In part 1, we started with general movement principles, and we now come to basic around patterns with standard drum rudiments. This is the material I usually show first-time players on day one (exercises included below).
If you have been playing tenors for any length of time, these patterns should Read more “How to Play Marching Tenor Drums, Part 2 of 7: Around Patterns”
Over the years, many of my students have wanted to learn how to play marching tenor drums. As much as time allowed, I would work with them individually and share the resources I had. Unfortunately, I was limited by space and time. Some of the existing resources were helpful, but students still struggled to know how to go forward on their own. Well, I saw a need and decided to do something about it. In order to multiply my impact and provide a ton of new material, I Read more “How to Play Marching Tenor Drums, Part 1 of 7: Basic Movement”
Today’s post will be a bit different than what I normally write. The topic is performance shame. I believe this is an important issue all performers must face: How much does shame impact the way you perform? Could understanding the difference between shame and pleasure take your performance to the next level?
Over the years, I’ve watched many instructors try to get their percussion section to perform—to really get into the music. The most recent event I witnessed was at a pep rally rehearsal with junior high students. They were playing Read more “Is Shame Hindering You from Giving Great Performances?”
A new cadence section has been created in the Free Stuff section at the top of the page. Check out these new cadences posted for your listening and playing enjoyment. More will be added in the future, but here are three to get you started.
Some of the cadences are free, and some of them cost a little bit. Overall, we want to keep these affordable and accessible for any drum line that wants to play them. Generally speaking, the free ones have a simple structure and are just fun to play. The ones available for purchase are a little more involved and took more effort to create. If you like this site and the music, please consider supporting it through purchasing one of the cadences. Thanks!
Difficulty: 2.5 – This catchy cadence gets faster and faster on each repetition. This requires some control on accented singles, 6-stroke rolls, and syncopated 16th note rhythms. It should be accessible for an average high school or good junior high drum line.
Click here to download as a PDF.
Difficulty: 1.5 – This simple cadence consists of a three-measure groove followed by a four-count solo, each time performed by a different drum line member. The solos here are just examples. They can be easy or difficult. It’s a fun opportunity to show off some improvisation and creativity! The snare line needs to be able to play a basic rock groove, which requires a little bit of independence coordination between each hand, but it should be fairly quick to learn for most percussionists who have been playing for at least a year. This cadence should be accessible for an average junior high drum line. (A high school can also have fun with it by making the solos flashier and harder!)
Click here to download as a PDF.
Difficulty: 4.5 – You may recognize this cadence as the “soundtrack” for many other videos on this site. It starts confidently with a hard-thumping bass groove and showcases some fun feature moments for every section. The snare and tenors need to be able to play their flam rudiments. Flam taps, pataflaflas, and flamacues are just some of the rudiments you’ll encounter. The bass line has split 16th note triplets and 32nd notes, some syncopated 16th notes splits, and double stroke rolls in the top two parts. The recording features five bass drums, but an alternative four-bass part is included with the purchase. (If you have six bass drums, just double the bottom part.) The cymbal part is written for two or more players, but one person can combine the parts if needed. This cadence has drive. It has attitude. It’s bad a$$. This cadence should be accessible for an average college or good high school line.
James Christian here. With most posts on Rudimental University, I try to focus more on the percussive and musical side of things rather than talking about myself all the time. However, if you can bear with me on this post, I need to talk about a few personal things to let you know what has been going on with the site. I have had to Read more “Life/Work Balance for the Percussionist”
This exercise for two-mallet keyboard percussion utilizes double stops with a diminished 7th chord (also known as double diminished). Starting with A, the pattern cycles through all 12 keys, going up by a half step each time.
The goal of this exercise is to build fluidity of movement with double stops around the keyboard. You start by playing three repetitions on each interval, then two, then one. These patterns cycle through 18/8, 12/8, and 6/8 time signatures, respectively.
With all double stops, be careful to strike both notes together. As you get faster, I would recommend striking the upper manual bars on the edge, instead of the center. Strive for accuracy and consistent sound. Stay relaxed, and let the stroke come from the wrists.
