for Marching Percussion

CHAMPIONSHIP
CONCEPT
for MarchingPercussion
(StudentWorkbook)
B Y T HO MHA NNUM
TABLEOFCONTENTS
I. INTNODUCTTON
II. PROGRAM
O\r'ERVIEW
I I l .T E C H N T Q U E .
............3
TheThr€
Keq D
..........3
Crip. . . .
... ... . .. ... ..4
S f o k eC u i d e l i n e s
.........7
B e aht t t e r n s
g
...........
Accen
l%
t t t e r m.
.. ... .. 1 5
Flam
htterns
........1 9
4 o l n t e r n a t i o na lDr u m Ru d im e n ts ............2 0
R u d i m eCnht a l le n g.e..r s... .
.. ... ... .....Z z
Playing
Characteristics
ofEach
Inshument
. . . . . . . ........25
M READING
C h e cl %
k L t e rannsdOn eBe a t\Ar ia tio n s.
........3 9
T i m i nE
g x e r c i se s
......4 2
R o l l s e q u e n c in g h tte r n s.....
.............4 5
v M U S I C I / A N S H IP
. ........4 6
IdiomaticInterpretation,
Tempo/pulse
Control,Dynamic
Contrast
(\blumeChart),
Aticulation,
Timbr€(playing
Zones),
Contouring
of Phrases,
Accenting,
lLning/lntonation,
Ensemble
Blendand
Balance,
EmotionalIn\olvement
INTRODUCTION
$ lrl€hops,andclinics
seminars,
Thislvcrkbookis a r€sultof teachingnumerous
orstudent
asa supplement,
States
andGnada.lt isdesigned
United
tnroughoutthe
FORMARCH
withCMMPIONSHIP
CONCEPTS
llorkbookto beusedinconjunchon
hasa
Nowthestudent
(HalLeonard
Corporation,
1986).
Publishing
INCPERCUSSION
semjnars.
andext€nded
whichisidealforpru"testudy,dailyrehearsals,
concise
r€source
ll:
Technique.
Reading,
materials
of Chapter
theessential
repres€nt
Thecontents
forall battery
exercises
scored
therearefundamental
Inaddition
andMusicianshipis a listingof the 40 International
Included
percussion
andkeyboards.
instruments
ChalArtsSocieq/.
anda Rudiment
ascompiled
bythe furcussile
DrumRudiments,
excellent
rudimental
studies
are
students.
These
for ad\ancing
lengers
sectiongeared
ofyoufown.
andexercises
forde\,eloping
cadences
a
andtapyourfootto esaablish
usea metronome,
individuallj4
Whenpracticing
marktimewhenappropriate.
Asanensemble,
solidfeelof thedownbeat.
stick heights,tempoconfol, and
Al$aysstart slowlyandstli\€ for consistent
gradually
youlbelcomfortable,
beginto speedup.Asthe
Vy'hen
rhythmicaccuracy
practice
at each\olumele\,el
1!'
every
exercise
Besure
remainrelaxed.
tempoincreas€s,
maximumcontrol(see\blumeChart).
in ofderto develop
how
yourmentalcommitment
to excelwilldetermine
allelse,
Andfinally,
above
Thiscommitmentisyourabilib/to focusonsp€cific
fastandhowfaryouwill progress.
whenneces9ry
your
andmakeadjustments
guidelines,
evaluate levelof achievemenl
andheedtheiradvlce.
listento yourinsuuctors,
Bewilling,
COMMNMENT
''Commitment
goingtheextl.amile,inviting
givingupcon\€nience,
meansr
usually
for the
sacrificing
instantgratification
personal
embracing
confrontation.
discomfort,
is achieved
through
Excellence
at hand.Thereareno miraclesolutions.
mission
commifmentl
Di Tim Lautzenheiser
County
Clinic
Cadets
of Bergen
3/12/gJ
TOEXCEL
pedorm.
Toexcelis to continually
Notfor a momentor moments.
Notfor a dayor da],s.
Butto performdayafterda!4
monthaftermonthaftermonth,
pertormance
andto makethat uncommon
lookcommonplace.
Toexcelis to tal<ethe innerdri!€
it,
of competition
andnot onlyembrace
but masterit.
It is nowonderthen,that whenone
onels knownfor excellence.
truly excels.
or
It cannot
betaught,or legislated.
existence.
willedinto
It mustcomefiom
fne lery depthsof an
individuals
desire
to bethe best.
:r!e.E€El: r 3 r.€$rgrtsd EE r4rrr! lE F4rrr fEl6
j-G|',
c6€5td rn.6id €rfb
tf* iaE"ciErlp !€rit !E5 ele t:edTEE:a:rc
-g
zannr.ffidrFjcr ds,€1oDir}!
In tlE drumcfrp6rti\4ty. wimefr€tEff* {e u$ai}y
ti€se skllls.ln highschools.
sprirErnond.6arean
Junio.higlrs,ard colleg€sdte-r:s|re
glcha program.
excellent
time tD administer
Thb k€€pstne ensemble
acti\€in the
provides
off-season,
anopportunityfor ALLpercussionists
to participate.
andesctr
lishes
a solidfoundation
formusiclearning
duringthesummeior bandcamp.
Theamountof rehearsal
time needed
to mastertheelements
of thep.ogramwill
\aryaccording
to theexperience
andtalentof theplaJ€rs.
Theentireprocedure
should
take lesstime eachl,€a[ paticularlyif the approach
is co.sistentthroughoutthe
juniorhighandhighschool
elementarl4
grades.
Pefo.mance )l(
Thediagramhelpsillustratea fewimpo.tdntpoints.First,sincecorrecttechnioue
is
the lehiclefor all qualityperformance
it will sen€asthe foundation
of the orooram.
Second.
musicreadtng.
andtheabiltl !o accurately
suootviderhythms.
tsess€nL;l
fol
uniforminterpretation
throughoutthe ensemble.
Therefore,
prioritywill be
a second
gilento thiscategoll4
butNCIIat theexpense
oftechnique
maintenance.
Third.a basic
le\,€lof musicianship
canbeachie\€d
byproducing
a \Erietyof timbresandbalancing
dlnam,csthroughoutthe percussion
section.proficiency
in eachof theseareasis
essential
qualiry
performance.
for a
Thefinalingredient
of anysuccessful
ensemble
isonewhichisdifficultto teach.vet
extremely
rmpon?nt:
studertleadership.
lr tsvita.for lheolre.ioror irssuctoito
s€lect
a leader
whocanassume
thee\€Mayresponsibilities
of running
a percussion
section.
anddutiesinclude:
Qualifications
1. Theabilityto communicate
with the directot;instructolandfel]owstudents.
2. A firm knowledge
of the playingsq.deandmusic.
3. Theabilityto conduct\4armups
andsectional
rehear$ls.
4, Coodination
ofequipment
maintenance
andin\€ntory
TECHNIQUE
Fcrthesakeof audioandvi$ialuniformiry,
it isveryimportantto establish
a playing
stylewith basicguidelines.
In general
thereare threeke]rswhichmustbeobs€rved,
andcaretully
checl€d,
asthe studentis practicino.
THET}IREEKE\6
1. HoldTheSttck/MalletWfth \6ur FlngersAndThumbAt All Times.
pickonewtlichworks
Naturally
therearese!€raldifferentgripsthat areacceptable.
for
you
best
andmasteriL Howevetit is stronglyrecommended
that you usea
gripwhichutilizesthe naturalcurveof the fingersandhands.
TD/to remainas
relaxed
aspossible.
Onepointis a mustllGepthefingers
andthumbonthestickor malletat ALL
times.Notonlydoesthisincrease
yourcontrolbutit affects
thesound.
Adhering
A1this
guideline
isespecially
importantfof beginning-intermediate
students.
Throughexperienceyou will beginto understand
whento loosenthe grip,usemorefingers,etc.
Howevelat frrst,DON'TLETcO!
Z. PlayFtomThel4fist.
tr\hilemaintaining
thegrip,liftthestickormatietbyturningthe
lM-ist
up.Thefingers
MUSTremainonthe stickin the "uDoosition.'
:]6 rpt rTEa'r
EE :oaearrszr-c:rr€s-:arE
Re3;Ize
:z_t qaE :!r::E'rrst:r
:r€
rnqBm
Ho,vs€|.
drleFin rarymo\€rnen!
.,gc arrj$zrirrary tj5edsn 6 F1
o dE $fk/rnallet 6 gerE-Jtec0yz rJm ol dle tll-isl
! l,ranypere$ioobtsdroptireirfingersandpi\lt thestickhallet
A,,\,ord
ofcautlon
tl lne uppositionb€tr€entnethumbardforefingelIfyouty it,youll seethelrrist
n1andlr2.
guidelines
violates
hasnotmo\€d.Thisproc€dure
3. UseTheRebound.
or rebound,
Thenaturalrcactionof a drumstickwhenit strikesthe headisto bounce,
"up
position."
Duetc1the
makeup
ofthebarandthemalletthisreaction
is
backto the
inslTuments.
Howe\€lit is ercremely
importantto
not aspronounced
icr keyboafd
it intoyourplaying.
learnto fuelthis naturalrcbound,
thenincoryorate
Togaina lbelfor the rebound,
st ikethe headandlet the stick-halletbounce.
