Teaching Percussion 3rd Edition

GARY D. COOKTEACHING PERCUSSION WITH DVD THIRD EDITION GARY D. COOK University of Arizona 2 SCHIRMER CENGAGE Learning————_[BRIEF CONTENTS CHAPTER CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 HAPTER 7 CSAPTER 6 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 AFTERWORD APPENDIX A APPENDIX B. DETAILED CONTENTS wi PRE cE ow INTRODUCTION at ABOUT THE AUTHOR xxx General Considerations and Prerequisites 1 Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum 24 Multiple Percussion 79 Keyboard Percussion 93 Timpani 157 Bas: 215 Drum, Cymbals, and Accessorie Percussion Instruments of the World 253 Drum Set 294 Marching Percussion 329 Musical Interpretation of Percussion Parts 425 Supplemental Playing Exercises 454 Future Trends in Percussion Education 471 Orchestral Excerpts for Percussion and Discography of Percussion Music 473 Select Percussion Solo and Ensemble Music 483 Glossary of Foveign Terms S07 Brologapry S10 Index 919eHariins cuae [DETAILED CONTENTS }—— PREFACE > INTRODUCTION x AKIOUT THE AUTHOR 00x General Considerations and Prerequisites 1 e cussion Performance and Education 2 General Considerations 2 (Classitication of Instruments 2 Tne Production on Percussion Instruments Notation Systems for Percussion Interpretation of Notation 8 or nizing the Beginning Percussion Program 10 lcting the Percussion Stuxient 1 Training the Beginning Pereussionist | 12 Organizing the Percussion Section 13 cevommendled Percussion Instrumentation 14 Sevonimended Sticks and Mallets 16 Jostrument and Percassionist Assignments 16 | ouatinn of the Percussion Section in the Ensemble 17) Percussion Instrument Substitution 17 General Maintenance and Head Replacement Mois ating the Percussianist [9 Peecussion Method Books 20 Iuwlisitial fnsteument Methods 20 Combined Percussion Methods 20) Fereussion Ensemble Collections 20 General Guistes t Percussion 21 Perussive Arts Society 23 Notes 23 Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum 24 Historical Origins 24 Phe Snare Drum 25 Construction 25 Careand Maintenance 27 unin, 28 Stands 29 Sticks 29 Playing Areas 30 Jom Tom, Field Drum, Tenor Drum, and Roto-Toms 31 The Attitude Toward Percussion Performance and Education 33 Matched and Traditional Grip 35 Instrument Height and Stance 36 “Detailed Contents CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 AConcept of the Grip and Stroke 37 ‘The Pivot Point or Fulcrum 38 TheGrip 35 The Basic Percussion Stroke 39 Basic Drumming Technique 44 Rebounds, Doubles, and Rolls 45 Roll interpretation 31 The Stroke-and-a-Bounce and Finger Stroke Control ® Accent Studies 61 Grace Note Figures (Flams and Drags/Rutis; 62 Special Effects—Rim and Stick Shots and Others 66 Sticking Policies 66 Phrasing 70 The Strokes 71 Individual Snare Drum Methods and Supplemental Studies Major Applied Methods 73 Supplemental Studies Snare Drum Technique 75 Selected Solos 76 Notes 78 Multiple Percussion 79 History and Definitions 79 Notational Systems 80 Additional Considerations $6 Multiple Percussion Studies and Solos 89 Methods and Solo Collections Si Selected Solos 59 Keyboard Percussion 93 Origins and Classifications 93 Instrument Characteristics 94 Xylophone 94 Marimba 95 Vibraphone (Vibraharp or Vibe) Glockenspiel or Concert Bells 99 Marching Bell Lyre 101 Chimes 101 Crotales 103 Celesta 104 Unique Instruments 105 Mallets 106 Keyboard Percussion Technique 107 TheGrip 107 Playing Areas on the Bars 109 The Approach 110 TheStroke 110 ‘The Full Stroke Technique 111 ‘The Touch-Lift Stroke 114 ‘The Sustained Tone or Roll 116 Special Efects 118 Keyboard Percussion Reading 119CHAPTER 5 Detailed Contents Expression and Phrasing on Keyboard Percussion Instruments 125 Multiple Mallets 127 ‘The Traditional Cross-Grip 128 The Musser (Stevens) Grip 130 The Burton Grip 132 Multiple-Mallet Keyboard Percussion Technique 133 Vibraphone Technique 143, Individual Keyboard Methods and Supplemental Studies 146 Major Applied Methods 146 Supplemental Studies 147 Vibraphone Methods 148 Supplemental Studies 149 Other Music Adaptable to Keyboard Percussion Study 149 Selected Solos 150 Notes 156 Timpani 157 Historical Origins 187 Performance Considerations 158 Developing the Timpanist 160 Ear Training 160 Practicing 162 Instruments and Mallets 163 Construction and Manufacturers 163 Heads 164 Mallets 165 Sizesand Ranges 167 Head and Mechanical Adjustments 168 Head Replacement/Selecting the Playing Spot 172 ing Heads 17; Timpani Technique 175 Position af the Timpani and Playing Areas 176 Tuning a Pitch 177 Basic Tuning Exercise 174 Performance Tuning 179 Tuning Gauges 181 Intonation Tempering 184 TheGrips 185 The Basie Timpani Stroke 186 Articulation Considerations and Musical Expression 188 Rolls, Finger Strokes, and Forearm 196 Forte-Piano Rolls 200 Muffling 201 Muting 203 CrossSticking 204 Individual Timpani Methods and Supplemental Studies 209 Major Applied Methods 209 Supplemental Studies 210 Orchestral Excerpts 210 Reference Books and Videos 211 ected Solos 211 Notes 214Detailed Contents chapter @ Bass Drum, Cymbals, and Accessories 215 The Bass Drum 215 Construction and Selection 215 Heads 215 Tuning 216 Stands 216 Humidifiers 217 Mallets 218 Playing Techniques 221 ‘The Artof Playing Bass Drum and Attached Cymbal 224 Cymbals 225 Origins 225 Construction and Selection 225 Straps and Pads 226 Care 226 Crash Cymbals 227 Suspended Cymbals 230 Triangle 231 Origins 231 Selection 232 Clips 232 Beaters 233 Playing Techniques 233 Tambourine 234 Origins 234 Selection 235 Care 235 Playing Techniques 233 Gongs and Tam Tams 237 Origins 237 Construction and Selection Mallets and Racks 239 Playing Techniques 240 Castanets 240 Origins 240 Construction and Selection 240 Playing Techniques 240 Wood Blocks 242 Origins 242 Construction and Selection 242 Playing Techniques 242 Temple Blocks 243 Origins 245) Playing Techniques 243 Less Common Instrumental Accessories 244 Finger Cymbals 244 Cowbells 249 Sleigh Bells 244 Slapstick 245 Ratchet 246 Metal Plates, Anvils, and Pipes 246 Brake Drums 246 Percussion Aerophones, Toys, and Exotic Instruments 246. Sandpaper Blocks 247CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER & Detailed Contents Hors 248 Marching Machine and Horses’ Hooves 248 Lujon 248 Slit Drums and Log Drums 248 find Chimes 249 Methods and Studies for Bass Drum, Cymbals, and Accessories 251 Notes 252 Percussion Instruments of the World 253 African Influences and Styles 254 African Roots 254 Kinka 2! Kpanlogo 259 Afro-Cuban Influences and Styles 264 Claves 265 Bongos 266 Congas 268 Timbales 271 Cowbells 273 Guiro 274 Maracas 274 Jawbone (Quijada) and Vibra-Slap 275 jan Influences and Styles 275 Surdo 274 Repinique 276 Braz Other Brazilian Instruments 276 Hand Drums of the World 279 Middle Eastern Influences and Styles 279 Global Frame Drumming and Groove Tunes 280 Tabla 283 Steel Drums 285 Percussion of the World: Methods and Study Materials 289 Supplemental Studies 291 Drum Set 294 Origins and Evolution 294 Dixieland Drumming 295 The Swing Era and Big Band Drumming 296 Bop, Cool Jazz, and Hard Bop 296 Contemporary Eclectic and Rock Styles 297 Instruments 298 Tuning and Heads 299 Cymbals 300 Electronic Percussion and Technology 301 Current Electronic Percussion Instruments 301 Using Technology as a Tool 302 Other Technologies for the Classroom 304 Concepts for Drum Set Study and Performance 305 Body Awareness and Instrument Setup 306 Musical Awareness 306 Performance Techniques 308 Developing the Feet 308 Ride Cymbal Time 310Detailed Contents CHAPTER © Coordinated Independence, Four-Way Coordination, Interdependence 313 Movement Around the Drums 315 Chart Reading and Interpretation 315 Brushes 317 Basic Styles and Considerations 317 Drum Set Methods, DVDs, Videos, and Supplemental Studies 321 Video Tapes and DVDs 321 Comprehensive Methods for Drum SetStudy 323 Supplemental Studies for Comprehensive Study 324 ‘Methods for Styles Awareness, Chart Reading, and Interpretation Supplemental Studies for Styles Awareness, Chart Reaching and Interpretation 325 ‘Afro-Cuban and Brazilian Styles 325 Brush Methods 326 Methods for Movement Around the Drums 326 Supplemental Studies for Movement Around the Dra Moltiple-Percussion Drum Set Solos 327 Notes 328 Marching Percussion 329 History and Evolution 329 Developing the Contemporary Marching Percussion Section Instruments and Equipment 332 Bass Drums 352 SnareDrum 336 Tenors or Multi-Tom Toms 340 Cymbals 342 The Front Ensemble or Pit 342 ‘Training the Marching Percussionist 444 The System Md Marching 344 Timing Training 345 Rehearsal Techniques and Philosophy 346 ‘The Stroke Awareness Approach 347 ‘The Stroke Awareness System 49 ‘The Basic Grips, Strokes, and Dynamic Levels 350 Developing a Warm-Up Routine 351 Developing Uniform Drumming Skills 362 Visuals 375 Rudimental Drumming 377 Scoring and Arranging for Marching Percussion 393 Field Placement and Projection 403, ‘The Challenge 405 ‘Marching Percussion Arrangements for the Methods Class 406 ‘Marching Percussion Methods and Materials 420 Major Complete Methods for Individual and Ensemble Studly 421 Supplemental Studies for the Individual and Full Ensemble 422 Warm-Ups and Cadences for the Full Ensemble 423 Percussion Features 423 Contemporary Rudimental Solos, Books, and Videos 424 Selected Traditional Rudimental Solos and Books and Videos 424 Notes 424 53Detailed Contents xa CHAPTER 10 Musical Interpretation of Percussion Parts 425 Interpretive Commentary on the Percussion Writing in Gustav Holst’s First Suite in Ebfor Military Band 426 Notes 453 cHapter 11 Supplemental Playing Exercises 454 Basic Stroke Combinations 454 Buzz Comparisons 455 ‘Tied Rolls 457 Nontied Rolls 457 Double Stroke and Rebound Control 459 Finger Control Exercises 459 Sticking Policy Exercises 460 Keyboard Exercises 463 Supplemental Percussion Ensemble African Creation by Dr Jeannine Remy 470 ArTeRwoRD Future Trends in Percussion Education 471 appenoix a Orchestral Excerpts for Percussion and Discography of Percussion Music 473 sreenoix s Select Percussion Solo and Ensemble Music 483 Slossary of Foreign Terms 507 Biography 510 index 513GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND PREREQUISITES HROUGHOUT the twenticth century and now into the new millennium, T composers of serious orchestral, band, and chamber music have been attracted to the inhexent compositional potentialities of percussion instruments more than at any time previously in the history of music. By exploring these potentialities and © imaginatively and abundantly for percussion, these composers have nipasee! increasing demands on music organizations to provide a larger inventory of oveinsion instruments and more well-trained percussionists to perform on these in- (s. The average school percussionist is now likely to be called upon to perform ieclinically and musically: demanding parts that are far beyond the capabilities devel- coped through the average school music program. To address these demands of percus- cussion students and teachers must adopt a system of study that devclops.a musical understanding of percussion instruments, theit techniques, and thir literature. The objectives of sucha system can only be fully eealized when consideration i given to all aspects of the percussionist’s education and the environment in which the study and performance occur Tio ten, the standard music aptitude tests will result in a person‘s being assigned to “play the drums” because he or she indicated a weakness in perceiving relative pitch aching in “intelligence” or “Seriousness” with regard to musical ability and sistdy. As will be clear from the following chapters, the musical demands on the percussionists are equal to, if not greater than, the complexity of those encountered in the study of any musical instrument, Therefore, the person who undertakes the study of percussion should at least possess average musical skills and perhaps display exceptional intelligence and seriousness The percussion student's (and teacher's) initial exposure to percussion study should include discussions about the historical considerations of percussion music and styles and the development of a complete theoretical understanding of music, This understanding of the rhythmic, melodic, harmonic, and structural elements in music is most naturally developed while pursuing the technical and aural study of both the drums and percussion keyboard instruments, In addition, piano study is highly recommended, although starting the percussionist first on some band or orchestra instrument cother than percussion is not. [fa marimba, xylophone, or vibraphone is definitely not available, then a “percussion kit” may be used that includes a drum or pad and bells. As soon as possible, the school and /or the serious student should acquire one of the larger keyboard instruments for continued study. ‘To advance the musical and technical development of the percussionist further, solo literature should be studied and a percussion ensemble established. It is through writing mor sion writing, today’s pe orseemed to bea Chapter 1 percussion ensemble performance that the student will learn musical ensemble listening and sensitive playing habits, become familiar with a variety of percussion instruments, and be challenged technically and musically beyond the average demands of band or orchestral literature. Working with the percussion ensemble will also enable the teacher, and especially the nonpercussionist music educator, to best understand the percussion instruments and his or her percussionists. Successfull percussion education and acquisition of musical concepts of performance are facilitated when the training of the percussion student = Is based on practical and logical development of playing techniques and aural skills = Examines percussion’s heritage, literature development, and organization considerations = Cultivates an aesthetic appreciation and general understanding of music ™ Offers the student meaningful and provocative musical experiences ™| PERCUSSION PERFORMANCE AND EDUCATION General Considerations Percussion writing has evolved to its present prestigious and complex level in music. Composers incorporated percussion sounds into their scores gradually, after careful experimentation and consideration over a long period. These evolutionary developments in percussion writing have resulted in increased use of percussion in music at all educational levels, from college down through elementary school band, orchestra, and small ensemble literature—with greater technical and musical demands placed on the performing school percussionist. The percussion teacher and performer need to concern, themselves initially with adopting a percussion teaching and playing system that addresses these technical and musical demands anuf develops a knowledgeable musician. The need for a consistent playing system on all percussion instruments is primary in this era of the total percussionist. In preparation for the study of the techniques of playing, a familiarity with the instruments and their notation is essential Classification of Instruments Assurvey of the modern symphony orchestra will reveal a division of the instruments into three major families: the strings, the winds (perhaps further divided into wood~ winds and brass), and the percussion. Similarly, the instruments in a concert or marching band can be categorized as the winds (again, perhaps woodwinds and brass) and the percussion. Yet while comprising one-third of the instrumental families in an orchestra and one-half of the instrumental families in a band, the instruments of the percussion section are entrusted to a very few performers. Each percussionist must possess an immediate familiarity with the many different instruments that he or she is called upon to play. This great variety of percussion instruments is commonly divided into two separate groups: those of definite pitch and those of indefinite pitch (or, as Cecil Forsyth’s Orchestration states, “musical” and “unmusical”).! However, a more detailed examination and logical classification of this large family of instruments will yield Curt Sachs's classification of idiophones, membranophones, chordophones, and aerophones?; this classification, then, as Reginald Brindle suggests, may be subdivided further according to possible musical characteristics, resulting in: (1) tuned instruments, (2) instruments of indefinite pitch, and (3) instruments usually considered to be of indefinite pitch but that canbe tuned? Idiophones The idiophones produce sounds through the vibration of their entire body. Although they are usually struck to make a sound—as is a cymbal, triangle, woodGeneral Considerations and Prerequisites block, clave, slapstick, or keyboard percussion instrument—they may be shaken, scraped, rubbed, or bowed, as is a maraca or guiro. (See DVD demonstrations.) The keyboard percussion instruments, chromatic cowbells, steel drums, and authentic ‘comprise the tuned idiophone list, with most other idiophones classified as indefinite pitch even though a set of temple blocks or wood blocks or a number of graduated cymbals or triangles may be grouped in an intervallic relationship to sustain melodic ideas. ‘The unique tonal quality or timbre of most indefinite pitch idiophones (as well as indefinite pitch membranophones) allows for a blending of their sound with pitched orchestral and band instruments without unpleasant dissonances. Membranophones The membranophones produce sounds through the vibration of a membrane, usually an animal skin or plastic head, stretched over a shell or bowl. There are various constructions of these drums: shells with open ends, as is the case with timbales, bongos, and some tom toms shells with ends closed by a membrane that sympathetically vibrates with the struck membrane and air chamber within the shell, as with snare drums and most bass drums and tom toms; and the closed shell or bowl of the timpanior tabla. (See DVD demonstrations.) Timpani and the tabla are tuned to spe- ific pitches and, along with the shell-less roto-toms, are clearly discernible as tuned membranophones, Most other drums are considered indefinite pitch, although many of the open-end or single-headed bongos and tom toms are capable of being tuned to definite pitches. Developments in marching percussion include multi-toms and tonal bass drums that are deliberately tuned to definite pitches (see Chapter 9). However, their pitch is often unclear, and therefore they are not generally classified as tuned membranophones but indefinite pitch membranophones that can be tuned. Chordophones Chordophones produce sounds through the vibration of strings ‘ched over or through a resonating box that helps to amplify the sound. Most chordophones are tuned and are played by striking, stroking, rubbing, or plucking, as with the cimbalom or zither, or are played by a hammer striking or plucking a string through keyboard action, as with the piano or harpsichord. Because of this, the piano is sometimes called a percussion instrument. The lion's roar is a common percussion chordo- none. {See DVD demonstration.) Aerophones Aerophones produce sounds through the vibration of an enclosed air column, usually set into motion by air blown across a reed or special aperture. Percus- sion aerophones include various kinds of train, bird, boat, and slide whistles as well as sirens, horns, wind machines, and bull roarers, the latter causing air itself to vibrate when swung overhead. Although some percussion aerophones produce a definite pitch, they are generally not classified as tuned. (See DVD demonstrations.) Electrophones Contributions by Scott Deal Another category of percussion instruments is the electronic percussions or electrophones. In addition to electronic instruments, these include the use of microphones with acoustic instruments for sound amplification, reinforcement, ot to obtain unique effects when fed through complex filters, processors, mixers, and amplifiers. The growth and development of the electronic and percussion media over the last century and a half are strikingly intertwined. Their nearly simultaneous development is. rooted to enormous technological innovations in the late nineteenth century that served as a catalyst for new and revolutionary musical thought. As technology progressed through the twentieth century, composers and musicians sought new forms of expres sion, and perhaps the most important medium that came out of this quest was noise, or un-pitched sound, Early pioneers in the use of noise as an expressive medium produced great works in both electronic and percussion genres. DvD DvD DvDChapter 1 Edgar Varese’s lonization (1931) for 13 percussionists is regarded as one of the great musical masterpieces of the twentieth century. In it and his other works of the 1930s (he used the Thereminvox in Equitorial in 1943), Varese took acoustic sounds and sonorities as far as he could with the compositional materials available. With the advent of musique concrete on tape in the 1940s and electronic laboratories in the 1950s, Varese and other ‘composers now had new composition materials. In 1954 he produced Deserts, one of his most important works, for wind instruments, percussion, and electronically produced sounds on tape. Varese created his Poeme Electronic for 425 loudspeakers at the Brussels Exposition in 1957, after a nearly two-decade hiatus from composing as he waited for these new musical resources. Po?me Electronic is one of the landmark electronic compositions of the twentieth century. In addition to Varese’s works, John Cage's Amores (1943), for percussion ensemble with prepared piano, is regarded as a classic, and his Imaginary Landscape series (1942 1951) is a monumental work for percussion and electronic sounds. Cage further experi- mented with electronics in 1960 with his Cartridge Music and used it in his lecture, “Where Are We Going and What Are We Doing?” in the same year. In addition, Karl- heinz Stockhausen’s Electronic Studies (1954) became the first published score of el tronic music. His Kontakte (1960) for piano, percussion, and electronic sounds on tape and his Microphonie | (31966) for amplified tam tam are examples of his style of incorpo- rating acoustic percussion with electronics. In light of the way these two media were used in tandem, it is not surprising that electronic percussion instruments were eventually created and became an essential part of the percussionist’s tool kit, ‘The use of electronics and percussion was generally confined to experimental music until the 1960s, when continued technological and cultural advancements paved the way for widespread musical use. The ability to build affordable high-quality electronic devices meant that many more people could create meaningful music. Consequently, electronic sound as a medium sprang forth from the culture of experimental music and spread to virtually every other genre. The first commercially accessible synthesizer was the Mini Moog synthesizer, which became very popular after Wendy Carlos recorded Switched on Bach in 1968. This album of Johann Sebastian Bach’s compositions was performed entirely on the larger and more expensive Moog synthesizer and became a huge international success. With the widespread popularity of the Mini Moog, other synthesizers became available commercially, so that by the 1970s many devices were in use across the spec trum of musical styles, including Classical, jazz, funk, rock, pop, and country. The first widely marketed drum synthesizer was the Moog 1130 Drum Controller. This device, introduced in 1973, gave audiences their first exposure to synthesized drums in the concerts of progressive rock bands such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Other devices, most featuring minimal built-in synthesizers, followed in the pre-MIDI era of the later 1970s and can be heard in much of the dance/disco music of that time, notably the Pearl synthetic drums, the Synares, the Syndrum, and the percussion interfaces from ElectroHarmonix.t In the 1980s, as computer microprocessors became more integral to synthesizers, a computer protocol called musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) was developed to enable instruments to be connected and to work in tandem. With the advent of MIDI, many new devices came into the music market, including programmable drum ma: chines capable of playing dance beats independently and percussion controllers, which when struck would measure contact and impact velocity and send MIDI information to modules containing drum and percussion sounds. ‘Samplers also became very popular in the 1980s. A sampler differs from a synthesizer in that it plays recorded sounds as opposed to electronically produced sounds. The Linn LM-1, built by Roger Linn in 1980, was the first drum machine to use sampled drum sounds. A host of drum machines followed, including the Linn Drum, the E-Mu Systems Drumulator, and the Roland TR-808. In 1982, the Simmons Company of the United Kingdom introduced the first digital drum set. In 1985, Roland followed Sim-General Considerations and Prerequisites ‘mons with an electronic drum kit ofits own, the DDR-30. Soon, drum machines and electronic drum sets were made by Dynacord, E-Mu Systems, Kawai, Korg, Obetheim, Pearl, Sequential Circuits, and Yamaha. As manufacturers perfected the MIDI specification over the next several years, other percussion controllers came into the marketplace. In 1985 Simmons introduced the Silicon Mallet, the first commercially available mallet config- ured controller. In 1986, Roland introduced the Pad-8 (later known as the Octa-Pad), a dedicated percussion controller with eight playing surfaces and a variety of MIDI controlling functions. In the early 1990s Bill Katoski, founder of the Massachusetts-based KAT Corporation (now called Alternate Mode), invented the MalletKAT, a mallet controller with up to a four-octave range and in 1995 introduced the DrumKAT, a percussion controller very similar to the Octa-Pad and TrapKAT. In 1999 Roland introduced its V-drums electronic drum technology to the world of hand percussion with their HPD-15 Hand- Sonic Hand Percussion Pad, capable of triggering 300 drum sounds by hand from 15 pads. See Scott Deal’s comments and demonstrations of the MalletKAT and DrumKAT and their use in education on the DVD. Also see video and audio demonstrations of electrophones at www.alternatemode.com and www.roland.co.uk/drum_room.asp By the 1990s MIDI controllers had become very powerful and quite sophisticated in their number of functions and the degree to which they could perform according to the wishes of musicians. Aesthetically, however, many musicians and concertgoers found that MIDI percussion controllers did not measure up to the sophistication of acoustic percussion instruments in their sound and in the way they are performed, and since the late 1990s there has been a trend toward refining uses for MIDI percussion controllers, Although MIDI controllers have retreated somewhat from the concert stage in favor of acoustic instruments, they thrive in recording studios, and the MIDI protocol has become an indispensable component to the modern musician. MIDI is used as the basis for notation software programs such as Finale and Sibelius, and it is also the foundation for DAW, or digital audio workstation software. DAW software is multi-use and can record and play back musical sound sources such as samplers, synthesizers, and sound processors. These sound devices are available as stand-alone boxes or as software, DAW software is also capable of digital recording and sound pro- cessing, so a musician can have MIDI signals playing sound modules while simultaneously playing a recording of a singer or instrumentalist. Today, music technology has become so sophisticated that it becomes hard to imagine what it cannot do. Most of what is heard in commercial and industrial music today is produced on software, Percussion controllers are found in almost every aspect of music performance and production, and music technology in general has become an integral part of the total music experience. Enhancing the band or orchestra classroom with percussion controllers ensures young students are receiving a realistic exposure to the music world at Jarge. (See DVD demonstrations of electronic drum set in Chapter 8.) Tone Production on Percussion Instruments The acoustical properties of percussion instruments vary greatly according to instrument size and construction. Membranophones produce sound when the membrane or head is put into vibration, usually in combination with air within the drum. They have three basic sound-producing head areas: (1) center-—producing the lowest, fundamental tone, with a dry, non-ringing quality; (2) aff center—producing a very low tone with much greater resonance than center; and (3) edge—producing a very ringy, light, superfi- cial tone. Excluding timpani, this edge area is unsuitable