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Cassandra Pope 1175879 - October 12th, 2016 Instrumental Music Curriculum and Methodology – Semester 2, 2016 Assignment Two: Band Instrument Presentation

Tuned Percussion Tuned percussion instruments are commonly referred to as keyboard or percussion instruments, and include: • • • • •

Some other tuned percussion instruments also include: • Hand chimes • Tubular • •

Xylophones in the classroom • (wooden bars) and (metal bars) are often used in the classroom for junior and middle school students, to introduce a tuned instrument with an easily accessible keyboard layout. • Xylophones are an instrument used when teaching the method. • Xylophones come in a range of sizes and keys. Chromatic xylophones follow the same layout as a keyboard (), whereas diatonic xylophones use a simplified layout, with notes belonging to one major key – popular choices include xylophones in the key of C, F and G.

Chromatic xylophone layout Diatonic xylophone layout

Range • Xylophones used in classrooms usually cover a range of one and a half octaves, and come in three different sizes: soprano, alto and bass. • Soprano – written middle C to A an octave above – sound an octave higher than written. • Alto – written middle C to A an octave above – sound at written pitch. • Bass – written middle C to A an octave above – sound an octave lower than written.

Cassandra Pope 1175879 - October 12th, 2016 • Mallets (also commonly referred to as beaters) are used to produce the sound on keyboard percussion instruments. • Mallets can be made of lots of different materials, for varying purposes. • The stick is often made of birch wood or fiberglass • The head can vary in size, shape and material: they may be made of metal, plastic, rubber, or wood, and some are wrapped in felt or yarn. • Heavier mallets are used to produce louder sounds, while harder mallets are used to produce louder sounds with a cleaner attack. • Xylophone mallets for classroom music are often made of a plastic or wooden stick with a rubber head, or a plastic head wrapped in felt to produce a gentle sound. • Metal or mallets are only used with a glockenspiel to produce a like sound.

Rubber mallets Felt mallets Brass mallets for glockenspiel

Concert Xylophone • A full size concert xylophone covers a range of 3.5 octaves • The bars are often made of rosewood, or a synthetic material (such as Acoustalon by Yamaha) • Xylophones are often used in concert bands, wind ensembles, and percussion ensembles.

Glockenspiel • follow the same chromatic layout as a keyboard (piano). • The bars are made from metal, and the mallets have a brass head, producing a chime like sound. • Glockenspiels usually cover a range of 2.5 to 3 octaves, but can extend to 3.5 octaves. • Glockenspiels are a high register instrument, sounding 2 octaves above their written notes. • Glockenspiels are often used in concert bands, wind ensembles, orchestras and percussion ensembles.

Concert xylophone Glockenspiel

Cassandra Pope 1175879 - October 12th, 2016 Marimba • Marimba bars are usually made of wood or synthetic material. The marimba follows the same chromatic layout as a keyboard (piano). • come in many sizes, with a range anywhere from 4 to 5 octaves. • Mallets of different weights and materials are used to cover the wide range of the marimba, with advanced players often using 4 mallets at a time. • Marimbas are often used in concert bands, wind ensembles, orchestras and percussion ensembles.

Vibraphone • Vibraphone bars are made from solid aluminium bar stock (metal). • contain a unique feature in a shaft of rotating discs, or fan, across the top of the resonators. When the fans are open, the resonators have full function, allowing the sound to sustain, and when the fans are closed, the sound resonates for a shorter period. • Vibraphones also have a damper bar attached to a pedal, which allows the player to dampen the sound quickly, often to assist with rhythm. • The standard vibraphone has a range of 3 octaves, although models with 3.5 or 4 octave ranges are sometimes used. • Vibraphone mallets are similar to marimba mallets in their varying weights and materials. • Vibraphones are often used in concert bands, wind ensembles, orchestras and percussion ensembles, but are also used as a solo and rhythmic comping instrument in jazz ensembles, including big bands.

Marimba Vibraphone

Technique • Using one or two mallets is an easy technique for beginner players, which is another reason xylophones are so popular for classroom music students in junior and middle years. • The used on a mallet is very similar to that of a snare stick, but the difference lies in the rebound. On a , the stick will naturally rebound of the drumhead, whereas a mallet needs to be lifted off of the tone bar with the wrists, to allow the instrument to resonate. • To sustain the sound on instruments, a single stroke roll is used, where the player quickly rolls both mallets. • There are numerous guides and techniques for advanced percussion players, particularly focussing on mallet grips when using 4 or more mallets.

Cassandra Pope 1175879 - October 12th, 2016 Where to hire / buy: • Musicorp (musicorp.com.au) offer a wide range of percussion instruments to hire or purchase, ranging from student level to professional concert series instruments. • Yamaha Rental (yamaharental.com.au) offers hire options for their student to professional level instruments. Yamaha Australia (au.yamaha.com) sell percussion instruments directly through a range of dealers in Australia, as listed on their website. • Optimum Percussion (optimumpercussion.com.au) have a great range of education instruments available to hire or purchase, along with concert percussion instruments. • Locally, Derringers Music, Winston Music and Size Music all offer discounts for schools (education pricing), and can provide a wide range of education percussion instruments for purchase, often in class kits. • Popular brands for education percussion include Yamaha, Suzuki, and Sonor.

Sheet music resources: • Locally, stores such and Derringers Music, Winston Music and Size Music can order sheet music from suppliers in Australia, such as Hal Leonard and Alfred Music. • Online, Steve Weiss Music (steveweissmusic.com) and JW Pepper (jwpepper.com) provide a wide range of percussion music for purchase. • Marimba Music is a popular series of books written by Jon Madin, which contain songs and easy arrangements for children learning mallet percussion instruments in a classroom setting. Access to these books and further resources can be found at marimbamusic.com.au. • AMEB also now offer a range of repertoire and technique books available for Percussion instruments, to use with examinations or otherwise.

Listening and watching: Xylophone Camille Saint-Saens The Carnival of the Animals – XII. Fossils https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTHaH5ONge8 Camille Saint-Saens Danse Macabre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytpqcJ1IfoA

Marimba Eric Ewazen for Marimba and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmPGUzAo36I

Vibraphone Roy Ayers Searching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuDUWp4h9h4

Glockenspiel Mozart The Magic Flute theme on Glockenspiel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_dQ9POpJkI

Cassandra Pope 1175879 - October 12th, 2016 References

Ameb.edu.au. (2016). AMEB | Percussion. [online] Available at: http://www.ameb.edu.au/percussion [Accessed 12 Oct. 2016]. Au.yamaha.com. (2016). Percussion - Yamaha - Australia. [online] Available at: http://au.yamaha.com/en/products/musical-instruments/percussions/ [Accessed 12 Oct. 2016]. En.wikipedia.org. (2016). . [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestral_percussion [Accessed 11 Oct. 2016]. Hagedorn, D. (2016). Mallet Percussion Basics!. [online] Kjos.com. Available at: http://www.kjos.com/band/band_news/band_news_mallet.html [Accessed 12 Oct. 2016]. , V. (2015). Percussion Instruments. [online] Percussioninstrumenttutorials.blogspot.com.au. Available at: http://percussioninstrumenttutorials.blogspot.com.au/2015_06_01_archive.html [Accessed 11 Oct. 2016]. Jovan Zivkovic, N. (2016). [online] Download.yamaha.com. Available at: http://download.yamaha.com/api/asset/file/?language=en&site=au.yamaha.com&asset_id=35163 [Accessed 12 Oct. 2016]. Madin, J. (2016). Welcome to Marimba Music. [online] Marimbamusic.com.au. Available at: http://www.marimbamusic.com.au [Accessed 12 Oct. 2016]. P E R C U S S I O N

Set up quickly and safely at the start Use good of rehearsal posture

Have fun!

Watch the conductor! Use the correct mallets for your instrument

Put everything Help other away at the end of members of

rehearsal section your

Bring a pencil!

Keep your Organise practice instrument set up parts to take organised home