Description

Walking on the Moon – Accurate Drums Transcription

Walking on the Moon is a reggae-tinged Police classic defined by Stewart Copeland’s hypnotic hi-hat language and spacious dub-influenced pocket. The groove lives in subtle openness levels, accents, and delayed cross-stick figures that most charts never notate.

This is a complete, accurate drums sheet music transcription of the original recording.

Core Elements of the Drums Part

• Stewart Copeland’s hi-hat dynamics with many levels of openness
• Accents that open the hat more; half-open accents articulated clearly
• Quarter-open vs half-open hi-hat by section (sizzle, not fully open)
• Dub feel via quarter-note triplet delay indicated on/off
• Muted cross-stick detail, including the m.41 & of 3 delay of the muted cross-stick on 3 (confirmed from the isolated drum track)
• Clean reggae/dub pocket with correct stem direction

How Our Sheet Music Differs / Compares

Common tabs reduce Copeland’s part to a binary open/closed hat and a generic reggae beat. They miss multi-level openness, half-open accents, sizzle textures, and the quarter-note triplet delay that creates the dub feel. Cross-stick timing—especially the delayed & of 3 figure—is almost never shown accurately.

Our version stands apart because it includes:

• Multi-level hi-hat openness (quarter-open, half-open, sizzle) with accent rules
• Quarter-note triplet delay indicated on/off for authentic dub feel
• Precise muted cross-stick placement, including the m.41 delayed & of 3
• Timing markings so section changes and feel shifts are unambiguous
• Lyric cues to stay locked with Sting’s phrasing
• No confusing second endings/codas that omit Copeland’s detail
• Fully written fills and professional stem direction (kicks down, hands up)

Skills You’ll Improve

• Controlling graduated hi-hat openness and accent-driven openings
• Playing reggae/dub delay feels with intentional triplet-based timing
• Executing nuanced cross-stick and muted textures
• Reading advanced hi-hat notation like a studio transcription

Ideal for intermediate-to-advanced drummers who want to study Stewart Copeland’s language with recording-level accuracy.

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