for loud playing. These playing areas are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 2 (snare drum), Chapter 5 (timpani), and Chapter 6 (bass drum) andl are demonstrated on the DVDs. Idiophones produce sound when their bodies are caused to vibrate. Excepting keyboard instruments, most idiophones have a fundamental playing spot (sometimes referred to as “sweet spot”) and other playing areas that may be struck for effect or color sounds but are not generally recognized as the best characteristic sound-producing DvD Q@QR: Chapter 1 areas of the instrument. However, the deliberate manipulation of timbre and tone color by varying playing spots on keyboard percussion instrument bars is essential to performance with musical expression. Stick selection aside, the musical context of a passage will suggest the use of a particular playing spot to a sensitive performer. Great care must be taken to maintain the selected playing spot to achieve tonal consistency throughout the performance. Basic tone production on all struck percussion instruments requires an understanding of grip and stroke. In general, if a resonant, full-sounding, or legato tone is desired, a relaxed grip and fluid stroke is employed with a stick or beater. (Although legato actually refers to the connection of notes, the term is used here in its traditional sense to convey a fully sustained, resonant tone quality. It also connotes the proper type of stroke that is fundamental to optimum technical and musical development.) On membra: nophones especially, the stroke is usually made in such a way that the beater is alloweul to rebound off the playing surface free of any resistance in the grip or stroke. This initi legato approach to tone production (presented consistently throughout this text) will develop a flexible technique that will later enable the performer to alter the grip an: stroke to varying degrees, as intended, and therefore affect the sound produced. A slight alteration in the grip or stroke can result in a sharper and dryer attack sound or, conversely, a lighter sound. The sharper attack requires a firmer grip and shorter, stiffer stroke, which together result in the beater's remaining on the playing surface slightly longer (a fraction of a second) and therefore creating a dryer or more staccato sound. A lighter tone requires a more relaxed grip and quicker lifting of the beater from the play ing surface than is obtained by allowing a natural rebound. ‘The ring length, timbre (harmonic structure), and dynamic shading of a tone produced on idiophones, especially keyboard instruments, is most greatly affected by the velocity of the stroke. The basic relevant equation for bar ring on keyboard instruments is eM x V? (one-half the mass of the mallet times the velocity of the mallet squared). Relaxed, wrist-generated strokes allow for the best control of velocity in keyboard performance. Any subtle alteration in grip or stroke type should only aid in creating an “attitude” toward tone production and phrasing that ultimately enhances musical expression. Although easily described, these articulations are only produced with well- developed technique and musical sensitivity Other factors in tone production are the size, weight, and construction of the beater and stroke angle. In general, a soft beater will absorb high overtones and produce a more fundamental tone. As hardness is increased, more partials are heard and, in some cases, less fundamental. Great care must be taken in selecting appropriate mallets for the instrument and passage to be played. While in general one may assume a smaller- headed beater produces a smaller, more compact (or staccato) tone, the weight more than the size of a beater in many playing situations determines whether a characteristic sound is produced. Too often timpani mallets are used for rolls on a large bass drum ot tam tam instead of appropriate heavier bass drum or tam tam mallets. Similarly, a yarn marimba mallet or heavy snare drum stick used on a high-tuned small bongo will “overplay” or muffle the characteristic tone that should be achieved by using lightweight dowels or fingers. This mutfling of tone that results from using too heavy or too large a mallet is caused by the mallet’s staying on the striking surface too long because of weight or by too many vibrations from the instrument being absorbed into the contact area of the mallet head due to its large size. The relation of stroke angle to playing surface also greatly affects mallet contact area. (See DVD demonstrations.) Other artistic concepts regarding tone production must be considered when performing. The reader is referred to sections in each chapter for further discussion of ideas concerning the playing areas on the instrument, placement of strokes relative to each stick’s striking point in the playing area, sticking choice, direction of stroke (whether straight up and down or in a slightly clockwise or counter-clockwise curve), the projec tion of tone to the listener, and basic concept of tone desired according to the musical context of the particular note in the phrase line and the performer’s mental /aural/ kinesthetic image of the music.General Considerations and Prerequisites , Notation Systems for Percussion With an understanding of the classification of the many percussion instruments, the percussionist must next learn about the various systems for percussion notation and become aware of their advantages and disadvantages. The objective of any musical notation should be to show the performer as clearly as possible what he or she is expected to play. For percussion writing this would imply using the least number of written instructions or symbols and the fewest lines as possible. Notation for tuned percussion instruments presents few problems, since a standard five-line staff is used with appropriate clef signs and key signatures. However, the lack of standardization and dis- crepancies in notational practices for untuned percussion result in serious notational problems for the percussionist as well as the composer and conductor. Of the basic systems of notation generally used—(1) staff, (2) line score, (3) symbol notation, (4) combined line score and symbol notation, and (5) adapted keyboard notation—the conventional five-line staff is most common. Standard orchestral and band percussion parts written on a conventional staff afford the performer a clear understanding of what needs to be played as long as only a few instruments are written on the same staff. Example 1-A is a typical march part for snare drum, bass drum, and cymbals (three players). The cymbals and bass drum play together (notated tog.) unless stated separately. EXAMPLE 1-A Typical march notation SD. cym. solo mf tog TT D. The conventional staff has also sufficed for notating simple standard drum set music (Example 1-B). See Chapter 8 for further examples. EXAMPLE 1-B | Drum set notation Cymbal ‘Small Tom Tom 2 Snare Drum Large Tom Tom Bass Drum High Hat8 Chapter 1 In both Examples 1-A and 1-B, the use of bass clef is quite standard, although no definite pitch is implied and therefore its use is unnecessary. In the past, various orchestration books and composers have used treble clef and even alto and tenor clefs to suggest a confusing pitch relationship among several percussion instruments. More recently the use of a “neutral” or “percussion clef” has become more widely adopted for notating untuned percussion (sce Examples 3-A and 3-B). Further examination of line score, symbol notation, combined line score and symbol notation (sometimes referred to as expanded symbol notation), and adapted keyboard notation is taken up in Chapter 3. Refer to musical Examples 3-A to 3-1 for more study of these notational concepts. Interpretation of Notation Beyond understanding and being able to perform notes in a correct mathematical relationship to time—in other words, being able to play rhythms and dynamics accurately, sometimes referred to as “playing the ink”—there are other considerations that have to do with music interpretation. Once a basic proficiency in note reading has been acquired, the percussionist will need to consider the interpretation of the duration of notated percussion sounds. When a composer writes a note of any value, this note essentially tells the performer when to start the sound, Depending on the percussion instrument played, that sound may decay very rapidly or naturally vibrate and ring for several seconds. A sensitive musical problem arises when the percussionist attempts to interpret what the composer intended, or better, what the music demands in terms of muffling or allowing notes to ring. Specific comments about each instrument's physical and technical capabilities will be discussed in detail in individual chapters and in Chap- ter 10. Briefly, if the performer listens closely to the ensemble to determine the kind of, sound that will match or enhance its sound, he or she can quickly decide whether to muffle or to allow a tone to ring. If a question remains concerning, interpretation, one might investigate the score or other instrumental part or discuss note durations with the conductor. A problem similar to single-note performance is roll interpretation. Probably the most common question is whether or not to tie a roll into a successive roll or single release note (if no tie is written), or to roll a single release note. The performer should first listen, then check a score or part, of discuss the question with the conductor. The notation for rolls varies depending on the instrument, style, period of music, and the notational practices of the composer. Rolls may be indicated by writing a tremolo sign, or three or more slashes over a note, or merely by instructing the performer to “roll all notes.” Generally, the beam or flag of the eighth note is counted as one of the three slashes designating the roll (see Example 1-C), EXAMPLE 1-C = Rollnotation Timpani A. WP wocerer La Confusion results when a roll is intended for a sixteen-note value, and only one slash is added to the sixteenth. To avoid this ambiguity, some composers have adopted the practice of using two or three slashes regardless of note value. However, the ps sionist must be prepared to interpret and perform any version (Example 1-D). yercusGeneral Considerations and Prerequisites EXAMPLE 1-D a Rollclarification SD. A SD. instead of _B. While most Classical composers indicate rolls with the tree sign, many times they use abbreviated notation for strict eighth-note or sixteenth-note subdivision to give a ‘metered roll” effect (Example 1-E), Very often this will occur in orchestral passages where the timpani are reinforcing eighth or sixteenth notes in the strings. Correct interpretation of such abbreviated rhythms is critical to the musical outcome of the performance. EXAMPLE 1-E © Metered rolls Timpani | (a written) {as played) \ solution to unclear roll notation is the addition of a tie from the note value to be rolled to a successive roll or single release note. Use of a tie from the roll to the release note in Examples 1-C and 1-D would clarify the exact value of all the rolls, as shown in Example 1-F EXAMPLE 1-F Tie clarification or We tr ff ot 2S BS Occasionally, when interpreting tied rolls the performer may choose to sustain the roll through the value of the single nonrolled release note. A common example would be a written quarter-note roll tied to a single quarter note when musically what is sounding, is a half note in the ensemble, Again, careful listening and references to another instrumental part or score will detect such situations. The techniques of performing both tied and nontied rolls are discussed in later chapters. The phrasing of roll attacks and releases and single-note lengths should be marked by the percussionist in all parts. The use of standard articulation markings is suggested,0 Chapter 1 as follows: a staccato mark p. secco (sec.), or caesura ( //) to indicate muffling; a breath mark or luftpause (9) used between nontied rolls or before a release note to indicate a slight separation; a tenuto ” to suggest a note be allowed to ring or weight be given to the attack or release, yet without accenting. Other possible markings might include a half staccato () or slurred staccato ¢ p to suggest a slight muffle or separation. Of course, the tie would indicate a connected sound for rolls or to let ring if used with a note that was followed by a rest. Other common foreign terms could be employed, such as laissez vibrer (7), meaning to let vibrate or ring, The use of these phrasing and articulation marks, especially in ensemble performance, can make the difference between a musically correct performance and just a bunch of notes. Example 1-G illustrates use of these markings. See Chapter 10 for these phrasing. concepts expressed in a musical context. These same articulation marks can have further artistic meaning to the percussionist who has a clear musical understanding of expres sive phrasing and tone production on percussion instruments, EXAMPLE 1-G m Interpretive markings AS WRITTEN: Bp, Maestoso Sf see. see AS MARKED AND PLAYED WITH ADDED PHRASING AND ARTICULATION: Maestoso t sec. see, 2 ’ 9) 9) ™ ORGANIZING THE BEGINNING PERCUSSION PROGRAM Itis not uncommon for average percussionists who approach playing and understanding percussion instruments only through experiences in band or orchestra class to find themselves bored with the repetitious, unchallenging parts; consequently they never really gain much understanding of correct techniques and musical expression on percussion instruments, They are often weak in reading and incapable of advanced tech.General Considerations and Prerequisites niques, and this often causes disturbances within the entire ensemble because of their frustrations. To avoid this detrimental situation, a regular meeting time for training the percussionists must be established in addition to the regularly scheduled heterogeneous instrumental class meetings common to all music education programs. In many school systems this established time is called sectional, small ensemble, or class lesson time. Some systems divide the entire instrumental ensemble into homogeneous instrumental groups for regular meetings. In other systems scheduling any activities other than the regular band or orchestra rehearsal is a major problem. Separate percussion meetings must have priority over any other small instrumental session for several reasons: unique aspects of percussion techniques, problems with performance on all the various instruments, and organizational and maintenance considerations regarding the many instruments. Additional outside private instruction with a qualified teacher should be arranged if at all possible. Although full ensemble experience is important to all musicians, thorough beginning level percussion training cannot be adequately accomplished through the heterogeneous class approach. Indeed, many educators support the homogeneous approach to successful beginning level instruction of all instruments. To initiate a beginning percussion class program, the director may choose to have the school system furnish materials in the form of practice pads and beginning keyboards, or, depending on the policies regarding early instrument purchase, the student may be asked to furnish a “percussion Kit” consisting of a student line drum or pad and a set of bells. As soon as possible, fullsize percussion keyboard instruments should be used. The availability of instruments and established practices of the school system will, of course, affect the setting up of the percussion class. If drums are available (many tines, hancl-me-downs from the high school program), then only keyboards need to be furnished. Increasingly percussion instruments used in the marching band pit or front ensemble ate used in the beginning percussion class and as regular concert instruments. Marching bass drums and tom toms may be converted to concert instruments for indoor use, In the situation where marching keyboard instruments are used in the beginning, percussion class, only drums or pads need to be furnished. The arrangement of instruments and students in the classroom will vary depending on the activities and instruction. A half-circle arrangement made with the instruments facing the instructor works well for general class explanations of techniques and instruments or when the entire class is playing related exercises together. If pads are used, they can be placed on music stands turned flat and adjusted to proper playing height, or they can be placed on a table or stool of the proper height. Tunable practice pads are very versatile when attached to suspended cymbal stands. Other keyboard instruments and drums may be arranged similarly for full class sessions. Mixed instrumentation sessions, like percussion ensembles, will obviously need to be set up according to the needs of the music and number of players. Utilizing the marching band front ensemble as the percussion class setting can be very effective and can serve as a natural transition to the percussion ensemble or indoor drum line activities. Selecting the Percussion Student Almost everybody would like to “play the drums" if only given the chance. Merely observe a lone drum or other percussion instrument standing in a hallway between classes, Hardly a student will pass without “tunking” on it, or more. However, the selection of the percussion student cannot be taken too lightly. The musical, technical, and organizational demands on today’s percussionist require that this person have a high level of intelligence, a sincere curiosity about music in general and especially about playing percussion, and a dedication and clear understanding of what it takes to become a percussionist/musician. The degree of serious commitment and understanding will be measured by the student’s performance and musical growth. In general, however, a student who indicates a sincere desire to participate in musical activities as aChapter 1 percussionist and who has a reasonable amount of intelligence and organization would bea good candidate for percussion study. Other previous musical experience (like piano background, elementary music classes—Orff especially) and general sensitivity toward music should also be considered when selecting the percussion student, To attempt to evaluate any natural musical ability, the teacher might ask the prospective percussionist to clap or sing back simple (or complex) rhythmic dictations, keep time to recorded music (march and clap on and off beats), perhaps indicate intervallic relationships between notes (assuming he or she can match pitch and discern general differences in pitch), and even hold sticks and play some instruments. Allowing the student to explore several percussion instruments on their own (for example, picking out melodies by ear) will indicate to the teacher some of the student's natural musical attributes. Such testing, does not necessarily expose exceptional talent, but it may provide some relative criteria for selecting the percussion student. Usually time and experience in the music program will determine the extent of the student's success, provided the program is musically and pedagogically sound. Training the Beginning Percussionist As has been previously established, itis essential that early percussion training include instruction on both the drums and the keyboard percussion instruments, A convenient approach to this initial instruction is through the use of a beginning percussion kit, as pictured in Figure 1.1. However, full-size keyboard instruments must be used as soon as possible. It is assumed each instrument will be approached with instruction as set forth in the chapters of this text. In general, grip, stroke, and beginning technical exercises should be thoroughly explained and demonstrated by the instructor, and each student's comprehension should be checked. A counting system based on syllabic intoning for each beat, rest, and subdivision should be stressed, Fundamental reading and counting systems are presented in every good method; assuming the instructor tailors these to his, FIGURE 1.1 Beginning percussion kit: snare rum, bells, stands, practice pad. sticks, and caseGeneral Considerations and Prerequisites or her preferences, the student should develop an adequate understanding of elementary rhythms. A simultaneous progression through both the drum and keyboard methods should occur. The instructor should consider dividing students into different ability levels as soon as these are apparent and as resources allow so as not to retard or discourage any student's learning progress. There is a great availability of recorded percussion music in all styles of performance as well as videos and DVDs concentrating on many topics of instruction. Listen- ing and viewing sessions should be a regular part of the student's lesson experience. The importance of cultivating both a familiarity with the literature and heritage and good percussion sound concepts cannot be overemphasized. Attending live performances of all styles of music further develops the student's concepts of playing. The many books, videos, and DVDs available on such topics as mallet repair, instrument maintenance, percussion history, and composition should be required reading and viewing for the student. The instructor is reminded of the importance of encouraging the student to use his or her own imagination and ear in creating warm-up type exercises and picking out familiar melodies. The aural development of the student can be greatly enhanced by suggestions and routines for practice, such as playing familiar melodies in all keys, drill, in aural melodic dictation—first playing back then writing out what was played—and eventual hearing of intervallic melodic structure and chordal progressions, Ear training is essential for timpani tuning and fundamental to the development of sight-reading skills on all percussion instruments. Good keyboard proficiency especially depends upon reading notes intervallically and in interrelated groups. This applies to both lines and vertical blocks of notes (chords). The ear and eye (through peripheral vision) need to work together with all appendages to develop playing proficiency. \s the student advances, the study of all accessory instruments, multiple percussion, drum set, and timpani should be introduced. The ideal vehicle for gaining experi- other instruments is, again, the percussion ensemble. In general, the bjectives of fine percussion instruction should be to develop in the students the necessary skills for competent musical performance and to help them acquire a personal aesthetic enjoyment and understanding of music for life. These objectives will only become lity through a total percussion experience. books for teaching total percussion in the beginning class are listed at the of this chapter and in the remaining chapters of this text (see also Appendices A and Many heterogeneous instrumental methods have supplementary books adequate for homogeneous instruction. Belwin’s First Division Band Method and Band Today series, Essential Elements 2000 and Band Expressions, are typical heterogeneous methods that contain supplementary resources for percussion class methods. This text, Teaching Per- cussion, should be used as a companion instructional guide book with any of these methods or those recommended at the end of this chapter. In addition to these methods, the use of oboe, trombone, and other instrumental parts in the full heterogeneous ensemble will give the percussionist excellent reading material for bells, xylophone, vibes, marimba, steel drum, electronic keyboards, or piano. Experience on the many accessory instruments can easily be gained by simply playing the intended snare drum part on tambourine, wood block, or triangle instead of, or in addition to, the snare drum, With a bit of imagination the instructor can enhance the percussion parts as printed in many of the heterogeneous ensemble methods. ORGANIZING THE PERCUSSION SECTION ‘The organizational and maintenance concerns of the percussion section for both the music program director and percussion student may seem more complex, troublesome, time-consuming, and expensive than any other aspect of percussion performance and education. However, even the finest players cannot produce musically pleasing and appropriate sounds on instruments and with mallets that are in need of repair or have not been set up in time or properly tuned. a1“ Chapter 1 FIGURE 1.2 Percussion storage cabinet One of the most helpful pieces of equipment for organizing the percussion section is, the percussion storage cabinet (Figure 1.2). These cabinets can be purchased through school musical supply companies, such as Wenger, or they can be constructed by the school’s shop department. One will find very detailed pictures and descriptions of such cabinets in schoo! musical supply catalogs. The use of a percussion cabinet for storage helps in keeping instruments organized, safe, and in one common location. Additional storage can be found in closets, practice rooms, or by building a second or third storage cabinet, Established school policies differ concerning the furnishing of sticks and mallets. Because schools invest several thousands of dollars in the large percussion instruments and hundreds of dollars in their maintenance, this author feels itis not too much to require the percussionist to furnish his or her own sticks and mallets. Invariably students take much greater care of “their” sticks than the “school’s” and have a clear knowledge of sounds and articulations available to them with their own sticks. Comparatively speak- ing, the percussionist may invest at most only a few hundred dollars in sticks, mallets, and a stick bag or briefcase to carry them in, whereas woodwind, brass, or string players ust ally have several hundred dollars invested in their instruments. (Percussionists in advanced levels of performance, however, end up spending several thousands of dollars on their own drum set, timpani, keyboard, electronic, and ethnic percussion instruments.) Recommended Percussion Instrumentation Specific stick, mallet, and instrument recommendations are given in each respective chapter. The following is offered for general consideration.General Considerations and Prerequisites © Elementary School Concert Percussion Instrument Requirements Bass Drum—14" x 28° to 16" 30" to 32" stand; school supplied beaters—one general, two rolling; plastic heads. (This ean be ‘a marching band instrument with heads retuned and un- ‘muffled for concert playing.) Hand Cymbuls—One paic 16° medium crash; leather straps; no pads; padded table or storage cabinet top. Suspended Cymbals—One 18° medium-thin; stand: one pair soft yarn-wound mallets—school o student supplied. Snare Drums—Each student provides own from "percussion it”; oF one 5" x 14° metal or wood; one 614" x 14" wood conventional wire snares; plastic heads; stands; school supplied, Bells—Each student provides own from “percussion kit” and school supplies fullsize 14” bat instrument, with stand, [Also a marching glockenspiel can be used. Mallets supplied by student nepal very hardpan, eyo rubber ane partir ota cel ey -Accsoy intraents—Dangle: One 9 10 wo ips, wo pais beater (hick and medium) abou 8 10 ‘wood shell skin head single row jingles ene conti. one wood blocks one pair Claes one pair marecarone gist with aeratcher one set sleigh bell one saprc oe par andl castanets; oe inachine castant se padaed thee {able and storage cabinet ‘Tenor Drum, Tam Toms—Substitute snare drum with snares of; ‘one 12° x 15° (approx) tenor drum and stand. ‘Timpani—One pair 29° to 26” timpani or equivalent, may be fiber- lass bowl; plastic heads, pedal-tuned and student-supplied ‘mallets (see below), Middle School Concert Percussion Instrument Requirements Buss Druwn—16" to 18" 32" to 36" tilting stand (suspended optional; schocl-supplied beaters—one general, two rolling: plastic heads. « Cumibals—One or two pairs 16° to 18° medium crash; leather straps: no pads; padded trap table; storage cabinet top or crmbal rack Susyenfad Cymbals-—One 18° medium-thin, one 16" thin; stands Mallets supplied by student: one pair soft yarn: one pair -dium-hard yarn. {One 5° x 14" metal or wood, one 644"x 14" metal or svood, conventional wire snares; plastic heads; stands ‘octave stee} or aluminum 114° width bar, with stand. tallets supplied by student: two pairs very hard plastic, servlic or rubber tivo paits hard rubber; one pale brass for har bells only v1s—-High school synthetic bar matching instrument or piccolo (in case like glockenspiel, no resonators), 2 to Bactave C-(G)-C xylophone. (Full 34-octave instrument optional j Mallets supplied by student: two pairs very hard plastic, acrylic, and/or rubber; two pairs hard rubber and /or poly-bal. Mariniba—High school synthetic bar marching instrument or tu~ ent