TECHNIQUE TIPS for CONCERT PERCUSSION Presenting Fundamentals For: Auxiliary Percussion, Timpani and Mallet Percussion

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Appendix 14.1 TECHNIQUE TIPS for CONCERT PERCUSSION Presenting Fundamentals for: Auxiliary Percussion, Timpani and Mallet Percussion

SUSPENDED CYMBAL 1. Check the felt and tubing before playing. Nothing ruins a suspended cymbal sound more than metal hitting brass. 2. Prime the cymbal with your fingers or mallets to start it vibrating before the first entrance. 3. When rolling, use a single stroke roll that matches the vibration of the cymbal. It should be played with yarn mallets hard enough to get a good attack, but soft enough so individual strokes are not heard. Roll on the very edge of both top sides of the cymbal. 4. For notes that are struck, rather than rolled, use hard yarn mallets on the very edge across both top sides of the cymbal.

CRASH CYMBALS 1. Use leather straps without cymbal pads, instead of handles, so the cymbals vibrate freely. 2. For loud (forte) crashes: a. Hold the cymbals close together at an angle of about 45 degrees. b. Slightly overlap the top cymbal. c. Only move the top cymbal for the attack. d. Pull the top cymbal away from the bottom cymbal after the initial attack. e. Have the bottom cymbal arch away from the top cymbal, so both cymbals ring freely. 3. For repeated, quick, loud crashes: a. Hold the cymbals close together at an angle of about 45 degrees. b. Overlap the top cymbal. c. Only move the top cymbal for the clash. d. Different from the loud crash, quickly lift and reposition the top cymbal for the next stroke after the attack. e. Have the bottom cymbal arch away from the top cymbal, so both cymbals ring freely. 4. For soft (piano) crashes: a. Hold the cymbals close together, so they are almost parallel to the floor. b. Align the edges of the cymbals. c. Only move the top cymbal for the clash. d. Hit all edges together as softly as possible. e. For extremely soft crashes, only hit the outside edge. 5. For short, choked crashes: a. Hold the cymbals at a 90º angle. b. Overlap the top cymbal. c. Move both cymbals for the attack. d. Arch the cymbals back, so they are muffled by the rib cage after the attack.

TRIANGLE 1. Make sure the triangle clip string is short enough, so the triangle will not spin when struck. Be sure to have a second safety triangle clip in place, in case the main one breaks. 2. Strike the triangle with the tip of the triangle beater on the bottom in the spot that gives you the most harmonics for a “shimmering” sound. 3. Roll in the bottom corner of the triangle at an angle, so the triangle beater hits two sides of the triangle when struck.

WOODBLOCK 1. Use a medium soft rubber xylophone/marimba mallet for most playing. 2. Strike the woodblock on the edge near the opening. 3. If the woodblock is held while being played, make sure the opening is not blocked.

BASS DRUM 1. If possible, angle the bass drum so it can be played easily with two bass drum beaters on the same head. If a tilting bass drum stand is not available, put the drum flat on the stand with the best sounding head facing up. 2. Clip a towel to the rim of the batter head to be used for muffling. 3. Play off center towards the bottom of the head, or edge when the drum is lying flat. 4. Use a single stroke roll that is played slowly enough not to cancel out vibrations of the head. 5. Have a heavier beater for one-handed passages and a lighter, matched pair of beaters for two- handed passages.

TAMBOURINE 1. Use a tambourine with a good head. 2. Prepare the head using bee’s wax for thumb and finger rolls. 3. Hold the tambourine with the thumb on the top head and the fingers wrapped around the bottom rim. 4. Do not move the tambourine when it is struck. 5. General tambourine playing: a. Play with a flat fist striking the center of the tambourine with the second sections of the fingers. b. Keep the wrist straight. 6. Soft (piano) tambourine playing: a. Play near the edge of the tambourine with the fingertips touching so they form a flat circle. b. Make sure the jingles sound together. 7. Extra soft (pianissimo) tambourine playing: a. Flip the tambourine over, resting it on the knee. b. Rest the palms of the hands on the rim of the tambourine. c. Play with the inside of the fingers on the rim. 8. Extra loud (fortissimo) tambourine playing: a. Hold the tambourine in the strongest hand with the head facing down. b. Keep the other arm and wrist straight. Form a fist with the hand and hold it inside the tambourine. c. Position the tambourine over the knee on the same side as the strong hand. d. Move the tambourine up and down, so one sound is made when the tambourine hits the knee and another is made when it hits the fist. 9. Tambourine rolls: a. Create a roll by making the tambourine vibrate as the thumb slides around the edge of the tambourine. b. Create a roll by making the tambourine vibrate as the third finger slides around the edge of the face tambourine. This technique makes it easier to switch from rolled to non-rolled notes. c. Shake the tambourine fast enough to create a roll. Strike the tambourine to start the roll.

