanced” section.

3) whatever other information I should read before starting the class

COMMENT Andreas: get started now / “Introduction” in the blog