To the ear they sound the same, they’re just different ways of writing what needs to be played. You’re right you can’t sustain a note played on the drums like you can on a piano, but the notes still get the value they’re supposed to get and that’s how you know what the rhythm should be. So if you see a dotted 8th note for a snare hit for example, and you hit the snare on 1, you’d count 1-e-and and then know that the hit is over and it’s time to play the next thing, even though the snare hit didn’t hold out for the entire 1-e-and. If it’s written just as an 8th note with no dot, you’d hit it on 1 and it lasts until you count 1-e, then it’s time to play the next thing, or rest if the next thing is a rest. Hopefully that helps!
You got it! Best wishes on your drumming journey if you decide to move forward! I’d recommend checking out my “Redo your Hands” RU-vid playlist to help build good hand technique from the start.
