PercussiveNotes_199403

Percussive NotesPercussive NotesAn official publication of the Percussive Arts Society • Vol. 32, No. 3/June 1994

ON THE COVER: Keiko Abe/photoprovided by Yamaha Corporation ofAmerica; William F. Ludwig, Jr./photo usedwith permission from The Instrumentalist;Joe Morello/photo by Rick Mattingly

Vida Chenoweth, page 53

COVER STORY

PAS Hall of Fame ...................................................................................................... 7By Bob Schietroma

Keiko Abe .................................................................................................................... 8By Lauren Vogel Weiss

William F. Ludwig, Jr. ............................................................................................ 10By J. J. Rusch

Joe Morello ............................................................................................................... 12By Rick MattinglyDRUMSET

Guidelines for Drumset Notation ....................................................................... 15By Norman Weinberg

Drumset’s Struggle for Legitimacy .................................................................... 28By Dennis RogersMARCHING PERCUSSION

The War of the Rudiments .................................................................................... 29By Dan Moore

Marching Percussion Warm-Ups ........................................................................ 34By Riley E. Rose, Jr.INTERNATIONAL PERCUSSION

Global Drums: Finding Yourself in Our World ................................................ 39By John Wyre

Percussion in Armenia .......................................................................................... 42By Leon Khodja-EinatianKEYBOARD PERCUSSION

Live, From Japan, the Marimba Ponies! .......................................................... 45By Steven R. Machamer

“If I Were a Bell”: An Analysis of Bobby Hutcherson’s Solo ................................. 48By Roger B. Schupp

Catching Up With Vida Chenoweth ................................................................... 53By Martin WeirPERCUSSION PERFORMANCE

Crash Cymbals ......................................................................................................... 56By Jean-Louis Matthey/translated from French by Michael Rosen

Terms Used in Percussion: Oliver Messiaen’s Des Canyon Aux Étoiles ........... 60By Michael RosenELECTRONIC PERCUSSION

Percussionists and Networks .............................................................................. 63By Doug Harbord

Bars & Pipes Professional .................................................................................... 65Reviewed by Greg Malcangi

SuperJAM! ................................................................................................................ 68Reviewed by Rebecca IflandPERCUSSION RESEARCH

Drumset in the University Percussion Curriculum ...................................... 70By Tom Morgan

President’s Report ............................ 3By Garwood Whaley

PASIC ’94/Atlanta, Georgia—November 16–19, 1994 ................ 3By Tony McCutchen, Host

Selected Reviews of NewPercussion Literature andRecordings ................................ 76Edited by James Lambert

PASIC ’95–Phoenix, Arizona/November 1-4, 1995 .................. 84By J.B. Smith, Host

NEWS RELEASE/World Percussion NetworkMoves to PAS Headquarters . 84

COLUMNS

Global Drums, page 39

PERCUSSIVE NOTES • JUNE 19942

Larry SniderUniversity of Akron, Akron, OH

Ed SophUniversity of North Texas, Denton, TX

Gordon StoutIthaca College, Ithaca, NY

Ed ThigpenAction-Reaction, Chicago, IL

Michael UdowThe University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Lauren Vogel WeissDallas, TX

Dean WittenGlassboro State College, Glassboro, NJ

Doug WolfUniversity of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

SUSTAINING MEMBERS ADVISORY COUNCILSaul Feldstein

CPP/Belwin, ChairmanMike Balter

Mike Balter MalletsChristie Cierlak

Yamaha Corporation of AmericaVic Firth

Vic Firth, Inc.Neil Grover

Grover Pro PercussionLloyd McCausland

Remo, Inc.Steve Weiss

Steve Weiss MusicGarwood Whaley

Meredith Music Publications

ADVISORY BOARD OF PAST PRESIDENTSRobert Schietroma, 1991–1992

John Beck, 1987–90Thomas Siwe, 1984–86

Larry Vanlandingham, 1982–84James Petercsak, 1978–81Gary Olmstead, 1973–77Saul Feldstein, 1968–72Gordon Peters, 1964–67Donald Canedy, 1960–63