' Thehandshouldfollowthe motionof the
"up
position.
backto the
uninterrupted,
to rcmainrelaxed.
stickor malletIt isess€ntial
hasanenormous
efFctonthequaliq/
Allowing
thestickhallettorcactnaturally
ln general,
it produces
a longelfullersound
andhelps
of sound.
tone
a.drawout the fundamental
(especially
at forteandfortissimo)
b. projection
for
requires
a relaxed
approach
whichis ess€ntial
ln addition,
usingtherebound
playingfastel
THEGRIP
howto holdthe
instlumentthefirst priorityis learning
\\hen studyinga percussion
makecontact
rulethefingersandthumbshouldALWAYS
stickof malleLAsa general
Oftentimes,
lailureto
with thestickor malletin orderto de!€lopmaximumcontr-ol.
percussionists
faltel
iswherethebeginning
andintermediate
adhere
to thisguideline
to insureprop€rgrip
Therefore.
the instructoranddirectormust checkperiodically
marntenance.
propergrips
for establishing
andmaintaining
Belowarea fewsimpleguidelines
Theseguidelines
within the snare,multitenol bassdn]m,andl€yboardsegments.
between
the instructor/director
andstudent.
createa basisfor communication
andthethumbshould
assume
their
Cun€of tlre Hands
-All fingers
1. Naturdl
position
\
hanging
down
by
the
side.
Relaxation
of
the
as
if
the
arm
€s
natural
for gripmaintenance.
handandfingersis of utmostimportance
form
a 90 degreeanglejust abo!€the
Position
sticks
should
2. Starting
-Both
surface
of thedmmhead.Thebutt endofthestickor malletisslightlyele\€ted.
Fcrbassdrums.placetheheadof the malletinthecenterof theheadjustaway
fromthe surface.
adia
shouldnot assume
of the Forearm lmplements
3. Sticksarean Extension
to the instrument
ilm theforearmin theirapproach
centangles
4. Relaxed
Elbows Elbows
shouldrestcomfortably
in a directlinedownvlard
itom the shoulder
Avoidbodycontactor extending
a!\ayi1cmthe bodysince
thiswillcause
tension.
5. BeadPlacement
-As close
together
aspossible
inthecenterof thehead.
Mas
teringthisguideline
isess€ntial
foranevensound
Iromhandto hand.
MatchedGrip
Check
the following
criteria
for matched
gripplaylng.
Bothstick areheldexacdy
the same.
l. Fingerand
Thumb
Contact
PointsAllingersshould
< becomfoftably
wrapped
aroundthestickor mallet
just opposite
with the thumbresting
the index
fingerMakecontactwith the implement
at all
tinesw\'leavo.dtng
tenpi 'nay
le^sion.
Fasrer
necessitate
anexception
to this guideline.
2. l%lmAngle As flat as possible
without ffeating
tension.
3. Fulcrum
pointof contactbetween
-The principal
thestickandhand.
Thisistheforefinger
andmiddle
flngeralongwiththethumb.
4. Pressure
Points Same
asfulcrum.
Theplayer
will
Squeeze
or pjnch
slightly
to increase
implementcon
passages.
trol duringmoredemanding
Taditional GriP
ln
gripperformance
peruinto the lefthandin traditional
in. foffo*ingguidelines
bysnaredmms'
peicussion
this gripis usedalmostexclusi\€ly
marcning
I . FingerandThumbContactPoints-The stick
< will restontheringfingerjustbelowtheflrst
and
jointandslightly
thenail.Theindex
above
\erapped
middlefingershouldbecomfortably
at
contact
making
around
theimplementand
little
finThe
tension.
alltlmeswhilea\oiding
gerfollowsthe naturalcun€tureof the handThep€dofthethumbshouldlieontopof the
at the firstjoint.
approximately
forefinger,
Maintaincontactfor maximumcontol
angleor
a 60 degree
Z. tulmAngle Approximately
to the groundThe
slightlylessthanperpendicular
handshouldmaintainthis anglewhenstriking
tnedrum.
3. Fulcrum-The principalpointof contactbetlveen
at thebaseofthe
thestickandhand.Thisislocated
a
thumbandforcfingen
Points-The thumbon top or e
4. Pressure
< foreflnger
andthe ringflngerjust belowthe
firstjoint andslightlyabovethe nail Squeeze
confolduring
implement
or pinchto increase
moredemanding
Passages
tuur Malld CrtP
fourmalletgripandits us€on keyboard
Se!€raltextsha\€beenwrittendiscussing
whatthes€books
explain
to adequately
It wluld takefartoomanypages
instmments.
director
and
insfructormake
is
recommended
the
As
a
result,
it
halealready
colered.
part of hisor herlibrary
the followingmaterials
I . Methodof Mc^rcmertbyL.H.Stevens
this bookisthe biblefor the 'StelerE'
A\,ailable
throughMarimbaProductions.
usedformarimba.
malletgripcurrently
multiple
grip.whichisthemostpopular
Da!€
Samuels
by
2, An Intoduction to ModernMutd-MalletPlrying
Publications,
thistext (intwololumes)helpsde\elop
throughExcelsior
A\ailabl€
grip.
andpedaling
lt addresses
dampening
Buton'
skillsusingthe
l{ryboard
us€donthe vibraphone.
techniques
Dampeningand Pedalingby DavidFriedrnan
3. MbraphoneTbchnique:
andpedaling
hess,this text fo{us$ ondampening
A\"ilablethroughBerkelee
performance.
Techniques
ar€presented
vibmphone
forcontemporary
techniques
exercises.
ratherthanslandard
ftrouohetLdes
CUIDEUNES
STROKE
Nowthat the studentcanholdthe stickor malletproper\ait is time to playThe
at alltimes.
monitored
guidelines
mustbeclos€ly
following
for propergrip mainteall guidelines
-Constantlyreinforce
1.CripMaintenance
nanceasoutlinedabo\€.
anycircular
orslic'ng
Ellminate
upanddovln.
2. llth oftheStick/MalletStraight
motions.
3H
l4o*5 Fis (|tr rm cr turrm) --{l sli*
nptirl E initiTtEdtrqn ttE H. Fr rH iid
el€vating
tlE armtr fo.Etrnl WtEndcrEcqrectty
thefollowingcanbeobserwd.RightHand:Anobll
ousbendinain the crookof the vvrisLV
..ar isE: a ;.a
*rEt td fuErtr! -Ev
tlrEtEIE::E
4. Heightof RiseConsistency
-Concentrateon dupljcatingthe exactheightof eachande!€ryupstroke.
Usea minimum
of 12':
5. Confol of the Opposite
Stick/[.4auet
-lf the right
handisplaying,
left
the mustremaininthestarting
position.Conversely,
if the left handis playing.
the
nght mustremainin the startingposition.
BEtr R{ITERNS
Therearethreebeatpatternswitichformthebasisof mostrudimental
andorchestral
passages:
singl€,
double,
andlriplebeats.
A singlebeat"isonestrokeperhandmotion
(RLRL)|double
perhand
beatsaret!4o
strokes
motion(RRLL),
and"t plebeatsare
threestrokesper handmotion(BRRLLL).
Mostpercussion
musicis usuallysome
combination
of thes€beatp€tterns.
Exercis€s
I 4 emphasize
the de\,€lopment
(onehand,thenthe
of independent
other)playing
skills.Byisolating
eachhandseparately
gi\€students
theseexercises
the
chance
1r'bespecifrc,
correctflavl,s,
andrefinetheirfeelof the "threekqE.
Thenextstep,inexercises
$Z isto maintainthesesameskillswhenbothhands
are
playingtogether(at the sametime).Oftentimes
this is whenprobtems
surface.
tt
requires
a cerlainle!€lof coordination
1Dmaintainthe "threekevs'whenusinoboth
hands
simultaneoLs.li
Beginning-:ntermedEte
sq]dents
mayhaleIo o\€rcor;e
tnls
coordination
facton
Takeyourtime,bepatient,andmakesureBOTHhandsmo\€pfope.lyandsound
good.Bypracticing
the rcboundyourqualityof soundwill impro\,€.
PRACNCE
TIPS:
1. Beginslow[4thengradually
speedupasyoufeelcomfortable.
At first it ismuch
betterto playslowerandemphasize
the fundamentals,
thanto plavfastand
lackcontl"ol.
2. Asthe tempoincreases:
a.lowerthe heightof riseof the stick/maltets.
b.usethe fingersto controlthe rebound.
c.beginusingtheforearm.
3. Keyboards
shouldplaytheexercises
inall kej6.\6ry the l(eysignature
fromday
to day.or weekto week.
4. Bass
drumsshouldalternatebetween
unisonplaying(all4 drumsplaythesnare
partjn unison)
playing
(aslll.ittenintheexercise).
anddivided
ra-E-
Exeftisefao-f -tdcged€{rt fugie B€ats
PlayI singlebeatsontiE nghttEnd.fcllo^€dbyI ontlle lefthard.Thesttk o. nEllet
shouldrebound
upaftereachstroke.Usefull strol€s.
*+Note:Sincetne multitenorsmo\,efrom drumto drum.theyneedto de\€lopa
smootharcmotionemphasizing
the rebound.