line 3-3/-octave instrument used especially for key board training of percussionists. (Full 4-octave plus rose- ‘wood or padautk instrument optional.) Chimes —Optional, but often required, Vites—High school matching instrument or optional full-size instrument Accessory Instroments—Same a5 for elementary school plus: 6" triangle with pairs of beaters and two clips; 10” double row jingle, wood-shel,skin-head tambourine; temple blocks (optional); ratchet, and so on, Gong (Tom Tom)—24" to 28" instrument with heavy beater and stand, or use large cymbal Tenor Drun, Tom Toms—Substitute snare drum with snares off, ‘one 12°x 15" tenor drum and stands, marching toms, ot roto-toms with appropriate concert stands, Timbales, Bongos, ec —Latin American instruments as requited; may be matching instruments ‘Timpani—Minimum of one pair 28° to 26" or equivalent, 32° and 23" third and fourth drums optional—all in copper (preferred) or fiberglass bowls and pedal tuned, Student- supplied mallets (see below). ‘Drum Set—Standard set optional, but recommended for training total percussionist. High School and College Concert Percussion Instrument Requirements ‘Bass Drum—18" » 36°—suspended, tilting stand; school-supplied beaters—one general, two rolling, two solid felt or chamois covered, one very articulate, Hand Cymbats-—One or two pairs 16-19" medium-heavy crash; ‘one pair 20"+ mediumm-heavy; leather straps; no pads; padded table; storage eabinet top and cymbal rack, Suspended Cymbals-—One 16" thin, one 18° mediurn-thin, smaller and larger different weight cymbals as required; stands, including “goose neck,” student-supplied yarn- oF cotd- ‘wound mallets: one pair soft, one pair medium-hard, one pair hard Snare Drums—One 5° x 14° metal of wood; one or two 614° x 14 ‘metal or wood: one piccolo drum—d" x 14" or 3" 13" (pre- fered); field snare drum as needed—12" 15" marching snare usually tuned lower than marching pitch; gut or cable snares. els—One set 2c, 11 width tbr el wit tans stent supplied allen wo paca ost mal) bras ver hard paste and/or abe had ber and pobybl. one pat rod, option! sopone—Oneflsie S¥-octave sei or rosewood bar ie er rment student spied ac into ps ex (out matey very rd plate pai bnlaard aber ‘nedur herd rater (hardy, wood eee Marimiba—One fullsize 4¥4 to -octave rosewood bar instrument {eynthetic bar optional)for both full ensemble and solo performances and, of course, training the percussionist. VeryChapter 1 "useful on low single- or double-reed parts or to reinforce bass lines. Student-supplied mallets: two pairs each (four mallets) yarn wound: soft, medium, and hard. Chimes—One full set with 144" diameter tubes, 1M -octave C to F ‘oF G, one pair rawhide hammers, school supplied usually Vibes—One 3-octave set with variable speed motor. Does not necessarily have to be full bar width. Recommended wide bars and amplification for jazz /rock ensemble use, also MalletKAT MIDI keyboard controller. Student supplied cord (preferred) or yarn wound mallets as for marimba, Cotales—Individual or chromatic octave sets as needed, Accessory Instruments —Same as for middle school, however, sev eral additional cowbells, wood blocks, tambourine, trian gles, cast finger cymbals, afuché, and whistles will be needed. Also endless exotic instruments such as wind ‘chimes, bell trees, brake drums, gongs, and hand drums will bbe required, {Gong (Tam Tam)—Minimum 30° with beater and stand; also a small and a medium tam tam (or more! as required Tenor Drumm, Tom Toms—12" x 15" or equivalent tenor drums with stands; graduated set of from four to eight tom toms with stands. “Timbales, Bongos, Congas—As needed with skin heads on all (Him. bales, plastic heads). “Timponi—Minimur set of four: 32°, 29°, 26,23", or equivalent, suspended copper bowls, pedal tuned with linkage outside oF bow; plastic heads Drum Set Full set of atleast 5° x 14" snare drum, 14°22" for ‘equivalent) bass drum, 9" 13° and 10° x 14° mounted tom toms, 16"x 16° Roor tom, pedal, throne, stands. May be aug. mented with double bass drums, triggers, electronic drum, and drum machine Recommended Sticks and Mallets Students should supply themselves with a minimum of the following sticks and mallets and mallet bag or carrying briefcase. Elementary School Student ‘One pair goneral-weight snare drum sticks to ft hand. Usually 3A, 5A, or equivalent, for concert snare drum. Drum tuning key, Keyboard mallets as listed with instruments above, Middle School Student ‘One pair general-weight snare drum sticks to fithend, usually 5A, '5B, 2B, Firth: SO-1 Generals, o equivalent for concert Drum set sticks and brushes. Drum tuning key. (One pair light-weight sticks (nylon tip) for wood block and sus. ym. Keyboard mallets as listed with instruments above, High School and College Students (One pair general weight for concert snare drum 2B, Firth: SD-1 ‘General, or equivalent Cooperman: Petrella, Zuber, or similar model. Tapered or round tip. Brushes. (One pair general weight for concert snare drum, plus Firth: Bolero, Gadd, or equivalent. Round small tip for more artc- ulate playing ‘One pair (minimum) drum set weigh for diferent styles as preferred. Light sticks for cymbals, bongos and timbales (dowel) as required. Drum tuning ke. ‘Timpani mallets of general (soft) ond staccato (hard) articulation ‘Wood shaft and good quality felt recommended. Recover as needed (see Chapter 5). 4-40 tuning fork Stick bag or briefcase for carrying sticks and so Forth Timpani mallets of general (soft) and staccato (hard) articulation ‘Wood shaft and good quality felt recommended. Recover as needled (see Chapter 5). A-10 tuning fork Briefcase or stick bag for carrying all sticks and so forth Keyboard mallets as listed with instruments above, and many, Tim ni mallets ina minimum assortment of general (soft, sac ‘to (hard), ultra-staccato (very hard, but felt), and wood ball articulations, Wood or aluminum shaft with top-quality felt. Recover and make own as capable (see Chapter 5). AHO tuning fork, felt Auffer,timpani tuning key. Briefcase or stick bag for carrying all sticks and so forth In addition, the more serious high school and college percussionist is expected to acquire personal tambourines, triangles, wood blocks and ather accessory instruments and should acquire other instruments in the percussion family. Instrument and Percussionist Assignments An effective way of organizing these instruments and their players is through an instrument assignment sheet and a percussionist assignment sheet. List on paper each compo-General Considerations and Prerequisites 7 sition and its required instruments. Those instruments can then be quickly set up for rehearsal or performance by referring to the sheet rather than relying on memory or looking through each separate part. The percussionist assignment sheet should list the name of each percussionist together with the instruments and sticks needed for each composition they play. Symbol notation can be put to valuable use in both cases to abbreviate required instruments and sticks (see Chapter 3). Generally, a section leader will make these assignments in cooperation with the other section percussionists or the director. If the director is conscientious and organized enough to list an order for each rehearsal, the use of these two sheets can greatly alleviate confusion in the percussion section! Location of the Percussion Section in the Ensemble The location of the percussion section in the entire instrumental ensemble may be determined by many considerations: demands of a particular composition and number of players/instruments available, size of the playing area, room acoustics, and the director’s personal preferences. In general, however, the best balance will be obtained by locating the timpani as close to the center of the back of the ensemble as possible. The remainder of the percussion section usually is distributed along the back left side of the ensemble, looking from the podium into the ensemble. A customary placement for the section is with the keyboard instruments extending from the far left side of the ensemble back toward the smaller drums, cymbals, and finally bass drum, which is closest to center and the timpani, Care must be taken on certain compositions not to position the bass drum too close to the timpani, or the pitch of the timpani will be lost in the bass drum passages. In such a case, the timpani can be moved to the right side of the ensemble away from the rest of the percussion section, or the bass drum can be moved behind ther from the timpani until a good balance is obtained. Most of the time it is important to keep the cymbals next to the bass drum as their parts are often together both musically and on the same printed page. The director should not hesitate, however, to experiment with readjustments in instrument placement to achieve the best musical balance trom the percussion. A final thought on percussion placement would be not to situ- ate the French homs directly in front of the percussion (especially the timpani); for, as Gunther Schuller states in Horn Technique, this plays havoc with the horn player's embouchure and feetl Percussion Instrument Substitution Many times compositions call for percussion instruments that are not available. In this case, efforts should be made to borrow, buy, or rent such instruments. If this is not fea- sible, instrument substitution is possible. The following list is offered for such situations: Abt’ Cyd (Crotaes}—Orchestea bells or one bell bar Cowbell—Dome of eymbal with butt or shank of stick, brake drum. suspended freely like a triangle from a cord or piece ild Drum—A deep-tuned snare drum 614° x 14° with looser bf gut. Vibes in upper register with medium-hard. CBE dees mallets oa Gong or Tam Tam—If pitched (that is, gong), strike a vibe or chime Anvil-—Metal pipe, plate, or brake drum on a padded table. Note, not pitched (tam tam, use a large cymbal). Bell Tree—Gliss up and down bells or chimes with knitting Marinba-—Xylophones with soft mallets one octave lower (Orchestra Bells (Glock) Bell lyra or vibes in high register with hard mallets op Guan, Gun Shot-Stick-on-stick deep rim shot needles, Bongos—Two high-pitched roto-toms, torn toms, or snare drums with snares off CCastanets—Wood block with snare drum sticks, shell or rim of drum Ratchet Single strokes on shell of drum or wood block Chimes —Orchestea bells in octaves, Roto-Tomis—Tom toms a5 long as pitch is constant. Conga Drum—Tom tom or tenor rum (unless authentichand Sandpaper Biock—Brushes on snare drum or dragged across bass playing is required ‘drum or tom tom head.1. Chapter 1 ‘Slapstick or Whip—Two snare drum sticks held in one hand at ‘Tom Tom—Snate drum snares of tenor drum, roto-toms, timbales. their tips and slapped against the other hand, Rim shot ‘Triangle—Bell of cymbal with meta rod, high glockenspiel bar, ‘Sleigh Bells—Tambourine only shaking jingles. toning fork, ‘Tambourine—Snare drum or tom tom with sleigh bells lightly Vibrophone-—Glockenspiel in lower register, soft rubber mallets. Temple Blocks—Wood block with medium rubber mallets Xylo- Whistles Human voice. See eee ene ‘Wood Block Drum shel, rim, or rim shot, high temple block. Utd eet ete heleleel eh Xylopone-—Marimba one octave higher with hard rubber mallets, Timbales—Two snare drums snares off or two torn toms, roto-toms, General Maintenance and Head Replacement Maintenance of all the many instruments is obviously an important responsibility of both the director and the percussionist. Many cominents are given in succeeding chapters regarding head replacement, tuning, and general repair. | The following remarks about instrument care and tuning are offered for consideration as a basis for developing good organizational practices, These are general guide~ lines for mounting and tuning a new head on any drum except timpani. (See Chapter 5 for timpani head replacement and fine-tuning instructions.) 1. Remove the old or broken head 2. Clean and inspect the inside and outside of the drum. Tighten all nuts and bolts as needed. Clean lugs and tension rods. Clean any old lubricant off the top edge of the shell. Sand any burrs off the top edge of the shell with fine-grade sandpaper or emery cloth. Lubricate the tension rods with light lubricating grease or Latin- Percussion’s Lug-Lube. 3. Check the roundness of the flesh hoop with the shell, then check the roundness of the flesh hoop with the counter hoop. Adjust where necessary by lightly bending. the counter hoop into round to obtain the best fit. 4. Place lubricated tension rods into counter hoop and lugs and proceed to tighten until finger tight. Tune in opposite pairs around the drum, first dividing the head in half, then in quarters, eighths, and tenths or twelfths depending on the number of tension rods. 5, Tighten with a drum key until adequate tension is achieved. With adequate tension, the stick rebounds well off the head, and the tone is high-pitched, clear, and ringing. Be careful to maintain an even collar around the edge of the head between the counter hoop and the top of the shell. Proceed then to check the fine-tuning 6. Fine-tuning involves striking the head softly about 1 to 2 inches in front of each tension point and matching the pitch in opposite pairs around the drum. Divide the head equally as in step 4. (See Chapter 5 on timpani, “Fine-Tuning/Clearing Heads.”) 7. Tune concert snare drums with the bottom head sounding higher than the top head, although it will feel looser because it is thinner than the batter head. An A is a good starting tension for a 14” batter head. Adjust snares by tapping softly and pv turing the snare tension knob until a crisp tone is obtained (see DVD demonstration, Chapter 2). Remove unwanted ring with the tone control or by placing a oOo small mute on the edge of the batter head. (See additional tuning comments about snare drum and bass drum in Chapters 2 and 6, respectively and on the DVDs.) 8. Tom tom tone can be changed by tuning the bottom head differently from the top head or by removing the bottom head. A full, resonant tone is best achieved from any two-headed tom-tom or tenor drum by tuning the top and bottom heads to the same pitch. Preference for sound is personal and involves experimentation after good tonal concepts have been acquired.General Considerations and Prerequisites Timpani should be covered after use with 3- to %4-inch hardboard or plywood discs with fell backing to obtain longest head life (see DVD). Never move the timpani by grabbing the head, tension rod T-handles, or counter hoop area. Move the instrument from the bowl or braces. Keyboard instruments should be covered between use. As instruments lose their true intonation, they should be sent to a manufacturer for retuning and possible bar replacement, Most manufacturers of keyboard percussion instruments offer bar retuning and re- placementand some repairservices. These include Musser /Ludwig, Kori, Ross, Malletech, Marimba One, Adams, and Yamaha. Keyboard bar retuning, refinishing, replating, repair, and replacement specialists inclucle Century Mallet Instrument Service (Gilberto Cera), 1770 W. Berteau Avenue, Chicago, IL 60613, (312) 248-7733, and Fall Creek Marimbas (Bill Youhass), L445 Upper Hill Road, Middlesex, NY, 14507, (585) 554-4011, www. marimbas.com, and Salazar Fine Tuning John Salazar): www.salazarfinetuning.com. Complete perctsssion instrument repair services are provided by Repaircussions (Brian Stotz), 36 Church Street, LeRoy, NY, 14428, (716) 768-4970, Gilberto Cerna of Century Mallet Instrument Service, and other percussion specialty shops (see online Appendix C). Timpani bow! and cchanical repair services may be obtained for any make of timpani through the American Dram Company (Marshall Light) of Denver, Colorado: ww wamericandrun-w-lightcom. (See Chapter 5 for other timpani repair shops.) Many drum specialty shops will perform minor repairs on most percussion instruments. Also see Porenssion Repuir and Maittennice by Mark Bonfoey, Percussion Crafts: A Handbook Service Manu by Davikl Kull and Rand Director's Percussion Repair Manual by Ed Brown listed uncer “General Guides to Percussion” at the end of this chapter. I correct sticks anel mallets are always used and if instruments are always treated with respect equtal fo thal of any other fine musical instrument, they will perform well and remain in good condition for many years. Motivating the Percussionist The director's basic attitucle toward the percussion section and his or her concern for its ctovelopment and pertormance are the greatest factors affecting the motivational attitude of the school percussionist, There are many ways in which the director can convey sincere concern and a positive attitude to percussionists. Conducting regularly sched- tled percussion meetings for elass ns, sectionals, and ensemble rehearsals indicates a genuine voncer on the part of the director toward the percussionists. A respectful attitucle displayed toward the percussionists in even such simple ways as referring to them as “percussionists” instead of “drummers,” or worse, “drums” will invariably result in yy tion from the percussionists regarding their organization and peelormance in the section, The posting of music rehearsal order for organizational purposes, as mentioned previously, greatly facilitates rehearsal efficacy and influences conscientious. performance. By encouraging or even sponsoring outside involvement in percussion and other music-related activities (not to mention non-music related)-—such as private lessons, attendance at concerts and clinics, state Percussive Arts Society-sponsored “Days of Percussion” and the annual PAS International Con- vention (PASIC), and public performances with the percussion ensemble, soloists, or marching percussion section—the director will generate a healthy competitive attitude and enthusiasm. A special percussion library in the school with current Percussive Arts Society publivations, Matern Drumnter magazines, and other music periodicals will enable the percussion student to be informed of current developments and new ideas in all areas of interest. ‘This library should include method books, CD recordings, videos, DVDs, solos and ensembles in all areas of percussion, and general guide books to percussion as listed throughout this text. Special mini-assignments can be made for reading and research in this petcussion fibrary, for individual enlightenment or even presentations during percussion class meetings, Periodic playing and comprehension evaluations, raler coupe!Chapter 1 although sometimes greeted with complaints from the students, relate the director's genuine concern for the students’ development as well as keeping the director informed of each student's progress. In conclusion, conscientious, dedicated, and competent musical percussion instruction on the part of the director expressed with respect and a concerned attitude toward the percussion section will manifest itself in meaningful musical experiences for the percussionists and will transcend percussion mediocrity, especially if coupled with the performance of challenging, provocative musical literature ™ PERCUSSION METHOD BOOKS Individual Instrument Methods Selected method books and instructional materials (audio and video tapes and DVDs} that specifically address individual areas of playing, as opposed to being combined per cussion methods, are recommended throughout this text at the end of each respective chapter under “Individual Met thods and Supplemental Studies.” Their use privately « in smaller groups is highly recommended. Combined Percussion Methods The following combined percussion methods attempt to address the development of playing skills and musicianship through integrated and coordinated materials suitable for percussion classes and ensem! ‘The Orchestral Snare Drummer... Mallet Player... Timpanist by Anthony Cirone (Belwin/ Warner Bros). These three separate books function as beginning methods for each instrument and can be used together for beginning to intermediate class ensemble playing, Forty-six ensembles with four parts each (minimum). A conductor's pat is available, Simple Steps to Snare Drum... Keyboard Porenssion,... Tmpar by ‘Anthony Cirone (Belwin/ Warner Bros.). Individual or class room beginning level instruction books. Companion books to Simple Steps to Percussion Ensembie {see below), “The Performing Percussonist, Bks. FHI by Jim Coffin (CL, Bara hhouse Co). Includes a thorough, modern approach to drum: ‘ming with multiple-percussion etudes and accessory inst ments introduced throughout. Keyboard (bel) study Commences atthe end of Book ! and continues in Book I, ‘which also introduces some basic drum set ‘A Fresh Approac tothe Snare Dram for Classroom or Individual ‘Study by Mark Wessels. This book comes with accompani- Percussion Ensemble Styles and Smiles by Michael Aukofer and Arthur Lipner (Mallet- "Works Music) Eight beginning percussion sextets, with en closed CD performances, written in a variety of world percus- Sion grooves using standard school percussion instruments. "Two ensembles are for battery only with bells and xylophone replacing two battery patts to “aid in any transitioning” for Students coming from a drum lin to percussion ensemble Groovesiles by Chis Brooks, Jim Campbell, Chris Cockrell, Lalo ‘Davila, etal (Row-Loff Productions). collection of eight sextets written for the young percussionist with setup guide, senductor's score six student books, performance notes, and {instructional CD-ROM. les. ments on CDs and an instnctional CD-ROM. View s online: ww mnwpublieations.com, Introduces Bos eymbals, and tangle. ‘A Fresh Approcl to Male Person for Class Stuly by Mark Wessels. This book comes with instructional CD-ROM and! introduces timpani through a “mini-book” of ideo lessons. Available at: wiew.msypublications com, Anton Etudes for Si Tupi, Ke an Mattie Peussion by Garwood Whaley (Meredith Music Publications). sourcebook of original graduated reading stucles for band orchestra placement, grading, sight read Dru hoard Porvussio ing, regional/state auditions, teacher training classes, supplementary lesson materia More Audition Etudes for Snore Drum, Tinpani, Keylsand Percussion ‘nd Multiple Percussion, Vol. II by Garwood Whaley (Mere ith Music Publications) Volume Il contains a CD providing interpretation of each etude, Excellent supplementary lesson material 7 Collections Riytimsices by Chris Brooks, Jim Campbell, Chris Cockeell, Lalo Davila tal. (Row-Loff Productions), A collection of eight sextels writen forthe young percussionist with setup guide, ‘conductor's score, six student books, performance notes, anc instructional CD-ROM, Drum Fun by Thomas Brown (Kendor). Elementary-junior high percussion ensembles in five books standard instruments Percussion Studies by Thomas Brown/Willar Musser (Kendo. J nor high-high school percussion ensembles in ive books— standard instrumentsGeneral Considerations and Prerequisites a ‘The Orchestral Snare Drummer, ... Mallet Player, Tinpanist by ‘Anthony Cirone (Belwin/ Warner Bros.) See comments above under "Combined Percussion Methods.” Imaginative addition of accessory and other instruments possible with the four-part scoring for keyboard, two drums, and timpani ‘Simple Steps to Percussion Ensemble by Anthony Cirone (Belwin/ Warner Bros). A collection of nine elementary level uintets with parts and conductor score. Various instrumen- tations. Companion ensembles to Cirone's Simple Steps in- struetion books. Percussion Ensemble Collections, Vols. I-II by Harold Farberman, (Belwvin/ Warmer Bros}. Three levels: elementary, elementary plus, and intermediate with four ensembles each for sextet Each with two keyboard parts plus other instruments Easy Percussion Ensembles (revised edition) by Saul Feld stein (Warner Bros). Fifteen elementary-junior high level ensembles in score form for melody instrument and four per- ccussionists, 12 Easy Stud = for Percussion Quartet by Siegfried Fink (N. Simrock). Percussion Setive Techniques by Stephen Grimo and Robert C. Snider (Meredith Music Publications). Collection of eight percussion ensembles for junior-senior high school levels, Variety of styles ane! idioms. Performance tape, instruc: tions, and program notes included. Excellent collection and tape, Percussion Rocks by Robert Lautz/ed. Anthony Cirone (Belwin/ Warner Bros). Collection of four ensembles using [pop tunes—easy high school level. Uses drum set. Six books ‘with conductor's score comprise the collection, Percustra, Books 1 & I! by Les Percussions de Strasbourg (Alphonse Leduc). An avant-garde, creative approach to music through the use of percussion instruments, hands, feet and the voice, ‘The methods offer graphic notation, chance sections, and ‘composing opportunities. Groups or individuals can realize the studies. Printed in French, Curving Wallzay Publications Begining Percussion Classies by Tony Oliver (Curving Walkway Publications) Five beginning ensembles—“Interjetion” (quintet), “If It Doesnt Fit...” (quintet), “Short but Suite” (quintet), “Hesitation Waltz” (keyboard tric), and “Deceivious” (snare drum trio) —with ‘excellent helpful hints and directions, including photographs and diagrams in the parts and scores. View samples online at: ww curvingwalkway.com, Conga Town by jim Solomon (Warner Bros. Publications). Col lection of 12 ensembles for upper elementary and middle schools. Comes with teaching tips, photos, and illustration. Many other individual percussion ensembles are available through all the major publisher’s websites and percussion music dealers such as wwwsteveweissmusic. com, \www.percussionmusic.com, www.pmeurope.com, www.sfzmusic.com, www. percussionspecialist.com, www.mostlymarimba.com, www.malletworks.com, www. dropé.com, www.rowloff.com, www.meredithmusic.com, and many others. See website listings in Chapter 9 Marching Percussion Methods and Materials” for other sources. Belwin’s First Division Bard Metiod offers with Part One two ensemble books for percussion: Ensembles for Everyone and First Progrant Ensembles; and with Part Two: Tune Ln and Play Ensembles and Tine Out for Ensembles; in Parts Three and Four they list individual recommended percussion ensembles published by Belwin/Warner Bros, Other instrumental methods that have parts intended for use, or could be used as percussion ensembles, include Essential Elements 2000 (Book 1 contains DVD, CD-ROM, and audio CD: percussion by Will Rapp, and Book 2 contains play along CD); Band Expressions with percussion by James Campbell is very comprehensive and includes band, orchestra, and jazz ensemble books with many percussion ensembles presented throughout. Other choices are Belwin’s Band Today and Contemporary Band Course, The Beacon Band Method, the Hel Leonard Band Method, Alfred’s New Band Method and Sessions in Sound by Heritage Press. Further sources include reviews of new works in the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) publication Percussive Notes, postings on the PAS website (www.pas.org), and other music magazines: Modern Druntmer; Drum!; Rhythm, Drums & Percussion; Instrumentalist; NACWAPI Journal; and Music Educators Journal. For a listing of selected percussion and keyboard ensemble music, and many website resources see Tables B-1-B.3 in Appendix B. General Guides to Percussion In addition, see listings under “Orchestral Excerpts” in Appendix A, “Resources” at the end of Chapter 5, and individual chapter listings. The Percussions’s Dictionary, eds, Joseph Adato and George Judy Sound Designs: A Handoook of Musica Instrument Building by Rein (Warner Bros.) hhold Banek and Jon Scoville (Ten Speed Press) Percussion: Ant Annotated Bibligraphy by Dieter Bajzek (Scarecrow Press) Guide to Vintage Drums by Johe Aldridge (Hal Leonard) [Not-So-Modern Drummer ed. John Aldridge John Aldridge). Vi tage and custom drum and percussion bimonthly magazinea eo Chapter 1 Guide to Teaching Percussion, 4th edition, 1983, by Harry Bartette and James Holloway (Brown), Encyclopedia of Percussion, 2nd ed. edited by John H. Beck (Rout- ledge Publications). And My Daddy Will Pay the Drums” by Warcen Benson (Mere- dlith Music Publications. (Orchestral Percussion Technique, 2nd ed, 1973, by James Blades (Oxford University Press). Percussion instruments and Their History, revised ed., 1984, by James Blades (Faber and Faber) ‘The Drumm Rollby James Blades (Faber and Faber) Early Percussion Instruments from the Middle Ages tothe Baroque by James Blades and Jeremy Montagu (Oxford University Press). Percussion Repu and Maintenance by Mark Bonfoey (Warner 810s ) The Timpani: A History in Pictures and Documents by Edemundl Bowles (Pendragon Press) ‘The Complete Prcussionist by Robert Breithaupt(C. L. Baenhouse) Contemporary Percussion by Reginald Smith Brindle (Oxford Uni- versity Press). Bond Director's Percussion Repair Manual by Ea Brown (Alfred Music Publishing) (Creative Music Making, Four Simple Steps to Cultivating the Diner ‘Musician by William L. Cahn (Routledge, Taylor & Francis Books). Performing Live with MIDI by William Cahn (HoneyRock) “Marinbas of Guatemala by Vida Chenoweth (University Press of Kentucky). Concert Percussion: A Performer’s Guide, Vols. Land I videos} by “Anthony Cirone, Sam Denov, and Cloyd Dutf (Warner 310s}. Orchestra Techniques ofthe Standard Percussion Instruments by An- thoy Cirone (Belwin/Wamer Bros) The Lagi ofitAllby Anthony Cirone and Joe Sinai (Belwin/ ‘Warner Bros) ‘The Marimba Book by Satis N. Coleman (Rand McNally) Percussion Manual by F Michael Combs (Wadsworth) ‘An Introduction to Vintage Drums video by Rob Cook, etal. (Re- ‘beats Vintage Drum Products). Many other vintage and tunique percussion products are available from Rob Cook/ Rebeats including “Drum Badge Timeline Poste,” Fras for the Memories the story of Frank's Drum Shop in Chicago), Leedy Dru Topics (om 1923-1941), vintage drum catalogs, and history of major companies: Leedy, Ludwig, and Gretsch, ‘The Artof Playing Cymbals by Sam Denov (Warner Bros). Handel's Kettedrums by Henry George Farmer (Hinsichsen Edition), The Heating Power ofthe Drum by Robert Lawrence Friedman (White Clifis Media. ‘Percussion Symposium by Vie Firth (Carl Fischer). |A Practical Guide to Percussion Terminology by Russ Glesberger (Meredith Music Publications), Marimia Guatemalieca (in Spanish) by Lester Homero Godinez, aS rantes Fondo de Cultura Econémica). toe Spirit of Percus: Drumming ot the Edge of Magic: A Jour sion by Mickey Hart (HarperCollins). Planet Drum by Mickey Hart (HarperCollins) Play and Teach Percussion with CD accompaniments, by Steve Houghton and Linda Petersen. (CIA Publications). Drums in the Americas by Joseph H. Howard (Oak Publishing) Percussion Anthology, 31 years of percussion articles published in The Instrumentalist magazine. (The Instrumentalist Co) ‘The Wood that Sings: The Mavimbe in Chiapas, Mexico by Laurence Kaptain (HoneyRock). “The Kettledrums by Percival Robson Kirby (Oxford University Press} ‘The Joy of Draneming, Drums & Percussion bistraments fro Arca the World by Tom Kigwer (Binkey Kok Publications) Percussion Cras: A Handbook Service Manual by David Kulb (Paul Price/Music for Percussion) Dietionary of Percussion Térms by Mortis Lang and Larry Spivack (Carl Fischer) Analytical & Biographical Writings in Percussion Music by Geary Larrick (Peter Lang) Percussion Manual for Music Educators by Joel Leach (Warner Bros). hythnn & Bony, te Art of Poe (Watson-Guptill Publications) ian (with CD) by Rocky Mafft The Drums, Tam Toms and Rates by Beenard . Mason (Dover) Percussion Discography: An International Compilation of Solo and Clumber Percussion Music comp, by Fernando A. Meza (Greenwood Press) Percussion for Musicians by Robert McCormick (Warner Bros). ‘Modem Drummer Magazine (Modern Drummer Publications) Monthly magazine on musicians, the profession, and Instruments Making Early Percussion Instruments by Jeremy Montagu (Oxford University Pres) Timpani & Percussion by Jeremy Montagu (Yale University Press) ‘Acoustics of Bar Percussion instruments by James L. Moore (Petrus Publications} : KROUMATA by Sture Olsson (Svensk Skolmusik AB}, Maral de Percusn (in Spanish) by Carlos Vera Pinto (Ediciones Universidad Catélica de Chile Sciene of Pereussion instruments by Thomas D, Rossing (World Sci- entific Publishing) Drums and Drumming Today by Sam Neston and Ken Spacey (Boosey & Hawkes, Inc), Contemporary Music Review, Vo. 7, pert 1, 1992: “Contemporary Percussion Performer’s Perspectives,” ed. Nigel Osborne (Harwood Academic Publishers) Percussion Education: A Source Book of Concepts and forma tion by PAS Education Committee Percussive Arts Society). Techniques of Playing Bass Drum, Cymbals and Accessories (Tam bowrine, Castanets, Triangle, Tam Tar) by Al Payson (Payson Percussion Products)Genera! Considerations and Prerequisites 2 ‘Ntsc tucator’s Guide to Percussion by Al Payson and Jack MeKenzie (Warner Bros.) usin in the School Music Program by Al Payson and Jack McKenzie (Payson Percussion Products) ‘mattook of Percwssion Instruments by Karl Peinkofer-Fritz tinnigel, translated by Kutt and Else Stone (Schott Belwin Warner Bros) he Drummer: Man, A Tatse on Percussion by Gordon B. Peters (ASCD-ROM Publication) (Cuma A Crass Course by Mitchell Peters and Dave Black (AL. fro Publishing Co.) "he Unimate Guido Cymbals with DVD by Nick Petrella (Carl Fischer The Cunt Bout by uge Pinksterboer (Hal Leonard) Malte vis by Arthur Pros (Warner Bros) Suoning for Pores by H. Owen Reed and Joel Leach (Warner Bros.) World of Pen weston by El Richards (Alfred Publishing Co. Percussive Arts Society ‘Making Music Around Home and Yard by Emil and Celeste Richards ‘Belwin/ Warner Bros.) ‘Making Music in Mommy’ Kitchen by Emil and Celeste Richards (Belwin/ Warner Bros) Percussion: A Course of Study forthe Future Band and Orchestra Di- rector by Tom Siwe (Media Press) Instructor's manual and student workbook ‘Maintenance and Repair of Wind and Percussion Instruments by George H. Springer (Allyn & Bacon). ‘The Art and Science ofthe Timpani by Henty W. Taylor John Baker, London; Dufour Editions, Ine, USA), ‘The Kettledrums in Western Europe by Caldwell Titcomb (Harvard University Press) [Information on the Marimba by David Vela, trans, Vida Chenoweth (HoneyRock) Drums Through the Ages by Charles L. White (Sterling Press), “Touched by Sound, A Drummer’s Journey by John Wyre (Buka Music) The Percussive Arts Society (PAS) is an international, not-for-profit organization for drummers and pereus jonists who enjoy sharing ideas and keeping up with the latest in the world of percussion. All members of PAS are entitled to the following benefits: Per- v Nets, the PAS bimonthly magazine; Percussion News, the PAS bimonthly howsletter (between issues of the Notes); discounted rates on pre-registration for the ol PAS Intemational Convention (PASIC); plus credit card, insurance, and other discount opportunities. The PAS website (www,pas.org) offers members conferencing, communication on numerous topics from education to selling instruments, links to manufacturers and other resources, and an online “Compositions Research” library; this, library proviees links to “Programs, Reviews” and the “Siwe Guide to Solo and Ensem- Ile Literature,” allo ing comprehensive searches for information from many different perspectives among these databases; and an “Online Research Joumal.” Go to www. jor more information on th percussionists, NOTES 1 Covil Forsyth, Ontestraion, 2nd ed. (London: Macmillan Press, Hub, 1988), p22 2. Curt Ses, The Hisony Novia, (IN), pp aS Musial Instruments (New York egnalel South Brindle, Contemporary Percussion (London: (Oxford University Press, 1970), p. 3 is international organization for drummers and 4. Joseph Paradiso, American Innovations in Electronic Musica! Instruments. 4-467. http://www:newmusicbox.org/ third-person /index_oct99.htmlCHAPHFER |———————_——_ Basic PERCUSSION TECHNIQUE THROUGH THE STUDY OF THE SNARE DRUM ™ HISTORICAL ORIGINS ‘The use of an instrument that today we would call a drum is evident in most civiliza- tions throughout history. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the most common form of drum in Europe was the tabor, which was the immediate predecessor of today’s side drum or snare drum.’ Referred to as side drums because they hung at the player’s side from a shoulder strap or waist belt, these early snare drums existed in many different sizes and shapes. In general, they were double-headed rope-tuned. drums and by the sixteenth century had cords, or snates, stretched across the bottom. head. As portrayed by Rembrandt in his famous painting The Night Watch (1642), these side drums hung at a 45 degree angle at the player’s side, and because of this position the traditional grip was adopted for playing? As many other pictorial accounts docu- ‘ment, traditional grip (left-hand stick hold) had its origin in European side drum playing as a means for accommodating the angle of the suspended drum. By the early eighteenth century the snare drum was finally heard, ad libitum (as the performer chooses), in the orchestra through such works as Handel's oratorio judas ‘Maccabaeus and Royal Fireworks Music (1749). Though the drum was pethaps used first in Marais's opera Alcione (1706), it was Rossini who really brought the snare drum to solo rank in his overture to La Gazza Ladra (1817). Because of this, or for merely perhaps reintroducing the snare drum into the orchestra, he was nicknamed “Tamburossini.”* In the military the snare drum became a companion of the fife. Fife and drum guilds of high-ranking officials existed as early as 1332 in Basle, Switzerland. The instrument combination spread from Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to colonial America, where in 1775 it became the Minute Men’s call to arms. The colonial drummer’s and fifer’s duties were to give orders in battle, announce the daily camp activities, and entertain by accompanying impromptu dances at night. The fife was replaced by the bugle during the Civil War, but the drummer’s instrument, training, and playing style remained quite similar to that of his European ancestor. Many tutors throughout the eighteenth century offered instructions and recommendations for military side drumming but always combined with and in relation to the bugle or fife melody. ‘One of the earliest American books on instruction for fife and drum, written in 1812 by Charles Steward Ashworth, contained 28 drum rudiments, The complete title of Ash- -worth’s book is A New, Useful and Complete System of Drum Beating, Including the Reveille, ‘Troop, Officers Calls, Signals, Salutes and the Whole of the Camp Duty as Practiced at Head.Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum quarters, Washington City; Intended Particularly for the Use of the United States Army and Navy-® This work aided the drummer, along with the continuing system of rote learning, in memorizing the many rudiments, camp duties, calls, solos, and fife accompaniments ° Another important early drum and fife manual was the Drummer’s and Fifer’s Cuide of 1862 and 1865 by George B. Bruce (drummer) and Daniel Emmett (fifer), author of Dixie. Itis interesting to note that 74 of the 96 pages in the 1865 edition contained field signals, duty music, and marching tunes, with the fife and drum parts always written together, a practice that disappeared early in the twentieth century, much to the musical detriment of the young studying drummer. Many marching and military style drum instruction books appeared during the 1800s in America, including the popular Strube Drum and Fife Instructor of 1869 and Sousa’s Trumpet and Drum of 1886. In the early 1900s drum instructors around the country were writing books on drum and other percussion instruction. Authors such as Harry A. Bower, Edward B. Straight, Carl E. Gardner, San- ford A. “Gus” Moeller, J. Burns Moore, George B. Stone and his son George Lawrence Stone, and many others contributed greatly to the early pedagogical growth of percussion in America. (See the Encyclopedia of Percussion, edited by John H. Beck, Appendix C: Published Writings on Methods for Percussion by James Strain for a complete listing of early books.) At the close of World War I (1918) the American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) began sponsoring the first drum and bugle corps contests and furthering the development of drumming in this country. As more systems appeared for teaching, and playing rudimental and orchestral styles of drumming, the need developed for standardization of a set of American drum rudiments to provide uniformity in dram- ming technique and execution. In 1933 the National Association of Rudimental Drum- mers (NARD) was formed. This organization, comprised of prominent drum teachers from around the country, established 26 American drum rudiments that helped to develop the techniques of rudimental-style drumming in most of this country’s school clsummers (see Chapter 9 for more on rudimental drumming). Today the study of the drum rudiments is generally integrated into the marching percussion arena and many other areas of percussion (for example, drum set) as the focus on percussion education has tumed more toward total percussion study and performance. THE SNARE DRUM Construction The parts of the snare drum (cassa or tamburo piccolo [It], Kleine trommel [Ger], enisse claire [Fr.}) are identified in Figure 2.1. Snare drum shells are made of metal, wood, or fiberglass materials. Generally, a metal drum produces a brighter sound than wood. A wood drum with a natural finish or with a durable plastic covering is practical for general school use. Additional drums should be considered that are made of metal and with various snare configurations. The approximate sizes of concert snare drums, given in depth times shell diameter, range from the piccolo—3” x 13” or 4" x 14""—to the standard drums—5" x 14" or 624" x 14”. (Smaller snare drums are used in some drum set outfits; see Chapter 8,) Heads While all drum heads originally were made from animal skins, usually calf or goat, since the late 1950s heads have also been made of plastic or polyester film. Plastic heads are unaffected by changes in weather and are recommended for today’s general school use. Skin heads are still used by many professionals, but due to the cost of good skin heads and the extra care involved in their use, they are not practical for school snare drum use. Many new developments in head construction and materials by leading drum head manufacturers—such as Remo’s Renaissance®, FiberSkyn®, Suede®, Nuskyn®, and Evans's Strata®—are resulting in mellower, more skinlike sound and feel than is possible with ordinary plastic heads.26 Chapter 2 FIGURE 2.1 ‘The parts of a snare rum Snare Release Lever SMC) Se ENTS) ued ey Tone Control, Bue Rr Co Stand Every head consists of two parts: the head and the attached ring called the f The name “flesh hoop” is derived from tucking animal skin around it when skin (Wlesh heads are used, There are three basic methods for attaching a head to the flesh hoop. Many drum head manufacturers use an interlocking, crimp-type method for mounting the plastic, or skin, into the metal flesh hoops on at least some of the heads. Most Remo heads are manufactured by perforating the edge of the plastic and then epoxy gluing it into the metal flesh hoop. Other manufacturers fasten the head into an epoxy flesh hoop, which results in practically a one-piece construction of head and hoop. The collar of any head is the area around the circumference that extends over the top bearing edge of the shell before meeting the flesh hoop. This area is usually ! wide and is preformed on most plastic heads. tosBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum Plastic drum heads are made in a vast assortment of thicknesses and materials— from standard polyester film to bullet-proof Kevlar. ‘The batter head is the head that is played. Thicknesses range from 5 mils (1 mil = 1/1000 inch) to 15 mils two-ply heads. For general concert snare drum use, a medium weight (8-10 mils) plastic coated head is recommended. Many of the specialty heads (for example, FiberSkyn and Renaissance) are also good. A coated head is necessary for brush playing. The snare head is the bottom head on a snare drum and should be as thin as possible (2-3 mils) as it responds only to the air waves set into motion inside the drum by a stroke on the batter head. Drum heads are made in many varieties and with more and more special features. Many new drum head manufacturers are appearing on the world market with innovative designs and construction that warrant serious consideration by students and. directors, Catalogs and websites of Remo and Evans, the two largest drum head manufacturers, and others offer details on head construction and recommended uses. (See www.remo.com and www.evansdrumheads.com.) Counterhoop The counterhoop is the outside chrome or wooden (bass drums) ring, that holds the head on the drum. It is held in place with tension rods. These bolt-type rods screw into the lugs or tension rod casings that are fastened to the shell. Snares The snares are the strands of wire, gut, nylon, nylon-coated cable, synthetic gut, or combination of these materials that are stretched across the bottom snare head. Wire snares are adequate for general purpose concert use. Gut or cable snares, while absolutely necessary on the marching snare drum, also expand the tonal dimension of the concert section, Gut or cable is much crisper and articulate than wire and will musically enhance any march when paired with the standard wire snare. Gut/ wire combination snares are also available. The purchase of different size drums and different snares is strongly encouraged when adding a third or fourth concert snare drum to the percussion section. Snare Adjustment The tension of the snares is adjusted by the snare tension ad- knob (see Figure 2.1). Many elaborate mechanisms have been developed by ‘manufacturers for snare adjustment. Most important is that the snares lie evenly across the snare head and tension evenly when adjusted. While greater sensitivity is possible with snares extending completely across the head, a conventional tie-on snare will suf- fice. Budget, care, and tuning time will determine the elaborateness of snare assemblies preferred just Snare Release The snare release lever allows the performer to release the snares from the snare head. This is necessary to avoid sympathetic vibration on the snares from other sounding instruments and to change to a tom tom sound when “snares off” or “mutfled’” is called for in the music. This mechanism must work smoothly and quietly for efficient snare drum performance. The entire snare assembly of snare adjustment knob and snare release lever is called the snare strainer. Care and Maintenance All percussion instruments should be stored in a locked percussion cabinet or other area when not in use to protect them from damage or theft, Snares should be left on to avoid shrinking or warping (in the case of gut) and to avoid possibly getting bent when moving or setting up. If their sympathetic vibration is distracting, a folded piece of paper can be inserted between the head and the snares to stop them from rattling while in storage. Plastic heads should be cleaned periodically with spray cleaner, or if extremely dirty a mild cleanser can be used. Care should be taken not to allow dirt down into the collarDvD. Chapter 2 area along the counterhoop. Metal and wood shells can be cleaned with a damp cloth Polishing creams are not recommended for metal shells as it is extremely difficult to remove all the polish around the lugs and snare strainer. If a lug, tension rod, or other part of the drum becomes inoperable through wear or damage, it should be repaired or replaced. Heads should be replaced even though they may not be broken! A head used regularly has an average life of about a year at the most. Constant use, especially loud playing, will cause a head to stretch out and the center to become insensitive or “dead” to stick response. Heads in this condition or with excessive dents, small cuts, or holes should be replaced. General head-replacing procedures as outlined at the end of Chap- ter 1 should be followed. Be certain to clean and lubricate the tension rods and lugs well with a light lubrication grease or Latin-Percussion’s Lug-Lube. A drop of oil on the snare strainer mechanism might be advisable also. Lubrication on the top edge of the shell is not necessary; however, alight film of baby talcum powder will allow for easier tuning, Greasy or wet substances should not be used as they reduce the free vibrations of the head and will soak into wooden shells. Occasionally a metallic ring will be heard inside a drum. This is often the small spring inside the lug that rings when the drum is played. Remove the head(s), unscrew the lugs from inside the drum, and pack a small cotton ball around the spring. A few drops of oil on the cotton ball will avoid absorption of moisture and rusting of the spring over the yeats. Conventional tie-on snares must be attached with thin snare cord available at any music store, or strong very thin braided fishing line may be used. A piece of shoe string or leather will cause the end of the snares to be raised too far off the snare head and result in a buzzing of the snares at any tension, and in general a poor sound. A good snare drum sound can be achieved only with good snares that are adjusted properly Many times the soldering job on wire tie-on snares is uneven where the wires are fas tened to the two metal end-plates. The snare wires should lie evenly between these end- plates, and the amount of solder should be minimal and as smooth as possible. When buying new snares, this must be scrupulously checked until a perfect set of snares is found; otherwise the snares will not lie evenly on the snare head. Often a little clever work with a file, smoothing outa poor soldering job, can greatly improve a snare sound Also, snares can be purchased with plastic end-plates that many times have a more even fastening of the wires to the end-plates than the metal type. Tuning To obtain a characteristically good concert snare drum sound, the batter head should be tuned toa tension that produces a good stick rebound. This may vary according to head thickness but in general will be something less than a “table top” response but not loose and sluggish. Many symphonic percussionists tune about the pitch A on a 14" concert snare with medium-weight batter heads. Experimentation with different head tensions will eventually result in the tension required. Model a fine snare drum sound on an orchestral or concert band recording (or the accompanying DVD). ‘Assuming, a medium-weight batter head and thin-weight snare head are used, the snare head should then be tuned to a higher sounding pitch than the batter head. How much higher will be determined by personal preference in sound concept and music being played. Although sounding higher than the batter head, the snare head is thinner than the batter head and should therefore feel looser. Care must be taken to fine tune or clear each head by adjusting the head tension and pitch at each tension rod to as close the same pitch as possible. This is accomplished throughout the mounting of the head by softly tapping the head at each point directly in front of the tension rod, listening, and tightening or loosening to match the head pitch accordingly (always tuning in opposite pairs). Periodic checking of fine tuning on any drum is necessary to keep the head vibrating evenly and to obtain the best sound available. By cultivating a gooBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum, concept of snare drum tone through listening to live and recorded professionals and with a little experimentation, the director and students will quickly lea how to achieve and maintain professional quality snare drum sounds. The snare tension should be adjusted somewhat according to the passage played. A Joud passage might require a slight tightening of the snares as compared to a looser sound desired for a soft delicate passage. The use of different drums for different passages could also be considered. For all-purpose playing, however, the snare tension should be adjusted while softly tapping the head with the stick until a crisp snare response is achieved. Too much tensioning of the snares will result in a choked, almost tom tom sound, as the snares cannot respond properly. Great care must be exercised in obtaining the proper snare tension. See and hear a demonstration of this snare tension tuning on the DVD for Chapter 2 Many older drums have an internal tone control, which is used to eliminate unwanted overtone ring. If used, this felt pad should be adjusted until it just barely touches the batter head and eliminates the ring. Too often this device is over-tightened, causing a raised spot on the head and thus destroying all fine tuning. Correct adjustment of the tone control can best be achieved with the snares off by softly tapping the batter head off center with a stick and gradually tightening the tone control knob until the unwanted ring is barely eliminated. Many new developments in head design have reduced the need for tone control use. These newer overtone reduction heads should be considered for achieving desired sounds without the use of internal tone controls and external muffling. (Dot heads and two-ply heads are not recommended for concert snare drum use.) Stands Snare drum should be of sturdy construction and adjustable to a standing height for cert snare drum playing. Stands intended for drum set use will not adjust high enough for a student much over 5% feet tall. When ordering, be certain to specify a long or concert use. (See discussion of this on the DVD.) ic types of stands exist: the claw type and the conventional single-arm adjustment type. Set up the conventional type with the adjustable arm to the player's left. «> will allow the drum to rest on the two stationary arms and the adjustable length to be secured against the drum. Either type of stand should be set up so that the drum can be slanted for traditional grip playing. (See demonstration of this on the DVD.) Placement of the drum on the stand is recommended with the snare release level at about 4 or5 o'clock as the player faces the instrument. This is to allow for quick access to the snare release with the right hand and the most versatile playing area selection (see the discussion of “Playing Areas” below and under “The Strokes” at the end of this chapter). Consistent positioning of the snare release is highly advantageous to a percussion section’s successful performance when it comes to everyone knowing where the snare release lever is on the snare drums. Sticks Snare drum sticks are generally made of wood but are also available in metal and fiberglass-type materials, Stick recommendations are made in Chapter 1. Selection of sticks should include the following actions 1. Roll the sticks on a flat surface to find a pair that is straight. 2. Drop the sticks on a hard floor or tap them on a hard surface to match their pitch Choose the pair with the highest matched pitch. 3. Inspect the sticks to be certain the weights and diameters are closely matched and general finishes are smooth and free of flaws. DvD DvD.Q@ FIGURE 2.2 Butt Chapter 2 Figure 2.2 identifies the parts of the snare drum stick. Wooden sticks are recommended for all-purpose use. The weight and size of a stick determine the quality of sound produced. A very light, small-diameter stick will produce a thin sound. This is sometimes desired, but often small drum sticks are used constantly by players who are not aware of the quality of full-bodied sound that is obtained only with a heavier stick. Select a general-purpose stick that is rigid enough, especially toward the tapered shoulder and neck (see Figure 2.2) to produce a full-bodied sound. Sticks with excessive shoulder taper “give” or “flex” when played and result in a considerable loss of tone. (See discussion and demonstration of this on the DVD.) Do not use a stick that will “overplay” an instrument. Too large or too heavy a stick will muffle or cancel out most of the vibrations from an instrument and cause a dull tone. An example would be a heavy drum stick, timpani, o marimba mallet used on a small bongo or tom tom, where a suitable stick would be a thin wooden dowel. (See demonstration on DVD.) A stick with a small bead (Cooperman #1 Graham C. Johns and Vic Firth Bolero models) will sound best for playing fast articulate rhythmic passages, and a stick with a larger general-purpose bead will sound best for loud or soft roll passages with moderate rhythmic activity (Reamer [Drummer’s Service] Abel and Bookspan models; Coop- erman Zuber, Petrella and others’ models; Vie Firth SD1 Generals). Figure 2.3 shows various sticks as recommended in Chapter 1. Note the changing bead size yet consistent gripping area in the Firth line of sticks. For excellent quality concert snare sticks see web sites for Drummer’s Service, Cooperman, Vie Firth, Innovative, Pro Mark, Mike Balter and others in the online Appendix C. Playing Areas Drum playing areas must also be taken into consideration for a true musical perfor~ mance. In general, any well-tuned, nonmuffled drum will give a dry, slightly muffled tone in the center and more resonance toward the edge. The lowest fundamental tone is produced in the center of a drum with a thinning of the tone occurring nearer the edge. ‘The head is slightly tighter near the edge and therefore is a slightly easier area on which to play soft delicate passages, but this practice should be pursued discreetly. ‘Awell-tuned snare drum will give a quick dry snare response when played directly over the snares and a slightly slower snare response when played away from or opposite the snares. These tonal characteristics should be considered when choosing where on the head to perform a given passage (for instance, a roll will sound smoother when played opposite the snares, and fast rhythms are more articulate when played directly ‘over the snares). - Generally, playing just off center will give a full tone with a slight amount of resonance. When playing soft articulate passages, one must choose between the dry articulate center-area sound and the more resonant, over-the-snares articulate edge sound. ‘Care must be taken net to play loudly too near the edge of a head. This produces a poor, Snare drum stick Shatt Shoulder Bead | | | = t 1 Gripping Area NeckBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum FIGURE 2.3 Sticks and brushes, left to right: two Chris Lamb orchestral modele, Vick Firth-Thunder Rock, Vick Firth-SD1 Generals, Vie Firth-SD2 Bolero, Vick Firth SD5-Echo, Ludwig standard 28, Tom Gauger #16, Hinger aluminum, RAMROD sticks by RAM Percussion, Vick Firth-SD6 Sizzle, nylon tip home- made yarn double-ended stick, Ludwig wire brushes, Blastik by Calato, Vick Firth Corpsmaster Ralph Hardiman signature model, Siverfox-3S, Siiverfox-MW/S, Vic Firth MSIN nylon tip model, Regal Tip Quantum thin tone that is never acceptable to the tone-conscious ear. Also, overuse of edge-to- center playing for soft to loud passages will give too much of the effect of different instruments and too much color change. Dynamic contrast must be created by fine control and technique, TOM TOM, FIELD DRUM, TENOR DRUM, AND ROTO-TOMS In addition to the snare drum, the percussionist will often be called upon to play other concert drums. Tom toms are available in many different sizes (see Figure 2.4). The choice of instrument should be based on its use in the context of the music. A quick substitute for a tom tom is a snare drum with “snares off.” This is also what is usually intended when a composer writes for snare drum “muffled.” Generally, if field drum (tamburo militare [It], militar trommel [Ger], tambour mili- taire (Fr) is called for, a large marching-style snare drum (approx. 