PAS STAFFSteve Beck, Executive Director

Cheryl Copes, Administrative ManagerShawn Brown, Director of Publications

Denise Childers, Administrative Secretary

OFFICERSGarwood Whaley

PresidentRandall Eyles

First Vice-PresidentGenaro Gonzalez

Second Vice-PresidentRobert Breithaupt

SecretaryMike BalterTreasurer

BOARD OF DIRECTORSAlan Abel

Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra; Temple University,Philadelphia, PADean Anderson

Berklee College of Music, Boston, MAMike Balter

Mike Balter Mallets, Prospect Heights, ILDave Black

Alfred Publishing Co., Van Nuys, CARobert Breithaupt

Capital University, Columbus, OHJames Campbell

University of Kentucky, Lexington, KYJim Coffin

Anaheim Hills, CAEvelyn Glennie

Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, EnglandGenaro Gonzalez

Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, TXNeil Grover

Grover Pro Percussion, Stoneham, MARichard Holly

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, ILSteve Houghton

Musicians Institute, Hollywood, CADouglas Howard

Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas, TXKathleen Kastner

Wheaton Conservatory of Music, Wheaton, ILRebecca Kite

GP Percussion Timpani Mfg., Minneapolis, MNJames Lambert

Cameron University, Lawton, OKRick MattinglyLouisville, KY

Lloyd McCausland,Remo, Inc., North Hollywood, CA

Michael RosenOberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, OH

Percussive Arts Society/Administration

Mission StatementThe Percussive Arts Society (PAS™) is a not-for-profit service organization.

Its purpose is educational, promoting drums and percussion through a viablenetwork of performers, teachers, students, enthusiasts and sustaining

members. PAS™ accomplishes its goals through publications, a worldwidenetwork of chapters, the World Percussion Network (WPN™), the PercussiveArts Society International Headquarters/Museum and the annual Percus-

sive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC™).

(year specifies date of induction)

Keiko Abe, 1993Henry Adler, 1988

Frank Arsenault, 1975Remo Belli, 1986

Louis Bellson, 1978James Blades, 1975

Carroll Bratman, 1984Harry Breuer, 1980Gary Burton, 1988John Cage, 1982

Bobby Christian, 1989Michael Colgrass, 1987

Cloyd Duff, 1977Alfred Friese, 1978

Billy Gladstone, 1978Morris Goldenberg, 1974

Saul Goodman, 1972George Hamilton Green, 1983

Lionel Hampton, 1984Haskell Harr, 1972Lou Harrison, 1985

Fred D. Hinger, 1986Richard Hochrainer, 1979

Elvin Jones, 1991Jo Jones, 1990

Roy Knapp, 1972William Kraft, 1990Gene Krupa, 1975

Maurice Lishon, 1989William F. Ludwig, Jr., 1993William F. Ludwig, Sr., 1972

Joe Morello, 1993Clair Musser, 1975John Noonan, 1972Red Norvo, 1992

Charles Owen, 1981Harry Partch, 1974

Paul Price, 1975Buddy Rich, 1986Max Roach, 1982

James Salmon, 1974Murray Spivack, 1991William Street, 1976Edgard Varèse, 1980

William “Chick” Webb, 1985Charley Wilcoxon, 1981

Avedis Zildjian, 1979

PERCUSSIVE NOTES • JUNE 1994 3

By Garwood Whaley

President’s Report

C O M M E N T

T HESE ARE EXCITING TIMES ATour headquarters/museumin Lawton, Oklahoma! Thedramatic increase in mem-

bership over the past year and the manygoals set by the Board of Directors arekeeping all pro-fessional and vol-unteer PAS staffbusier than ever.

This year ’sgoals, of whichthere are morethan 20, havebeen prioritizedand members ofthe Board as-signed to eachgoal. Executive Committee membershave been assigned several goals eachand will act as liaisons between theBoard of Directors and the ExecutiveCommittee to ensure clear communica-tion with the Board and achievement ofeach goal. By PASIC ’94 each of thegoals should be reached, or at least ac-tion on them should be well under way.

Percussive Notes has undergonean important change. Jim Lambert hasbeen named Managing Editior of thejournal and Rick Mattingly has beennamed Senior Editor. Together with ArtDirector Shawn Brown they will worktowards developing our major publica-tion into a truly state-of-the-art interna-tional journal of the percussive arts.

Another exciting development con-cerns the World Percussion Network(WPN), which was moved to Lawton inApril and is now being operated fromour international headquarters. WithWPN now installed in Lawton, PAS isready to establish a one-of-a-kind re-search center. Soon, percussionists fromaround the world will be able to accessmaterial by modem or visit Lawton todo hands-on research working withbooks, video and audio tapes, manu-scripts, dissertations, articles, instru-ments and virtually any and all thingsthat pertain to percussion.

Finally, our new membership cat-egory—“Clubs”—has drawn tremendousresponse from current members and

from individuals outside our organiza-tion who are interested in this concept.Although it took more than a year to fullydevelop this concept, it seems as if wewill soon see dramatic growth throughthis new membership opportunity.

As president of PAS, I sometimesfeel as if I am holding the reins of a spir-ited horse ready to break into full gal-lop! PAS is moving into the 21st centuryat an incredible pace. Please be assuredthat the professional staff in Lawton, allvolunteer workers including editors,chapter presidents, committee chairs,the Board of Directors and the Execu-tive Committee, are working tirelesslyto develop PAS into the finest instru-mental organization of its kind. Your as-sistance through recruitment of newmembers, starting a club or attendanceat PAS-sponsored events is appreciatedand essential. Don’t wait; now is thetime to get involved in PAS.

Warm regards,

NOW THAT SUMMER IS HERE,it’s the perfect time to startplanning your trip toAtlanta, Georgia for PASIC

’94, which will be one of the most excit-ing conventions yet!As this article goesto press, many de-tails of the pro-gramming are stillbeing finalized, butplans are shapingup for a truly greatline-up of artistsand clinicians.

Some of the drumset personalitiesyou can look forward to seeing are:Vinnie Colaiuta, Sonny Emory, JackDeJohnette, Cindy Blackman, PaulWertico, George Marsh and others. Bra-zilian percussionist/composer Ney

Rosauro will be presenting a clinic onhis music for marimba, while SteveFisher will present a clinic on electronicpercussion. Jim Campbell and RobertSchietroma will present marching per-cussion clinics, and Trichy Sankaranand Glen Velez will havesessions devotedto hand drum-ming. Look forpercussion-edu-cation clinics byRon Brough and John Bergamo, plusother clinicians yet to be named.

The evening concerts promise to besome of the best ever, including Com-mon Ground (featuring Julie Spencerand John Bergamo), plus the firstPASIC appearance ever by world-fa-mous jazz vibraphonist/composer/bandleader Mike Mainieri.

If you have been reading the previ-ous articles on PASIC ’94, you knowthat the host hotel, the WestinPeachtree Plaza, is easily accessiblefrom Hartsfield International Airport bytaxi, airport shuttle, or MARTA (Metro-politan Atlanta Rapid Transit

A u t h o r i t y ) . B esure to look in thenext issue of Per-cussive Notes fori n f o r m a t i o n o n

area attractions, especially if you wishto bring your family or just do somesightseeing on your own. If you havenever been to Atlanta, or if you haven’tbeen recently, you will be pleasantlysurprised by a modern, progressive citythat still has the flavor, charm andwarm hospitality of the Old South.Y’all come! PN

PASIC ’94/Atlanta, Georgia—November 16–19, 1994By Tony McCutchen, Host



MERLIN RESPONSERegarding Mark Ford’s comment at theconclusion of his review of Andrew Tho-mas’ composition Merlin in the October1993 issue of PN, perhaps you couldprint the following information for thoseinterested in obtaining other works bythis composer.Andrew Thomas:Works Featuring PercussionDirge in Woods (1973)

Soprano, Harp, Percussion (1)Margun Music

Phythagorus and the Four Hammers(1980)Percussion QuartetAmerican Composers Edition

Night Concerto (1982)Percussion QuartetAmerican Composers Edition

Moon’s Ending (1983)Cello and MarimbaAmerican Composers Edition

Dances for Five (1983)Marimba, Flute, Clarinet, Bass,Percussion (1)American Composers Edition

Merlin (1985)Solo MarimbaMargun MusicBrief on Flying Night (1986)Solo Percussion (Vibraphone/Marimba)American Composers Edition

