USC Drumline Manual 2015 - Upper St. Clair School District

Upper St. Clair Marching Percussion
Battery Technique Manual
Hello Drumline!
Welcome to the 2015/2016 edition of the Upper St. Clair Drumline. In
addition to auditions, this packet will be used throughout the season as a
supplementary guide for our technique program. Adhering to the
techniques described in this guide will enable us to achieve our musical and
visual ideas with a strong sense of uniformity, both mentally and physically.
As performers, our goal as a section is to have an extremely entertaining and
educationally rewarding program, musically and visually.
AUDITIONS WILL BE HELD ON MAY 26, 2015
Our primary goal as musicians:
Consistently achieving perfect clarity of musical/visual
responsibilities through the use of a uniform technique.
In order to achieve this goal, we must understand that the approach to the
music must be the same from player to player. By the end of the season,
each and every note we play as an ensemble will be defined in the
following ways:
• The Grip: how we hold the sticks and what we use (muscles) to
move them.
• Rhythms: the accuracy and interpretations of the rhythms and
rudiments we play.
• Stroke Type: The speed and force we use as the stick moves (legato,
staccato, marcato)
• Heights: The heights and angles we will use to define dynamics.
• Playing Areas: Where we play on the drum.
Matched Grip – R/L Hands
Application
Within the battery ensembles, both the tenor line and the bass line will use
the matched grip in both hands. The snare line will play with a traditional
grip, with the right hand using the same “matched” technique.
Basic Guidelines
• The grip should feel natural and we will hold the stick similar to the
way we did the first time we ever picked up a stick.
• The stick will be held at the FULCRUM located between the 2nd
segment of the index finger and the pad of the thumb.
• All sticks have different balance points, so the position of our fulcrum
will depend on the type of stick and will be defined and taped off when
we all have the same sticks.
• The back fingers will wrap around the stick so that the stick sits
between the 1st and 2nd knuckles of all the fingers.
• The back fingers should also curl towards the palm of the hand, with
no space between any of the fingers.
• As far as the angle of the stick is concerned – think of a straight line
from the center of the inside of your elbow down to the first knuckle of
your index finger.
• All motion of the stick will begin with the bead (or head) of the stick.
Flex the wrist to initiate primary motion.
• Occasionally, the back fingers will be used in a squeeze/release
fashion for different strokes.
Traditional Grip – L Hand Only
Basic Guidelines
• From a front perspective, the left hand will look very similar to a fist.
• Let the stick rest in the fleshy part of your left hand, between the
thumb and first finger (as if you were about to shake someone’s hand).
• The index finger curls around the stick with the pad of the thumb
crossing the second segment of the index finger in a lower-case “t”
shape. Allow the end of the thumb to point slightly upward.
• The ring finger and pinky finger curl beneath the stick forming a “C”
shape, with the stick resting on the cuticle of the ring finger.
• The middle finger rests on the stick with the second joint touching and
wrapped slightly around the stick behind the first finger.
• There should be very little space between and of the fingers or
knuckles of your left hand.
• All motion of the stick will be lead with the bead or head of the stick
with primary rotation of the wrist.
Rhythms
The correct interpretation is no interpretation.
The rhythms used are to be played exactly as they are written, precisely in
metered time. Though we will use a metronome through most of the season,
all rhythms should be played with precision whether or not a metronome is
present. When applying that same precision to rudiments such as diddles
and rolls, a diddle on an 8th note equals 2 16ths, and triplet-rolls are equal to
sextuplets.
Please practice with a metronome to begin learning all notes. Later, you can start to turn
off the metronome more often, using it occasionally to check accuracy. Later in the season
we may “tweak” rhythms as necessary to ensure a good feel and groove.
Stroke Types
A little goes a long way
To increase uniformity of technique, we will approach the drums through
three primary strokes this season: the Legato, the Staccato, and the
Marcato. The strokes are defined and used to consistently achieve the
intended musical ideas.
Legato:
• A continuous stick motion, smooth and connected in flow.
• Keeping a consistent grip and using smooth wrist motions, the bead of
the stick bounces on the drum head like a basketball. When you
throw the stick into the head, it rebounds back at nearly the same
velocity almost to its original height.
