One of the biggest lessons I learned out of school was that subbing in professional orchestras did not mean playing snare drum, xylophone, or bells--or timpani. It meant being really, really good at the stuff I never played in lessons (other than for audition preparation)--triangle, tambourine, castanets, etc. In fact, almost 85% of what I played in my first ten years of professional playing was bass drum and cymbals. And a lot of tambourine. So do yourself a favor--if you're in school, especially with symphony orchestras and wind groups, take a few tambourine parts and work them up. There's no better place to experiment with instruments, new techniques, and colors than ensemble rehearsals. And take five minutes out of every...
Towel- Having a tray to place mallets, sticks, beaters and small percussion instruments on is an important accessory for a percussionist, but unless it's carpeted or foamed it could be a source of noise that is unmusical, offensive and unwanted. Having a towel (preferably not brightly colored) is just the accessory that every percussionist should carry. Not only can the towel be placed on a horizontal music stand to stop unwanted noise when putting down mallets, etc., but can also be used, in a pinch, as a muffler on a concert bass drum. Duct Tape is the universal tool for quick fix emergencies that happen before a performance. It can be used to keep stands together when screws get stripped...
Here are some tip for playing bass drum - aka:gran cassa, grosse trommel, grosse caisse Tune the drum as low as possible without sounding flabby. Most people tune the beating head looser than the vibrating head. The important thing to remember is not to set a pitch area which could interfere with the intonation of the ensemble. Always listen to the ensemble and instruments around you. Does your part match the brass or basses? If so, try to match their phrasing, articulation and timbre. It this a solo forte or an accompaniment forte? It is tutti or perhaps just one section of the band/orchestra? Have a variety of mallets/beaters available to bring out the warmth, the low boom sound or...
As percussionists, one of the most challenging skills to learn is subbing a percussion book for a show. It is a skill set that you must master to be fully prepared for the career challenges that lie ahead. In most situations, you will be expected to play the show without the benefit of any rehearsal with the orchestra or cast. You will be required to “make it happen” for your first performance. In addition, you will be using the “chair” players equipment and setup and this takes some getting used to. Your primary goal in subbing a book is to sound as close to the chair player as possible. The best compliment you can get after subbing your first show...
One of the most important musical choices a percussionist makes—regardless of the instrument—is mallet selection. Selecting the most appropriate mallet for a passage makes all the difference but with the hundreds of mallets available, how does one make this choice. Here are some principals that I use that may help other percussionists, conductors, and music educators in the selection of mallets. Principals • Strive to make the best possible sound, no matter the instrument, the musical style or the environment. Quality of sound is foremost. • A harder mallet produces greater articulation with a brighter, more abrasive tone. A softer mallet produces less clarity of articulation with a warmer, richer the tone. • Dynamic volume is not determined by the...