12" x 15") is used with snares (Figure 2.5). In a concert hall this type of drum should have gut or cable snares and should not be tuned as high as our modern marching snares (see Chapter 9). It should be played with larger sticks than ordinarily used on a standard concert snare drum. A tenor drum (tamburo or cassa rullante [It], rukrtrommel or wirbel trommel (Ger, eaisse roulante or tambourin roulant (Fr.|) would be considered a field drum without snares (Figure 2). A large, deep-sounding drum (approximately 12" x 15°-16") often is preferred. Although the tenor drum is usually played with large snare drum sticks, occasionally a pair of yarn or felt mallets is better. Again, careful consideration of the musical context—along with a careful translation of the foreign term for these instruments— is required of the percussionist when choosing the tenor drum or the field drum. Another non-snare drum category is roto-toms. These unique drums evolved from the early demands for tuned chromatic drums in the percussion writing of Michael32 Chapter 2 Flaure 2.4 ‘Tom toms FIGURE 2.5 Field drum (left) and tenor drum (right) Colgrass to a pedal-operated version that were manufactured by Remo in the 1980s. The uniqueness of roto-toms is that the pitch of each head can be cl y : drum (Figure 2.6). Used both as tuned and indefinite pitch instruments, these shell le drums have their own unique quality of sound, Roto-toms were available in seven ditBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Orum 2 = extended range 18” ioe ie izpeeeee lig "6 ferent sizes between 18” and 6" in diameter. Although only manufactured commercially in 6", 8", 10°, 12°, and 14” sizes, their full range is included above because of many exist- ing sets still in percussion inventories and required in compositions. THE ATTITUDE TOWARD PERCUSSION PERFORMANCE AND EDUCATION One problem that percussionists and teachers of the instruments have always had to face is that the drums (and indeed many other percussion instruments) are perhaps the ceasiest instruments on which a person can produce a sound without any formal instruction. This absence of training and attitude of “here, take the sticks and play,” while valid as part of the learning process, has misled many potentially fine musicians, who, with minimal guidance, might have otherwise become fine players. Therefore, an attitude is needed toward playing and teaching percussion instruments that is as musical and sophisticated as one would have when approaching any wind or string instrument or training the voice. And unless this attitude is serious and well intended, the percussionist will have a difficult time developing and understanding his or her techniques and potentialities and will perhaps never come to know musical percussion performance. In examining basic sound-production quality on musical instruments, assuming we have decent instruments and parts (that is, sticks, mouthpieces, and bows), the percussionist must first think of the hands, as the wind player would the embouchure or the string player the bow. A poor bow grip or weak embouchure makes it difficult to produce a good sound. Similarly, a weak or misunderstood grip employed on the sticksChapter 2 or mallets will result in greater difficulties than if a correct basic grip is used. (See Chap- ter 7 for hand drumming considerations.) To carry this a step further, the stroke is analogous to the breath support on a wind instrument or bow pressure and motion on a string instrument. The concept of tone production through the stroke, called touch, needs to be correctly understood from the very outset to enable the percussion student to play with accuracy, control, tonal variety, re- finement, velocity, and musical expression as he or she progresses. A clear understanding of all psychophysical relationships involved in learning and performance must always be kept in mind as the teacher guides the student. The following pages and the accompanying DVD will address all important aspects of a basic percussion grip, stroke, and technical development. Each aspect is presented through direct instructions purposely designed to define an “area of correctness” for each consideration. These areas of correctness are often labeled Cook Book Essential Ingro- dients for monitoring during practice and performance. If these essential principles are observed, success is almost guaranteed. All of these concepts can be most efficiently leaned through simple student observation of the teacher’s demonstration followed by the student's imitation (the “monkey see, monkey do” approach). When presenting any aspect of grip, stroke, or technique the teacher should avoid attaching strong result: oriented expectations to any part of the activity. The goal of each activity needs to be clearly defined, but it must be an atoareiress-oriented goal, not a result-oriented goal. Ask the student to imitate what you do. Language should lead the student into an awareness of every aspect of “what is” and “what is happening.” Use phrases like “notice .. ..” "be aware of ...,” “tell me what happens when ...,” “what if you...,” and “focus your attention...” to foster awareness learning, Be certain that any discoveries the student makes are directly relevant to what is happening, not just what he or she thinks is happening. Also, be certain you understand What the student knows about what he or she is learning so that you can continue to guide him or her accurately into more experiential awareness. Once the stucient knows how something should be (for example, the way a roll should sound and look) from having observed your demonstration, a “temporary okay condition” should be established in which result expectations are sincerely let go of, and the focus is only on becoming aware of some part of the activity that ultimately affects the “result” (for instance, saying, “It's okay with me if it sounds rough, is that okay with you? See if you can find out what your middle finger is doing when you do that.”) Through this proce learning and change will take place, and the result will improve. Perception is blocked by thinking how it “should be.” The student needs only to let go, be nonjudgmental and willing to accept “what is” and become aware, and learning will occur, Regular practice times need to be established and a format or schedule for use of that time followed. Beginning with a warm-up period of a few minutes is a good habit This gets the blood flowing into the muscles and the psychophysical systems tuned up. Slow, mentally focused, conscious practice must be given to each new area of technique with close attention paid to all visual, auditory, and kinesthetic aspects of execution and musical expression. ‘The student is encouraged to establish a set of goals for evaluating his or her learning. Long-range goals can have no real limits, They may be vocational or purely idealis- tic achievements for oneself in the far-off future. Mid-range goals should be more realistic and attainable. Short-range goals can be upcoming performances or completion of a certain solo or method. This short-term goal can then be further divided in half to establish such levels as weekly goals in practice, daily goals, lesson goals, today’s goals The degree of goal attainment should be examined beyond the obvious fulfillment of its expectation. More important is learning how one learned the material required to fulfill the goal. As a fair assessment of the degree of goal attainment, one should simply determine whether one expanded in learning (in which case, improvement was made} or whether one did not. Expanded learning is a product of careful isolation and observation of the exact objectives one has and an awareness of what accomplishes them,Basic Percussion Technique Further thoughts on practice and leaming are‘presented? reader is encouraged to view these all collectively in formulating’ and education. @ MATCHED AND TRADITIONAL GRIP ‘Two common grips are used in snare drum playing: matched and traditional. As noted earlier in this chapter, traditional grip came into use because it was the most convenient and logical left-hand grip for accommodating the sharp angle of the drum suspended at the drummer's side. Pictorial accounts of playing clearly illustrate the drum hanging at the musician's side; hence, it is sometimes called the “side drum.” When the drum was played with the left hand, the stick was held somehow between the thumb and index finger to accommodate the angle of the drum. Sometimes only the index finger was placed on top of the stick, but usually two fingers were used as in Rembrandt's Night Watch of 1642.8 Other predecessors of the traditional grip can be seen in examples of grips used to accommodate drum angles in ancient cultures such as the Romans and the Egyptians. The use of traditional grip in the military, of course, carried over into concert hall playing, for that was how all snare drummers learned to hold their sticks. Stands were eventually built that were adjustable so as to accommodate the player's traditional grip. One of the earliest concert snare drum stands was a child’s high chair with the drum inserted at the proper angle for playing, The first drum set snare drum stands in New Orleans were common. chairs (which led to double-drumming with the bass drum); otherwise, the drums were suspended by a shoulder strap. Of course, while snare drummers were using traditional grip, timpanists and keyboard players were using a matched grip, so as percussionists began to play more than just the snare drum, they had to learn to play with both grips. In the past three decades matched grip has become increasingly popular for snare cum playing as well as for all the other percussion instruments. This is due perhaps partially to the visual influences of matched-grip rock drummers and other percussionists seen on television and in movies, books, and magazines and matched grip being advocated more commonly in percussion pedagogy. Most important is the simple fact that as the demands on the school percussionist focused more toward proficiency on all percussion instruments, matched grip was found to be the most consistent approach to total percussion education and performance. Many arguments have been made for using matched grip. Since nine arm muscles are used to make a matched-grip stroke (four extensor muscles move the stick down FIGURE 2.7. Matched grip FIGURE 2.8 Traditional gripQ: Chapter 2 and five flexor muscles move it up) and only four are used for a traditional-grip stroke (two pronator muscles move the stick down and two supinator muscles move it up), then to have balanced strokes (sounds) between hands, logic suggests that matched grip be used. Further arguments for matched grip would include its greater ease in learning because it is a more natural grip. The strongest point, as previously stated, is that itis a consistent grip and can be easily transferred to all percussion instruments. Marching snare drum performance with matched grip is easily accomplished by using a carrier to position the drum flat (see Chapter 9). Ironically, marching snares are commonly played flat with traditional grip but more recently are being played at an angle with traditional grip. Some professionals would advocate playing snare drum in the concert hall at an angle with traditional grip for projection of tone. While traditional grip is preferred by some (often in combination with matched) on drum set, marching snare, and in the concert hall, matched grip is recommended for training the percussionist and has served as a consistent approach to percussion educa: tion and performance for many successful percussionists. (Additional comments on tra ditional grip are included in Chapters 8 and 9.) @ INSTRUMENT HEIGHT AND STANCE Aword should be said about instrument height and proximity to the player. The role of body poise and postural use is paramount in realizing optimum learning and perfor~ mance potentials. A good general concept concerning instrument height would be to have the forearms almost parallel to the floor when playing any percussion instrument. A slight reaching downward would not be harmful, but avoid an extreme reaching downward, Players taller than about 5'8” often have the latter difficulty with snare drum stands that do not adjust to standing playing position because they are intended to be used with the player seated at a drum set. (See the discussion of this on the DVD.) All instruments should be at approximately waist or hip-bone level even if some form of instrument riser is needed. Players taller than 5'8" may especially want to elevate their keyboard percussion instruments by placing four small 2" x 4" or 4" 4" wooden blocks under the wheels or, better, investing in an adjustable height instrument. If blocks are used, each block should have a rubber or plastic furniture stop attached to its top to keep the wheel from rolling off the block (four thick telephone books have been used to raise instruments, too). Blocking the instrument to a correct playing level will result in more comfortable and more natural playing than having to stoop or bend at the knees excessively. For the tall player, sitting on a stool for timpani performance balances the body better, positions the arms more parallel to the drum head, and avoids stooping The antithesis of being too tall for an instrument is often the lot of a young percussionist playing fullsize instruments. When addressing keyboards or even timpani, a sturdy box or a couple of crates for a short player to stand on helps him or her tack the instrument. The distance between the instrument and the player is easily determined by placing the sticks or mallets on the instrument's playing area and checking where the player's elbows fall in relation to the side of his or her body. This “rule of elbow" is that the el. bows should be slightly forward from or even with the sides of the body when perform. ing on any stationary percussion instrument. This allows for maximum relaxation from the shoulders down to the fingers and ease in arm/hand movement over the instru. ment. (See the demonstration of this rule of elbow on the DVD.) If one stands too close to the instrument, a relaxed technical development is hin- dered, and tone is also slightly constricted by a subtle involuntary squeezing in the hands caused by the elbows being forced behind the sides of the body. A poised position at any stationary percussion instrument will result in a straight back with one’s head balanced on one’s neck and elbows relaxed at one’s sides. Although a slight bending toward the instrument with combined movement from ankle, knee, and hip joints may, in performance especially, make the difference between a musically inspired and engag-Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum ing performance for the audience, the percussionist must be aware of his or her poise at the instruments and not slump and stoop over them. The percussionist has a psycholog- ical barrier or resistance to overcome because of the lack of physical contact with the instrument. The player must become “one” with the instrument and mallets if he or she is to achieve musical expression, and correct instrument/player arrangement is crucial if this is to occur. ™ A CONCEPT OF THE GRIP AND STROKE The basic matched grip will be discussed using snare drum sticks because of the easy availability of sticks and practice pads, However, there is very little difference in the matched grip whether used with snare sticks, keyboard percussion mallets, or timpani mallets. If these other instruments and mallets are available, they may also be used for the initial practice. The idiosyncrasies of their grips are discussed in their respective chapters. Please view the following grip and stroke discussions and demonstrations on the accompanying DVD. The most important point to remember when teaching, learning, or playing percussion with any grip is to allow yourself to be relaxed. At no time before or during a stroke should one experience tension in any part of the body, especially in the hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders; little fatigue, perhaps, but not tension. To experientially learn about relaxation and tension in these extremities, we can do the lady bug exercise. Please follow along on the DVD. Simply hold your arms out in front of you, palms facing the floor. Wiggle your hands loosely as if bouncing tennis balls or waving goodbye from the wrists. Notice the looseness in the hands, wrists, and arms. Now press the thumb slightly against your index and middle fingers as if lightly holding a stick (or gently holding a lady bug), and notice what it feels like as you continue waving—but don’t hurt your lady bug! Increase the thumb pressure (and squish your poor lady bug), even close your fingers tightly into the palm, and notice the restricted movement in the wrists and arms. Now let go of the thumb and fingers and wave the hands loosely again. This experience illustrates that the more loosely one can. hold the sticks, with a whole-handed supportive type of grip, the more relaxed and easy playing will be. If tension is detected at any time while playing—and you are squishing your lady bug—stop, take a deep breath, “shake it loose,” and resume practice. In general, a good concept of the basic percussion stroke played with any grip on any drum would consist of the performer tossing or pushing the stick toward the head, from a raised position above the drum with a hearty but resilient stroke, made with a balanced combination of fingers, wrist, and arm, and immediately allowing the stick to rebound naturally back to its starting position. This cyclic stick movement is called a full stroke and can occur at any height depending on speed and volume. The natural rebound should not be inhibited by the performer in any way. There should be no downward resistance to the energy of the stick rebounding or any artificial pulling of the stick up off the head. (In keyboard performance, the concept is the same but lacking much natural rebound off the bars; therefore a certain amount of artificial rebound lifting must be created. See DVD stroke demonstration on keyboard compared to snare drum in Chapter 4.) An acute sensitivity to this natural rebound will result in the hand actually following the stick back to its starting position. This sensitivity is developed only with a loose but supportive grip that cushions the stick, flexible wrists, and coordinated arm connection. A good way to conceive of this sensitivity in the stroke is simply to imagine bouncing a tennis ball off the drum head, with a gentle throw or push of the ball toward the head being initiated primarily from the wrists. You might even try lightly bouncing real balls off hard floor or table and then off the drum head. This idea of allowing the ball to freely rebound off the drum when actively playing, coupled with an “in-tune” synchro- nization of the fingers, hand, wrist, and arm to the stick’s natural rebound off the drum, forms a desirable concept for tone production and touch on all percussion instruments with any grip. Q:DvD %3 Chapter 2 The Pivot Point or Fulcrum The first thing to determine before starting to play is the pivot point on the stick—that is, where the stick should be held to obtain the greatest number of free bounces when the stick is dropped on the drum head or pad. This is also sometimes called the fulerunt or fulcrum point. However, the term fulcrum is reserved for use in this text and on the DVD. to identify the appearance of the hand position or grip and involvement of the fingers and/or arms in playing. Note that the pivot point described here on a snare drum stick does not apply to the keyboard percussion mallet or timpani mallet; they should be held near the end of the shaft (see Chapters 4 and 5). Aithough a detailed demonstration is presented on the DVD to determine the best pivot point on the snare drum stick, the fol: lowing explanation is included for ready reference in the text. To find the pivot point on the snare drum stick, simply hold the stick freely between the tip of thumb and index finger about one-third of the way down from the butt end, with the tip resting on the pad or drum head. Lift the tip of the stick about 10 inches ot the head with your opposite hand, and allow it to drop and bounce freely on the pad or dry Observe the number of free bounces. Repeat several times, changing the point at which you hold the stick between the thumb and index finger until you find the point on the Stick where the greatest number of free bounces occur. This is the pivot point. You may ‘mark this point on the stick by roughing up the finish and using a felt pen or piece of tape If the stick is held at this point each time one plays, then the best feel and response will be obtained. This pivot may be shifted slightly for more subtle effects in the roll and stick response in advanced playing situations, but at the outset it should be clearly established. The Grip Once the pivot point is found on the snare drum stick, a proper matched grip or traditional grip can be established. Although a detailed demonstration of the grip is presented on the DVD, the following explanation is included for ready reference in the text and pertains to matched grip and right-hand traditional grip—see Chapter 9 for expla nations of the left-hand traditional grip. Drop your strong or dominant hand to your side. Relax your arm and hand and shake it loose. Take the tip of the stick in your other hand. Raise yout strong hand palm up to about waist level. Place the stick in the hand, across the palm just below the base of the fingers where they meet the hand, with the butt end of the stick extending off the palm near the wrist, as shown on the DVD. Grip the stick loosely (like gently holding a lady bug) between the thumb and first joint of the index and middle fingers and allow the remaining fingers to fold gently around the back of the stick. The space between the top of the thumb and side of the forefinger should be open and relaxed; this open area is called an open fillerum and is an excellent and easy visual cue to maintaining a relaxed fulcrum. (See the DVD demon. stration for this critical aspect of a relaxed, proper grip.) It is important that one con. ceives of this grip at the pivot point on the stick as between the pad of the thumb and the space between the index finger and middle fingers on the opposite side of the stick and supported by the ring and little fingers. These last two fingers are helpful in controlling the stick but must never inhibit its motion, especially in the free bounce as used in the roll, This explanation is different from the first two editions of Teaching Percussion and from most approaches to the grip, in which the grip on the stick was advocated between the thumb and index finger with the middle, ring, and little finger supporting the grip. Thanks to the enlightenment of the late Buster Bailey in his definitive book Wrist Twisters, A Musical Approach to Snare Drumming, our pedagogical understanding of this grip has been refined. And, to quote Bailey, “The amount of inward squeeze at the ful. crum should create the minimum amount of tension possible in your hand, simply piv- ing you the feeling that your fingers are ‘glued’ lightly to the sides of the stick.” Bailey explains further,Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Crum believe that the right hand fulcrum point is most effective when positioned between the pad of the thumb on one side of the stick, and the space betzen the index and the middle finger on the opposite side off the stick. Placing the fulcrum point between those fingers is going to allow the stick to have a freer rebound off the drumhead, and it’s that rebound along with sensitivity in the wrists, that we want to make use of and allow to do most of the work for us? The setting of the grip has been performed with the palm up so the player has complete view of what is attempting to be accomplished. There are other approaches to establishing a grip on the stick in which the stick is picked up off a surface, or the player pretends to shake hands and the stick is placed into his or her hand from below. Any such approaches that do not allow the player to see the pivot point and finger placement around the stick are fine for supplemental instruction but should not be the primary method. ‘To complete the grip and bring the stick to playing position, simply tum the hand over so the back of the hand is up, and one is ready to begin the stroke (see Figure 2.7) At this point it is necessary to establish some areas of correctness or Cook Book Essen- tial Ingredients about the grip. The player should become aware of these by focusing attention on each point and determining what role it has while playing, 1. Be sure the stick is being held loosely at the determined pivot point between the thumb and the space between the index and middle fingers as shown on the DVD. 2. Be sure the thumb is kept on the side of the stick directly across from the index and middle fingers and not allowed to slip under the stick as if holding a hammer. Be sure the tips of the index and middle fingers curl slightly around the stick. This is crucial for dynamic control and sensitivity as one advances. 4, Be sure the ring and little fingers only support the stick and do not grip it tightly nto the palm. There should be about 1 inch of play between the fingers and the im in which the back of the stick can move freely. Be sure the back of the stick lies under or slightly to the outside of the wrist as shown in Figure 2.7. To some extent, one’s natural hand size will determine his placement. 