Thisis\€ry importantasthetempo
getsfastelThesameistruefor kEboardsastheymo\€f.om onebarto the ne*L
) =ot tsz
Quads
Bass
Cymbals
Jf Vertjcal Hing€ chok€s
ExerciseNo,z-lndependent DoubleBeats
Playthisonemeasure
doublebeatpatternonyourrighthand,thenyourleft.Repeat
as
"uo
indicated.
l\,4ake
surethe stickor malletis reboundino
1Dthe
oosition'afterthe
second
beat
= 64 138
Snare
Quads
J fR R -
Cymbals
ExerciseNo.3-lndependent l}iple Beats
The
asindicated
Playthetrjplebeatpatternonyourrighthandthenyourleft.Repeat
afterthe third beat.
stickor malletshouldrebound
J=60'126
r.R
=)
-
)-: . -
=. n.
,:
.
LLL->
R R_>
la
f,l
Tnos
/R
L
R R ->
j=_
ffi
L
L-
:!
=l-1
-l
Quads
L
L
L-
FH- . - RL
fR L
1
---
r
ffl
ffi1
ffil
ffl
f,1
f,l
I
R
LLL
RRR
Fr-
R
LLL
RRR
f,l
ffil
=r-!
I
=t-1
-l
RRR
R
LLL
ffi___.:
I
R
--
--
Exercise
No.4-Single/Doubte/lhpte
Combo
Vy'hen
comfortable.
combine
allthreeexercises
to formtheSINCLVDOUBLE/TBtpLE
COMBOFromnowon start e!€rypractice
session
or r€hearsal
with this exercise.
! = 6 4 -1 3 8
LL>
n hF|.r
l'r f'r f'r l'l
fin
L L ,>
F l*r
Quads
-
>
FF
L L--->
l* r -
f
'RR-
a
h-
LL
-d
T-Fl
-
rI-L
I
RR
,
LL
,
RRR..>
Ff]
LLL
F"]
R
Ftl T',t Ff]
-
-]
>
Ff] m F1 r-
-
LLL,-->
FI
FI
!t
EF
-I
R RR-
LLL >
Fi"l =r -
n
FFF
-.
R L
l':
-
|.'.t
R
-rr
RL
a
-a
7
F
LL
-a
?'
l, L+
-
rr? lh
fF
7
LL
F
RR
l''r-
-a
7
RR
, a, a
f''!
-
Cymbals
rfl
LL
fE
RR
f-r
-
-7
RR
i
R
l-l
ExerclseNo. s-Extended SingleBeats
to end.
usingfull strokes.Maintainthe samefeeltrom beginning
Playthis exercise
asindicated.
Repeat
a =64 142
r
Quads
RLRL .l..
RI,RL .Ic.
RL RLct.
RL RL.l..
ExerciseNo.6-Extended DoubleBeats
Concentr-ate
ontherebound
afterthesecond
b€aLThesticksor malletsshouldmo'"€
" Usetullstrol€sliom beginning
freelytothe upposition.
to end.Repeat
asindi@ted.
J=ol r:s
Quads
ClDbals
LL-
R RI - Ler . .
ExerclseNo.7-Extended TtipleBeats
lDthe uppositionafterthethid beat.Str-i\€
Md€ surethesticksormalletsrebound
andrepeatasindlcated.
for a smoothflowof the sticks/mallets
J =60'126
r
Quads
,r]t R R>
L
efRv{hdr
Hirye cl\oks
Cvmbals
RRRLL LRRR LLLRI { LL
RRRLLLRRRLLL.I..
RITRI-L LRRR LLLRRLL
R R R L LL R R R L I- l -.1..
IIRR],LL RRRLLLRT?LL
R R I{ L LL
R R R L L L er..
AC'ENTRTITERNS
Playingaccentpatternsrequiresthe abiliryb confol the reboundin the do\,M.]
position afte. a sboke.Beloware threedifferentaccentpatternsbasedon the
counting
sequence
1-2-3.
I 2 3, 1-2.Theaccent
mo\esliom 1,2,or3 during
tne1Z 3
sequence.
Fornowall accents
areplayedat 12" andthe unaccented
notes,or tap
heights,are3l' Laterthe heightof the accented
notewill change
according
to the
dlnamicmai<ing.
Learnthesethreepattefnssepamte\{
thenplaytheminsuccession.
Keyboards
use
threemalletsi2 in the righthand,and1 in the left hand.Rememben
conbollinq
the
rebound
afterthe accentis the key.
No. 1
N o. 2
ND . l
ExerEiseNo. 8-Staggercd Accents
the 'pmcticetiprs. Stlivefor consis.
Controlthe reboundlevelat 3" andremember
youmayneed1D
tencyof accentheightsandtap heights.Asthe tempoincreases
loosenthe gripslightly.
.r = 88 152
l .l
l .l
lt l, l
.l l
,l I
L>
ffR -
tT1
rTl
.T-']
-Tl
-1
-1
-rr
-
J7R-
.T''t
Quads
.T-T/
1f
l-
-T-T/
-T-1
R-
*
Jf;=
fFr
fFr
f'}.. f\
-
r-r
,-4
,-4
Cymbals
vdridr
,f
Hncc chole\
-t-1
-1
trl
llllll
R
I
.4
-l-t
-T-l
-T-l
-l-l
|.....-t
t-t-t
R
r-1-l
,-4
-T-1
R
R-
R
tv
I
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40 IiNERMfiONIII.DRUMRUDIMENIS
DRUMRUDIMENTS
ARTSSOCIETYINTERNATIONAL
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PLAYING
CHARACTERISTICS
OFEACHINSTRUMENT
Eachinstrumenthasuniqueplayingcharacteristics
of its own. The director. instructor. and student
mustbeawareof thesefor the individual
andensemble to reachits potential.
Snare
1. Thesnaredrummermustposses
the abilityto
controla short,staccatosound.Thisrequires
technicalproficiency
a keenearandadvanced
sincethe snaredrumtendsto bethe mostexDOSed
SOUnd
in the ensemble.
2. usuallythe snarepart hasthe greatestfrequencyof notes.Densely
scoredpartsrequire
greatertechnicaldevelopment
ofthe handsin
ordertoDroduce
andcontrola clear.articulate
sound.
3. To illustrateintensityof stroke,someteachers instructthe studentto imaginethe playing surfacebeing 1" belowthe batter head.
Playingon this imaginarysurfacedevelops
a
senseof playingthroughthe sound."
4. oueto the sensitivityof the instrument,volon snare
umeextremesare morepronounced
orum.
5. Snaredrummersmust possess
the abilityto
producea clear,articulate ride patternona
cymbal.
6. As a resultof cymbalridepatterns,the snare
drummeris confrontedwith additional independencefadors.
7. Theflam is a coloristic
embellishment
used
primarilyon snaredrums.The performer
must be ableto distinguishand controlthe
soundof a goodflam.
8. Snaredrummersmust be oroficientat traditionalgrip if this approachis selectedby the
directoror instructor.
9. Thetendencyfor marchingpercussion
ensemblesis to field moresnaresthanmulti-tenors.
bassdrums,etc.Thismakesthe development
ofa uniformstylea bit moredifficultsincethe
performermust learnto adjustto several
players.
10. As for stick motion,snaredrummersshould
focuson developing
a consistent
up anddown
p a t h , s in ceth e re i s l i ttl e d ru m to dr um
movement.
11. The adual heightof the drum may alterthe
approachto the instrument.Try to establish
the orderof the snarelineassoonaspossible
in order to set the height of the instrument.
12. The snareline by its very naturetendsto be
morevisuallyorientedthan the remainderof
the Dercussion
section.
13. A varietyof rim shotsare possibleon the
placement
snaredrum.Theperformers'bead
must be accurateto insurea uniformsound
throughoutthe section.
a. The Cock"- A singlehandedeffectproducedby leavingthe beadof the stick in
the centerof the headand strikingthe
headandrim simultaneously.
Th€soundis
extremelyloudandfat.
b. The PingShot"- Sameapp.oachasthe
''gock" exceptthe beadis positioned
such
that the stick makescontactwith the rim
approximately
2"-3/'from the tip. This
pr oducesa higher pi tc hed, 'pi ng '
souno.
c. Flat FlamRimShot- Strikeboth hands
togethersimultaneously
usingeitherthe
''gock" or "ping shot approach
d. CrossStickShot- Placethe beadof the
left stickin the centerofthe headandelevatethe handslightly.Strikethe shaft of
the left stick with the shoulderof the
right. With matchedgrip this canbe performedviceversa.
e. CrossStickVariation- Sameasaboveexcepttheleft stickis loweredsothe shaftof
the stick makescontad with the rim.
Multi-tenors
1. The generalplayingareafor multi-tenorsis
slightlyoff center.Balanceand qualityof
soundare dependentuponthe performer's
with regardsto striking area.
accuracy
2. Not oniydo multi-tenorsplaypartscomparable to snaredrums,but they must dealwith
drum to drum movement.
Developing
fluid
movementtechniqueis a basicelementof
multi-tenorperformance.
3. Themovementfactorrequiresthe studentto
learnan "arc stroke." Keepthe palmfacing
downandrollthe wrist slightlyfrom drumto
dr um . Lim it a.m motionto that w hi c hi s
necessary.
4. Tonalmemoryis importantfor multi-tenors.
Thiscanassistwith learningpartsandphrasr '1 9 r J r [ d r
P d r >a g e >.
