Tambourine • Use a good tambourine. A professional quality tambourine costs around $130 and a decent student model can be as little as $70. It should have two rows of jingles and a head. Headless or plastic tambourines are not acceptable in a concert percussion audition. • Make a characteristic sound. A characteristic sound focus- es on the jingles, and should not include the ringing of the head. Some tambourines are affected by humidity and the player must be able to accommodate. • Use appropriate technique. Percussionists use a variety of hand positions. Most often the player should strike with finger- tips. A closed fist is used only in particular circumstances. • Hold the tambourine correctly. The tambourine should be held in one hand and struck with the other. The player should not shake the tambourine while play- ing unless performing a shake roll. This will produce extra noises that sound like pick-ups or flams and are not characteristic in a concert percussion style.


Bass Drum • Use good quality mallets. Mallet choice is the primary factor affecting articulation. Con- sider the style of music and the sound of the drum being played when choosing a mallet. • Make a good sound. Each drum has its own sound


and responds differently depend- ing on where it is struck. Teach your students to find the best sound for the musical selection be- ing played. • Muffle appropriately. Well-tuned bass drums are resonant. The player must consid-


JANUARY 2018


er how long to let each note ring, and muffle accordingly.


Crash Cymbals • Hold the cymbals correctly. A proper grip will give the


player total control over the sound. A loose grip can lead to poor con- trol, and an unpleasant tone. • Practice dynamics. Cymbals can be played beau-


tifully at every dynamic level. Playing at extreme dynamic levels can present challenges, but learn- ing to do so will dramatically im- prove performance. • Make a characteristic sound. Listen to recordings to devel- op an ear for how a beautiful crash should sound. • Use good cymbals. High quality cymbals can be


expensive, and unfortunately there is no substitute for quality when it comes to crashes. However, once the investment is made they will last forever if treated properly, and will make a huge difference in the sound of any ensemble.


Suspended Cymbal • Make a characteristic sound. Most often the goal of a sus- pended cymbal roll is to create a wash of sound. Use good quality yarn mallets and play close to the edge of the cymbal so the indi- vidual strokes of the roll cannot be heard and the roll is smooth. • Use a good quality suspended cymbal on a good stand. Drum set ride cymbals or crash cymbals are usually not ap- propriate for a concert style audi- tion. Also, the stand should not rattle or affect the sound of the cymbal.


Woodblock • Plastic is not acceptable. A quality wood block costs


47


less than $50 and will last a life- time if played correctly. • Use the right mallet. Snare drum sticks are not ap-


propriate unless specifically no- tated. Hard yarn or specialty mal- lets are most commonly used to play woodblock.


Keyboard Percussion • Don’t play on the node. Depth of tone depends large- ly on playing in a proper beating spot. Students must be trained to listen for a full, consistent, reso- nant sound on each note. A com- mon mistake of young players is to hit the nodal point of the acciden- tal notes (sharps or flats), resulting in an inconsistent tone. • Use the right mallets Xylophone and bells are typi-


cally played with hard plastic mal- lets. Yarn or rubber mallets are used only in special circumstances. Marimba and vibraphone are typi- cally played with yarn mallets. Be sure to have a variety of mallets, and choose those that produce an appropriate sound for the musical selection.


The majority of tips mentioned


above do not require hours of practic- ing and technical development. Rather, they are about making the right deci- sions about what to play and how to play it. Developing a thought process about the sounds one makes is perhaps more important when playing percus- sion than other instruments. By invest- ing in quality equipment and guiding students to think carefully about how they play, teachers can help improve their students’ performance in concerts and auditions.


For more info please visit www.dan-


halpernmusic.com, or contact the au- thor: dan@danhalpernmusic.com


TEMPO


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