6. Most importantly, be sure you maintain an open fulcrum space between the top of the thumb and side of the index finger. While some texts go so far as to distinguish between an “open” fulcrum and “power” fulcrum grip—the latter with this space closed (as some drum line instructors advocate)—for the sake of a basic percussion technique, only an open fulcrum will allow for maximum relaxation. The Basic Percussion Stroke After acquiring a clear understanding of a proper grip and concept of the stroke, the student is ready to begin playing. A resonant snare drum (snares on and off) or a tom tom is recommended, in addition to a practice pad, to supply rich auditory feedback when initially developing the basic percussion stroke and tone. Although a detailed demonstration of the basic percussion stroke is presented on the DVD (with a cloning or mirroring, hands together approach), the following explanation is included for ready reference in the text As described earlier, the correct basic matched grip stroking action or motion, made primarily by the hand and wrist in playing position, is like waving goodbye or bouncing a ball. (See Chapter 9 for traditional grip explanations.) It is important that the motion be primarily up-and-down from the wrist, as opposed to a rotation of the wrist and forearm or side-to-side movement of the hand from the wrist. Initially make this correct stroking motion slowly in the air without striking the drum. The integration of the arm into the stroke requires coordination and understanding dealt with later concerning, accents and rolls. Once incorporated, this balanced coordinated stroke involving arm, wrist, and fingers will allow for the most complete and natural technical development. ovdQ: DvD Chapter 2 As a first playing exercise, practice playing both hands together slowly and evenly for the benefits of cloning or mirroring. Don’t even think of making “drum strokes’— just bounce balls! Learn by rote the cloning pattern exercises as demonstrated on the DVD, and practice them allowing for a free full-stroke rebound after every stroke. Prac- tice random basic strokes with the hands together and separately until the stroke becomes comfortable, relaxed, even, and consistent. Along the way, focus your attention on (seeing, hearing, and feeling) all points concerning the correct grip and stroke. A detailed description follows. With the hands close to the drum (2 to 3 inches above the head), lift the tips of the sticks by bending the wrists to a high full stroke position about 12 to 13 inches above the head; do not move the forearms. Make a motion to the drum and produce a sound that will be loud, because of the height of the sticks, but not heavy. Conceive the tone as rich, mellow, and round, and listen for the consistent quality of each stroke. Think of the sticks rebounding off the drum or following the tone awuy from the drum more than actually striking the drum. Feel the vibration of the stick as it rebounds freely. The tip of the stick should make contact with the head just off center. The wrist motion should be quick from the high full stroke—like throwing or bouncing a ball—and returning again. Maintain an open fulcrum and keep the hand and fingers relaxed, supporting the stick correctly. The importance of starting with a full stroke at this exaggerated height is to develop the wrist muscles at their fullest potential for strength and control in playing, to ‘experience all sensations (seeing, hearing, and feeling) at their fullest, and to acquire a touch that will develop into a flexible technique that the player can use to express his or her musical ideas (see Figure 2.9 and the DVD demonstrations). Time should be spent playing and observing basic sticking combinations between hands at even note values. Typical exercises are shown in Examples 2-A and 2-B. Many such playing examples are included in beginning percussion texts. An excellent way to compare the hands is to feel the similarities and differences in stick vibrations between the hands (in addition to listening and watching). Example 2-C is a wrist exercise that should be practiced with each hand separately using a full stroke for each articulation Play only as fast as the sixteenth notes can be controlled. Work toward acquiring increased sensitivity to the natural rebound of the stick off the head with each playing, A Cook Book recipe (and favorite way out here in the Southwest) for teaching 2-C by rote is by saying and playing: “bean” for quarter notes, “ta-co” for eighth notes, “tor-til-la” for triplets, and “en-chi-la-da” for sixteenth notes. Try it! It’s fun and amazingly accurate. See Chapter 11, “Basic Stroke Combinations,” for supplemental exercises, FIGURE 2.9 The basic percussion strokeBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Shared After establishing a good basic percussion stroke and consistent grip, one is ready to begin music reading and further the techniques of playing. Just as with singers and musicians with string and wind instruments, itis vital that percussionists establish a good concept of the basic stroke and sound. EXAMPLE 2-A a Written only indicating stickings. Play hands together ‘on each line for cloning or mirroring benefits, followed immediately with the hands separately as indicated. Watch (feel and listen) for consistent full-stroke rebounds. 1(2)3@), 1@)3@), 1 $ RoR_|R_R_ roka| Re -| 1 (2)3 (4), 1(2)3 @ 2 eee _| 4 $@3@M/1@3@/1 2G) 4) 1@34 3 4 R—R_—|R_R_|RR_R|R_RR} a 1(2)3 (4)) 1(2)3 4) 1 20)4] 1Q)34 ee ee, ch rt -|e—n— RRR Ca for pat—eev_fer - 4 cen_[eer—eeee| en a eafree—feeee|o | EXAMPLE 2-8 & Written with notes and stickings. Play the (a) and (b) stickings together on each line for cloning or mirroring benefits, followed immediately by the separate (a) and (b) hands as indicated. Watch (feel and listen) for consistent full-stroke rebounds. When playing exercises 6 through 9 especially, try separating the hands on two different sounds and play the “melody” rather than the sticking. For auditory learners this will be much easier than the physical sticking patterns. 1 23@ 12 3@ +12 34 1@ 3 4 2s R RR RR RR R a. b LLL Looe LLEUoL L Lea 3 z 6 EXAMPLE 2-B @ (Continued) ne ea ra = = = - am a a fn gy oe ot ae ax TP ae Sh ae 5 aa eo —y ax ~ ola fo. fad: ae ea eo at a“ ey TF x= 72 a ae = 4 yas % ae am ae ae ~ a : ae aw 2 4 aoa am ae sy ae ra a a a ea wa “a a a4 ~ ae wa aa a ee xa ea ea « “a as : as ac a as ax ae ea we ry ma wa ea ae wa ae am rae ae ax ae 10. L ete. L ete. R ete, R ete. eae waa eatBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum “a EXAMPLE 2-B m= (Continued) n 3 3 a 3 a RRRRRR ete. fe ee a RE RR 0D a @LRLRLR ete. 12, Repeat each measure several times at maximum speed. After the last measure increase to a continuous single stroke roll. For variations: 1. Play all eighth notes with one hand and “drop in” the other hand. 2. Substitute sixteenth-note triplets or thirty-second notes for the printed sixteenth notes. ‘Single Stroke Roll. Practice slow to fast to slow—I to 3 minutes duration, See demonstration of the ngle stroke roll with conversion to finger technique on the DVD. > oe RL RL ete, LRL Pee RL Rete EXAMPLE 2-c : Awrist exercise dally warm-up. Sing: “bean, ta-co, tor-til-la, en-chi-la-da.” asterecir RR ete bo LLLL LE ete eo RERL RL ete, a LRER L R vetChapter 2 ™ BASIC DRUMMING TECHNIQUE Many books have been written on the musical and technical development of the percussionist. Recommended texts appear at the end of this chapter. However, in presenting an instructional guide for use in teaching and learning to play percussion instruments, the following general comments are pertinent regarding approaches to drumming technique. Once basic stroke combinations between hands can be coordinated and controlled, the player should proceed to advance his or her technical, reading, and musical skills. Technical development should include the continued cultivation of touch, control of tone, velocity or speed, dynamics, and rhythmic precision. To develop speed and con trol, one should practice various sticking combinations on various rhythmic patterns. ‘These are found in the technical exercises in many of the better percussion methods or in texts dealing strictly with the topic of stick control. Developing Dexterity by Mitch Peters, ‘Master Studies by Joe Morello, It’s Your Move by Dom Famularo, and Wrist Twisters by Buster Bailey (already mentioned), listed at the end of this chapter, are excellent books for developing technique and refining touch and control. Rudiments of the snare drum also serve as exercises to develop technical facility. Drum rudiments are basically rhvth- mic patterns with concocted stickings that serve as the drummer's scales and arpeggios. See Chapter 9, “Marching Percussion” for extensive discussions of rudimental drumming. When practicing these technique builders, one should allow the sticks to rebound toa high full stroke position by starting slowly (andl relatively loudly) at first with each exercise, gradually increasing speed up to one’s maximum with relaxed control, and grad~ ually slowing back down again During this process, the height of the full stroke should diminish as the strokes occur faster, and the volume of the stroke should also diminish as the strokes are played closer to the drum. The slowing back down should reverse the height and volume level back to a high full stroke. At all times the grip must stay relaxed and correct. The “feel” of the height and energy of the rebound that is present when plaving the high full stroke slowly should be maintained as the playing speeds up. It is this discipline of allowing the sticks to rebound each time as full strokes that develops the touch and control nec sary for advanced musical playing. There may be a tendency for the sticks to “seesaw” or to move one stick down to the drum while the other is coming up, sometimes referred toas “switch stroking,” This tendency should be avoided, and each full stroke should be completely executed, with the stroke rebounding to its maximum height before the next stroke is started. Only when the rhythms or exercises are played very rapidly should the sticks be allowed to switch stroke or seesaw. ° When learning to read music, one should strive for this full stroke movement so that it eventually becomes habit. Consistent, controlled practice using this approach will rapidly develop wrist muscles and coordination and advance stick-control technique. To develop control of dynamics one should practice these same exercises at various dynamic levels—soft, meditum, loud, crescendo, diminuendo—and using various tempos slow, medium, fast, slow to fast to slow, and so on. Review of the basic sticking com binations in Examples 2-A and 2-B with these added dynamic variations is strongly encouraged. Also see accent studies, Example 2-O, and supplemental playing exercises for snare drum in Chapter 11. Development will be rapid at first but will become more gradual as advanced levels are reached. However, efficient regular practice will result in progress if one is attentive, patient, and persevering. In the words of the famous violin teacher Ivan Galamian, "Technique is the immediate and precise response of the hands to directives sent out by the mind.” The percussionist must understand this concept when practicing as he or she is developing not only muscles but mainly the psychomotor coordination of mind and hands. The mind requires the most development, asall one does begins in the mind. The more developed and flexible the mind is, the more it will be able to “direct the hands,” and the more progress the percussionist will achieve.Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum, The percussionist’s musical development must, of course, parallel the technical. Musical development is perhaps greatly individual, but it can be nourished by exposing, the percussionist to good literature (as suggested throughout this text), good concepts of sound, and meaningful, provocative musical experiences, throughout his or her training. However, even the most musical minds cannot express their ideas without adequate technique. Rebounds, Doubles, and Rolls After developing consistent control of basic stroke combinations, the next stage of technical development is learning to play and control the rebound. This, of course, leads to sustaining drum tones by means of the buzz or multiple-bounce roll and the open double-stroke or rudimental roll. There are many approaches to beginning roll development. For many years the open or rudimental-style roll, which consists of two sounds being produced in each stick, was the only “correct” approach to learning the roll. James Blades refers to the open roll as the “double-beat” and “legitimate roll.”"” This style of roll is a direct carryover from the techniques employed on the large, rope-tension, skin head, gut snare drums of European and colonial American military heritage. The slow response of these early drums demanded a very open technique for creating the sustained drum tone or roll; thus the usual technique employed was the double-stroke roll (See DVD demonstration in Chapter 9.) While mastery of the open double-stroke roll is fundamental to percussion technique and essential to developing fluency in all styles of snare drumming, more recent pedagogical approaches advocate that initial roll devel- ‘opment be through the study of the multiple-bounce or buzz roll with three or more sounds occurting in each hand. Generally, with this initial approach to the roll, the stucient is able to produce a good-sounding roll and understand roll interpretation enough to meet the demands of the music long before he or she could if initially developing the double-stroke roll, Development of the double-stroke roll is essential and should accom- pany muitiple-bounce roll studies as suggested in this chapter and on the DVD under the Section “The Stroke-and-a-Bounce.” Assuming a good pivot point is employed (and that is crucial), one needs to attempt to produce a sttoke after which the stick is allowed to rebound or bounce freely several times on the drum head or pad. There are three points in the grip that must have the most sensitive control and understanding: 1. The sideways pressure of the thumb on the stick opposite the pivot point (space between the index and middle fingers) must only create a pivot or fulcrum for the stick to play through. This thumb pressure coupled with any gripping of the stick from the tip of the index and sniddle fingers can determine the control of the rebounds. If the pressure is too firm, it will inhibit the rebound of the stick; if too loose, the stick will flop around in the pivot area and lose its rebound energy. One should think of a slight squeeze from the tip of the index and middle fingers at the moment the stick contacts the head, followed by an immediate release of that squeeze once the stick starts to rebound. This “squeeze-release” process, when executed correctly, will put the stick into active rebound motion (due to the squeeze) and allow the maximum number of rebounds to occur (due to the release). Experi- menting with the subtleties of this squeeze-release will enable one to obtain free, unrestricted, long multiple-bounce strokes. 2. The ring and little fingers should not touch the stick when first producing rebounds or the multiple-bounce stroke. They should be just below the stick, yet not spread out to the side. Eventually these fingers will become sensitive to the rebound speed and actually facilitate the production of the rebounds. 3. Often overlooked in producing good multiple bounces and rebounds is the downward weight of the hand on the stick. Experimentation with different slight downward pressures here will reveal much. DvD «eo Chapter 2 4. Lastly, these multiple-bounce strokes should be made not from the wrists alone but from a combined flowing arm and wrist stroke motion. Use this motion as, you practice below. ‘The multiple-bounce stroke should be practiced in each hand separately before combining the hands. Take care not to attempt this buzz stroke at too loud a dynamic level. Then, combining the hands, start slowly playing long, sustained multiple bounces in each hand. Overlap the ending of one stroke with the beginning of the other. Keep an even sustained sound; gradually alternate more rapidly until a smooth, connected series of buzzes, is sounding. Study the demonstrations on the DVD of these roll techniques and exercises. A good practice of a multiple bounce-to-roll exercise should take about 1 minute as you gradually increase the alternation from hand to hand. This “choo-choo” effect should re- semble a train starting off and eventually sound like BBs falling evenly on the drum or pad. Once an even sustained sound or roll is achieved, there is no need to further increase the rate of stick alternation. This will only cause the individual multiple bounces in each hand to become tighter and in turn choke off the resonance of the drum. The concept on the roll should be as slow an alternation of the hands, or base, as possible, with as long a sustained multiple-bounce stroke occurring in each hand as possibie. Eventually, for certain styles of rolls of greater intensity, one may play a faster base with tighter buzzes in each hand; but for practical beginning purposes, a slow base with long multiple bounces will work best. After a good roll can be sustained by gradually working into it with the above method, one should practice playing long continuous base-to-roll exercises, (Note that some texts refer to base as “skeletal rhythm” or “background”; they all indicate the rate of hand stick alternation.) Example 2-D contains long continuous base-to-roll exercises. Study the demonstrations on the DVD of base-to-roll exercises. ‘The purpose of base-to-roll practice is to establish an even alternation of the single strokes both in dynamics and rhythm, which then carries over to production of an even roll when the multiple bounces are added. Continuing with similar exercises in various texts will acquaint the percussionist with many roll-base combinations and enable him or her to perform them well. Also see Example 2-F, tied roll studies, later in this chapter, EXAMPLE 2-D # Continuous base-to-roll exercises FF - mutipetome sete R L Duple Base 4 = 72-112 ap RERLRERL RURCRURC RE RUR ERT he ein 7G LRULRLRLR LRLRLERLR LRLERLRLR LRLRLRL establish base add multiple-bounce strokes without changing base Triple Base J = 100-144 Sy L R toe RLRL RLRLRL OR : Re LRLR LRLE L i ot ie ee ene Ree 2 ko ke RLRLR establish base add multiple-bounce strokes without changing baseBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum -* Additional buzz and roll comparison exercises for listening to and practicing the miultiple-bounce stroke from hand to hand are given in Example 2-E. For further study e\amples see Chapter 11 and books previously mentioned by Mitchell Peters, Joe Morello, Al Payson, Buster Bailey, and others listed at the end of this chapter. EXAMPLE 2-€ = Buzz and roll comparison exercises Je72-z 1, AS Ay 1A Sy ze cp ze c7 pe ry zeChapter 2 EXAMPLE 2-E = (Continued) 13, ae ea ae ae ar ea ag “a aw eu ag “4 ae ea ar “a ard ea 4% ea ae a aw ea ae any ae mo ae eo 15. aw eo ae ea aw wa aa “a ae eo ar 7 144 100- 4 / Aa ea ae “4 ae at 16 na ee am xa ae “A an xa ax wa aw ea ne ea ae eu ar wa aa eo a4 “a aa “a ax awa we xo am “Aa ae ea ag ea ax wa ax ea ne ea ag rae ae ea ag ea aK cae 20. ae «a ae xo Ae wa ag wa ae wu ae wa ae ea ae ea ar ea Ae ea ae ea aw ea PR ERR RE LRLRLRLRL CR Ee RebeRek, Rie RLRLRLRLR RLRLRLRLR RLRLRLRLR 22 23. 24.Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Bruit EXAMPLE 2-E = (Continued) 25. 3 3 3 3 oR RL Re RE CRI b LRLRLR LRLRLR 26. 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 a RLRLRL RLERLRL RLRLERL RLRLRL b LRLRLER LRLERLR LRLRLR LRLRLR After the long base-to-roll exercises can be played evenly, one should work on starting and stopping rolls of different lengths—that is, attacks and releases. A base approach starting with singles and then adding multiple bounces is again recommended. A good practice routine is to start each pattern on the weak hand several times, then start on the strong hand, and then alternate hands. When first attempting to play rolls of varying lengths, start with rolls of several base notes and a terminating note. Once these are controlled, progress to shorter rolls. When starting with short rolls, one has barely enough time to get the roll going before it must end. This is more difficult than working down to the short rolls from the longer. The tied rolls in Example 2-F serve as models. The terminating or last note of each pattern must be played as a single stroke and with a slight release but not an accent. The performer should think of stopping the roll on this note without producing an accent (unless one is written). See Chapter 11, “Tied Rolls,” for supplemental exercises EXAMPLE 2-F — Tiedrolls of ate7 Chapter 2 EXAMPLE 2-F = (Continued) notated as a roll: ss Pate” notated a8 a rol: /=96 +L ay notated as a roll: d=132 notated as a roll des wohl $1 4 efBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare wrurty e Roll Interpretation Many young players experience difficulty when attempting to play rolls in a musical context. This difficulty usually occurs in ending the roll at the right point in time. Example 2-G isa base analysis of a quarter-note tied rollin several different tempos. This is to serve as a model for playing rolls of the same, shorter, and longer duration. ‘The first basic principle to remember is tempo determines the base. EXAMPLE 2-G & Roll interpretation d= 144-208 well. d= 100.144 opi | . FRY. den-in é 1 ~ > agva stan” ~~ Advanced players also use less common groupings and polyrhythmic bases: = 63-80 5 wei. - rrr | dene -160 oy - SE 44-56 Wil - ee wel - LyChapter 2 nist After practicing exercises with this discipline of a base approach, the percu: will be able to analyze and interpret a roll in music and perform it well. Another area that presents problems in rolling is the interpretation and perfor- ‘mance of nontied rolls. As discussed in Chapter 1 under “Interpretation of Notation,” the actual musical notation of rolls being tied or nontied unfortunately does not always cor- respond to the music as sounded. Therefore, the percussionist must determine whether to carry the sustained sound of the roll over to the last release note (tie the roll) or to separate the roll from the release note (not to tie the roll) and sometimes in timpani performance especially to even roll the tied release note (see discussion of this in Chapter 1). As previously stated, roll interpretation, regarding whether or not to tie, should be decided by: 1. Listening to the ensemble 2. Actually checking a score or other instrument's part to see note duration and style, If there is still some question, consult with the conductor about interpretation The technical execution of nontied rolls can also be approached from the base concept. As in Example 2-H, nontied rolls may end on the /ast base note or any note before the last base note, depending on the style and character of the music and the proficiency of the performer. EXAMPLE 2-H m Nontied rolls, Jes A — ‘The last note of the base that is not played as a multiple-bounce stroke (that is played as a single stroke) must be the same dynamic and weight as the preceding multiple- bounce strokes. The performer should think of stopping the sound on this last note, not stopping the roll as in tied rolls. Another means of obtaining a nontied roll when stopping on any note before the last base note is to play a multiple-bounce stroke on this last note instead of a single stroke. Care must be taken not to get a weak, decaying release with this technique. See Chapter 11, “Nontied Rolls,” for supplemental exercises. Any roll that is shorter than three base notes (that is, two multiple-bounce strokes and a release stroke) may be played either as a press roll, by dropping both sticks almost together onto the drum in quick multiple-bounce strokes (for nontied rolls mainly) or by playing one muitiple-bounce stroke in one stick followed by a single-stroke release note in the other stick. These two techniques would only be used for very short rolls. Example 21illustrates many of the previous roll interpretations. This base approach to roll interpretation is sometimes called “metered rolls” and “measured roll speeds,”Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum EXAMPLE 2-1 & Roll interpretation—tempo determines base a MP sempre + 1296 : hen ee ae Woo eR er er whl oo | WAR AR eR oe | Woo oo aa | pile _# is i ey 3 3 naar hn 5 oBArAL 7 : (ino)6s Chapter 2 EXAMPLE 2-1 = (Continued) (stlort buzz) The final consideration in roll interpretation is dynamics. Perhaps the clearest way to de- scribe roll playing at various dynamic levels would be through an explanation of playing a long roll, soft to loud and back to soft, commonly referred to as along tome (Example 2-]) EXAMPLE 2-J © Dynamics of the long tone 1. The roll begins with the tips of the sticks about % inch above the drum head. Play as long as possible a sustained multiple-bounce stroke in each hand, which results ina very slow stick alternation or base. The roll may be started near the edge of the drum (about 1 inch from the countethoop) for good stick response. 2. As the roll crescendas, the tips of the sticks are lifted higher off the head, and the multiple-bounce strokes open up more until the loudest level is reached, at which point the roll can be an open double-stroke, rudimental roll, or an open multiple- bounce, sometimes triple-stroke roll Ifthe roll is started near the edge of the drum, it should move toward the center as it crescendos until the roll reaches its Ioudest level in the center of the drum.Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Brum 3. Because the long sustained multiple-bounce strokes in each hand become more and more open as the roll crescenidos, until each hand is playing a double stroke/ stroke-and-a-bounce or open multiple-bounce or triple stroke, the alternation of the sticks or the base has to increase in speed also. Therefore, a fine roll played soft to loud starts with a slow base with long sustained multiple-bounce strokes, and the base increases in speed proportionately as the multiple-bounce strokes become more and more open, thus shorter in duration, until there is only one double stroke/stroke-and-a-bounce or open multiple bounce or triple stroke connecting each hand at the loudest level with a very fast alternation of the sticks or base. 4. Reverse this procedure as the roll is played diminuendo, 5. When the pianissimo level of the diminuendo is reached, the multiple-bounce strokes should be sustained as long as possible. The base should be very slow with the sticks about Ms inch above the drum head. The sticks should be lifted off the drum at the end of the roll for the release as if someone unexpectedly pulled the drum out from under the sticks. Good control of all rolls will be developed by practicing the long roll with dynamic change. The entire roll should last a minimum of 60 seconds: 30 seconds of crescendo and 30 seconds of diminuendo. In the final analysis of how one is to play any roll, there are two factors to consider: tempo and dynamics. A given roll ata constant tempo will not always have the same base, The dystamic marking is the final determining factor in selecting a base for a roll along with the intended and appropriate style of the music. What if, however, a roll starts soft and crescenndos or vice versa? In the beginning stages of roll development, one must start with a base that is fast enough to produce a good-sounding roll at the loudest level, even though the base is too fast for the best-sounding soft part of the roll. Good musical judg- mont is always the most important factor in determining how to play any roll. The more advanced the player becomes, the less he or she is conscious of the base and, in reality, tends to “float” the base for the best musical sound rather than adhere to a rigid base. However, the above disciplines of base-roll performing and practice are necessary for solid technical development. Example 2-K is Example 2-1 with dynamics added. It represents a typical snare drum part. The rolls are reduced to a notated interpretation to serve as a model for studying roll interpretation at different tempos and with added dynamics.ss Chapter 2 EXAMPLE 2-K ® Roll interpretation—tempo and dynamics determine base 14 <—- ————— —— S204 iets 3 WR) ic, ; ar ” ce an a E et tf Pp Lie JE + Pp wre. Sf ly eee FP? FP PP Ll Pp wee a mae ey, +2 3 : i595 em P crea . v 3. 3 3 3 3 3 3 3° l- Seseede ode sitesi. J J Pp Tre a ! . 