CLAVES 1. Hold one clave as you would a snare drum stick using a loose matched grip. 2. Hold the second clave near the top with the thumb and pointer finger. 3. Curve the last fingers under the clave so the side of the clave rests on the fingernails. 4. Cup the hand to form a sounding chamber. 5. Strike the claves so they form a 45 degree angle and are free to vibrate.

PERCUSSION NOTATION

Standard percussion parts use the double-stroke percussion clef on a five-line stave. Common practice places the bass drum on the bottom space, cymbals in the next space up, and snare drum in the next. The top spaces and lines are reserved for auxiliary percussion, like triangle, tambourine, and woodblock, sometimes using an “x” notehead. With drum set notation, the “x” noteheads are reserved for the different cymbal options. Entrances of percussion instruments are generally labeled, sometimes with abbreviations, like S.D. for snare, B.D. for bass drum, or S.C. for suspended cymbal. Ranges for timpani and mallet instruments are also indicated here, notated in concert pitch in bass and treble clef respectively.

INTRODUCTION TO TIMPANI

MUSIC FOR TIMPANI is written using standard bass clef notation

TIMPANI SIZE AND RANGE 1. The standard sizes for a set of timpani have changed from bowl diameters of 30,” 28,” 25” and 23” to 32,” 29,” 26,” 23” and (20”). 2. The actual range of a given timpani may vary due to the age of the head and weight of the rim. The practical playing ranges of a set of timpani are: 32,” 29,” 26,” and 23”

3. Set the base pitch of the timpani and check the complete range of each drum before every performance.

TIMPANI GRIPS 1. There are two basic timpani grips: French and German. See Chapter Fourteen, p. 192 for photos. 2. Most timpanists use a form of the French grip, where the thumbs are up. 3. The German grip is the same as the snare drum matched grip with the back of the hand up.

MODIFIED FRENCH GRIP HAND POSITION CHECKLIST 1. All fingers loosely around the mallets 2. Thumbs up 3. Back of the hand perpendicular to the floor 4. Forearm and back of hand straight 5. Thumb flat, on top, and towards the inside of the mallet for maximum lift 6. Index finger relaxed and curved 7. Back of the mallet resting on the first joint of the index finger and in the curve formed by the last three fingers 8. Last three fingers curved and in line with the palm to keep the mallet from moving sideways 9. Mallet held at a balance point about 3/4 back from the mallet head 10. Arms hanging naturally and relaxed 11. Mallets creating a natural extension of the forearms and hands with approximately two inches between the mallet heads 12. Wrist pivoting and slightly rotating for the stroke without bending backwards (similar to the motion used for playing ride cymbal) 13. Mallets pivoting between the index finger and thumb with back three fingers, guiding and extending the lift 14. Mallet heads moving straight up and down as if bouncing off the head

PLAYING AREA 1. Play about two or three inches from the edge of the timpani bowl. 2. Center the mallets between two of the tension rods. 3. Position the timpani so you can arch over the heads maintaining the same distance from the edge of the bowl on each drum. 4. Do not play in the center of the timpani head except for a special “dead” sounding effect.

ROLLING 1. A single stroke roll is used on the timpani, unless a double stroke or buzz roll is indicated as a special effect. 2. Vary the speed of the roll for the size of the drum and the tension of the timpani head: • The higher the pitch, the faster the roll. • The lower the pitch, the slower the roll.

DAMPENING 1. Dampening can be done with either the last fingers of the hand while holding a mallet or with the whole hand, if the passage can be played with one mallet and there is time to put the other mallet down. 2. If there is time, dampening should be done with the hand that is not playing the note. 3. Dampening should be done without slapping the timpani head, unless that sound is specified for a special effect. 4. Mark apostrophes after the notes on the timpani where dampening should occur. 5. Timpani mutes should be used to keep the timpani from vibrating sympathetically during rests for the timpani. Cymbal strap pads make excellent timpani mutes.

TUNING 1. Always tune up to a pitch, so the head will not loosen causing the pitch to drop when it is played. 2. Try to avoid using the highest or lowest pitches on a timpani. • The highest pitches will often sound choked. • The lowest pitches may buzz, if the head is not perfectly seated or if the bearing edge has imperfections.

TIMPANI MALLETS 1. The timpanist should have an assortment of mallets to meet the demands of the music to be performed. They should include: very hard, hard, medium, soft and very soft. 2. Care should be taken when using wooden mallets, especially on other people’s timpani, since they can dent heads if not used properly. 3. Care should also be taken when asked to play on the bowls of timpani with the handles, so the drums are not dented. Using handles that have tubing or are wrapped in a material like moleskin can help when playing on the bowls. 5. Avoid mallets with seams. 6. Rotate the mallets while playing so the felt wears evenly. 7. Avoid using timpani mallets on hard surfaces that will quickly wear out the covering, or unnecessary hand-touching of the heads, due to oils.