• As with bouncing or dribbling a basketball there may be a slight pause
at the top of the stroke before throwing the ball (stick) back to the
ground (head).
• We will use this stroke primarily for constant rhythms such as 8th‘son
one hand or 16th‘s alternating.
Staccato:
• Dis-continuous stick motion, causing a very short sounding note.
• Directly before the bead hits the head, squeeze with the back fingers
to allow the weight to travel up the drumstick. This will stop all
motion at the drum head with no rebound.
• As the bead hits the head, slightly relax or release the back fingers in
order not to get any unnecessary, extra reverberation or shock from
the stick. The rebound is controlled with the wrist by simply stopping
the stick from coming back to the full height.
• The staccato stroke will be primarily used for accents and when
moving from a higher height or dynamic level to a lower one.
Marcato:
• The marcato stroke is in-between both legato and staccato strokes.
• Think about a controlled rebound of the stick where the down-stroke
is slightly faster than the upstroke.
• Think about playing into the drum.
• We will use the marcato stroke primarily for check patterns for rolls,
where the check is marcato and the diddles inside the rolls are 2 legato
strokes.
Stick Height Chart
Dynamic Range
Dynamic
Inner Beats
Style
Pianissimo (pp)
1”
Grace notes, extremely soft playing.
Piano (p)
3”
Primary tap height, the bead of the stick doesn’t
break the plane of the hand.
Mezzo piano (mp)
6”
Mezzo forte (mf)
9”
Forte (f)
12”
Fortissimo (ff)
15”
Most common height, 45 degree angle
Full extension, 90 degree angle, full wrist turn, stick is
straight up and down.
Playing Zones/Areas
Snares
Keeping the beads about an inch apart, we will use 3 main playing areas.
These zones will not define dynamics or heights. These zones can aid in
playing softer or louder, but are mostly used for changing the timbre.
The Center “C”: The center of the head.
Halfway “1/2”: Between the center and the edge.
Edge “E”: At the edge of the drum head near the rim.
Notice that the angle of the sticks stays the same in all zones (~90 degrees). Also notice
that the distance between the beads stays about 1 inch apart.
Tenors
Playing areas for the tenors do not change for dynamics. By playing near
the edge of the drum, the most lively and bright sounds can be achieved.
These areas will be defined on the drums. Notice on the diagram below how
the placement of the beads of the sticks changes on the outside drums. This
allows the beads to remain in the right area for the appropriate sound while
allowing for ease of playing.
Basses
Bass drums will primarily play directly in the center of the head. Though it
is hard to say exactly where the mallet is landing, it may help to listen for the
fullest sound, and feel for the trampoline effect. Different playing zones will
be assigned for specific textures as needed.
PERCUSSIVE ARTS SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL DRUM RUDIMENTS
ALL RUDIMENTS SHOULD BE PRACTICED: OPEN (SLOW) TO CLOSE (FAST) TO OPEN (SLOW) AND/OR AT AN EVEN MODERATE MARCH TEMPO.
