The Percussion Circle – Issue #4: All Paradiddle Issue!

May 25, 2021July 29, 2023 James Christian

Paradiddles abound in issue #4! Scroll down to read.

This is our summer issue, and it’s all about the paradiddles! As always, the music and articles are free to print and copy. (If you missed previous issues, you can read them here.)

In this issue, every article contains exercises—all centered around the paradiddle family—that can be played individually or as an entire drum line. If you practice diligently, you’ll find that these doing a great job of building your coordination and chops. These would be great for your entire section to practice during the summer.

Be sure to share this issue with students, percussion teachers, and anyone you know who might find it helpful. Enjoy!

Here is issue #4 of The Percussion Circle:

The Percussion Circle – Issue #3

April 13, 2021July 29, 2023 James Christian

Spring percussion is in the air!
The Percussion Circle #3 is in your care.
Enjoy music for marimba and snare;
If you like it, be sure to share!

It’s our spring percussion issue! (Read previous issues here.) We have some great articles, exercises, and music prepared for you—with some new twists. As always, the music and articles are free to print and copy. Be sure to spread the word far and wide. Share it with students, friends, music teachers, and fellow percussionists!

Please let us know your thoughts on this issue, and don’t forget to order your t-shirt of this issue’s cover! Enjoy!

Here is issue #3 of The Percussion Circle:

The Percussion Circle – Issue #2

January 6, 2021July 29, 2023 James Christian1 Comment

The second issue of The Percussion Circle is here! (If you missed issue #1, check it out here.) As always, this is free to copy and print. Please share with students, friends, and complete strangers. (Trust us. They’ll appreciate it.) Check out the “Name the Letter Column Contest.” Be sure to order your t-shirt of this issue’s cover. And write to us and let us know what you like, what we can improve, and what you’d like to see in the future.

Last but not least, we wish you a very happy New Year!

Here is issue #2 of The Percussion Circle:

Percussion Magazine: The Percussion Circle – Issue #1

October 13, 2020July 29, 2023 James Christian2 Comments

We have been promising some big things for a while now. Well, this one is pretty exciting! We are now regularly publishing a percussion magazine. Allow us to introduce… (drum roll, please)… The Percussion Circle!

Each issue is full of sheet music, exercises, practice tips, contests, and more! This magazine is being released completely free to the entire percussion world. It is especially designed as a resource for percussion instructors and their students, but there is enough material to keep any percussionist happy for many hours.

Videos of the exercises in the articles will gradually be released after publication, so check back frequently. Better yet, subscribe to our e-mail list and follow our social media channels to make sure you never miss any updates.

To view the magazine in full screen, use the viewer below. Click on the square in the bottom right corner. You can zoom in and out from there. You can also print copies for your convenience. (This feature is currently only available on Chrome browsers. We are looking to expand this option.)

Finally, we want to give a special thank you to Keiser Southern Music and HingeStix for their efforts in making this first issue possible. Please show them some appreciation and visit their sites. (If you want to advertise with us, send an e-mail to advertise@rudimentaluniversity.com, and we will send you the details.)

Without further ado, here is the very first issue of The Percussion Circle: Read more “Percussion Magazine: The Percussion Circle – Issue #1”

Three Ways to Use Tempo When Practicing Music

March 1, 2017July 29, 2023 James Christian

Struggling with speed, accuracy, or pulse? James describes three ways you can use different tempos to maximize your practice sessions. The following is a transcript of the video above (slightly reworded for readability):

***************************

Hello, everyone. This is James Christian with RudimentalUniversity.com. Today I would like to talk about three different ways you can use tempo to help you when practicing a piece of music.

I’ve been thinking about this topic for a while, and this last week several ideas came together. I Read more “Three Ways to Use Tempo When Practicing Music”

Timpani Exercise: 12 Bucks

January 20, 2017January 22, 2017 James Christian

*Click on the image to enlarge or click here to download in PDF format.*

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.

Happy pedaling!

Two Exercises for Any Percussion Instrument: 8th Note Timing

December 12, 2016December 12, 2016 James Christian

These two timing exercises are quite helpful for all percussionists, regardless of your specific area of specialty. They seem simple at first, but they really great exercises for getting an ensemble to internalize the pulse together. They are also useful exercises for individual practice (with a metronome, of course!). They will help you realize how accurate or inaccurate your internal beat subdivisions are. This becomes especially evident at extremely slow and extremely fast tempos.

I should state upfront that I did not write these two exercises, but I like them, and I wanted to share them here. I helped teach at a high school drum line camp a couple of years ago, and Luke Holt was the front ensemble technician. He brought out these exercises during the full drum line rehearsal (I’m not sure if they were original with him, but they’re worth passing along). With all of the space created by the rests, it was a challenge for the entire group to play every note perfectly together.

I have since used these exercises at times to help my percussion group in the same way. They are particularly good for bass lines, since each individual player often has isolated rhythms like this.

For individual practice, I highly recommend using a metronome with the eighth note subdivision turned on. You will probably be surprised how easily you tend to rush or drag certain notes in the measure. I would recommend practicing these exercises every so often at slow tempos (about 40-60 bpm or slower) and fast tempos (160 bpm or faster). If you can play these two exercises perfectly along the entire tempo spectrum, you can be pretty confident in your sense of eighth note pulse.

Timpani Exercise: Triplet Splits

December 8, 2016December 9, 2016 James Christian

This three-drum timpani exercise utilizes a common situation, in which you must quickly play all three drums. To avoid awkward crossover situations and to play the passage with a consistent sticking pattern, most timpanists choose to play a double split among the two drums. (Tenor drummers call these “sweeps.”)

This exercise works both the right hand and the left hand. The accents add an additional challenge. Make sure the accents are distinct, but never overplayed and harsh.

The notes in the exercise are based on an A diminished triad. Any other grouping of notes could certainly work for practicing the technical skills, but tuning the written notes is important.

As always, start slowly until you have the exercise sounding great. Then gradually build speed.

Timpani Exercise: Shifting Paradiddles

November 24, 2016November 22, 2016 James Christian

Click on the images to enlarge the exercise or click here to download in PDF format.

Throughout this week we have been looking at the “Shifting Paradiddles” exercise adapted for different percussion instruments. So far, we have looked at applications for snare drum, keyboard percussion, and bass drums.

Today’s variation for timpani may be the most challenging variation of them all due to its pedaling difficulties. The exercise utilizes three drums. It can be played along with the keyboard variation as it cycles through all 12 keys. As the key changes every two measures, the three drums are tuned to the root major triad.

The exercise falls into three sections, each ending with a quarter note…

Measures 1-8: The singles check pattern is on the highest drum, while the paradiddle variations are on the lowest two drums.

Measures 9-16: The singles check pattern is on the lowest drum, while the paradiddle variations are on the highest two drums.

Measures 17-24: The singles check pattern is on the middle drum, while the paradiddle variations are on the highest and lowest drums.

During the check pattern, you will have to pedal the other two drums—and during the paradiddle variations, you will have to pedal the other drum. Throughout each 8-measure section, each drum will progressively be tuned a half step higher. On the final measure, the quarter note should glissando smoothly into the next 8-measure section. For the final note of the exercise, you may want to utilize a downward gliss on repeats and use no gliss the final time through.

Of course, this exercise will be much easier if you have gauges on your timpani. If you do not, you can still achieve it with careful practice. Take it slowly and use a keyboard or pitch pipe to check yourself on every pitch change. Once you get all of the transitions down smoothly, this will be a pretty impressive exercise.

Welcome to Rudimental University!

October 20, 2016November 28, 2016 James Christian

Greetings! My name is James Christian, and I am the founder of Rudimental University. I am a percussionist, teacher, and author, and my specialty is rudimental drumming. I am best known for being the seven-time DCA multi-tenor drum champion (2001-2007). However, I do not consider myself as merely a “tenor drummer.” I am a drummer and a percussionist, and I love every aspect of percussion. I hope this site will provide valuable resources and inspiration for both percussionists and percussion instructors.

The site’s name, Rudimental University, has its origins in rudimental drumming, but I intentionally did not name it Rudimental Drumming University. All percussion instruments have essential rudiments that must be learned, and they can all be taken to extremely advanced levels. This site is a celebration of the rudiments of all percussion. I chose to call it a “university,” because I want this to be a place of learning, sharing knowledge, and being exposed to new ideas. I plan to bring along other percussionists who will offer different perspectives—including those who may disagree with me on certain issues.

I have big plans for Rudimental University, which I will reveal over the weeks, months, and years to come. Go ahead and bookmark the site, and check back over time as new features are added. I hope you will join me on a new percussion adventure!