A ghost note is the reverse of an accent. Whereas an accent is played louder than other notes, a ghost note is played softer than other notes. Ghost notes are most commonly played on the snare drum and are common in Funk and Jazz. A ghost note is indicated by brackets around the note. Written below are some examples which make use of ghost notes.
Ghost note indicated by bracket.
This one contains the same ghost notes but the bass drum is played is some different positions. Take care also with the fill in the fourth bar.