I. ROLL RUDIMENTS
10. NINE STROKE ROLL *
A. SINGLE STROKE ROLL RUDIMENTS
1. SINGLE STROKE ROLL *
œœœœœœœœ
œœœœ œœœœ
R
L
11
12. ELEVEN
STROKE ROLL *
œœœœœœœ
RLRLRLR
LRLRLRL
5. TRIPLE STROKE ROLL
˙
R
L
13
œ~
13. THIRTEEN
STROKE ROLL *
B. MULTIPLE BOUNCE ROLL RUDIMENTS
4. MULTIPLE BOUNCE ROLL
œ~
R L R L
L R L R
6
3. SINGLE STROKE SEVEN
œ~
11. TEN STROKE ROLL *
R
3
3
3
3
œœœœœœœœœœœœ
œ~
14. FIFTEEN
STROKE ROLL *
R
L
17
˙~
RRRL L LRRRL L L
15. SEVENTEEN
STROKE ROLL
C. DOUBLE STROKE OPEN ROLL RUDIMENTS
˙~
6. DOUBLE STROKE
OPEN ROLL *
RRLLRRLL
5
œ œ œ œ
5
7. FIVE STROKE ROLL *
8. SIX STROKE ROLL
R
L
R
L
LR
RL
R
L
RL
LR
R
L
L
œœ¡
RL
LR
11
œœ ¡ œ~
œœ ¡
RL
LR
13
œ œ œ~ œ œ
15
œ œ œ~ œ œ
L
LR
RL
17
œ ˙~
R
L
L
œ
L
R
L
II. DIDDLE RUDIMENTS
16. SINGLE PARADIDDLE * œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
L
L
R
7 œ œœ œ
17. DOUBLE PARADIDDLE *
œœœœœœœœœœœœ
œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
R L R L R R L R L R L L
18. TRIPLE
PARADIDDLE
7
9. SEVEN STROKE ROLL *
RL
LR
œ
RLRRLRL L
6 6 œœ œœœ œ
R
R
10
œ œ ¡ œ~
L
R
15
Z
œ~
9
R
10
3
R L R L
L R L R
œ~
R
R L R L R L R L
3
2. SINGLE STROKE FOUR
œ
9
19. SINGLE
PARADIDDLE-DIDDLE
œœœœœœœœœœœœ
RLRLRLRRLRLRLRL L
R
LR
L
R L R R L L R L R R L L
L
RL
R
L R L L R R L R L L R R
* These rudiments are also included in the original Standard 26 American Drum Rudiments.
Copyright © 1984 by the Percussive Arts Society™, 110 W. Washington Street, Suite A, Indianapolis, IN 46204
International Copyright Secured
All Rights Reserved
PAS INTERNATIONAL DRUM RUDIMENTS PAGE 2
III. FLAM RUDIMENTS
H
H
œ œ
œ œ
20. FLAM *
R
L
H
21. FLAM ACCENT *
œ œ
œ œ œH œ œ œ
L
L
œ œ œH œ œ œH œ œ œH œ œ
L
R
R
L
L
H
œ
22. FLAM TAP *
H
œ
24. FLAM
PARADIDDLE *
L
L
L
R
L
R RR L L LR RR L L
L
R
R
L
H
œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ
R R L R R L L R L
R L R R L LR L R R L
L
R
L RRL
R
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
R LLR
L RRL RRL
L L
R L R LLR L R
L R L RRL R L
R
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
35. SINGLE DRAGADIDDLE
œœœœ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ
RR L R R LL R L L
36. DRAG
PARADIDDLE
#1 *
R LLR L R R L RRL R L L
œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
37. DRAG PARADIDDLE #2 *
R LLR LLR L R R L RRL RRL R L L
38. SINGLE RATAMACUE *
3 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
3
R L R L RRL R L R
39. DOUBLE RATAMACUE *
œ œ œH œ œ œH œ œ œH œ œ
R LR L RL R LR L R
L L R R L
RR
L L
RR
3
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
R R L LR R L
L L RR L L R
R
R
œ œ œ œ œ œ
œœœœœœœ œ
L L
33. DOUBLE
DRAG TAP *
L L
H
H
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
L
32. SINGLE
DRAG TAP *
R L R R R L R L L
3 3
H
H
œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
L
R
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
L L
34. LESSON 25 *
L L R
R R L
H
H
H
H
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
L
30. FLAM DRAG
R
R L R R L L R L R L L R R
H
œ
29. INVERTED
FLAM TAP
R
H
H
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
L
28. SWISS ARMY
TRIPLET
L
H
H
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
L
25. SINGLE FLAMMED
MILL
27. PATAFLAFLA
R
H
H
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
23. FLAMACUE *
26. FLAM
PARADIDDLEDIDDLE *
R
IV. DRAG RUDIMENTS
œ œ œ
œ œ œ
31. DRAG *
R R L
3
L L
R LLR L R L RRL RRL R L R
40. TRIPLE RATAMACUE *
3 œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
3
L L
R LLR LLR L R LRRL RRLRRL R L R
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE PERCUSSIVE ARTS SOCIETY CONTACT PAS AT:
110 W. WASHINGTON STREET, SUITE A, INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46204 • E-MAIL: [email protected] WEB SITE: WWW.PAS.ORG