5 Fe a ee :Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum EXAMPLE 2-K @ (Continued) meno dim, ye ee ee ee ee wl din ra meno F ni EE | eee ee See ts The Stroke-and-a-Bounce and Finger Stroke Control This double-stroke or stroke-and-a-bounce technique, as mentioned previously, is perhaps tnost accurately described as a stroke-and-a-controlled-bounce. The controlled ele- ment occurs in the middle, ring, and the little fingers as they actually help play the buure of the: stroke-and-a-bounce back onto the head with equal dynamic balance to the stroke, This assistance by these fingers is necessary as a free bounce following a stroke will not be equal in volume to the stroke made at a loud level. These back fingers aid in snapping, the stick back onto the head, along with added assistance from the ‘wrist, to match the volume of the bounce to the stroke._— ° Ghapter 2 To develop this sensitivity and timing in the fingers, one needs to practice basic rebound double- and triple-stroke patterns, comprised of two or three quick strokes in ‘each hand, with the aid of the fingers playing the second and third strokes. (See Chap- ter 9, Example 9-F, and carefully study the DVD demonstrations of Example 9-F for these techniques and the exercises below.) Using the cloning or mirroring technique to develop both hands equally is very effective and helpful for mastering finger control. An exercise for initially discovering and developing this finger control follows. (Although the explanation is full of ’Do Instructions,” be sure to use demonstration with imitation and lots of awareness instructions to lead the student into an awareness with the exercise.) Make one stroke on the drum and allow the stick to rebound fully away from the palm of the hand, while keeping the fingers in constant contact with the stick (Figures 2.10 and 2.11). This initial stroke is best accomplished by starting with the whole arm raised about 12 inches above the drum, with forearm and stick parallel to the floor and stick extending straight out from the hand. The stroke to the drum is then made by dropping arm, hand, and stick as one relaxed unit to the drum and allowing, the back of the stick to rebound fully away from the palm, thus extending the fingers but not allowing bending of the wrist (Figure 2.11) At the fully extended position (Figure 2.11), snap the stick back to the drum with the fingers only and allow the forearm to rise back to the starting position. At the end of this snap-back finger stroke, the stick should again extend straight out from the hand with forearm, wrist, and stick parallel to the drum head ready to repeat from about 12 inches DvD above the head. (See DVD demonstration.) From this starting position (12 inches above oOo the drum), repeat the process (Figure 2.10). As facility is gained and speed of execution is increased, the wrist should gradually initiate the stroke more and more with less need for exaggerated forearm motion. ‘To aid in further understanding the finger stroke portion of this stroke-and-a-bounce, the percussionist should practice “air drumming” by making finger strokes in the air. (See DvD the DVD for discussion of finger strokes and demonstrations of air drumming.) oOo Slow, careful repeated strokes played by air drumming will develop a great amount of sensitivity for timing in the fingers and begin to develop finger control. The strokes FIGURE 2.11 The fully extended position, snap FIGURE 2.10 The stroke with full rebound back, and preparation to repeatBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum oo can be increased in speed but only to a moderate rate, Reversing the stick in the hand results in more gravitational pull av the butt of the stick ls heavier. By changing the angle of the stick in relation to the gravitational pull (that is, more perpendicular to gravity), different controls can be discovervsl. Always strive to sensitize the fingers to the move, ment of the stick throughout the siruke so that they are in constant contact with the stick, In addition to this air drumming, isolated finger strokes should be practiced on the drum, Simple single-handed pu ‘N as establishing steady eighth notes and increasing to eighth-note triplets in quarter time will continue to develop finger control and sensitivity (see “Developing Finger Strokes” on the DVD for Chapter 5). The exercises in Example 2-1. will help to develop control of loud rolls using the stroke-and-a-bounce or double-stroke technique. See demonstrations on the DVD of DvD similar exercises, Several additional practice 's for developing finger strokes and eo the double stroke/stroke-and-a-bouney cin be found in Chapter 9, Example 9-F; in Chapter H “Supplemental Playing Excwvises”; and in snare drum technique books listed at the end of this chapter and Chapter (sce Developing Dexterity by Mitchell Peters, Master Studies by Joe Morello, Stich Control andl Accents and Rebounds by George Lawrence Stone, Wrist and Finger Struke- Control for Ue Advanced Drummer by Charles Wilcoxon, and the Accent on Accents by Mary Dahlgren and Elliot Fine). EXAMPLE 2-L u Rebound oxori RE ot RRO eR LERRLER BL ze oeChapter 2 EXAMPLE 2-L # (Continued) 13. 15, When these rebound exercises are practiced at a slow tempo, the double right and double left strokes are executed as two quick single (wrist) strokes. As the tempo in creases, the double right and double left strokes convert to the stroke-and-a-controlled- bounce. This transition from two quick single strokes in one hand to the double stroke/ stroke-and-a-bounce must be smooth and gradual. The ability to control this transition is an indication of fine progress in the development of the technique. When practicing these exercises loudly, allow the arms to move ina relaxed natural stroking motion with the elbows moving avuay from the sides of the body during the playing of the double stroke and in foward the sides in preparation for the next double stroke while the opposite hand is playing. See the DVD demonstrations under “Integrating Arms” in Chapter 2 of double and triple strokes and the Moeller technique. Also see "Ride Cymbal Time” in Chapter 8 for explanation of this elbow /arm movernent when playing a traditional swing ride cymbal pattern. This relaxed arm motion can greatly assist in the production of the loud playing level and allows for a more open, even execution of the double strokes in each stick. For further study of this integrated arm movement in playing, see the video Speed, Power, Control, Endurance by Jim Chapin in which he discusses and demonstrates attributes of the Moeller system. Additional information is available in books and videos by Ed Soph, Steve Smith, and others listed in Chapter 8, “Drum Set,” and books at the end of this chapter by Dom Famularo, Mark Wessels, Jeff Queen, and others. Further control will be gained by working loudly all previous roll exercises in Examples 2-E through 2-1, substituting the stroke-and-a-bounce in place of the multiple- bounce stroke. Be sure to almost double the tempo when playing these roll exercises loudly with the stroke-and-a-bounce and keep a relaxed arm flow. This technique of using the fingers to assist in playing can then lead to finger strokes at all dynamic levels and tempos, Another exercise is to practice fortissimo, stow to fast to slow, double strokes alternating from hand to hand (Example 2-M). Here again the double strokes will start two quick singles and gradually become a stroke-and-a-bounce. asBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drum EXAMPLE 2-M a Alternating double strokes—siow to fast to slow LoL RR LL RRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRL LOR OR OL OL This process should last at least 1 minute. An interesting variation of this exercise is to try to accent the second stroke in each hand. This practice procedure is sometimes called “running down a roll” in rudimental snare drum parlance (Example 2-N), The accent on the second note was originally suggested by George Bruce in the original Bruce and Emmett book of 1862, and still survives today! EXAMPLE 2-N & Running downa roll LoL RR LL R RL LRRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRL LOR OR OL OL Accent Studies Accent studies may be included in the technical development of the percussionist soon alter the development of consistent basic strokes. Performance of rhythmic passages containing accents requires acute stick positioning control surpassed only by the demands of \ce note figure performance. Accent studies (Example 2-O) should be played slowly at t with both hands utilizing the cloning or mirroring technique and one-handed with at, sharp accent strokes played from a higher level above the drum head than the non- ‘ented notes. A whipping action in the wrist, called “throw accents,” should initiate the accent strokes. See the DVD demonstrations of accent patterns, throw accents, and the DvD Moeller technique. Fulcrum accents, achieved by squeezing the fulcrum, are not advocated. e The player will find the greatest control over rebound energy will be required on nonaccented notes immediately following an accent. These nonaccented notes should be executed with even control from only a few inches above the head, depending on overall dynamic level. Keep the accents contrasting with the nonaccented notes regardless of overall dynamic level. Never “slam” the accent strokes unmusically and noisily into the drum, Practice each exercise several times one-handed and alternating, slow to fast to slow at first, then at slow, medium, and fast steady tempos and with varying dynamics. Elbow /arm movement should be integrated into these exercises by allowing (or causing) the elbow to move in slightly toward the side of the body in preparation for each accent and move out during the playing of the accent. For further information on throw. accents and arm connection in playing accents, see the accompanying DVD demonstrations and the video Speed, Power, Control, Endurance by Jim Chapin. Q: EXAMPLE 2-0 © Accent studies: Practice with cloning both hands together, then starting with your strong hand for one cycle and then with your weak hand, then alternate stickingChapter 2 EXAMPLE 2-0 © (Continued) Grace Note Figures (Flams and Drags/Ruffs) ‘The last aspect of basic percussion technique is the grace note figures. These are termed as flams ied Jand drags [2¢ } (originally called rus). These differ from the single strokes and multiple-bounce strokes in that they require both sticks to function simultaneously and to be well coordinated or the resultant sound is noticeably incorrect Flams and drags are executed by conceiving of them as (1) one stroke or motion made simultaneously by both sticks, with (2) the grace note(s) stick low to the instru, ment (4 to 1") and the main note stick high (8'-10"). Performance based on these two ideas will be successful, assuming the sticks travel at the same speed when played together. Note that the sound should be lighter in the grace note(s) than in the main rote. Practice slowly, concentrating mainly on the grace note’s closeness to the head, andl gradually increase the tempo. Mastery ofthe essential exercises in Example 2-P will enable one to perform most passages involving flams. Technique and method books will provide additional flam passage practice. EXAMPLE 2-P @ Flam studies: Prepare and check each flam’s stick height during the rest Consecutive right hand flams: Consecutive left hand flams: Consecutive alternating flamsBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Sttate, RERE « RLLR a RRLR e -LRR The so-called five-stroke ruffs or longer are played as stroke-and-a-bounce grace note combinations with a terminating single main note or with all strokes alternated hand tohand LR RR, 7 $B RED RECT, MOERTLg! RRL TR Caran LER RChapter 2 Special Effects—Rim and Stick Shots and Others Often composers will ask for special sounds from the percussionist. A commonly requested technique is the rim shot. One way a rim shot can be played is by striking the rim and head simultaneously with one stick. By varying the length of stick striking the head, the sound can be altered from a very high pitch by playing the rim shot close to the edge, or it can be very low and sound like a gunshot if the stroke is played closer to the middle of the head. Another means of producing a rim shot is by striking one stick against the other while it is either held only on the head, called a "stick shot,” or on both the head and rim simultaneously. The latter is often referred to as a “stick-on-stick” rim shot. Again, the sound of this varies according to the position of the held stick on the head and can be further varied by altering the point of stick-on-stick contact. A third means of producing a rim shot is to place the bead of a stick on the head and strike the shaft on the rim, The sound can be altered by changing the amount of stick. crossing the drum and by varying the contact point of the shaft on the rim. This tech: nique is very common in drum set playing and is sometimes referred to as a knock” or “Latin rim shot.” (See DVD demonstrations in Chapter 8.) Creative experimentation will expose many colorful sounds that can be achieved with rim shots. Another common technique required of the snare drummer is playing on the rite or shell. This is easily accomplished by reaching up to the rim opposite the player or by striking the side of the drum on its shell. Care should be taken not to damage the shell by playing too hard. A variety of rim sounds can be obtained by striking the rim with the bead, neck, and /or shoulder of the stick. Playing with brushes is an art in itself and should be studied with a fine jazz drum set player. In general, although simple notation may be used, such as straight quarter notes in common-time, the brushes should be played with a dragging motion of one or both brushes across the head while tapping out the notated rhythm or an embellishment of the rhythm such as a swing pattern in jazz. Refer to Chapter 8 and Robin Horn’s demonstrations of playing brushes on the DVD. Other special effects that may be called for or that the performer may choose to use include playing the snare drum with very light sticks or knitting needles, with coins or thimbles on the fingers, or with just fingers alone. Sometimes even playing softly and lightly on the snare head may be just the right sound for a soft delicate passage. Musical percussionists will always use their instruments and their techniques with creative imagination to achieve the best possible performance. @ STICKING POLICIES The combinations of right- and left-hand strokes, called stickings, used by the percussionist are somewhat analogous to the down and up bowing used by string instrument players. The practice of playing the stronger pulses in a thythm with one’s dominant hand by intentionally selecting a sticking that allows for such practice is perhaps closely related to the bow combinations @ string player would choose. However, the string player can alter the comparative weight of the bow by changing bow pressure on the string, the speed at which the bow is drawn over the string, and where on the strings the bow is drawn in relation to the finger board. Therefore, in a more artistic sense the tse of the up or down bow does not solely determine the subtle nuance that states the stronger pulses in phrasing or little inflections. Similarly, selected stickings used in percussion performance do not solely determine the phrasing of a rhythmic passage, although they have a major influence on phrasing. The deliberate weight given to each stroke by the performer will create the phrasing, assuming the performer has control of all nuances and possesses a vivid musical imagination. Nevertheless, in a pedagogical system a “sticking policy” is highly recommended for the training of the young percussionist, Some texts introduce a sticking system from the very first reading exercises. These exercises derive their sticking from the smallest rhythmic figure common to the measures (for example, assuming four quarter notes were playex)Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Srtare:irtntt on wp tlily RL RL then the sticking for variations of this four-note group with added rests would be: ad or 4 RW) ROL ROL (RL Progressing on to eighth notes, +4 FL RL RLRLRL would be the basis for other variations of rhythms such as: eC Reee ck). Sixteenth-note quarter divisions of the beat would result in the following groups of stickings from RLRL ROR L RCRD RLR® (@LRL R LR and so on. ‘Asa basic rule for stickings in binary rhythms, one could derive all stickings from. the smallest denomination of four notes. The only exception would be “after beats” where natural alternation would be adequate; for example, R L R . R - The same basic concepts can be applied to ternary rhythms; for example, +g 500 FT 4 Rrra ek fT is the basis for: QQ LT Ld aL TD L RRLL RLERLL%3 Chapter 2 The practice of learning and performing with these sticking policies (sometimes called “right-hand lead” or the “Straight system” after Edward B. Straight’s method) is not recommended until one reaches the level of performance with quarter divisions of the beat (for example, sixteenth notes in 4 time). Too often the beginning student finds it more difficult to observe the stickings when reading single beats or duple beat divisions (for instance, quarter notes and eighth notes in 4 time) than if he or she alternated freely. from hand to hand. The student allowed to alternate stickings freely usually compre- hends the rhythm and counting more quickly than trying to observe various added stickings. This free alternation in the beginning stages also helps to develop an aware ness of matching the articulations of each stick and helps to develop ambidexterity. The use of a sticking policy in § or other compound meters is also recommended. The performance practice of using these sticking policies will result in certain built in features benefiting the performer: 1. Greater rhythmic stability is achieved. Playing the passage in Example 2-U quickly, employing a sticking policy (sticking A), results in a strong stabilizing pulse in the right hand occurring on the beat or on the “and” of the beat. Conversely, alternating stickings freely results in neither hand creating a stable pattern (sticking B) Study these examples with the DVD demonstrations. EXAMPLE 2-U & Sticking policy versus free alternating sticking A RLRLRRLR RLERLR RE LRELRLRLRR B RLRLRLRL RLRLR LRLRLERLRLRLR WO, SS Ree A CR RG eRe Re tn L RL RL RL RER L RLRLERLRLRL 2. Grenter evenness of sound is achieved from lke rhythms being played the same. A quick comparison on the A and B stickings in Example 2-Ui shows clearly how each repeated rhythm is played identically when a sticking policy is used, as in the sticking, and how random and uneven the repeated rhythms sound using the free alternating B sticking. 3. _Incrensed uniformity and precision in ensemble is acteved. If two or more percussionists are playing the same part or rhythm and are adhering to the same sticking, they will be more apt to play together and with the same phrasing inflections than if they each use random stickings. Ths is equivalent toa string section using iden. tical bowings ina tutti passage. Uniformity in sticking must be employed in the marching percussion section to achieve precise execution of like percussion pacts. (See discussions of right-hand lead sticking policies applied to marching pervus- sion in Examples 9-O and 9-P in Chapter 9.) 4. Sight reading is usually stronger when the student is trained and uses a sticking policy ‘The same sticking that occurs for each rhythm as a result of using a sticking policy in performance reinforces the actual counting and comprehension of the rhythm, Without the use of the sticking policy, either hand may begin a given rhythm, thereby doubling the chance of error. Other advantages for using a sticking policy are the general benefits from the mind com: manding the hands and perhaps less tendency to play seesaw or switch strokes,Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snure‘Drurt ae One should understand the basis from which all the various stickings are derived and practice study exercises employing the chosen stickings to acquire the technique and have it become a habit and part of the performer's playing system. See supplemental exercises in Chapter 11 to develop playing with a sticking policy. Ata more advanced level of performance, one may reverse the entire concept of the sticking policy and place the weak hand on rhythmic divisions where the dominant hand had previously played. This practice often will create a subtle change in the phrasing, particularly where evenness and precise control are desired and the pressure of performance and nerves may distort that precision. By placing the dominant hand on weaker rhythmic divisions, the result can be a more balanced performance, for example, Bar- tOk’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, last eight measures (see Example 2-V). EXAMPLE 2-V 2 Béla Bartok, Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion (conclusion of third movement) [405] Cym. a2 clashed — a oo mop gid yl 14, J yey PPp mon I A Hy accel. fu] most ppd Joy met | ER LAG AG FG wa ORUR ROR RER RR b LREL L LRLEL « LRELL LRLLL met pf = 4 J py PPP wet | AR LEGG LLA Ly RR R LoL L RR R {©1942 by Hawkes & Son (London) Ld Renewed 1969, Reprinted by permission of Boosey & Haws neco Chapter 2 For right-hand dominant percussionists a right-hand lead system—(a) in Ex- ample 2-V—will give a good performance, but a slight tendency to lose the second sixteenth note is sometimes evident. A left-hand lead system (b) would put the stronger right hand on this second sixteenth note and therefore perhaps balance the passage that little bit extra that makes for a better performance. One may even consider using the (c) sticking for a final excellent performance. @ PHRASING Be sure to see the discussion and demonstrations of phrasing on the DVD. Musical performance on nonmelodic percussion instruments presents an expressive challenge not encountered on other musical instruments, To be musical on these instruments requires a keen understanding and sensitivity to expression because of the absence of a melodic line and harmony. Stickings have been previously discussed in terms of pedagogical approaches and control in performance. However, many other factors need to be considered when choosing stickings for musical phrasing. ‘One might choose to play a passage that is not too technically demanding with only one hand if one desires the most even phrasing possible. Many symphony orchestra percussionists play the excerpt from Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra given in Example 2-W with their strongest hand only. Q: EXAMPLE 2-W a Béla Bartok, Concerto for Orchestra (beginning of second movement) IL. Giuoco Delle Coppie Opening side drum solo without snares Allegro Scherzando J = 94 (© 1948 by Hawkos & Son (London) Ltd renewed 1979, Reprinted by permission of Booey & Hawkes, Inc Another preferred sticking is to play all accented notes with one hand (usually the Weaker) and the other notes with the stronger hand. This sticking gives very even quality to the accents and allows the other notes to flow. Either sticking is perfectly accept. able if played well and musically phrased. The subtle differences in note weight and thythmic phrasing between the two stickings are what the performer and sometimes conductor have to evaluate when deciding which to use in performance, Other stickings are of course possible if they produce consistent accuracy for the individual performer In addition to sticking choice, subtle nuances in the actual rhythmic placement of ‘notes in the measure and between beats help to create a more convincing musical perfor- ‘mance. Slight dynamic nuances also create interest and help to inspire a performance. Depending on the sticking used in the Bartk Concerto excerpt, the accents might be sharply pronounced from out of the mezzo forte line, or they might be led into with a slight dynamic swelling of the sixteenth notes before each accent. This swelling may be accompanied by a rhythmic placement of the sixteenth notes in such a way that they lead into the accent and complement the dynamic swell. To illustrate this graphically Example 2-X is offered with bar lines omitted. Note the space between notes and relate this to the rhythmic movement. The height of the notes relates to the dynamic swell. This is very subtle and must not disturb the exact mathematical placement of the beat Indeed, impeccable rhythmic stability is the basis from which these artistic nuances emerge.Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Sridre Drure ™ EXAMPLE 2-X @ Subtleties and nuance of dynamic and rhythmic phrasing Allegro Scherzando u@i7 OA AA, MM aap iis mp : : dim... p Natural metric accents sometimes require some added stress. Agogic accents, or accents of duration, especially when creating syncopation, also re- quite slight stressing, for example: coe A passage performed with an ensemble must, of course, complement the melodic phrasing and style of the ensemble performance. Careful application of all these concepts governed by an attentive ear will result in blended ensemble performance. (See Chapter 10 for further discussion of listening and blending.) All these concepts of phrasing, applied to the excerpt irom Bart6k’s Sonata for Teo sand Percussion, would involve a subtle stressing of the first note of the figuire: fils and perhaps dynamic and rhythmic phrasing as illustrated: fm inv Fine musicians perform naturally with such expression. However, awareness of these concepts allows even the most innately musical person to perform on a higher artistic level and enables the discussion and teaching of these concepts with all students. The reader is referred to Fred Hinger’s Timpani Technique for the Virtuoso Timpanist (see Chapter 5, methods listing) and Tine and Motion for snare drum for further material on this sophisticated and subtle artistic topic of phrasing. THE STROKES A final phrasing consideration, and perhaps most important to musical percussion performance, is how one plays each stroke. Legato or staccato strokes were mentioned in Chapter 1 and are thoroughly discussed under timpani and keyboard percussion tech nique because of the greater aural discernibility of the strokes on those instruments. However, the basic concepts of staccato and legato strokes and grips should be practiced” Chapter 2 regularly when performing on all membranophones and in moderation on all other percussion instruments. In general (assuming the player understands and plays with the principles of natural rebound), when notes are played with a firm grip and quick, snappy strokes, close to the head, the tone or atfack will tend to be staccato in nature because of resistance against the natural rebound of the stick, thus causing the stick to slightly muffle its own tone. Conversely, when notes are played with a relaxed grip and flowing, resilient strokes off the head, the tone will be resonant or legato (see Chapter 5 and DVD demonstrations for an in-depth discussion of stroke types). In addition, where on the instrument one performs is very important to the musi- cality of the performance (review previous comments under “Playing Areas” in this chapter). A more legato sound is achieved by playing with the stick tips slightly se rated, such as when rolling, rather than close together. Conversely, articulate passages should be played with each stroke occurring on the same spot on the head for maximum clarity. Although these concepts are rather subtle and even subjective, their application in performance does create audible changes in sound and phrasing. However, it is not so much their literal use but the attitude toward performance that is created through their conscious application that inspires greater musical expression in performance. In summary, we see that it is the choice of instrument and stick and tuning, where on the instrument one plays, how one approaches playing with regard to grip and stroke type, one’s concept of phrasing dynamic and rhythmic shading, and the stickings utilized that produce musical expression on percussion instruments. Once the hands and body discover and understand the fundamental techniques of playing and then master their subtleties, there is no limit, other than one’s creative artistic imagination, to musical expression in performance. One needs only to conceive of a phrasing and sound, and the technique will be found to produce it, providing the factors involved in performance with artistic expression have been consciously and individually developed throughout one’s study of the instrument. See the “Percussion Keyboard” and ““Tim- pani chapters for further discussion. The final etudes in Example 2-Y are offered for study and application of basic drum- ovo ming techniques and concepts of musical expression. Study of these DVD demonstra- e tions will greatly aid in a musical interpretation of these and other stich examples. EXAMPLE 2-Y © Final etudes d= 84 Snare drum - snares off aw AS ef ; FR AR AAI A A wt moltoBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Orit 7 EXAMPLE 2-Y # (Continued) u. d= ca. 104 Snare drum - snares on +O 42 4 a & INDIVIDUAL SNARE DRUM METHODS AND SUPPLEMENTAL STUDIES, Also see Chapter 1—"Percussion Method Books,” Chapter 8—"Drum Set, Methods and Materials,” and Chapter 9~"Marching Percussion Ensemble, Methods and Materials.” crese. Major Applied Methods The following are highly recommended primary texts for individual study of concert snare drumming, See Chapter 9 for further recommended rudimental drumming ‘methods and solos.Chapter 2 Elementary The Performing Percussionst, Book I by James Coffin (C. L.Barn- house Co) [total percussion] Vic Firth Snare Drum Method, Book I, Elementary by Vic Fith (Can) Fischer) [snare drum only] ‘The Snare Drum Plays the Zoo by Brian J. Harris [with CD and DVDs] (Desert Songs Productions: www.brianjhartis.com) Beginning Snare Drum Method Book and Compact Disk, Revised Edi- tion [with 2 CDs] by Al Payson (Payson Percussion Products) {snare dram only] Beginning Snare Drum Studies by Mitchell Petes (Mitchell