Tag: double stops

Multi-Tenor Etude #7: “The Fool in the Mirror”

James Christian

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!

2-Mallet Keyboard Exercise: Ragtime 3 over 2

James Christian
2-mallet-0002-ragtime-3-over-2
Click on the image to enlarge or click here to download in PDF format.

Originally written for xylophone, this fun little exercise comes from George Hamilton Green’s Advanced Instructor for Xylophone. This book is not as well-known as his more famous Instruction Course for Xylophone, but it is still quite good.  (Both books are excellent and highly recommended.)

This particular exercise focuses on double stops (both hands playing at the same time), and the harmonic and rhythmic structure come from ragtime xylophone playing.  The challenge of this exercise is to play a repeating two-note pattern with the left hand while playing a three-note pattern with the right hand.  On the final two beats of measures 2 and 4, the right hand plays a four-note pattern that closely matches the movements of the left hand.  The difficulty comes in transitioning back to the three-note pattern in measure 3 (and measure 1 on the repeat).

On the surface, the exercise looks simple, but it can provide an interesting coordinative challenge.  Once you get it down, it’s really fun to play.  As George Hamilton Green would advise, make sure you take it slowly at first.  Keep your mallets close to the keyboard, make sure they both strike at exactly the same time, and make sure you are 100% accurate in all of your notes.