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Evidently, integrating a clear and rhythmically decisive breath into a cue can be quite unnatural to many brass students. This is, most likely, simply a result of a lack of practice. When musicians are alone practicing their individual part…
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Ask any brass or woodwind student or band director what the most important aspect of playing a wind instrument is and most will respond that it is the ability to effectively use one's air. Ask them to estimate how much breathing and air…
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Change timpani heads when the tone starts to sound dry or dead or the pitch becomes "false" meaning it is impossible to fine-tune the head and obtain a clear pitch. Please refer to the Evans Timpani Head Sizing Chart to determine which head…
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The problems that a timpanist must solve or overcome are many, and I'm not covering problems or issues of sticking and mallet type changes such as wood, hard, medium, or soft to achieve the appropriate sound for the music. Determining which…
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The first and most important step in tuning timpani is knowing the pitch to which you are tuning the drum. Though this seems obvious, many beginning timpanists neglect the time necessary to establish the pitch in their head before striking…
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On a hard wood or linoleum floor, the hi hat and bass drum will slide away from the player if something is not done to hold them in place. The simplest solution is to set up the drums on a rug. The rug should be relatively thin so the…
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There is nothing more important for the beginning percussionist than to establish the correct snare drum grip. Just like the wind player with an improper embouchure, the percussionist with an improper grip will continually be hampered in…
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A technique can be broken down into many areas: single strokes, open and closed rolls, rudiments such as flams, drags, 4-stroke ruffs, etc. They all must be executed with precision if a percussionist is to be an effective performer.
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This is a basic skill for all drummers who play casuals and club-dates. With the wide variety of foodstuffs available in buffets served at wedding receptions and bar-mitzvah, the drummers ability to consume different types of food while…
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