CMS Percussion Basics

1. CMS Percussion Basics This slide show will guide you through the various percussion instruments you use daily.

2. CMS Percussion Basics It will introduce each instrument, its proper performance techniques, as well as care and storage ideas. There are video links on some slides to show the performance techniques. Click on the video icon to view these videos.

3. CMS Percussion Basics At the end of the slide show there will be a short quiz. Turn your quiz in to your band teacher when complete.

4. Concert Percussion • Types: Wood, steel, brass, piccolo. • Performance Technique Considerations: Rudiments, legato stroke, fulcrum, appropriate stick choices, muffling, much more… • Care & Storage: These are kept on the concert snare drum stands in the front set up in each band room. Turn off the snares when you’re not playing. Snare Drum

5. Concert Percussion • Types: Traditional Military, Pipe Band, Drum Corps, Concert Band. • Performance Techniques: Traditional grip, tuning range, larger drumsticks. • Care & Storage: These are kept above the storage units in each band room. Field Drum, Tenor Drum, Marching Snare Drum

6. Concert Percussion • Types: Marching, mounted, suspended, free standing or cradled. • Performance Techniques: Use a legato (smooth) stroke, follow through on the back-swing, play just below center, muffle with left hand or right knee, two-mallet roll using traditional grip with the drum at an angle, or matched grip with drum horizontal. Mallets are cotton, leather-coated, or wood. • Care & Storage: These are kept in each band room. Be sure to put the mallets away when you’re not playing. Bass Drum

7. Concert Percussion • Types: Symphonic, Viennese, Germanic, Field, Concert, Light, Medium, Heavy. • Performance Techniques: Hold the straps close to the bell with the thumb and forefinger. Right handers should hold the right cymbal above, and bring it down to strike the bottom edge of the left cymbal. Full crash will release and sustain by moving the cymbals apart. Muffle for staccato notes against shoulders or stomach. Other techniques include rolling two cymbals together, the “swish,” and other special effects. • Care & Storage: Crash cymbals are kept in the holders in each band room. Make sure the straps are tied tightly. Crash Cymbals or Hand Cymbals

8. Concert Percussion • Types: “Fixed” and “gooseneck” mounted. Various sizes and weights. • Performance Techniques: Most often you will use Yarn Mallets. Sometimes music calls for cord mallets, sticks, triangle beaters, coins, or brushes. Strike near the outer edge, and roll with mallet heads apart or on opposite sides of the cymbal. Use a follow-through that allows the cymbal to sustain. Mute by grasping with your fingertips. • Care & Storage: The suspended cymbals are kept in each band room. There are other options kept in the back practice room. Suspended Cymbal

9. Concert Percussion • Types: Various sizes and weights, china-type, splash, sizzle. • Performance Techniques: Strike with sticks at 45 degree angle. Use a follow-through that allows the cymbal to sustain. • Care & Storage: Various crash cymbals are kept on the drumsets and in the back practice room. Crash Cymbal

10. Concert Percussion • Types: Mostly made of bronze. Chau gong is a common type/origin. Tam-tam is non-pitched as opposed to the gong. • Performance Techniques: Strike with a tam-tam mallet just below the center and use a follow-through that allows it to sustain. Sometimes the performer will be asked to use a triangle beater or bow. • Care & Storage: These are kept on the stand in the rear percussion set-up in each band room. Tam-Tam

11. Concert Percussion • Types: Nepalese, Chinese, Indonesian… Gongs are pitched as opposed to tam-tams. • Performance Techniques: Strike in the center using a follow-through that allows the gong to sustain. Use the appropriate mallet. • Care & Storage: Gongs are kept in the back practice room. Gong

12. Concert Percussion • Types: Plastic, Copper-coated, and Hammered-copper bowls. • Performance Techniques: Largest drum on the left, tune using a pitch-pipe or tuning fork, use a throne if you’re tuning during a piece, use cotton or wood timpani mallets, strike 1/3 of the way in, muffle rests, use French grip, single-stroke rolls. • Care & Storage: When not performing, put the pedals down, covers on, and leave in the band room. Don’t set anything on a timpano head. Avoid touching the cotton on the mallets. Timpani or Kettle Drums