Peters) [snare drum only} Intermediate Portraits in Rhythm by Anthony J. Cirone (Belwin/ Warner Bros ) [intermediate through advanced material] Portraits in Rkythm—Study Guide by Anthony J-Cirone (Belwin/ Warner Bros.) ‘The Performing Percussionist, Book I by James Coffin (C. L. Barn ‘house Co, [total percussion including dram set] Vie Firh Snare Drum Method, Book I Intermediate by Vic Feth (Cael Fischer) [Modern School forthe Snare Drum with a Guide Book forthe Artist Percussionist by Morris Goldenberg (Hal Leonard) [intermediate through advanced material] ‘The Snare Dram Plays the Zoo by Brian J Harris [with CD and DVDs] (Desert Songs Productions: www briarjharris.com) Intermediate Snare Drum Method, Vol. 1 [with CD] by Al Payson & Michael Folker (Payson Percussion Products) Advanced (Also see Appendix A—”Orchestral Excerpts.”) Contemporary Studies forthe Snare Dram by Pred Albright (Belwin/ Warner Bros) Wrist Twisters, A Musical Approach to Snare Drumming by Elden C “Buster” Bailey (Marimba Productions, Inc) ‘The Solo Snare Drummer—Advanced Etudes and Duets by Vie Firth (Cat! Fischer} ‘Modern School for Snare Drum wit a Guide Book forthe Artist Per= ‘ussionist by Morris Goldenberg (Hal Leonard) Supplemental Studies Elementary Highly recommended: ‘The Beginning Snare Drummer: A Musial Approach by Mocs Lang Trang Pereunsion/Music for Pression In./Hal Leora) {snare dram only] Contemporary Drum Method, Book Iby Miche! LaRosa (Somers ‘ave Danton) [sare drum, multiple-percssion stud ies and duets] i a Perkins (Logical Pub- Logical Approach to Snare Drum, Vo. Py Phil cations) snare drum only Developing Dexterity for Snare Drum by Mitchell Peters (Mitchell Peters) [snare drum technique only} “The Total Percusionist: A Beginning by Brian Tychinski [total percussion] (HoneyRock) ‘A Fresh Approach tothe Snare Drum for Classrom or Indvidua ‘Study by Mark Wessels (Mark Wessels Publications: www.mwpublications.com) Fundamental Studies for Snare Drums by Garwood Whaley (Joel Rothman Publications) [snare drum only] Primary Handbook for Snare Drumm by Garwood Whaley [with CD] (Meredith Music Publications /Hal Leonard) [snare drum and multiple-drum studies) Intermediate Snare Drum Method, Val 1! with CD) by AI Payson. (Payson Percussion Products) Developing Dexterity for Snare Drum by Mitchell Peters (Mitchell Peters) [snare drum technique only) Intermediate Snare Drum Studs by Mitchel Peters (Mitchell Pe- ters) [snare drum only] Stantard Snare Drunt Method by Benjamin Podemski (Belwin/ ‘Wamer Bros.) [intermediate through advanced material Musical Stes fr the Intermeate Share Drummer by Garwood Whaley (Joe! Rothman Publications) Rhythmic Pater of Contemporary Music by Garwood Whaley and Joseph M. Mooney (Joe! Rothman Publications) fintermedi- ate through advanced material] Time and Motion by Fred Hinger (Jerona Music) ‘Master Studies by Joe Morello (Modern Drummer /Hal Leonard) The Snare Drunt in the Concert Hal by Al Payson (Meredith Muse Publications) ‘Advanced Snare Drum Studies by Mitchell Peters (Mitchell Peters) ‘Trommnesldtter, A Drummers Treasure Chest by Catl Haakon Waade- land (TIMA Forlag) Also recommended: Logica! Approach to Rhythmic Notation by Phil Perki Publications) (Logical ‘Teaching Rhythm for Al nstruments/Class or Individual Instruction by Joel Rothman (Joel Rothman Publications) [rhythms only] asics in Rhythm [with CD] by Garwood Whaley (Meredith Music Publications /Hal Leonard) ‘More Basics in Rhythm by Garwood Whaley (Meredith Music ‘Publications /Fal Leonard)Basic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Orurtr *s Intermediate Highly recommended: ams, Ruff and Roll for Snare Drum by Jobn Beck (Meredith ‘Music Publications/Hal Leonard) The Snare Drawn Rolland Rudiments Interpretation by Gary Olm- stead (Permus Publications) Lagical Approach to Snare Druny, Vol. by Phil Perkins (Logical Publications) ‘Audition Etudes for Snare Drum, Timpani, Keyboard Percussion, and ‘Multiple Percussion, Vel by Garwood Whaley (Meredith Music Publications/Hal Leonard) Concert Solo for intermediate Snare Drutnmer (with CD) by Gar- ‘wool Whaley (Meredith Music Publications/Hal Leonard.) Intermediate Ducts for the Snare Drum by Garwood Whaley (Joel Rothman Publications) ‘More Auaition Etudes for Snare Dram, Timpani, Keyboord Percussion, snd Multiple Pecussior [with CD] by Garwood Whaley (Meredith Music Publieations/Hal Leonard) Advanced (Also see Appendix A—"Orehestral Excerpts.”) Highly recommended: « A Performer’s Guide, Vole and I! [ideos] by ‘Anthony Cirone, Sam Denov ancl Cloyd Dust (Warner Bros) lett sls Ivoduetion to Poly ntl by Frod Albright (Belwin/Wasner Bros.) Tie Ruths of Contemporary Musie—A Rlythone Teaching Aid Sil sirnents (complete edition), by Joseph Leavitt (Belwwin/Wamer Bros ) ert Etudes or Snare Drum by Al Payson and James Lane (Payson Percussion Prodlucts Rrvitel Duets for Snare Drum with CD “duet accompaniment” by Garwood Whaley (Meredith Music Publications/Hal Leonard) Snare Drum Technique Flas. Ruff & Rell for Snare Drum by John Beck (Meredith Music Publications Hal Leonard) Pactcal Meth of Developing Finger Control by Roy Burnes and Lewis Malin (Belwin/ Warner Bros.) Spevt, Poe, Control, Endurance by Jim Chapin-—video/booklet (Belwin/ Warner Bros) Master Technique Builders for Snare Drum edited by Anthony J. irene (Belwin/Wasner Bros.) Encyclopedia for Suare Drum by Fostest Clark (Professional Drum ‘Shop, Ine, TRY Publishing Co.) 115 Your More Bros.) ‘Motions and Emotions by Dom Famularo (Wamer Accent on Accents, Books| and H by Elliot Fine and Marvin {Belwin/ Warner Bros) CChop Busters by Ron Fink (Fink Publications) Soles and Dut fer Sar Dra by Garwood Whaley (Mere Mos Pubatons/Hal Leon) Also recommended: ‘Modern Reading Text in 4/4 by Louis Bellson and Gil Breines| (Belwin/ Warner Bros.) (Odd Time Reding Text by Louis Bellson and Gil Breines (Belwin/ ‘Wamer Bros) [intermediate to advanced material] “Method for Snare Drum by Jacques Delecluse (Alphonse Leduc) [snare drum only, intermediate through advanced material} 22 Progressive Studies, Etudes, and Dues for Snare Drum by Davie. Eyler (Music for Percussion/Hal Leonard) Siege Fink: Stuies for Snare Drum, Vols. 1-6 by Siegfried Fink (N, Simrock) [elementary through advanced material} Logica! Approach to Rudimental Snare Drum by Phil Perkins (Logical Publications) Recitl Solos for Snare Drum by Garwood Whaley (Meredith Music Publications /Hal Leonard) Also recommended: Sight Reading and Audition Etudes by Ron Fink (Fink Publications) Contemporary Collection for Snare Drums by Murray Houllif (Warner Bros.) Contemporary Album for the Snare Drunt by Stanley Leonard (Lud wig Music Publishing Co) ‘ity Contemporary Snare Dram Etudes by Alexander Lepak Wind: sor Music Publishers) 26 Contemporary Snare Drum Duets by Alexander Lepak (Windsor “Music Publishers) ‘Master Studies by Joe Morello (Hal Leonard) ‘The Snare Drum in the Concert Hall by Al Payson (Meredith Music Publications Hal Leonard) Developing Dexterity for Suare Drum by Mitchell Peters (Mitchell Peters) (Qa Meter Cotistencs for the Snare Drummer by Mitchell Peters (Mitchell Peters) ‘Phe Next Stop: Rudimental Snare Drum Techniques by Jeff Queen {Mark Wessels Publications: www.anwpublications.com) Accents and Rebounds fr the Snare Drummer by Geonge Lawrence Stone (Ludwig Music Publishing Co.) ‘tick Control forthe Snare Drummer by George Lawrence Stone (Ludwig Music Publishing Co.) ‘Wrist and Finger Stroke Control forthe Advanced Drurnmer by ‘Charles Wileoxon (Ludwig Music Publishing Co)‘Table 2.1 Snare Drum Solos Chapter 2 Selected Solos The snare drum solos listed in Table 2.1 comprise only a small selection from a vast amount of good literature available. Works cited are significant works in today’s percussion literature both pedagogically and musically. Also see rudimental methods, materials, and solos in Chapter 9, “Marching Percussion.” Since Tenching Percussion first appeared in 1988 and the second edition in 1996, the Internet has made accessing percussion music easier than ever. Websites for various mail order percussion suppliers (for example, www-steveweissmusic.com, www percussionmusic.com, www.pmeurope.com, www.percussionspecialist.com) are excellent sources for most published works. An excellent resource for old and new snare drum solos is the Percussive Arts Soci- ety (PAS) online Compositions Research library at www.pas.org. This library integrates, the resources found in “Programs, Reviews” and the “Siwe Guide to Solo and Ensemble Percussion Literature.” Thousands of reviews of “New Percussion Literature and Recordings” from the PAS publication Percussivw Notes are available under “Literature, Recordings, and Video Reviews” in the “Reviews” archive. PAS members can search “Literature Reviews” by title, performer, or category. The entries under “Literature Re: views” comprise the largest reviewed library of percussion literature available at one site in the world. These entries are integrated with “Programs” and the “Siwe Guide to Solo and Ensemble Percussion Literature” databases. For more information, go to ww'w-pas.org, Websites for many publishers can be found in Appendix B, and complete names and addresses of publishers and sources can be found in Appendix C online at http:// schirmer.wadsworth.com/cook.3e. These works are graded as follows: (E) elementary, within the first year of study; (1) intermediate, within a second to third year of study; (A) advanced, within the fourth year or more of study—usually suggesting late high school or college-level work. Composer/Arranger Tite/Lovel Publisher/Source bet ‘iF Simpson () Can Fischer Abel 524 Main Street) Ludwig Music eo ‘Adtvancea Etudes for Snare Drum (8) HoneyRock ‘Aruga, Beck, etal, 6 Pioces for Snare Drum fol} Zimmerman Bock ‘Advanced Solos for Snare Drum (co) Kendor Beck Colonia Capers (A) Kendor Beck Colonial Brammer) Kendor Becker Lahara () Bob Becker Becker Muda lens} 8) Keyboard Pere. Pub, Bensen Three Dances) Hal Leonara Blake ‘Advanced Snare Drum Contest Sole (A) Studio 4red Brotherton ‘Snare Drum Solo wep cero udimental Contest Solos (elt) E-) Ty Pub. Co Colgrass Six Unaccompanied Soies for Snare Drum {cll (-A) . Schirmer Combs Concert Snare Drum Solos (cl ()(E1Tambuto, Tome!) Kendor Cuca The Beat of Ditferent Drummer () Merecith Music Pub Deleciuse ‘Ala maviére de... No 1() with piano} Alphonse Leduc Deleciuse Intlum vols 1-4 (-A) Alphonse Leduc Deleckse Keisteriana vo. 1 [13 etudes] vo 2[12etudes] (HA) ‘Aphonse Leduc Delechuse Tast-Gtoire () ‘Alphonse Ledue Delectuse 12 Studies for Snare Drum [col (-A) ‘Alphonse Ledue Dabok ‘muit-Sonies (A) re Courtes Pieces: Album 1 (6 (with piano} Alphonse Leduc DupinBasic Percussion Technique Through the Study of the Snare Drutn Table 2.1. Continued ‘Composer/Arranger Title/Level Publisher/Source Evtor 718 Stomp () Permus Fennell eo Drummer's Heritage {coll Cart Fischer Fink ‘Snare Drum Suite (A) C.F Peters, Gauger ‘Snare Drum Salo No, 1 (A) MFP Southreauy. ‘American Suite (A) Meredith Music Pub. Sauthreaun ‘Open-Closed-Open, American Contest Solos for Pioneer Publication ‘Snare Drum [CO recording of standard solos} (+A) Sautheoau Technica 9 (A) Studio 4/Altred sJenbera ‘5/8 Etude 7/8 (A) Hal Leonard ‘5/8 Romo (A) Hal Leonard Graduation Etude (A) Hal Leonard 7/8 Romp (A) Hal Leonard ‘Simple Simon March () Hal Leonard 12 Progressive Soles for Snare Drum {coll ~A) Hal Leonard Choe! Penlous [2 snare drums and tape] (A) Nonsequitur Music ‘Solo for Snare Drum (A) MFP Theme and Variations (A) MFP ‘Six Ideas for Snare, Bass and Cymbals () ©. Alan Publications Contemporary Cottection for Snare Drum (col) Warner Bros. French Overture for Snare Drum Solo (A) ‘Zimmermann Fudimental Rascals (Dust) (A) Studio 4/Alfred Four Solos for Snare Drum (A) ‘Studio 4/Alred Concert Suite for Snare Drum (A) HoneyRock Passacagiia (I) ‘Award Music 24-10) wit Suite for Solo Snare Drum (A) MFP The Ragtime Druromer [snare drum with concert band) () HoneyRock ‘Snare Drumm Soto No. 1() MFP Aarhus Etude No. 9 Wilhelm Hansen Pub. Aggressively (A) Kendor ‘Stickin’ Stock [coll 15 etudes] (A) Gerhard Billaudot Stamina (A) Creative Music Tomado (A) Creative Music Kim (A) BIM ‘Konzertstiick for Snare Drum & Orch. [w/piano red.) (A) IM Prim (®) Bim NA,RD, Solo Collection {coll Ludwig Drum Co, Portfolio for Orum Satos {coll} (A) HoneyRock First Competition €) Warner Bros. ‘Snare Drum Solo No. 1 () MFP. Three Etudes for Snare Drum (with CO} A) Rhapsody Percussion ‘Snare Drum Soto (A) pane ‘Snare Drum Solo No. 1 (A) MFP Ancient Rudiimental Solos (coll) Bolwin’Warner Bros. Fourteen Modern Contest Solos ‘Warner Bros. The New Pratt Book Pama) ‘Rudimental Solos for Accomplished Drummers (/A] Meredith Musi Eu Exhibition Snare Drum Solo No. 1 (A) ne MFP Chae ‘Six Advanced Snare Drum Exercises [col] Solo Pieoe for Snare Drum Adventures in Solo Drumming (col FFathor and Son (A) Norwegian Music Centro Southom Music Southern MusicCo Chapter 2 Tabte 2.1 Continued Composer/Arranger Title/Levet Publisher/Source Schinstine *Fennell's Flourishes () Southern Music Sohinstine Futuristic Drum Solos [cal Southern Music Schinstine 17 Plus One Percussion Piaces (eo Southern Music Schinstine Recital Suite for Solo Snare Drum (A) Kendor Smith, ed. Tho Noble Snare, Vols. -1V (ol (-A) ‘Smith Publications Spagnardi ‘Snare Drum Duets w/pay-along CO) (A) MO/Mal Leonard Sweet ‘Complete Music fr Fie and rum {col CD avaliable} Mel Bay Publications Tuthi ‘Snare Orum Solo (A) MP Varner Punctualty () Permus Wanamaker ‘Chop Buster‘) Potsdam Whaley ‘Concert Solos forthe Intermediate Snare Drumm () Meredlth Music Whaley Essay for Snare Drum (A) Meredith Music Whaley Etude in 32na's for Solo Snare Drum (A) Meredith Music Whaley ‘Recital Duets for Snare Drum jw/piay-along CD] (A) Meredith Music Whaley octal Soles for Snare Oru fell] A) Meredith Music Whaley Solos and Duets for Snare Drum (-A) Meredith Musio wileoxon ‘The Al American Orummer [col] Wileoxon Wilcoxon Modern Rucimentl Suing Solos (co) Wilcoxon Zielinsk/Luc u Tabour a la Caisse Clare 5 etudes 80 & 80} I-A) Alphonse Leduc Zivkowic Ten Etudes fr Snare Dru eo (A) Studko 4/Atred Zivkovie Pezz0 da Concerto No. 1 (A) Edition Musica Europea = NOTES 1 James Blades and Jeremy Montagu, Early Percussion Instruments from the Middle Ages tothe Baroque (London: (Oxford University Press, 1970), pp. 4-5, James Blades, Percussion Instruments and Their History (London: Faber and Faber, 1970), plate no. 103. The Night Watch (1642), Rembrandt, Riks Museum, Amsterdam, Bid, p. 253, bid, p.297, ‘Simon Vance Anderson, “American Music During the War for Independence, 1775-1783" (Ph.D, dissertation, University of Michigan, 1965), p.1 6 William F Ludwig, The Development of Drain Reinert (Chicago: Ludwig Drum Co.) In| Geonge Bruce ane Daniol Emmett, The Drummer's ad Fikr's Gui {1862 and 1865 editions) Blades, op. cit, plate no, 101 Flemish tabor, 1581. Portrait by dde Gillis Conghet of Piersons la Hues, city drummer of Antwerp. By courtesy of Music Royal des Beaun-Arts, Antwerp; and plate no, 103, The Night Witch (1612), Rembrandt, Rijks Museurs, Amsterdam, Buster Baile, Iris! Tutors, A Musical Approach tothe Snare run (Elberton, NJ: Marimba Productions, Inc, 1995), pp, 10-1 Blades, op cit, p. 372,MULTIPLE PERCUSSION HISTORY AND DEFINITIONS Muttiple-percussion performance is the playing of several percussion instruments at one time by a single performer. Although the timpanist was the first true multiple percussionist, the playing of timpani, bongos, timbales, congas, marching multi-tom tenors, or drum set is generally considered performance on one instrument. Multiple- percussion performance applies to the playing of any group of percussion instruments generally not considered as one instrument. However, in recent years many eminent performers and teachers of the drum set have come to refer to their instrument as a multiple-percussion instrument, and indeed their playing philosophy and style, such as expounded by Max Roach and the late Freddie Waits, are best characterized as being those of a multiple-percussion instrumentalist. (See Chapter 8, “Multiple-Percussion/ Drum Set Solos,” for multiple-percussion concepts as applied to the drum set.) Although the first significant composition in multiple percussion is recognized to be Stravinsky's Histoire du Soldat of 1918, multiple-percussion performance was born out of the necessity for one performer to play two or more percussion parts that were originally intended for separate players. The long-lost practice of double-drumiming, used by the early drum set players to play snare drum and bass drum together with snare drum sticks, was an early form of multiple-percussion performance. Much of the literature today requires percussionists to cover more than just one part and thus become multiple percussionists, One of the best examples of this is in the marching band and indoor drum-line front ensembles, as well as in many multiple setups required in wind ensemble and percussion ensemble pieces. The vast amount of literature written for solo and ensemble multiple-percussion performance has given the school percussionist an exciting and challenging new medium of expression. Many excellent works in this area for the school percussionist— by William Kraft, Al Payson, Mitchell Peters, Mortis Goldenberg, Michael Udow, Dave Hollinden, Nick Petrella, John Allemeier, and others—are a natural extension of basic drumming techniques and often require fundamental knowledge and playing ability on other percussion instruments. By studying these multiple-percussion scores, the percussionist develops the ability to read more than one line of notes, thus relating to timpani and keyboard reading skills, and gets familiar with many new instruments and their colors and combinations. Percussionists invariably find multiple-percussion study and performance highly motivating and musically gratifying.80 Chapter 3 The study, preparation, and performance disciplines of multiple-percussion performance are unique among the percussions. In addition to developing the ability to read multi-pitch lines, the performer must be concerned with the idiosyncrasies of each new score and its instrumentation. Many times a setup is not suggested by the composer, and the performer needs considerable study time to appropriately arrange the instruments according to their roles in the printed score and to facilitate playing. European percussionists call multiple-percussion pieces “setup pieces.” Occasionally, particularly in more advanced works, the percussionist may choose to rescore the arrangement of instruments in the setup to make reading easier. The short notation example, Fx- ample 3-D, represents a carefully constructed setup with relation to the notated score and relative ease in playing, ™ NOTATIONAL SYSTEMS ‘The first challenge the multiple percussionist faces is deciphering the notated score. In ‘most cases the percussionist must literally memorize a new notational system for each piece. Attempts at standardizing notational practices have achieved greater consistency over the years, but a working familiarity with the various notational systems in use is, still advantageous to the multiple percussionist. Examples 3-A to 3-E explore the common notational systems used in multiple-percussion writing. These examples are offered here to give the percussion student the knowledge and option to re-notate certain passages, to make performance more expedient, and /or to improve composition. For years the standard five-line staff has sulficed for a great amount of percussion writing. However, other systems often improve on clarity and playability. The five-line staff proved unsatisfactory because of its limited possibilities for clear notation of several different instruments played at once (the maximum of eleven if all spaces and lines are used) and its unreal pitch implications. Therefore, the line score notation system was adopted. This allows for each instrument to be notated on, above, and /or below a separate line for increased reading clarity and economic use of space. In music by Stock- hausen and other contemporary composers, greatest clarity is achieved when notes are written only on lines or in spaces, but never both. Although more lines may be required with this practice, the reading clarity is well worth the space. EXAMPLE 3-A # Conventional staff notation with instrument abbreviations Tri CB. Toms SD. SD. SD. Allegro mf BD Om Wp. T. Biks. BD. BD. Tri = triangle T.Blks. = temple blocks (five— graduated high to low in pitch) Cym. = cymbal S.D. = snare drum-—snares on CB. = cowbell ‘Toms = tom: toms (four—graduated high to low in pitch) WB. = wood block (two—high and low in pitch) B.D. = bass drum with foot pedalMultiple Percussion a Example 3-A shows a multiple-percussion part for one performer using 16 instru- ‘ments, written in staff notation, which necessitates the use of nonstandardized abbreviations over each note to distinguish each instrument. These abbreviations are common English terms, but one can imagine the difficulty a foreign percussionist might have in performing this piece. Each instrument is played with lightweight snare drum sticks. (See Example 3-D for suggested setup.) Example 3-B shows the same example written in staff notation using two staves to give each instrument a space or line and thus eliminate the confusing use of labels over each note. However, reading 11 spaces and 5 lines of instruments is difficult. EXAMPLE 3-B © Expanded staff notation on Tks, Gym. eB. we. | so. Toms} BD. Finally, Example 3-C illustrates the use of simple line score notation to realize the same example. Note the increased clarity of this notation. A slight disadvantage to simple line score notation is the need for rests on each instrument line or lines to account for all metrical beats, EXAMPLE 3-€ Line score notation ym Tr =) os tH t a “eg 44 Leg teeth La BD.Chapter 3 EXAMPLE 3-C = (Continued) Jo. : frm, By employing symbol notation or pictograms with a carefully structured line score, even greater clarity can be achieved, as illustrated by Example 3-D. Symbol notation refers to the use of symbols or pictograms to represent instruments or playing, tec niques rather than representing them with any word description. This alleviates the confusion of translating foreign scores and offers more concise methods for part marking as discussed in Chapter 10. Table 3.1 represents many of the symbols pioneered in the notational practices of such composers as Stockhausen, Brindle, Boulez, and Berio ‘over 40 years ago. Combined fine score and symbol notation concepts yield the clearest representation the above multiple-percussion piece seen yet, as illustrated in Example 3-D. Observe the ease in indicating the exact placement of instruments in the setup by employing symbol notation. A carefully planned setup will alleviate many performance problems, such as instruments in the setup not corresponding to the notated direction of lines or high to low placement of notes on the score. Individual idiosyncrasies and preferences will, of course, vary from score to score and player to player. TABLE 3.1. Symbol Notation erotales, antique cym. claves AL oo gurre — triangle wood block suspended cymbal temple block oo 2 og drum crash cymbals ] t+ o high hat cymbals areca on ae <= castanet =TABLE 3.1 (Continued) cowbell Q-a tam tam Oo = BH ‘gong (tuned) oO « (By sleigh belts —a vibraphone =) glockenspiel co chimes, tubular bells iim flexatone — oo | SUGGESTED SETUP wus 2B corte oe PeRroRner Another notational system that has becoming increasingly popular with composers is the fimbre staff notation. Known as adapted keyboard notation when it was first used, this system simply adapts the various instruments in this multiple-percussion example to a standard keyboard configuration and notates for them in a keyboard fashion using a timbre staff clef sign and accidentals, With the addition of accidentals on a timbre staff, it becomes possible to write clearly for some 19 different instruments or timbres within one clef alone and some 39 different timbres within a grand staff (treble and bass clef together). The use of ledger lines and accidentals offers at least a dozen more possibilities. This system of adapted keyboard notation using a timbre staff (Example 3-E) is dependent on practical instrument placement and notation in the keyboard configuration. When writing for many instruments, it is often necessary to use “compromise” mallets or a mixture of actuators over the setup. It is, however, an extremely efficient notational system and is well accepted by composers and performers. American composer David Holliden has used timbre staff notation in several of his fine percussion compositions over the years with great success and likewise has Norwegian composer Anders Koppel. See The Contemporary Percussionist by Michael Udow and Chris Watts, listed at the end of this chapter, and Dr. Udow’s article, “Visual Correspondence between Notational Systems and Instru-Multiple Percussion ss ment Configurations,” Percussionist, vol. 18, no. 2 (Winter 1981), published by the Per- cussive Arts Society (www:pas.org), for further discussion of adapted keyboard notation with the timbre staff. EXAMPLE 3-E = Adapted keyboard notation using the timbre staff (accidentals apply only to the notes to which they are immediately affixed) a a = SSeS eS ——————— ae B as He eo KO oa 2 “@Q= oOo Penrormer Allegro mf8 Chapter 3 In summary, symbol notation pictograms provide the clearest designation of instruments when used with any notational system. A conventional staff, with notation in the spaces and on the lines, may accommodate 11 or more instruments (especially if diamond- and x-shaped note heads are used, but only to clarify involved passages). Adapted keyboard notation with a timbre staff allows easily for the use of 19 or more timbres with greatest reading clarity between setup and notation. Reading clarity can be greatly improved beyond the conventional staff and space used more economically if a combined line score and symbol notation is employed or adapted keyboard notation with a timbre staff is used, if appropriate. When many instruments must be played in rapid succession, it is best to consider using simple line score notation or adapted keyboard notation with a timbre staff. A clear notational system employs as few lines as clarity permits and utilizes pictograms to indicate instruments. The practice of highlighting select instrument lines with different colors in some scores will greatly clarify reading, Percussionists will encounter different notational systems as they perform new ancl more difficult works, An awareness and application of the above concepts may aid in simplifying difficult and awkwardly notated parts. ® ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS Other critical variables that must be given serious consideration for realizing the best overall musical performance are the selection of the right instruments, their tuning (which includes appropriate heads and muting), stick choice, and the performer's movement and touch around the multiple setup. While suggestions may be given by the composer, itis up to the performer to use every means at his or her disposal to realize the best possible musical interpretation and performance. This may result in custom. making or buying of unusual sticks, such as double-ended sticks of different articulations and construction for quick stick changes. Many times an additional suspended cymbal or triangle added to the set at a strategic point will prevent long reaches across the instruments or uncontrolled attacks caused by excessive teaching, Stickings must be given careful attention both in terms of merely negotiating one’s way around the setup and, more importantly, in terms of phrasing. A good practice habit is to create simple etudes and warm-up exercises for each new setup to familiar ize oneself with the placement of the instruments and their feel before practicing. the actual piece, The excellent book and CD, The Multiple-Percussion Book, Concepts for a Musical Performance by Nick Petrella with etudes by John Allemeier covers all these areas of consideration in detail. The study of the concepts in this book is a must for the serious multiple percussionist. The exercises and etudes in Examples 3-F through 3-1 present some considerations in multiple-percussion performance and study. EXAMPLE 3-F @ Two pitch studies with different stickings RLLRLE RELERLE RERLERLE R RELRYLMultiple Pereussion or EXAMPLE 3-F = (Continued) t 'p crese = R LRR LL RER LRLRLER LRLiRLRL ah 08 SR a os sr R RLRL RLRE REL RL LRE RLRRLRRLRLRLRLR L 2S Sa ss sss crese Pee eRe RR kee RR ee EXAMPLE 3-G Three pitch studies Oe 6 gO A Whe et 7 # f P f P f RRL R RL LRR L LR LRLRL RLRRL RLRLRR L (or)xb RL (or)xR LR (or) L RxLRL (ory RLXR » prunser @ © dein : 7 3p > RRLRRLRLR RLERLRRLLR RLRLRLRLR_ LLRRLLRRLLL (or) LRLRL (or) RLRLRLRLRRR i

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