5. Two factor s effect the appr oac hto the
instrument:
a. heightof the drums
b. distanceof the drumsfrom the body
Stabilizetheseconsiderations
as soonas
possible.
6. Thereis lessnaturalreboundoffthe headfor
multi-tenorsas comparedto snaredrums.ln
fact, headresponsewill vary from drum to
drum.Thestudentsmust adjustaccordingly.
7. Dueto the tonalqualityof multi-tenorsa legato stokeis oftentimesdesirable.
for part writ8. C.ossoverstickingis necessary
visual
appeal.
and
ing considerations
BassDrums
1. Thegeneralplayingareafor bassdrumsis the
centerof the head.Consistenttone quality
from drum to drum is dependentuponthe
performersaccuracy
with regardsto striking
area.
Z. Sincethe playingsurfaceof bassdrumsisverticalthe path of the malletis straightout to
the side. Rollthe wrist and forearm out to
with the mallet.
achievemaximumextension
percussion
utilizethe
3. Bassdrumsin marching
part
oftheir
forearmandelbowasanintegral
with the wrist andfintechnique.Combined
gersthesepartsenablethe perfotmerto use
a "whip action"for loudervolumelevelsand
unisonPlaying.
4. Not onlydo bassdrummershaveto concern
like
themselveswith unisonperformance
of
maiority
but
a
multi-tenors,
snaresand
In
this
sense
their playingis divisi,or divided.
eachbassdrummeris a soloist.
tonalmemoryis impor5. As with multi-tenors,
sinceit helpswhen
drummers
tant for bass
learningparts and makesphrasingof ly.ical
passages
easier.
6. The naturalreboundof a strokeon a bass
drumisverylimited.Thebiggerthedrum'the
lesstherebound,Partswhichdemandgreater
shouldbe scoredfor the
technicalproficiency
smaflerdrums(ZO" and22").
shouldbe a strongpoint
7. Rhythmicaccuracy
for eachbassdrummer.The qualityof this
onthe individuals abilityto
segmentdepends
execute"CheckPatternVariations (Reading
section)consistently.
8. Sincemost partsfor bassdrum are divisi.
these performersrely on a feel ' for each
this 'feel" takestime'
other. Developing
for bassdrummersis
attendance
therefore
manqarory.
9. Dueto the resonantqualityof the bassdrum'
arefrequentlyused.To
techniques
dampening
place
fingers
and thumb in the
the
dampen.
pressure.
apply
centerof the headand
10. Dueto the tonalqualityof bassdrums'a legato strokeis oftentimesdesirable.
11. Thefundamentaltoneof eachdrum is heard
onlywhenthe drum headis facingthe audience.This hasled to numerousvariationsin
marchingtechnique.
Hand-Cymbals
Sofar nothinghasbeenmentionedregardingtechSincethey are unllkeany
niquefor hand-cymbals.
instrument.cymbalswarrantSPEotherpercussion
not neglect.The nextsectionof
CIALATTENTION,
provide
valuableinformationabout
this text will
marchhand-cymbals
andtheir usein contemporary
ing ensembles.
for handIn orderto developcompetenttechnique
possess
a positive
cymbalsthe perfo.mermust fl.st
attitudetowardplayingtheseinstruments.Developing this attitude is the direct responsibilityof the
musiceducato.andinstrudor.Alltoo often,the muthe needsof
communityhasneglected
siceducation
thesestudentsip.imarilytheneedto feelimportant
Cymbalplayersneedto feelasif their part is essensound.lf the direcensemble
tial fo. a well-rounded
quality
performance
f.om
tor andinstructorrequire
playe.s,the groundworkfor advance"
hand-cymbal
ment is set.
Admittedly,therehasbeenverylittle information
publishedon the topic of hand-cymbals.
However'
the followingmaterialhasbeenthoroughlyresearched
and is designedsothe studentcanexperiratherquickly.As a refeeling
of achievement
encea
sult. the performe.sdevelopa positivemental
outlookand a senseof pridein their section.
The CymbalAs An Inst.ument
The director.instructor.and studentshouldhavea
of the cymbals parts.Thefol'
basicunderstanding
lowingdiagramshowsthesepartsandbriefexplanations aoDearbelow,
Edge
Alsoknownas the crown,cup. or
dome.Thebell is the raisedcenterportionof
the cymbal.
2. Bow- Theareaofthe cymbalf.om the base
of the bell to the cymbals edge.
3. Edge- Theoutermostportionof the cymbali
the circumference.
Baseof the bell - The part of the cymbal
wherethe edgeofthe bellmeetsthebow,The
1inchwide.
baseofthe bellis approximately
approximate5 . Centerhote-Aroundopening.
ly 1/2 inchin diameter,drilledthroughthe
centerof the bell.
6. lnneredge- Thea.eaofthe cymbalfromthe
1y, or 2 inchesin from
edgeto approximately
the edge.
7 . Crooves
- Alsoknownasstriations.Crooves
aresmallridgesfoundonthe cymbal'ssurface
as a resultof a lathingProcess.
1 . Bell -
The GaifieldGrip
TheCarfieldgrip is highlyrecommended
sincethe weightof the cymbalis
distributedoverthe entiresurfaceof the palm.Thisgrip is the mosteffective meansof controlling
the cymbalswhileatthe sametime reducinghand
tenslon.
Holdthe cymbalin a verticalposition( D) and put the entire
handthroughthe strap up to the wrist.
Step2 - Turnthe handsothe palmis facingawayfrom the padof the
cymbal.
Step3 - Rotatethe entirehanddownwardandturn the palmtowardthe
cymbaluntilittouchesthepad.Thestrapshouldrestat baseof
the thumb andforefinge..
Step 1 -
lvoteiThestrapmayhaveto beloosened
ifthe gripis tootight.lt is important to keepfingertips off the surfaceof the cymbalin orde.to allowthe
instrumentto vibratefreely.
The Carfleld CrlD
CymbalHoldlngPosltlons
Thehand-cymbalist
is not onlyconcerned
with soundproductionbut visual
positions,
rest
and
instrumental
effeds,
carriageduringperfo.mance.
ln
eachcase,the waythe cymbalsare heldis as importantas howthey are
played.Thefollowingsectionillustratesa varietyof rymbalholdingpositionsusedat rest,whileplaying,andfor visualeffects.
Thesepositionswere
devisedfor tlvo reasons:
1. To createa meansof ensuringvisualuniformity.
2. Toimprovethe consistency
of soundproductionby utilizingpredeterminedstartingand stoppingpoints.
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CirclePositions
Thecirclepositionsarea seriesof five instrumentalpositionsusedasreferencepointsprimarilyfor visualeffects,althoughthis conceptmayalsoapply
to someplayingtechniques.In eachposition,the player'sarms are fully
ext€nded.
ClrclePosltlons
PhysicalConditionlng
Playinghand-cymbals
is oneofthe mostphysically
demanding
assignments
In orderto performcomfortablyit is
in the marchingpercussion
ensemble.
importantto developstrengthandflexibilityin thosemuscleswhichare
most f.equentlyused.Tbkewhateverstepsare necessary
to helpp.event
musclecramps,wrist sprains,tendinitisandotherinjuriescommonly
experiencedby the hand-cymbalist.
T h e fo l l o w i n ge xe rci s epr ogr amis dividedinto two par ts: one,
calisthentics
without instrumentstandtwo, calisthentics
usingthe instrumentsalongwith the HoldingandCirclePositions.
Eachsequence
shouldbe
doneas a groupprior to everyrehearsal
and performance.
Calisthentics
WithoutInstruments
1. Sit ups- Tostrengthenstomachandbackmuscles
liedownwith the
kneesbentandslowlymoveto a sittingposition.Returnto the starting positionkeepingthe kneesbent at all times.Repeat25 times.
2. TorsoTwists- In a standingpositionplacethe handson hipsandrotate the uppertorsoto the right and left. Repeat10 times.
3. PushLJps- Pushupsstrengthenarm andchestmusclesneededfo.
extendedplaying.Bepeat20 times.
4. Arm Rolls- Extendthe right arm abovethe headandrotateit fo.ward in a largecircle10times.Repeatthe exercise
with the left arm.
Thenwith the right arm,onceagainextended
overthe head,rotateit
backwardin a completecirclel0times. Repeat
the procedure
with the
left arm.
5. Running- Jogfor a half mileto developproperbreathingand
stamlna,
6. Rest- A shortrestperiodenables
the playersto slowtheirbreathing
and relaxtheir muscles.
With lnstruments
Calistentics
facing
eachother,holdthe cymbalsin the followingpositionsfor apWhite
ofthe
proximately
Eachperformershouldchecktheplacement
30 seconds.
instruments,then makeaqjustmentsto improvevisualuniformity.
1.
2.
3.
4.
SideRest
HorizontalRide
VerticalRide-up
0 degreeCirclePosition
5.
6.
7.
8.
90 degreeci.cle Position
HorizontalRide
90 degreecirclePosition
SideRest
hasbeencompletedplacethe cymbalson the
After the abovesequence
groundand repeatthe torsotwists,arm rolls,andrest periodasoutlined
previously.
helprelaxstomach,back,arm, andchestmusTheseexercises
clesas well as regulatebreathing.