13. Concert Percussion • Types: Top/bottom head, or top head only. • Performance Techniques: Use sticks, yarn mallets, or timpani mallets. Choose the striking area carefully for the desired sound – most often the center. Sometimes drum set toms are used. • Care & Storage: Fold up stands and stack drums on shelves. CMS students use drum set toms and leave them in place. Concert Toms or Tom-Toms

14. Concert Percussion • Types: Maple, Birch, Acrylic. 5-piece, 4-piece, “Power,” “Fusion,” “Bebop,” “Rock” and more… • Performance Techniques: Use sticks, multi-rods, or brushes. Foot-pedals are used for bass drum and hi-hat. Crash and ride cymbals can be used for variety. Numerous grooves are possible. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the band room. If you adjust the angles/heights, please put them back to “normal” position. Drumset

15. Concert Percussion • Types: Rosewood, Padauk, or Synthetic bars. • Performance Techniques: Use hard rubber, plastic, or phenolic mallets. Play “off the bars” using a legato stroke that bounces off the bars. Strike in the center of the bars or on the very edge of the accidentals. • Care & Storage: Cover after each use. They are kept in the band rooms. Never use the back of the mallet because it may scrape the bars. Be careful of the stand scratching the bars as well. Always have 2 people when moving the instrument. Xylophone

16. Concert Percussion • Types: Rosewood, Padauk, or Synthetic bars. • Performance Techniques: Use rubber or yarn mallets. Play “off the bars” using a legato stroke that bounces off the bars. Strike in the center of the bars or on the very edge of the accidentals. Use Stevens grip for 4-mallet pieces. • Care & Storage: Cover after each use. They are kept in the band rooms. Never use the back of the mallet because it may scrape the bars. Be careful of the stand scratching the bars as well. Always have 2 people when moving the instrument. Marimba

17. Concert Percussion • Types: Metal alloy bars. Brushed metal or gold finish. • Performance Techniques: Use cord-wound mallets – usually rattan shaft. Play “off the bars” using a legato stroke that bounces off the bars. Strike in the center of the bars. Use Burton grip for 4-mallet pieces. Use the pedal for sustain and the motor for tremolo. • Care & Storage: Cover after each use. They are kept in the band rooms. Never use the back of the mallet because it may scrape the bars. Be careful of the stand scratching the bars as well. Always have 2 people when moving the instrument. Vibraphone, Vibraharp or “Vibes”

18. Concert Percussion • Types: Metal alloy bars. • Performance Techniques: Use plastic or brass mallets. Play “off the bars” using a legato stroke that bounces off the bars. Strike in the center of the bars. • Care & Storage: Cover after each use. They are kept in the band rooms. Be careful of the stand scratching the bars as well. Always have 2 people when moving the instrument. Don’t pull rubber gaskets off the instrument. Concert Bells or Glockenspiel

19. Concert Percussion • Types: Metal alloy capped tubes. Gold or chrome. • Performance Techniques: Use rawhide or plastic hammers. Strike the cap at an angle using a legato stroke that bounces off the bars. Use the pedal for sustain. • Care & Storage: They are kept in the band rooms. Always have 2 people when moving the instrument. Chimes or Tubular Bells

20. Concert Percussion Video of Performance Techniques More Resources More Performance Techniques

21. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Brass, copper, or alloy jingles on a wood frame with calfskin head. Sometimes plastic handled or mounted tambourines are substituted. • Performance Techniques: Hold at an angle at eye level. Use one-handed taps, shake rolls, thumb rolls, and hand/knee techniques. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the cabinet in the back of each band room. The higher quality, skin-headed tambourines are kept in cases in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Tambourine

23. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: 4”, 6”, 8”, 10” iron, brass, or steel. • Performance Techniques: Hold the triangle clip with the weaker hand in a “C” shape. Hold it up to eye level. Strike with a steel beater on the side or bottom of the triangle. Experiment to get the most desired sound. Sometimes faster passages require using two holders clamped to a stand to allow two beater to be used. In this case, turn the triangle opening-down and use matched beater thickness. • Care & Storage: Triangle beaters are easily misplaced or lost. Always return the beaters to the storage case. Put the triangle away in the cabinet in the back of the band room. Triangle

24. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Small to large hollowed-out blocks of wood. • Performance Techniques: Hold in weaker hand and strike with a rubber mallet or drum stick on the open edge. Hold it up at eye level for effectiveness. Sometimes passages require two mallets. For this, place the woodblock on a padded surface or trap table. • Care & Storage: They are kept in the cabinet in the back of each band room. Higher quality woodblocks are kept in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Woodblock

25. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Wood or plastic jam-blocks in pitch order. • Performance Techniques: Use rubber or plastic mallets to strike the open edge of each block. Use a legato stroke aiming for consistent tone. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the rear percussion set-up in each band room. Temple Blocks

26. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Metal, or plastic tube or canister filled with beads, pellets, sand, or BBs. • Performance Techniques: Hold up at eye level and shake away from your body in short burst movements. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the cabinet in the back of each band room. Shaker

27. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Metal in various sizes and pitches. • Performance Techniques: Hold with the weaker hand at chest level and strike with a drumstick or cowbell beater with the open side facing the audience. Mute or muffle with the fingers of the hand you’re holding with. Cowbells can be mounted to a rack when there isn’t enough time to switch instruments. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the cabinet in the back of each band room. Cowbell

28. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Handheld, mounted, or table-top. • Performance Techniques: Strike or scrape the bells from low to high in a quick motion for a glissando effect. You may be asked to strike individual bells. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the back practice room in the black cabinet. Bell Tree

29. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Four strips of bells attached to a board with a handle. • Performance Techniques: Hold the handle with the bells downward. Strike the end of the handle with the other hand. • Care & Storage: These are relatively breakable. They are kept in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Sleigh Bells

30. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Two types of slapsticks are commonly used; two-handed and one-handed. One-handed versions have a spring-loaded hinge. Two-handed versions are usually larger and heavier. • Performance Techniques: Force the two boards together making a “whip” sound. Be careful not to get fingers or skin caught between the boards. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Slap Stick or Whip

31. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Wood or wood with metal frame. • Performance Techniques: Hold the ratchet with your weaker hand at eye level. Spin the ratchet handle quickly for the duration of the note or roll notation. • Care & Storage: These are somewhat fragile and are kept in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Ratchet

32. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Various metal alloys. Graduated for pitch ranges. • Performance Techniques: Run your finger along the chimes either high-to-low or low-to-high for the duration of the note or roll. • Care & Storage: These are kept mounted on a stand in the back of each band room. The higher quality wind chimes are kept in a case in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Wind Chimes

33. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Hand held, mounted on a stick, or on a block of wood (concert castanets). • Performance Techniques: Tap with 1-3 fingers or play stick-mounted single castanets on thigh for rolls. • Care & Storage: The strings and spring mechanisms are fragile. Store them in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Castanets

34. World Percussion • Types: Wooden slat or fiberglass shell with calfskin heads. 10-11” Quinto, 11-12” Conga, 12-13” Tumbao. • Performance Techniques: Use your hands to create open, closed, muffled, bass and slap tones. Tilt the conga on the floor or place on stands. Using mallets is sometimes required for more volume, although a more desirable sound is obtained with the hands. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the rear percussion set-up in each band room. Congas

35. World Percussion • Types: Attached pair of single-headed drums made of wood and calfskin heads. Sometimes they are mounted in a multi-percussion set-up. • Performance Techniques: Hold between the legs with the larger drum on your left. Use fingers on the edge for a ringing tone, and near the center for a muffled tone. Using mallets is sometimes required for more volume, although a more desirable sound is obtained with the fingers. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the rear percussion set-up in each band room. Bongos

36. World Percussion • Types: Two metal-shell drums with calfskin or plastic heads mounted on a stand. • Performance Techniques: Thin timbale sticks are used to play on the heads, on the side of the shell, and on a mounted cowbell. Rimshots are common accent effect. The large timbale is on your left. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the rear percussion set-up in each band room. Timbales