Jessica’s Song (1986)Solo TimpaniAmerican Composers Edition

Witchhowl (1987)Timpani and MarimbaAmerican Composers Edition

Loving Mad Tom (1990)Concerto for Marimba andOrchestraAmerican Composers Edition

The Great Spangled Fritillary (1991)Marimba and ViolinAmerican Composers Edition

Lord Cavendish Strikes the Right Note(1993)Marimba and HarpsichordAmerican Composers Edition

American Composers Edition170 West 74th StreetNew York, NY 10023

Margun Music, Inc.167 Dudley RoadNewton Centre, MA 02159

William MoerschNew York, NY

BEGINNING SNARE DRUMThis is in response to your call for how tostart beginners on snare drum. I’m surewe agree on the basics of grip and stroke.I teach matched grip with the fulcrumbetween the flat of the thumb and thefirst joint of the index finger; other fin-gers loosely curled around, allowing thestick to move slightly in that space.

Some specific reminders I use to keepthe stroke straight up and down are: (1)maintaining the “hinge” in the center ofthe wrist and not the outside portion,which causes a rotational stroke desiredwhen using Musser grip, for example;(2) having the butt end of the stick pro-truding from the fleshy portion of thepalm, not the finger area; (3) alwayskeeping the palms towards the floor.

For teaching flams, I’ve found it easi-est to have the student let both sticksdrop (without buzzing) from the sameheight (about two inches above the pad)and gradually raise one stick to ahigher level, still maintaining the

relaxed dropping motion. This mayalleviate the problem of the notes beingtoo separate. I teach alternate flams byusing a preparatory motion where onestick goes up as the other comes down,like a “toy soldier.”

I always teach the buzz roll beforethe open roll; drop the stick onto thepad from the elbow, not wrist and letbounce freely. Gradually tighten thefulcrum and middle finger to tightenthe buzz. Let each buzz run into thenext without a break. Keep the stickparallel with the floor. After teachingall the rolls as buzzes, I have the stu-dent relax the grip, heighten the strokeand use the “bounce-catch” method us-ing the middle finger. This will leadinto the open roll.

Kristen Shiner McGuireRochester, NY

TOTAL EDUCATIONThis is in response to Andrew Spencer’sthought-provoking article in the Octo-ber PN. Dr. Spencer raised some issuesthat most of us involved in university-level teaching have contemplated. I haveseveral observations.

To look at the wide variety of musicalstyles (with regard to historical periodsand ethnic origin) being performed to-day, or the popularity of so many di-verse percussion instruments, is per-haps not the best starting point formaking curriculum decisions. Rather,any curriculum decisions should berooted in a sound philosophy of educa-tion. It is all too easy for a professor tomake decisions based on the small pic-ture, such as one’s personal career ex-perience or a student’s desire. To act re-sponsibly we need to first consider thatthe philosophy of a music conservatoryis likely to differ significantly from aliberal arts college, for example.

We also need to consider how ourconservatory and university musicalenvironments represent society, or howthey intend to influence society. Forexample, the concert band continues tobe a focal point of most music depart-

C O M M E N T

6 PERCUSSIVE NOTES • JUNE 1994

ments, yet there is very little bandmusic heard over the airwaves in thiscountry and relatively few professionalor community bands in existence. If wehave failed to produce the demand in thegeneral population for such music,should we continue to concentrate on it inour educational institutions? Regardingpercussion, we first must consider whywe teach what we teach. If, for example,it is to prepare a percussionist to earn aliving, then our decisions about curricu-lum will reflect this purpose. If, however,our philosophy is more complex (andmost will be), we must consider these is-sues of purpose before considering thefact that there are so many choices in theworlds of music and percussion.

I personally inform my percussionstudents of my views on the differencebetween a percussion-performancemajor and a music-education majorhaving a percussion emphasis. For me,the former focuses on preparation for acareer as a performer and considersmany personal (student) factors indetermining a course of study, whilethe latter treats percussion primarilyas a means to develop musicianship.For the music-education major there isless emphasis on amount of literatureto be covered and advanced techniques.