As you get more comfortable with this exercise, it can be a good endurance builder. Don’t slow down on the 6/8 measures! Keep a steady pulse throughout the exercise. A metronome will be invaluable for keeping tempo. For added endurance, repeat several times.
Have fun with this one!
This “nerdy” tenor solo is dedicated to math geeks everywhere! This is multi-tenor drum etude #19 from The Art of Multi-Tenor Drumming. The main theme is derived from the Fibonacci sequence, and it focuses on developing sweeps, a.k.a. scrapes, around the drums.
Here are the performance notes from the book:
I originally thought of titling the next three etudes Sweep Fest #1, Sweep Fest #2, and Sweep Fest #3. (I ultimately settled on that title for etude #21 alone.) The idea was that each of the three etudes would focus on sweep patterns, but they would increase in difficulty. This idea still generally holds true, but a few ideas came to me based on mathematics, and they lent themselves to sweeps quite well. I think this gives the following etudes a very interesting structure, much more interesting than what I would have created if I was simply trying to write a sweep etude from scratch.
I was reading how the Fibonacci sequence is used in the music of Bartók, Debussy, Satie, and others. This gave me the idea to do a few experiments. The main theme of this etude, Fibonacci, is derived from the Fibonacci number sequence. In short, Read more “Multi-Tenor Drum Etude #19: “Fibonacci””
The term double stops refers to striking two mallets at the same time. They are an incredibly important skill to develop and master, and this exercise is a useful tool for practicing them.
In addition to having good double stop quality, it’s also important to transition smoothly between the upper and lower manuals. In 16 measures, this exercise covers every possible configuration.
The breakdown is as follows:
Within each of these four-measure sets, the non-accented notes (the “inner beats”) follow this configuration:
When playing this exercise, focus on distinct accents and clear (but softer) “inner beats.” Make sure the double stops strike at exactly the same time. Each interval should have a clear, blended sound.
Have fun with this exercise!
I also have to point out that this is the 50th post on Rudimental University! Woo hoo!!!
Here is a visually exciting tenor solo from The Art of Multi-Tenor Drumming. The book contains 33 multi-tenor etudes, and this is etude #6 entitled “Double Crossed.” As the title suggests, the focus is on developing crossovers.
Here are the performance notes from the book:
This flashy etude utilizes an abundance of crossovers. The first half begins with an 8th note pattern. The second half, beginning with measure 16, utilizes the same pattern with doubles on every note. Both halves feature a repeated section—the first time through at mezzo-forte, the second time at fortissimo. Be careful not to play the mezzo-forte section too loudly; otherwise the contrast will be obscured, or you will be forced to overplay the fortissimo section. Stark dynamic contrast will really help to sell the ideas in this solo. There is a more intricate 16th note sweep section during the last two lines. Take care to aim for the proper beating spots to avoid rims. You may want to review the 16th note doubles section in the rudimental exercises [contained in the book].
Thanks for watching. If you enjoy the video, please “like” it and share it with your friends!
Bit by bit, I am posting videos of the etudes from my book The Art of Multi-Tenor Drumming. This is multi-tenor etude #7 entitled “The Fool in the Mirror.” Its main theme is pretty catchy, and it focuses on developing 16th note patterns around the drums.
Here are the performance notes from the book:
There is nothing in this etude exceptionally flashy from a visual standpoint, but the melody is quite catchy, and this is one of my favorite etudes to play in this book. (Of course, I think all of the etudes are great!) The whole piece gradually moves from playful syncopated rhythms to more intense driving rhythms, but it returns to a light-hearted note at the very end. The first section (mm. 1-5) establishes the playful syncopated main theme. The second section (mm. 6-9) contrasts the first with a slightly less syncopated 8th note double stop quasi-groove pattern. The third section (mm. 10-13) is a more driving segue that reiterates the main ideas of the first section. The fourth section (mm. 14-19) is the longest (with repeats), and it is the most driving; it has very little syncopation, and it focuses on some basic paradiddle patterns mixed with doubles and 16th note singles rhythms. The final section (mm. 20-22) is the shortest, and it caps off everything by quickly highlighting the previous themes.
Enjoy the video!