37. World Percussion • Types: Originally an African instrument, the Afuche Cabasa is popular in Brazilian and Latin American music. Beads or metal ball-bearings mounted around a cylinder. • Performance Techniques: Hold the shaft in your strong hand and cup the beads in your weaker hand. Twist or rotate the cabasa in short bursts back and forth. It can also be shaken like a shaker or maraca. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Cabasa or Afuche Cabasa

38. World Percussion • Types: Two metal bells attached by a thin piece of metal. • Performance Techniques: Held vertically or horizontally, strike the bells with a stick. Sometimes the larger bell is played on and off the knee for added tone control. Some types can be squeezed together for added effect. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Agogo Bells

39. World Percussion • Types: Two pieces of hardwood (usually rosewood or ebony) of various diameters and pitches. • Performance Techniques: Place the larger clave in the cupped weaker hand and strike it with the smaller clave creating the signature “click” sound. Find the “sweet spot” and hold them up in a visual performance position. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Claves

40. World Percussion • Types: Spanish for “Gourd,” they are made of a dried gourd, wood, plastic, or metal. • Performance Techniques: Scrape the stick or rod along the notched side. Draw the stick upward for a good sound. • Care & Storage: Wood and gourd guiros are fragile and should be carefully stored. They are often stored in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Guiro

41. World Percussion • Types: Gourd, wood, plastic, animal skin of various sizes. • Performance Techniques: Hold the handles and shake with a sharp snap of the wrists. Horizontal and vertical positions are necessary to get various sounds at different tempos. They can also be “stirred” in the upright position for a continuous roll effect. • Care & Storage: Plastic and wood maracas are kept in each band room, while the higher quality black ones are kept in the black cabinet in the back practice room. Maracas

42. World Percussion • Types: Gourd or plastic vessels with plastic beads or sea shells in a net wrapped around the shell. • Performance Techniques: Held around the neck and at the base, it is shaken up and down, as well as front to back creating many different sounds. • Care & Storage: The black shekere is kept in the back practice room in the black cabinet. Shekere

43. World Percussion • Types: Wood or fiberglass goblet-shaped drums with goat skin or plastic head tuned by either a system or ropes or tuning rods. • Performance Techniques: Low sounds are produced by striking the middle with a cupped palm, middle sounds are played with the fingers near the edge, and high pitched “bark” sounds or accents are played with the fingers on the drum and the palm on the edge. Many rhythms and sounds are possible. • Care & Storage: These are kept in their storage bags in the back of the band room. Djembe

44. World Percussion • Types: Buffalo drum, Riq, Tar, Bodhran, Pandeiro, Tamborim, and many others. • Performance Techniques: Many techniques are used in performance and many historical traditions must be learned for each. • Care & Storage: These are kept above the black cabinet in the back practice room. Frame Drums

45. World Percussion • Types: Wood box frame – sometimes with a cutout hole, or microphone system. Cajon means “box.” • Performance Techniques: Sit on the box and play with hands and fingers. Low sounds are produced by striking with the palm in the center of the front panel. High sounds are produced near the edge with the fingers. • Care & Storage: We do not have a Cajon. Cajon

46. World Percussion • Types: Not to be confused with “crotales” or “antique cymbals” which have a definite pitch, Chinese Cymbals produce an indefinite pitch similar to the triangle. They are held by a strap inserted through the center hole. • Performance Techniques: Do not strike the faces together like crash cymbals. 1. Hold them vertically and bring one up and one down until they meet. 2. Hold the cymbal edges perpendicularly and strike the edges together. 3. Hold one horizontally while striking it with a triangle beater. • Care & Storage: These are kept in the back practice room in the black cabinet. Chinese Cymbals

47. Auxiliary Percussion • Types: Rain stick, Train Whistle, Slide Whistle, Siren Whistle, Anvil, Brake Drums, Vibra-Slap, Flexa-tone, • Performance Techniques: • Care & Storage Sound Effects and Special Effects

48. Quiz Click here to CMS Percussion Basics Quiz.docprint the quiz…

49. Quiz Name the following instruments… Spelling counts!

50. Quiz #1. Name the instrument: