When playing triangle, tambourine and cymbal parts of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries - the exact duration of a note can often be unclear. While composers of those periods were good at notating when to start a note, more often than not, they ignored indicating exactly how long to let a note resonate. While there is no “rule of thumb”, a good way to approach this dilemma is to listen and match what is going on around you. Percussion parts often function to accentuate, or color the sound of other orchestral instruments. Use what you hear as a guide determining how long, or short, a note should be. If nothing else you will appear to be a musically...
When it comes to playing loud, fast passages on tambourine, especially when the tempo is too fast to play using one hand, the fist/knee technique proves invaluable! CLICK THE IMAGE TO LEARN MORE...
I have often been asked about my tambourine grip, and while I employ a range of variations, my basic "go-to" technique is to hold the tambourine at a 45° angle to the floor. The reason is simple - it produces a balanced jingle sound. Think about it, the tambourine jingles need to vibrate to produce sound and they have a harder time vibrating if they are lying flat. Try this, hold the tambourine at a 90° angle to the floor (perpendicular) and strike the tambourine. Now do the same thing with the tambourine flat. Notice that the sound is dry (short) when held flat and rather "wet" (resonant) when held perpendicularly. So, by employing my 45° concept you will get...
We've started posting individual 30 second instructional videos that will cover a wide-range of topics. New "quickies" will be added each week, so, if you like what you see, check our Youtube Quick Tips playlist for more valuable goodies!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEnNC3SifTs&index=0&list=PLb1bpH2Bg2XmacM-pqI9Gr8YptvBplgfm
Dear Music Majors, Let’s discuss recital performance etiquette briefly. Going on stage to perform is an important part of your training as a musician and teacher but is also the culmination of all your hard work in the practice room working at perfecting your craft on your instrument. You should not look at going on stage to perform as a punishment or as something you HAVE to do. You should look at it as an opportunity to show off what you have learned and most importantly to try and communicate something to those who are there to listen to you. The audience is there to support you and to enjoy your work and is looking forward to hearing what you...
