Ghost Note

Sound & Dynamics

Also called ghost stroke, ghost stick.

A ghost note is a drum stroke played quietly, often barely above a whisper, so it slips between the loud notes instead of competing with them. On a snare it usually sits low in the groove, tucked under the backbeat. You will hear them everywhere in funk, R&B and Motown-style playing.

Ghost notes are what make a groove feel like it is breathing. A bar of all-accented hits sounds like a marching cadence. Add a few quiet strokes on the snare and the same pattern starts to swing and pull you forward. Almost every great groove you love is mostly ghosts with a few accents on top.

Start by moving only your snare hand a couple of inches off the head for ghosts, and keep the accents big and honest. The contrast is the effect, so do not let the volume creep up. When you practise a groove in Drumbug, remember the quiet hits still have to land on time. Good hit detection rewards accurate strokes, not loud ones, so a clean soft note counts just as much as a crackling accent.