Difficulty Levels Explained

On drumscore we use the numbers 1 - 5 to tell you roughly how hard a song is, with 1 being the easiest and 5 the hardest. On this page I will give you a rough idea of what to expect in each difficulty level in relation to transcriptions. The knowledge from each level passes on to the next, so for Level 3 you will need to know everything from Levels 1 and 2 on top of the new points.


Level 1 - Beginner

This level represents the easiest songs. Grooves will all be very basic, it's very rare you'll see anything other than crotchets (quarter notes) or quavers (eighth notes) on the right hand. Fills will also be straight forward, with rhythms using nothing faster than 16th notes. Level 1 songs will usually be no faster than around 160bpm. You will see a variety of time signatures including: 2/4, 4/4, 6/8 and 12/8 though the vast majority of level 1 songs are in 4/4.

See our list of level 1 lessons here.


Level 2 - Advanced Beginner

Level 2 songs expand on the basic ideas from Level 1. You will start to see 16th notes in grooves, both for the right hand and as off beat patterns in the kick and snare. Groove patterns may start to be a bit more creative then Level 1. You will see decorative 16th notes and open hi hats used more often and will come across a variety of variations to the common basic patterns from Level 1. There will be a lot more variety in the fills, 32nd notes may start appearing and co ordination between hands and feet will become more important. Time signatures and tempo follow the same rules as Level 1.

See our list of level 2 lessons here.


Level 3 - Intermediate

Grooves will start to become more complex with a lot of ghost notes, 16th note decoration, open hi hats/ride bells and the odd bit of simple double kick. Fills will be demanding on independence, co ordination and stamina. Ideas that appear will include: Linear patterns, fast orchestrated rolls and higher involvement of feet. Tempos will now be anything up to around 200bpm. More involved time signatures such as 5/8, 7/8 and 7/4 will be used regularly.

See our list of level 3 lessons here.


Level 4 - Advanced

Tempo, double kick and complex time signatures are usually what push a transcription up to level 4. Parts tend to stick in a signature, rather than swapping often, but the patterns will be complex. Fills will often be a step up from all areas mentioned in Level 3. Dynamic variation will be common. Ghost notes, hi hat decoration, complex foot work and complex rhytmic patterns will be used regularly.


Level 5 - Highly Advanced

In a Level 5 song you will see anything and everything.

Lessons

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