TWO MALLET GRIP 1. Hold the mallets like matched grip for snare drum. 2. Modify the grip by curving the index finger more to compensate for the thinner stick and sliding the hand back on the mallet to balance the mallet head.

PLAYING AREA 1. Play either on the edge or center of the bar. 2. Do not play near the nodes (over the ropes or near where the screws fasten the bars to the frame) unless a non-ringing, dead sound is needed for a special effect. 3. For most playing, the diatonic bars are struck near the center while the chromatic bars are struck on the edge. Correct Playing Area Incorrect Playing Area

X X

X X Incorrect Playing Areas

Correct Playing Areas X X

X X

4. When playing repeated notes on the same bar, keep the mallet heads parallel, if possible. If the bar is too narrow for the mallet head, or an adjustment needs to be made for technical considerations, position one mallet head in front of the other depending on the location of the bars being playing.

General Playing Position Technical Adjustments

Copyright © 2011 Wm. S. Quick ROLLS 1. Use a single stroke roll. Do not bounce the mallets, except for a special effect. 2. Match the roll speed to the vibration of the bar (slow for low notes, fast for high notes).

THE KEYBOARD 1. The keyboard on mallet percussion instruments is arranged like the piano keyboard. 2. The vibraphone and some European instruments have the diatonic and chromatic bars on the same level. 3. On most instruments, the chromatic bars are raised and slightly overlap the diatonic bars.

Helpful Hint: A single stroke roll is played by alternating the sticks right to left (R-L) or left to right (L-R) fast enough to produce a smooth, sustained tone on the keyboard bars. Rolling too fast cancels sound. Rolling too slow sounds uneven and choppy.

HAND POSITION CHECKLIST FOR KEYBOARD PERCUSSION 1. All fingers around the sticks 2. Thumb flat, on the side of the stick opposite the first finger 3. First finger relaxed and curved 4. Back of the hand up and level 5. Stick held at a balance point about 3/4 back from the mallet head 6. Back of the stick across the padded part of the hand 7. Wrist straight 8. Sticks forming an inverted “V” 9. Arms hanging naturally 10. Standing centered in front of the bars to be played 11. Good posture with back straight, knees relaxed and weight well balanced? 12. Forearms close to the keyboard with the wrists bending up for the stroke?

Step: a note one bar higher or lower Letters indicate scales Major Scale Sequence: on the keyboard. Numbers indicate arpeggios Step-Step-½ Step-Step-Step-½ Step Step or Whole Step: a note two bars high er or lower on the keyboard. C Major F Major (0 Flats) (1 Flat: B b )

C D E F G A B C F G A C D E F 1 3 5 1 1 3 5 1 Step Step ½ Step Step Step Step ½ Step 1 B b Major E b Major (2 Flats: B b & E b ) (3 Flats: B b , E b & A b) b E B E B E B A

1 5 1 1b b 1b b b b b b

C D F G A F G C D 3 5 3 D Major A b Major b (5 Flats: B , E , A , D b & G ) (4 Flats: B b , E b , A b & D b ) b b b b D E G A B D A B D E A 1b b b 5b b b1 1b b b 5b 1b

F C C F G 3 3

G b Major C b Major (6 Flats: B b , E b , A b , D b , G b & C b ) (7 Flats: B b , E b , A b , D b , G b , C b & F b )

G A B D E G D E G A B

1b b 3b 5b b 1b b 3b 5b b b C F C C F 1b b 1b b Sentence to help memorize flat order: Baby Elephants Anger Diners Grabbing Curly Fries.

From Getting It, A Beginning Keyboard Percussion Method, Book 1 by Bill Quick

Major Scale Sequence: Letters indic ate scales Step: a note one bar higher or S tep-Step- Step-Step-Step-Step- Step Numbers indicate arpeggios lower on the keyboard. Step or Whole Step: a note two bars higher or lower on the keyboard. C Major G Major (0 Sharps) (1 Sharp: F#)

F #

C D E F G A B C G A B C D E G 1 3 5 1 1 3 5 1 Step Step ½ Step Step Step Step ½ Step D Major A Major (2 Sharps: F# & C#) (3 Sharps: F#, C# & G#)

F C C F G # # # # # 3 3

D E G A B D A B D E A 1 5 1 1 5 1 E Major B Major (4 Sharps: F#, C#, G# & D#) (5 Sharps: F#, C#, G#, D# & A#)

F G C D C D F G A # # # 1 # # # # # # 3 3 5

E A B E B E B 1 5 1 1 1 F# Major C# Major (6 Sharps: F#, C#, G#, D#, A# & E#) (7 Sharps: F#, G#, D#, A#, E# & B#)

F G A C D F C D F G A C # # # # # # # # # # # # 1 3 5 1 1 5 1 E B B E # # # 3

Sentence to help memorize the sharp order: Fat Cats Get Dizzy After Eating Bugs.

From Getting It, A Beginning Keyboard Percussion Method, Book 1 by Bill Quick