Concert Percussion
September 16th, 2009 by James Voss Grumish
A few months ago we published author interviews with Rich Holly (Majoring in Music) and Paul Buyer (Marching Bands and Drumlines). PAS just published a series of book reviews and had good things to say about both our FreeDrum.Info guests.
Terry O’Mahoney said of Rich Holly’s Majoring in Music
,
This no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point 86-page handbook is a must-read for any music student thinking of majoring in music or becoming a professional musician.
Eric Willie compliments Paul Buyer’s Marching Bands and Drumlines,
Paul Buyer has provided an unparalleled resource for instrumental music/band educators by providing in-depth solutions from top university marching band directors and percussion instructors.
You can read the entire review for these books (pdf) if you’d like on the PAS website.
To order either of the books mentioned above, visit the FreeDrum.Info library!
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July 16th, 2009 by James Voss Grumish
[photos by Luke Wisley, Amanda Spak, Björn Láczay, and Michael Coté are shared]
If you are a music major or would someday like to be, you should invest in a copy of Majoring in Music: All the Stuff You Need to Know.
More than just tips, this book has survival skills to help you succeed as a music major in a college, university, or conservatory. Learn to be ready to meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities thrown at you during this important, stressful, and exhilarating period of your life.
Just how good is the advice? Majoring in Music is written by Rich Holly. Holly is the Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University and has been an advisor to college students for almost 30 years.
Rich Holly knows so much about guiding students to be great musicians that he wrote the book on it… literally.
We asked Holly about the book and a few other music major related questions. The answers are amazing. Enjoy the interview.
FreeDrum.Info: Who is Majoring in Music written for - current music majors or prospective/potential music majors?
Rich Holly: It’s actually written for both of those populations. Without a doubt, the people who will benefit the most from the book are high school seniors who have decided to major in music – by reading the book during the summer before they begin their college experience, they’ll start their first semester armed with a great deal of important knowledge relative to succeeding as a college music major.
But there are also a considerable number of topics covered in the book from which all music majors will benefit, from freshman to senior year. I’ve had students who have already completed a year or two of school as a music major comment to me that several of the topics covered in the book helped to clear up some things for them, and that’s what the book is intended to do – smooth the way for all music majors.
FD.I: What compelled you to write the book?
Holly: Virtually every day I meet with at least one student who hasn’t yet figured out all the responsibilities they have as a music major in college. Some of these responsibilities are the same as for any college students, and some are particular to being a music major. Most importantly, I’ve found that there’s a sizeable population of students who don’t ask questions until something becomes a problem.
FD.I: Majoring in Music has three areas of focus - Academic, Musical, and Life. Which area do students have the most difficulty adjusting? Which has the most misconceptions?
>> THERE’S MORE!!! Continue reading the Rich Holly interview >>
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June 4th, 2009 by James Voss Grumish
School is finished for the year so use the extra time and sign-up for some private drum lessons. Need to find a private drum instructor? Already have a private drum teacher? Well here’s a couple resources to get your summer lessons started.
FreeDrum.Info thinks lessons are a good thing and it’s a bad idea miss out.
Read our 3 reasons why you need lessons.
TakeLessons offers fun & affordable music and voice lessons for everyone.
Click here to find a lesson near you!
There’s a sweet practice routine generator available for a limited time!
Get the free pdf from the Drumming System!
That’s it. Have a great summer!
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February 2nd, 2009 by James Voss Grumish
You read that right. These are easy ways to learn a few complex subdivisions to add to your technique toolbox. First, read a little about complex subdivisions if you’re unfamiliar.
Complex subdivisions appear in music as numerical ratios above your notes:
Understand the meaning by replacing the colon with the phrase “in the space of”.
- Five in the space of four
- Seven in the space of four
- Four in the space of three
Lastly, look at the music where the complex subdivision is defined. Use the written note(s) to determine what type of subdivision you’re going to change.
- Five quarter-notes in the space of four quarter-notes
- Seven 16th-notes in the space of four 16th-notes
- Four 8th-notes in the space of three 8th-notes
Some of these you’re already familiar with, maybe without even knowing it. A triplet is technically a 3:2 — three 8th-notes in the space of two 8th-notes. A sixtuplet is 6:4 — six 16th-notes in the space of four 16th-notes.
It might sounds like a lot of math, and it certainly is. Give this Easy Complex Subdivisions drum exercise a try and see if you can’t find some fluidity in all that math.
Easy Complex Subdivisions for Drums
The basic idea is to take a tap-roll and evenly distribute the “diddles” between the accents. Hopefully it will come very naturally and quickly for you.
Please leave a quick comment if you liked this exercise!
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November 3rd, 2008 by James Voss Grumish
With PASIC about to start (see the PASIC Schedule), it seemed right to make something available that would benefit all percussionists, not just the marching or drumset crowd. This month the free percussion etudes examine basic rhythms and timing.
These etudes/exercises are dependent on good timing, so use your metronome!
The first set of etudes, Rhythm Studies, has the very basic 16th note patterns you should know. There’s also a version of the traditional drumline exercise “Hup-Dup” thrown in at the bottom since there was room.
The second exercise, Chronos (it’s Greek), works on your transitions between eighth-notes, triplets, and sixteenth-notes. Again, use your metronome if you wish to gain anything from a timing etude. Chronos could easily be converted into a drumline exercise, if you wanted.
Chronos, a timing exercise
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May 7th, 2008 by James Voss Grumish
Finally, a mallet exercise! This is a very easy-to-learn exercise that can help as you develop your four-mallet interval control. When the tempo is slow enough, focus on changing the interval in your grip during the up-stroke of the mallets. The down-stroke should then come straight down to the bars.
A Few Ideas Before You Start…
- Set your metronome pretty low, down to 80 bpm or slower. Once you have the pulse, get a feel for the transitions between the quarter-note-triplets and eighth-notes.
- Do a technique check. Review everything from your grip to your stance.
- Subdivide and get started. Remember to try and adjust the interval during the up-stroke.
Interval Flux, for Mallet Percussion
You’ll quickly learn the three-two-one pattern and eventually know this from memory. You can then use it in your warm-up repertoire.
Be sure to have your instructor, director, or a peer watch you perform this exercise from time to time as you make progress. They’ll help you avoid any bad habits in your technique that may arise from the simplicity and repetitiveness of the motions.
Lastly, the exercise is written so that the intervals expand outward, but you can easily apply the same ideas to expand inward.
P.S. Sorry for this post arriving a little late. On May 1st I was busy climbing to the top of El Castillo at Xunantunich, and then straining my leg on the way back down.
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