Thefinalportionofthewarm-upincorporatesallthevariousHoldingPositions.Whilefacingeachotherthe playersholdthe cymbalsin eachposition
asthe instructorcorrectsallflawsregarding
10seconds
for approximately
placement.
Theperformerswill beginto gaina feel for the
instrumental
properlocationof the instrumentsin eachposition.Ultimately,this procedure will insurethe visualuniformityrequiredof a contemporaryhandto useare as follows:
cvmbalsection.The Dositions
1.
2.
3.
4.
SideRest
SideRest-up
Hip Rest
Standard
6. Verticalclosed-up
7. VerticalClosed
8. VerticalClos€d-down
9. VerticalOpen-up
'10.VerticalOpen
11. VerticalOpen-down
12. VerticalRide
13. VerticalRide-up
14. Orchestra
15. Zischen
16. Tap
17. Horizontal
Closed
18. Horizontal
Closed-down
19. Horizontalopen
20. HorizontalOpen-down
21. HorizontalRide
22. HorizontalRide-up
23. Horizonta'Arm-extension
SoundProductlonTechniques
performance
in the marching
The most importantaspectof hand-cymbal
production
will always
A
competent
cymbalist
of
sound.
is
the
ensemble
production
andthe
playing:
method
ofsound
the
two factorswhen
consider
the proper
the first prioritymustbeto achieve
visualeffect.As a musician,
he or
As the playergainsexperience,
sound.Thevisualeffectis secondary.
phrase
to
optimum
musical
how
to
approach
each
exactly
shewill know
audioandvisualeffect.
incorporate
a primaryinstrumentand
Mostmethodsofsoundproduction
primary
instrument
strikesthe seconthe
instrument.
Usually
a secondary
point
the cymbals
At
the
of
attack,
daryinstrumentto initiatethe sound.
shouldNOTmeetexactlytogethersincethis wouldresultin an air pocket.
Thisactionforcesout mostof the air that wouldnormallybe betweenthe
two cymbalsand createsa partialvaccuumwhichmomentarilylocksthe
cymbalstogetherand kills most of the sound.iNothingelsepointsout a
novicecymbalplayermorethan the air pocket.
Toavoidthis pitfall.the primaryqmbal shouldmeetthe secondary
cymbalapp.oximately
1t/2"to 2" from the edgeat the pointof attack.Theresult is a flam effectwhichis necessary
for a qualitycrashsound.Thedirectorand inst.uctormust insistuponthis 'flam ' technique.
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The Flam Concept
Threestepsform the basisof anysoundproductionmethodin handcymbalperformanceipreparation,attack,and followthrough.All sound
production
techniques
shouldbeperformedincorporating
thesethreesteps
whileusingtheHoldingandCirclePositions
asaguide.lnthefollowingexplanationsthe right handis considered
the primaryinstrument.However,
all
techniques
shouldbe practicedwith both the left and right cymbalasthe
primaryinstrumentto developdexte.ityand balancefor the visual
presentation.
OrchestralCrash
With the cymbalsin the orchestralposition.moveboth instrumentsaway
from eachother,then strikethem togetherusingthe flam concept.At
the instantof attackthe bottomedgesmeetfirstfollowedbythetop edges.
Followthroughmovingbothcymbalsawayfrom eachotherandconclude
in
the orchestralposition.
&
&
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fl
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0.n
LLl,o
ValuationCrash'z
tength
of the after^.ingis determinedby the duraln a valuationcrashthe
(.D 7) indicates
a crashwhichis immedition of the notevalue.Forexample,
restand(.1l)indicatesa crashwhichis
at the eighth-note
atelydampened
quarter-note
rest.
the
at
dampened
Toplaya valuationcrashstart with the cymbatsin the verticalopenposipositionQuicklybringthe cymbals
tion andmovethemto the standard"up
togetherwith the bottomedgestouchingfirst followedby the top edges
Bothinstrumentsshouldring onlyforthe durationofthe notevaluebefore
c.ashcanbe perfo.med
againstthe chest Thevaluation
theyaredampened
in a varietyof positions.
ft
&
.&
&
.&
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sH4
ryh1I tf "4\1 f
eighth-note
performercrashes
onthe second
Inthefotlowingexamplethe
of the measureand dampenson the last eighth-note
versionofthe valuationcrashis referredto asa crashThesixteenth-note
motion.Anynote
the crashandchokeareonesimultaneous
chokebecause
pause
andchoke'probetween
the
crash
has
a
a
sixteenth
longerthan
value
generally
is
usedfor
The
crash-choke
note.
ofthe
portionateto the duration
examnotated
in
the
articulation
as
accentsandstaccato
unisonensemble
olesbelow.
f c/c
f c/c
SprayCrash
Start with the cymbalsin the verticalopenpositionandmovethem to the
position.Quicklybringthe cymbalstogetherin an upwardmostandard-up
point
tion sothe
of attackis directlyin front of the eyes.Thebottomedges
makecontactfirstfollowedbythetop edges.Withthe armsfullyextended,
followthroughto the 0 degreepositionandcontinuein a circula.path retu.ning to the verticalopenposition.
.&
fl,
fr
$H4
tr
Thespraycrashis a visuallyorientedtechniqueusefulwhenthe cymbal
sectionis positionedbehindthe batterypercussion
in the drill. Thefollow
throughenablesthe cymbalsto be seenandheard.Thistechniqueis effective in both a unisonand sequential
approach.
At timesit maybe usefulto originatethe spraycrashin a lowerposition
to achieve
a loudervolumelevel.lf so,start in the verticalopen-down
posiposition.Bringthe cymbalstogether
tion andmoveto the standard-down
in an upwardmotionsothe pointof attackis at shoulderheight.Afte. the
attack proceedas explained
above.
Flair Crash
Theflair crashis identicalto the spraycrashexceptjustonecymbalcontinuesthe followthroughwhilethe othercymbalreturnsto the verticalopen
positionafter the attack.
fr
$H4
tI
&
A
VerticalC.ash
positionandthe right
Startwith the left cymbalin the verticalopen-down
position
with
the bellfacinginward.Raisethe left
cymbalin the 0 degree
so the instrumentsmeet at
cymbaland lowerthe right simultaneously
shoulderheight.At the point of attackthe bottom edgesmeetfirst followedbythetop edges.Followthroughsothe right cymbalisin thevertical
positionandthe left cymbalis in the 0 degreepositionwith the
open-down
bell facinginward.
A
l,&
/&
m t.h
I"
fl'1
#I
{fl
l
Chokes
andthe openapproach.
Therearetwo typesof chokes,the hingeapproach
Bothmaybeplayedin a verticalor horizontalposition.Theterm chokeis derived f.om the fact that the cymbals'vibrationsare eliminated,or
"choked, at the point of attack.Chokesarebestwritten asstaccatoeighthnotesto insurea shortsound.
1. VerticalHingeApproach- Placethe cJmbalsin the verticalcloseddownpositionwith the edgesagainstthe stomach.Whilekeepingthe
edgesclosesttothe bodytogether.openthe outeredgesapproximately
7" to 8". Quickly
clos€theouteredgesto createa chick"soundcharacteristicof the hi-hatcymbal.Theinstrumentsshouldbe slightlyoffcenterto avoidan air pocket.
HingeApproach- Sameas aboveexceptstart andfinish
Z. Horizontal
positionwith the edges
closed-down
with the qmbalsin the horizontal
againstthe stomach.
VerticalOpenApproach- In the verticalopenposition.separatethe
cymbals
sothe distance
betweenthe instrumentsisapproximately
9".
position
bring
the
together
in
the
vertical
closed-up
Quickly
rymbals
makingsurethe instrumentsare slightlyoff-centerto avoidan air
pocket.Keepthe cymbalstogetherafter the strokeis completedto
eliminateall vibration.
&
_&
,,&*
IK
rry 1I
I_,1\
/lr
t.r'
4. Horizontal
HingeApproach- Sameasaboveexceptstart andfinish
position.
with the cymbalsin the horizontalopen-down
Zlschen
Placethe cymbalsinthezischenposition.Scrapethe
rightcymbalacrossthe
groovesof the left cymbalandfollowthroughsothe right instrumentis in
the 0 degreecirclepositionwhilethe left remainsstationary.Thebellofthe
right cymbalcanfaceeitherforwardor inward.Thezischenis alsoreferred
to asthe swisheffect" andworksbestfor highlightingsofter dynamic
phrases.
a
g
A
l&
.s
@
F^
Tap
Placethe cymbalsin the tap position.Movethe right cymbalapproximately
3" to4" awayardtap the left rymballightly.Returnthe right cymbaltoits
positionapproximately
3" to 4" awayfrom the left. Thetap worksbestin
a divisior sequential
context.
A
&
,ffi
flt?,
B
[N
Two PlateRoll
Beginwith the cymbalsin theverticalclosedposition.
Slidethe instrumentsagainsteachother until they
are approximately4" off-center.Nowrotate both
awayfrom the bodytrying
handsin a circularfashion
for
to maintainthe 4". off-centerposition.Continue
the durationof the note valueand follow through
with the right cymbalto the 0 degreecircleposition
with the bellfacinginward.Theleft cymbalreturns
to the verticalclosedoosition.The numberof rotato intions per notevalueshouldbe predetermined
sur e visualunifor mitythr oughoutthe c y m bal
section.
