midi for newbs - drum

Remember that midi channel #10 on each device is reserved for drums. MIDI assigns each drum a certain note number. For example, when you send a note of octave=2/note=C on channel 10, the sound module will hit an "Electric Kick Drum".

Here's some of the notes mapped to Drums on channel 10 (and the wierd little 4 char codes PianoCheetah uses for em)
   2C  Kick\Kick BassDrum1Electric     1B  Kick\Kik2 BassDrum2Acoustic
   2D  Snar\Snar Snare1Acoustic        2E  Snar\Snr2 Snare2Electric
   2Gb HHat\HHCl HiHatClosed           2Ab HHat\HHPd HiHatPedal
   2Bb HHat\HHOp HiHatOpen             3Eb Cymb\Ride CymbalRide1(Edge)
   3B  Cymb\Rid2 CymbalRide2           3F  Cymb\RdBl CymbalRideBell
   3Db Cymb\Cras CymbalCrash1          3A  Cymb\Cra2 CymbalCrash2
   3G  Cymb\Spla CymbalSplash          3E  Cymb\Chin CymbalChinese
   2F  Toms\TFlL TomFloorLo(1)         2G  Toms\TFlH TomFloorHi(2)
   2A  Toms\TomL TomLo(3)              2B  Toms\TMdL TomMidLo(4)
   3C  Toms\TMdH TomMidHi(5)           3D  Toms\TomH TomHi(6)
   3Ab Misc\CowB Cowbell               3Gb Misc\Tamb Tambourine
   5Ab Misc\TriM TriangleMute          5A  Misc\TriO TriangleOpen
   5B  Misc\BelJ BellJingle(GS)        6C  Misc\BelT BellTree(GS)
   1Eb Misc\HiQu HighQ(GS)             1G  Misc\Stik Sticks(GS)
   2Db Misc\StkS SideStick             2Eb Misc\Clap HandClap
   1E  Misc\Slap Slap(GS)              3Bb Misc\Vbra Vibraslap
   5Bb Misc\Shak Shaker(GS)            6Db Misc\Cast Castanets(GS)
   1F  Misc\ScPs ScratchPush(GS)       1Gb Misc\ScPl ScratchPull(GS)
   1Ab Misc\MtSq MetronomeSquare(GS)   1A  Misc\MtCl MetronomeClick(GS)
   1Bb Misc\MtBl MetronomeBell(GS)     4Db Latn\BonL BongoLo
   4C  Latn\BonH BongoHi               4E  Latn\ConL CongaLo
   4Eb Latn\ConO CongaHiOpen           4D  Latn\ConM CongaHiMute
   4Gb Latn\TimL TimbaleLo             4F  Latn\TimH TimbaleHi
   4Ab Latn\AgoL AgogoLo               4G  Latn\AgoH AgogoHi
   4A  Latn\Caba Cabasa                4Bb Latn\Mara Maracas
   5C  Latn\WhiL WhistleLong           4B  Latn\WhiS WhistleShort
   5D  Latn\GuiL GuiroLong             5Db Latn\GuiS GuiroShort
   5Eb Latn\Clav Claves                5F  Latn\BlkL WoodBlockLo
   5E  Latn\BlkH WoodBlockHi           5G  Latn\CuiL CuicaLo
   5Gb Latn\CuiH CuicaHi               6D  Latn\SurM SurdoMute(GS)
   6Eb Latn\SurO SurdoOpen(GS)


Some sound modules will let you send a program change on channel 10 to pick different "drum sets".

Some sound modules don't need a note off event for drums since they're percussive and don't have a true duration (unless muted early, etc.) Some do need the note off.

The exact drum sound used will likely be different between sound modules... Such is the way of midi... It's tough to standardize sounds... :(

We'll get into that later in the sound section.




  home