Resonance is a big buzzword in percussion today. Unfortunately, it is often discussed as if there is only one proper style and technique to achieve it. In the process, a great deal of music is ignored. Today I want to dismantle it a bit and show that there is a full spectrum of resonance. On one end, you have crisp, articulate playing. On the other end, you have open, resonant playing. Both approaches are necessary for different musical situations. This video showcases two snare drum etudes played with different approaches to demonstrate the variety of techniques.
It’s time to work on sweeps and scrapes! Check out the newest video:
Sweeps, scrapes, split doubles–whatever you prefer to call them, this video breaks them down in detail. You’ll find a lot here. Learn the differences between adjacent sweeps, non-adjacent sweeps, spock sweeps, outward sweeps, inward sweeps, and push-pull sweeps. A full transcript of the video is below, along with links to the solos mentioned.
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).
This exercise is a good warm-up for practicing tone quality and pedaling changes. It goes through the circle of fifths, and each section incorporates the tonic and dominant of the key. Like the other “12 Bucks” exercises this week, today’s timpani exercise can be played individually or with a group of percussionists.
This exercise can be played on three drums, but four will be easier. The rhythms are not overly difficult, so it’s a good opportunity to focus on drawing a full tone from the drum on every stroke. When playing with a group, you may want to use a medium hard mallet to produce slightly sharper articulation.
The main challenge on this exercise will be the pitch changes. Gauges will certainly make the changes easier, but a well-trained timpanist can learn to “feel” the next pitch as he or she becomes more familiar with the specific set of drums used. As always, use your ear and learn to adjust quickly, whether you have gauges or not.
This fun bass exercise can be played with the snare and tenor exercises posted yesterday, or it can stand alone as a good splitting workout for five players. As the title indicates, there are 12 sections, and each has a specific focus:
Sections 1-2: Unison one-handed accented 8th notes. Focus on maintaining a clear distinction between accents and taps. Keep your taps controlled and close to the drum. Make sure your accents are strong, not wimpy. Matching stick heights and angles will help in staying together.
Sections 3-4: Unison alternating accented 16th notes. This should follow the exact same technique as sections 1-2, except the opposite hand is now “filling in” the 16th notes. All taps should be consistently at the same height and volume. Keep the accents strong and the taps consistently softer.
Sections 5-6: Split 8th note patterns. Focus on precise note placing. Mentally subdividing the beat is essential.
Sections 7-8: Split 16th note patterns. Make sure the 16th notes are placed exactly in time, so that the transitions from player to player are smooth.
Sections 9-10: Split 16th note triplet patterns. Once again, take care to maintain precise note spacing. Be careful not to “crush” or “stretch” the triplets.
Sections 11-12: Split 32nd note patterns. As the note speed increases, technique becomes even more important. Maintain control without becoming rigid. Stay relaxed without becoming sloppy. Take care to achieve clarity on every single note.
I live near the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex in Texas. One of the most popular drum line contests in this area is the Plano Drum Line Competition, which is held every year in September. In addition to offering the opportunity for dozens of drum lines to compete, Plano’s contest also features an individual & ensemble competition. For each instrument, there is a “compulsory” that is to be performed before the contestant’s solo. For snares and tenors, they must open and close a flam drag. For timpani, they must perform “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” on a maximum of three drums. For four-mallet keyboard percussion, they are required to play the above double lateral exercise.
When I first saw this exercise, I really liked it. I wondered how the contest hosts had decided to use it. Well, this past year, I decided to start working through every exercise in Leigh Howard Stevens’ classic Method of Movement for Marimba. (Of course, I had played from various sections before, but never in such a focused and goal-oriented way. This time I was determined to play through the entire book.) Lo and behold, this exercise is in the book’s section on double laterals.
I offer this bit of personal background info just to let you know why this exercise has stuck with me. I’m glad it has. It really is a great exercise for working double laterals across the keyboard. I recommend starting it slowly until you feel confident in each position. It is probably easiest to memorize the pattern. Focus on striking the bars on the proper beating spots. Also take care that each note resonates at an equal volume. Don’t drop the second note of each lateral!
This exercise is obviously written for marimba, but it can also be played on xylophone and vibraphone. For xylophone, simply play the exercise an octave higher. For vibraphone, transpose the exercise up a minor seventh. That is, take it up an octave, and then take it down a whole step, so that your first four notes are F, B-flat, B-flat, F.
Here is a fun exercise that will put your arms in a pretzel. I won’t claim that this exercise is the most essential (or even the most logical) exercise ever, but it covers a lot of paradiddle patterns around the tenors—and it’s just plain fun to play. Some of the patterns are easier, and some of them are harder. There is a continual contrast between standard patterns and not-so-standard patterns that makes the overall flow tricky to navigate. Have fun with “Paradiddle Pretzel”!
This exercise has been tailored for different bass line sizes—2 players, 3 players, 4 players, or 5 players. (If you have a larger bass line, simply take the version for 5 players and have two players double one of the parts.)
It covers numerous combinations of sixteenth note triplet split patterns, a skill all bass lines must master. The constantly shifting patterns will keep everyone on their toes. I would recommend practicing each two-measure pattern (indicated by the double bar lines) separately at first. Play each two-measure pattern over and over until your whole section has it down. Once you have each pattern down smoothly, practice the entire exercise from start to finish.
When practicing, be careful to maintain correct note spacing. Usually players tend to err on the side of spacing the triplets too tightly (crushing them), and extra care must be taken to space each note evenly. Sometimes players overcompensate and spread the notes too widely, so be careful to avoid the opposite error as well. Use a metronome to help with pulse control. If possible, get someone with good timing to listen to the exercise and give feedback. If your line works it up, feel free to post a video and link to it in the comments section below.