Dynamics
are controlledby sizeand speedof the
rotationsaswell asthe amountof pressureexerted
the size,speed.and
againsteachcymbal.Increase
pressureto playlouder.whiledecreasing
to play
softer.
B
J
v)
A
I&
h
Musicianship
Thereare severaladditionalfactorswhichinfluence
soundproduction.Thedirector.instructor.andstudent shouldmonitor thesecloselyto improvethe
control,and qualityof the sound.
consistency,
1. Dynamics
a. The angleof the cymbalsat the instantof
attacl(.
b. Verticalpositioningof the instruments.
c. Lengthof stroke.
d. Velocityof stroke.
exertedbythe cyme. Theamountof pressure
other.
balsagainsteach
2. Dampening
a. Tostopthe cymbalsfrom ringingby quickly
drawingthe instrumentsto the chestor
midriff area.
the
b. All soundshouldstopimmediatelywhen
cymbalsmakecontactwith the body.
c. Helpsdeterminearticulation.
properphrasingwithinthe
d. Helpsachieve
cymbalsection.
3. Articulation
Dampa. Staccatomeansshortanddetached.
following
the
immediately
cvmbals
en the
attack.Chokesprovidea staccatowithout
oampenrng.
b. Tenutomeansto sustainthe soundto the
endofthe notevalue.Refe.to the valuation
crash.
c. Legatom eanssm oothan d c onnec ted.
Therefore.no dampeningis required.
Accents
a. Playthe accentednote at the next loudest
volumelevel.
b. Canbe achievedin the cymbalsectionby
scoringplayerson a particularnote.
5. Phrasing
a. Uniforminterpretationof dynamicsby the
individual
cymbalplayer,the cymbalsection, andthe entireensemble.
b. Methodof articulationshouldbe consistent
throughoutthe entireensemble.
c. Accentsmust be balancedin all instruments.
VlsualEffects
performance
Oneimportantaspectof hand-cymbal
is the abilityto incorporate
visualeffectsinto a program. Not only do visualeffectsadd excitementto
the overallshowbut they alsoenhancethe musical
presentation.
Forinstance,a playermaydrawattention to the soundbeingp.oducedby addingvisual
movementtothepreparation
or followthrough.This
additionalmovementis especially
effectivefor cymbalpartsofsofterdynamiclevels.Twofactorsshould
alwaysbe consideredwhen dealingwith visualeffects:the musicand the drill formation.
The musicwill determinethe type of visualpresentedwhetherunisonvisuals,donesimultaneously
by the cymbalsectionor sequential
visuals,performedbythe playerin sequence.
Sometimes
it is apperform
propriatefor the cymbalsectionto
visuals
duringtacit or periodsofrest. Insucha casethevisual effect,unisonor sequential,
is determinedby the
musical
intentof the playingensemble.
conDrillformationsraisetwo logisticalquestions
cerningvisualeffects.
One.will the effectbeseen?1n
otherwords.will the audience
beabletoseethevisuwill
their
view
be
obst.uctedby other
al effect or
Two,is the.e
membersof the marchingensemble?
enoughroomto performthe visual?Willthe players
haveamplespaceto executethe visualwithout hitting other marchingmemberswith the rymbals?
If the answerto both questionsis yes,then the
cymbalsectioncanusuallybefoundin someva ation
of the followingthreedrill settings:a file, a line,or a
patterndesign.A patterndesigncanbe definedas
anythingthat is not a file or line.An exampleis p.ovidedbelow.
Flle, Llne. and Pattern Design
Thefivecircle-positions
serveasthe basisfor most
visualeffects.Thesepositionsspecifl.r
the placement
for conof the instrumentsandestablishguidelines
performance
regarding
visuals
in
the
marchsistent
ing ensemblecymbalsection.All visualsshouldbe
or their variaconstructedusingthe ci.cle-positions,
points.
tions, as aeference
NoteiFo. moreinformationregardingsoundproandin-depthexplanations
ofvariductiontechniques
ouscymbalrelatedtopics,rcfer to TheCymbal:Its
Standardand SpecialUseIn ContemporaryMarching
o ThomasP.Hannum,University
Ensembles,
of Massachusetts,1984.
Bells
1. Neve.useexcessive
forcewhenplayingbells
sincethis makesthe keys lump anddistorts
tonequality.orawthe soundout ofthe instru,
ment by lifting the malletheadawayfrom the
key afte. the attack.
2. Alwaysplayin the centerof the bar.Theedge
is acceptable
onlyduringquickpassages.
Avoid
the nodalpointsat all times.
3. Bellsare a coloristicinstrument.Denseparts
tendto "blur." or ringtogether,causinga lack
of cla.ityin the music.
4. A vib.atoeffectcanbe achieved
by movingthe
handin an up anddownmotionabovethe note
that hasbeenstruck.Thistechnique
is especially effectiveat softervolumelevels.
5. Thelengthof soundcanbecontrolledbydampeningthe bar with the fingers.
Xylophone
l. The xylophoneby its very natureproducesa
piercingsound.Overplaying
will distortthe
tone qualityand inhibit projection.
2. Alwaysstrike the instrumentin the centerof
the bar exceptwhenquicktempi or densely
scoredparts requirestrikingthe edge.
3, Pizzacato
effectscanbe achieved
by dampeningthe bar with the finge.s afte. the
attack.
4. Clissandican be achievedby doi ng the
following:
a. slideonemalletupor downthe keyboard
approximatelya fifth past the desirednote.
b. Thenstrikethe desirednotewith the opposite mallet.
5. Xylophoneparts tend to be more densely
scoredthan the other malletinstruments.
Theseplayersshouldpossess
the dexterityto
begina phraseon eitherhand.
Vib.aphone
Dueto the sustainingqualitiesof the vibraphoneit
hassomeuniqueplayingcharacteristics
whichmust
be masteredto controlthe sound.
1. Striveto playin the centerof the ba..However,
the extremeedgedoesproducean acceptable
sound.NEVERplayon the nodes.
2. The playershouldpossess
the dexterityto
phrase
begina
on eitherhand.
3. Thepedalis usedfor dampening
notesto make
a phrasesoundsmoother.D0NOTdampenwith
the pedalafter everyattack.
4. DONOTleavethe pedaldownduringan entire
phrasesincethis will causethe notesto "blur"
together.
Thereare 5 different dampeningtechniques
vibraphone
usedin contemporary
commonly
oerformance:
- Usedprimarilyin scale
a. SlideDampening
passages.
With a malletin the left hand.
dampenthe notewhichwasjustplayed.At
the sametime the right handattacksthe
the left
next note of the scale.ln essence,
handmerelyfollowsthe right. Theobiectis
to createa smoothlinewithout hearingthe
take place.Eitherhandcanperdampening
playing
or dampening.
form the
b. TouchTone- Usedprimarilywhenplaying
passages
with inte.valleaps.Theobiectisto
the mallet
dampena pitch by depressing
At
the same
ringing
note.
headagainstthe
time the oppositehandattacksthe next
note of the passage.Try to dampenas
smoothlyand quietlyas possible.Practice
with all four mallets.
- Thistechnique
c. AdjacentNoteDampening
adiacentnotesof eiis suitedfor dampening
ther a stepor half-stepandshouldbe practicedwith all four mallets.Themalletwhich
playedthe flrst notewill playthe nextadJacentnoteandslidebackto dampenthe previousnote. The objectis useone,smooth
motion.
d. HandDampening
- Thistechniqueis used
notes
primarilywhendampeningadJacent
keys.usethe
from the naturaltoaccidental
areabetweenthe first andsecondknuckle
o f t h e p i n k yfi n g e r o n th e h a n dw hich
strikesthe key. Forexample,as the right
handgoesfrom 0 to Dbdampenthe D with
the pinkyfinger. Strivefor smoothexecuof the first
tion andcompletedampening
note.
e. Pedaling
- Thepedalshouldbeusedin conjunctionwith the abovedampening
techlines
of
melodic
niquesto developcontrol
pedal
Theflutter
and harmonicchanges.
by alternatingbemethodis accomplished
tweenthe point whe.ethe dampeningbar
just ctearsthe keysandthe fully dampened
position.This approachallowsfor smooth,
legatophrasingof fast, melodicpassages.
Thepedalmayalsobeusedto sustaintones.
However.its most vital usewill be to clear
t h e h a r m on yi n p re p a ra ti o nfo r a new
cnoro.
a vibratoby usingthemotorshouldbe
6 . Creating
donespa.ingly.Anothermethodof achieving
by movingthe handin
vibratois accomplished
anuDanddownmotionoverthenotewhichhas
beenstruck.Thisshouldbedoneonlywhenthe
noteis in the extremeupperregisterof the
tnsuumenr.
Marimba
1. Do not overplaythe instrumentsincethis will
distort the tone qualiw.
2. Thestudentmust practiceto becomecomfortablewith four mallets.
by stoppingthe mal3. Deadstrokesareachieved
let headonthe bar.In short,the playeris eliminatingthe reboundbackto the starting position. This producesa short,staccatosound.
by dampen4. Pizzacato
effectsareaccomplished
afterstrikingthe note.
ingthe barimmediately
5. Theperformershouldbeableto begina phrase
with eitherhand.
6. Drawout the soundof all notesin the lowerregister by utrlizinga legatomotion.Strivefor a
full, resonantqualityof sound.
Tympani
L Makesurethe studentis usingpropertechnique.Themalletshouldreboundcomfortably
off the headin a relaxedlegatomotion.
Z. Thegeneralpurposeplayinga.eais 3" to 6"
from the rim. Playingin this areawill insurea
full, resonantqualityof sound.
3. Thestudentshouldpracticesingingintervals.
Start with the intervalof a fifth, then a
fourth, and graduallywo.k downto a minor
second.Eventually
the performerwill tuneall
intervalsfrom a tuningfork.
4. ldentifymusicalcuesin brassandwoodwinds
for tuning. Usuallybasslineswork the best.
maintainthesame
5. A "roll ontympanishould
relaxedfeelasa legatostroke.Theperformer
must be awareof varyingroll speedsto improvesoundquality.Cenerally,
the lowerthe
pitch,the slowerthe rollspeed.Theobjective
soundwith'
isto producea smoothsustaining
out hearingindividualstrokes.
helpcontrolthe lengthof
6. Mufflingtechniques
sound.Usethe fingertips to stopthe vibra"
tions as the oppositemalletstrikesthe next
d.um.Thismethodwill clearthe soundofthe
pr eviouspitch so the new pi tc h i s m or e
pronounced.
Muffling is especiallyimportant at cadence
pointsas well as closeinte.vals.
7. Glissandi
areachieved
by movingthe pedalup
or downto the desiredpitch.
by pressingthe
8. Deadstrokesare achieved
headof the malletonto the drum headto
a short,
eliminatethe rebound.Thisproduces
staccatosoundwith a minimumof tonal
response.
9, Playinginthe centerofthe headalsoproduces
a shortsoundwith a minimumof tonal response.Thistechniqueis usedprimarilyas a
specialeffect.
10. A uniquespecialeffectis createdstrikingthe
to the startingposition.
drumandrebounding
Then, gently placethe headof the mallet on
the drum headand movein a circularmotion
aroundthe playingarea,Thepitchwill gradually ris€andfall.
Accessorles
Sincethe numberof accessories
andtheirtechnlques
numerous.
aneso
we recommend
the followingbooks
for reference.
Firth, Vic. Percussio,Symwsium,
NewYork CarlFischer.Inc..1966
Payson,Al. Techniquesof Playing BassAum, qmbalsandAccessories.Park
Ridge,lllinois:
Payson
PercussionProducts.1971.
READING
Learningto readmusicfor percusslonists
haslong
beenan extremelytrying task for both the student
andteacher.
Quitesimply.''drummers get extremely boredand haveno interest in readingwholenotes,
quarter notes,andquarter noterests.Thesenoteand
rest valuesprovideno challengeto their technical
ability. Most percussionmusic containsrhlrthms of
muchsmallersubdlvlslon
and a majorityof method
bookstake too longto addressthis fact. lt is time to
acknowledgethis deflclencyand offer a method
whlchfocuseson the needsof the percusslonist.
Whenobservedcloselyit becomesclearthat allJnusicis someform of duole( FfF) or triolet ( ril )
AsPaul
Ht'io"ir'itii€ito,ir'"r. it8 6ui
srcupinss.
two basicmetrical units: those of two beats and
those of three beats; and rhythm onceexplainedra-
==:
.:-->
I{LKLIIL
Gr-,
l-t
HLf { Lt t L
R
CheckPatterns
The student will learntwo simple phrasesr€ferred.
toa C"heck
Patterns,' oneduple(IlT ) andonetip
let (lt ). Theseeight measurephaases
utilizetj|e
''naturalsticking concept,meaninga (R)ightstroke
followedby a (L)eftstroke.This negatesanyawkward doublingsof onehandor the other.
Theteacheror instructorwill playthe duplecheck
pattern asthe studentslisten,tap their feet on each
downbeat,and watch the music.After severalhearingsthe studentsplaythe checkpattern while lookingat the music.Takea slowtempoto insureaccuracy. Remember
to tap the downbeat.
After eachstudent is ableto playthe checkpattem
andtap their foot simultaneously,
repeatthe above
processfor the triplet checkpattern.
HLhLHL
FILFILXL
^
Uonally,will probablytum out to be an endless\.aria
tion of veryfew andverysimplebasicunits. sTherefore,allreadingconcepts
willbe covered
in dupleand
triplet meter.
Theobjectives
of the musicreadingsectionareas
follows:
1. Todevelopinterpretation
andaccuracy
of duple
andtriplet rhJthmlcpatterns,
2. Todevelopinterpretationandaccuracyof duple
andtriplst roll patterns.
3. To readby recognition.
4. Toprovidea mear6for unlformstickingthroughout the ensemble.
5. Todevelopthe handcoordination
andrhythmic
players
accuracy
of cymbal
by usingsticksor
malletsto playall readingmaterials.
N Li 1LI{L
GG
,-;--\ G
FtLT(LI,tLItL
G
t,t
r-,
TrlDlet CbeakPatt€ro
tt
f{L HLttL t{
^
f=..
H ftH ttH ti
l1
-.
RLRLRLR
RLRLRLRLRLRL
HLItLItLhLHLHL
H Lh LttL Hfttl
H
.-.---\Z--------\
OneBeat Varlatlons
Beloware 14 variationsincorporating
differentnoteandrestvalueswhich
( m ), or onebeat.Inserteachvariationintothe
total 4 sixteenth-notes
patternwheraanarcappearsabovea groupof sixteenthnotes.
duplechec,k
Be g tn a tJ=6 4 .
Ex. of No. I
L I {L L I I L
----:-\
----=--\
L
B
---l---'.
----=-\
All stickingsare derivedby eliminatingthe strokeof the notewhichis
rested.Thenplaythe remainingvaluesin the sequence
of "naturalsticking. Forexample,in Var,1the first sixteenth-note
is restedsothe sticking
is LRL.
Thefollowing chart illustrat6 how note and rest !"aluesdeterminestick-
ing patterns.
| =f,ory'
.f=notI
r ; f,i/,o1//
tl = /t1l6ivtl
.f = nyorr./
I = Rlfl,otLl/,
14 DupleVarlations
9
Beloware6 variationsinco.porating
differentnoteandrestvalueswhich
(Fi.]),
or
one
beat.
Inserteachvariationintothe triplet
total 3 eighth-notes
checkpatternwhereiri 6rcappearsaoovea groupofeighth-notes.
Beginat
8
4
.
J.=
L |,t
,,
HLH
-'l-=\
H
H
Ltl
LH
HL
HL
H tIfIR R R
LR
LIt
LN H L H I { I {
--
--\
HL
R
LR
RL
--
All stickingsare derivedby eliminatingthe strokeof the notewhichis
rested.Thenplaythe remainingvaluesin the sequence
of naturalsticking." Dueto the oddnumberof notesper beat(3),eachconsecutive
downbeatstarts on a differenthand.Theresultingsequence
is a right handon
beats1 and'3ta left handon beats2 and4. ForexamDle.
in No.1the first
eighth-noteis restedso the stickingis LR-RL.
Thefollowingchartillustrateshownoteandrestvaluesdeterminesticking
t = f lor l,
)=alo rr/
ot LlV
). = RVV
| = fl o rl f,
t. =lly' ort/fY
6 Ttiplet Varlatlons
A
. RL A I
RX RL,A L
RI A L A X
rvofe:Thedupleand triplet checkpatternsandtheir variationsshouldbe
memorized
sinceeachmakeanexcellent
exercise
whenplayedin thefollowing sequence;
checkpattern,variations,checkpattern.Bothare idealfor
playingat pianissimo
whenmarchingto andfrom sectionaland ensemble
rehearsals.
RI
Timlng Exercises
time hasbeenspentmasteringthe onebeatvariations
After considerabte
which
for dupleandtriptet meter,the nextstepis readingtwo-barphrases
are
examples
Below
rhlrthmic
accuracy.
and
test uniformity of sticking
Fonrlthe rhythmsusingthe "natural
whichutilizethe 14 duplevariations.
to
accelerate
sticking"concept.Starteachexampleat J = 64 andgradually
) = 1s2'
RLRLRLRLBLRLRLITL
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLBL
^ rm .
€.
a
Fr't IE-
f
n
tE
-E
lt-
th
f,
+
F
-#
-a---T Tr-
|
)'
^ f- + .
FTI
Beloware exercises
whichutilizethe 6 triplet variations.Formthe
rhythmsusingthe naturalsticking' concept.Rememberthe
stickingsimilaritiesof beats1 and3. andbeats2 and4. Starteachexampleat .. = 84
and graduallyaccelerate
to .1.= 168.
RLRLRLRLRLRL
HLHLHLI iL R L R L
n-
_
-. +.
t
^
-r
.+
-e-
?'
,n - .e .
?
Patterns
Roll Sequencing
on quildingrollsby douThisportionof the readingprogramconcentrates
( tt:
( rTn
). As the number
blingsixteenth-notes
) andeighth-notes
of doublednotesinc.eises,ioll patternsare developed.
properinone,it develops
Therearetwo benefitsof usingthis approach:
two'
!t enables
notes:
and
of doubled
terpretationand rhythmicaccuracy
manner.As a result,
facilityin a step-wise
technical
the studentto advance
musicreading.emainsbalancedin proportionto technicalability.
32 Note Sequenclng
inallthe32nddiscernible
l6th.notes(.f::[1 ) areclearly
Noticethatfour
"natural
motionwith
16th-note
or
a
consistent
Maintain
notearouoinqs.
=
to .] = 152'
gradually
accelerate
60
and
Begin
at
the siicksor mallets.
.]
notes
precisespacingof all doubled
Emphasize
15th Note S€ouenclno
Noticethat three8th--notes
in altthe 16th1,[]
) arecleartydiscernibte
notegroupings.Malntaina consistent8th-note,or "natural. motionwith
the sticksor mallets.Beginat J..=.84andgraduallyacceterate
to J. = i68.
prectsespacrngot a doubtednotes.
cmpnastze
MUSICIANSHIP
Achievinga superlormusicalperformanceis the
responsibiliwof the arranger,director,instructor,
and student.If anyonepersonfalters,chancesare
goodthe quality of performancewill suffer. Ultimately,the directormust decidewhichareasof the
programneedimprovement.
Overallresponsibilities
include:one,musicalselectionitwo, initiatingand
monitoringa basicsprogramiandthree,establishing
a musicalstandard,Belowaresomespecificcriteria
for upgradingmusicianship.
1. ldiomaticInterpretation- Thearrangement
portraythesryleofthe musical
mustaccurately
selection.Percussion
sectionsmust be ableto
simulatevariousmusicalstyles.No longerdo
''drummers simplyplaycadencepatternsto
providea solidpulseforthe ensemble.
Ifthe director is not satisfiedwith an arrangement
then considerhiringa percussion
specialistto
adjustthe chart.
2. Tempo/PulseControl - Consistentcontrol of
tempoandpulseis absolutely
essential
for coperformance.
hesiveensemble
Checkthedensity of the parts if the percussionsedion strugglesto maintaintempo and pulse,Arrangers
oftentimes overwrite certain passagesand includeawkwardsticklngpatternswhichlnhlblt
control. Adjust the part if necessary.
3. DynamicContrast- Forthe performer,the
basisof qualitymusicianship
beginswith the
abilityto controldynamicextremes.However.
the arrangeris responsible
for dynamiccon-
trast in that certainparts areeasierto perform
at certainvolumelevels.Also.the useof different playingareason the drum head,keyboard,
or cymbalcanincreasedynamiccontrol.
Belowis a VolumeChartwhichmatchesstick
heightsto volumelevels.Theseheightsarenot
lntendedto bethe final meansofachievingdynamiccontrol.Theydo, however.providethe
directorandlnstrudorwlth a set of guidelines
for balancing
the ensemble.
lf practicedconsciously,
these heightswill
helpthe performerbecomemoresensitiveto
dynamiccontrast.Adjustments
andadditions
areencouraged
as necessary.
VotumeChart
ppp - usuallyplayednearthe edgeof the drum head
as low as possible
pp - 1Y2"
m l - 9"
p - 3"
t - 12 "
m p- 6"
ff - 15"
fff - 18" with forearm
4. Articulation- Articulationrefers to the
length of soundand shouldbe consistent
throughoutthe entiremusicalensemble.
Specialconsideration
is givento instrumentswith
sustainingqualities.Dampening
techniques
helpcontrolthe lengthof the sound.
a. Staccato
meansshortanddetached.
Theinstrumentshouldbe dampenedprior to the
attack.
b. Tenutomeansto sustainthe soundto the
end of the note value.The instrument
after the attack,when
shouldbedamDened
the notevalueexDires,
c. Legatomeanssmooth and connected.
Therefore,no dampeningis required.
canbe
5. Timbre- Thetimbre ofthe ensemble
alteredby incorporatingdampeningtechwith a varietyof voicing
niques,experimenting
differentplayingarand
striking
combinations,
generalplaying
areasof the
eas.Therearethree
snare.multi-tenor,and bassdrum as seenin
the diagram.
BassDrum
Zone#1 - Usedfor specialeffectsandsoft, delia thin, tonal
cateplaying,Produces
souno.
a
zone#2 - Usedfor all volumelevels.Produces
ver y r esonant sound b ut l ac k s
definition.
purposeplayingarea.Produces
#3
Zone - General
a r esonant sound w i th good
definition.
Keyboards
Thereare three playingareason keyboardinstrumentsas seenin the diagram.
a
NODE
a
CENTER
a
NODE
PlaylngZonesFor Snares,Multl-Tenorc' BassDrum3
Naturallythe performeris not limitedtojust these
playingareas.A needmayariseto useotherportions
of the heador rim dependentuponthe composition
it is importantforallstuor desiredsound.However,
of the mostcommonly
a knowledge
dentsto possess
usedzonesand their soundproductiontendencies.
Snare
Zone#1 -
usedfor soft, delicateplayGenerally
a moretonalsoundwith
ing.Produces
of
a minimum Snareresponse.
Zone#Z - Usedmostlyfor playingin the midvolume[anges.Produces
a slightly
tonal soundwith imDrovedsnare
resoonSe.
zone#3 - Usedfor uppervolumelevelsandis the
generalpurposeplayingarea.Produces
a very short, dry snaresoundwith a
minimumof tonal response.
Multi-tenor
Znne#l -
Usedfor special
effectsandsoft,deliplaying.
cate
P.oducesa thin, tonal
souncl.
Zone#2 - Generalpurposeplayingarea.Producesa very resonant,tonal sound.
#3
a
Zone
for specialeffects.Produces
- LJsed
short,staccato
soundwith minimum
tonal response.
t,^^PlaylngZonesFor Keyboards
1. The centerof the bar is the primaryplaying
a full, resonantsoundand
area.lt produces
pure pitch. Striveto play in the centerat all
times.
but lacks
anadequatesound
Theedgeproduces
only
accidentals
of
the
edge
Usethe
resonance.
dextelity.
and
when the part requiresspeed
Neverplayon the edgewith bells.
The nodesproducea thin soundwhich lacks
NEVERplayon
projectionand tonal response.
pitch sounds
the
key
since
this areaof the
sharp.
Tympani
subtle nuances.Ultimatelythe students
shouldunderstandandexperience
the highs
and lowsof the music.and oftentimes reflect
thesethroughbody motions.Keepin mind,
we particlpatein musicto have"fun. '
HINTSFORIMPROVING
MIJSICIANSHIP
The following are audioand visualconsiderations
whichcanbemonitoredbythe banddiredor,pe.cussioninstrudor. and students:
PlaylngZonesFo. Tympanl
Zone#1 -
This is the primaryplayingarea,approximately3" to 6" from the rim.
Produces
a veryresonant,
tonalsound
pitch quality.
with exceptional
Zone#2 - Approximately
1" to 2" from the rim.
Produces
a thin. tonal soundwhich
lacksprojection.Excellent
for a change
of timbre at soft dynamiclevels.
Zone#3 - Produces
a short.staccatosoundwith
minimumtonal response.
Usedfor
specialeffects.
6. Contouring
of Phrases
- All phrasesshouldbe
contouredto havehigh and low points.Make
sure all phrasingconceptsare consistent
throughoutthe entireensemble.
7. Accenting- Accentsare achievedby three
methods.One,the amountof playersscoredfor
a givennotevalueitwo, an increasein playing
height;and three, increasingthe intensityof
stroke.
8. TuningIntonation- In orderfor eachvoiceto
be heardclearlyit is essentialto tune the ensemblebeforeplaying.Intonationfor b/mpani
andkeyboardis dependent
uponscoring,condition of the instruments,and accuracyof the
strokewith regardsto stdking area.
9. EnsembleBlendand Balance- After all the
mechanics
of the musichavebeenworkedout
(items I - 8) the primaryconcernis ensemble
blendand balance:one,of the percussion
elements:and two. betweenthe oercussion
and
wind instruments.TheVolumeChartand
PlayingZonesp.ovidea solidfoundationfor
uniformity and growth with regardsto ensembleblendand balance.
10. EmotionalInvolvement
- Enjoyingthe performanceis anobjediveof anyperformer.For
this to happenthe studentmustfirst be able
to play his or her part without hesitationiit
shouldbe secondnature.Thenthe playercan
beginto refinethe perfomanceandfocuson
1. Establishand maintainpropergrip.
Establishand maintainpropermotionof the
stick or mallet.
3. Uniformstickingin snares,multi-tenors.and
bassdrums.
Uniform soundproductiontechniquein
cymbals.
Dampening
of the instrumentsto control
articulation.
Accuracywith regardsto playingzones,
7. Accuracy
and uniformityof stick heights.
a. Interpretationandaccuracyof onebeatrhythmic patterns.
Interpretation
andaccuracy
of rollsequencjng
parTerns.
10. Tempoand pulsecontrol(EXTREMELY
lMPORTANT).
a. All tempi are maintainedvia visualcues
from the conductorsincestagingcauses
audiodelayproblems.
b. Densepartsat fast tempi will causeprobIems.If this occurs,alter the part.
11. Usethe VolumeChartand PlayingZonesto
blendand balancethe ensemble.
Footnotes
lsan Denov,TheArt of Playing The Cymbats,(New
York HenryAdler.Inc.,1963),p.12.
zibid,, TheArt of Playing The Cymbals,(NewYork:
HenryAdlerInc.,1963),p.13.
sDavidRossBaskerville.JazzInfluenceon Art Music
ToMid-Century.
(LosAngeles:Universityof California,LosAngeles,
1965),p.49.