My personal belief is that under-graduates should not specialize, butthis is based on my teaching position ata state institution with a small musicdepartment. First, typical studentshere might not yet fully understandtheir strengths and limitations or the

employment situation. They will spenda considerable portion of their collegeyears developing basic technique andmusicianship. For them, graduateschool is perhaps the best place for spe-cialization. Masters degrees can beearned with minimal financial hard-ship considering the number of schoolsoffering assistantships. At that point,students can pursue study with ateachers who have a particular exper-tise that interests them. If a percus-sionist intends to spend only four yearsin college, the challenge of earning aliving as a performer is perhaps bettermet through versatility.

In order to have the luxury of devotinga portion of undergraduate lesson time todeveloping a particular emphasis (e.g.,solo marimba), a professor of percussionshould take a leadership role in the edu-cation of younger percussion students inthe region. Through efforts such as estab-lishing a preparatory division at the univer-sity or offering clinics at public schools, thelevel of incoming freshmen can be raised.The more they know when they enter afour-year program, the more they can knowby the time they graduate, and the moretime there is for specialization.

John RackUniversity of North Carolina atWilmingtonWilmington, NC

Percussive Notes welcomes commentsand responses to articles. Send letters to:Rebounds, c/o Percussive Notes, P.O.Box 25, Lawton OK 73502.

Annual membership in the Percussive Arts Society begins in the month dues are received and applications processed. Eighty percent ($36) of dues are designated for subscription to PercussiveNotes. • Percussive Notes (ISSN 0553-6502) is printed in the USA at The Johnson Press, Pontiac IL, and is published six times a year: February, April, June, August, October, and Decemberby the Percussive Arts Society, 701 NW Ferris, Lawton, OK 73507; telephone: 405-353-1455. Second Class postage paid at Pontiac, IL and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscriptionrate: Professional/Enthusiast—$45, Library—$40, Student/Senior—$25. • POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Percussive Notes, P.O. Box 25, Lawton, OK 73502. •Correspondence regarding change of address, membership, and other business matters of the Society should be directed to: Percussive Arts Society, P.O. Box 25, Lawton, OK 73502;telephone: 405-353-1455; fax: 405-353-1456. • Editorial material should be sent to: James Lambert, Percussive Notes, P.O. Box 25, Lawton, OK 73502 (U.S. mail) or 701 NW Ferris,Lawton, OK 73507 (delivery service). • Advertising copy, negatives, insertion orders, etc., should be sent to: Percussive Notes, P.O. Box 25, Lawton, OK 73502 (U.S. mail) or 701 NWFerris, Lawton, OK 73507 (delivery service). • © 1994 by the Percussive Arts Society. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this publication without written consent from the PercussiveArts Society is prohibited by law. The Percussive Arts Society reserves the right to reject any editorial or advertising materials. Mention of any product in Percussive Notes does not constitutean endorsement by the Society. The Percussive Arts Society is not responsible for statements or claims made by individuals or companies whose advertising appears in Percussive Notes.

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONSShawn Brown

MANAGING EDITORJames Lambert

SENIOR EDITORRick Mattingly

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

DrumsetRick Mattingly

Marching PercussionJames Campbell

International PercussionRich Holly

Keyboard Percussion and EducationMark Ford

Percussion PerformanceMichael Rosen

Electronic PercussionNorman Weinberg

Percussion ResearchKathleen Kastner

Lisa Rogers

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSMichael Burritt

Norbert GoldbergSteve GrimoRebecca KiteTed Piltzecker

Ed SophBrian Stotz

Jay WanamakerRichard WeinerCharles Wood

PASIC ’94/ATLANTA, GA—NOV. 16–19, 1994Tony McCutchen, Host

PASIC ’95/PHOENIX, AZ—Nov. 1–4, 1995J.B. Smith, Host

PROOFREADEREileen Mance

ART DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING MANAGERShawn Brown

Percussive NotesEditorial Staff

Percussive Notes, an official publication of thePercusssive Arts Society (a nonprofit educational or-ganization), is protected under the United States ofAmerica Copyright Provision, section 107, regardingthe “fair use” of a copyrighted work for purposes ofcriticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, schol-arship, or research.

Share PAS with a friend! Percussive Noteshas exciting news for everyone!

The PAS Hall of Fame award, established in 1972, is bestowed upon individuals whohave significantly influenced the world of percussion, as evidenced by their contribu-tions in one or more of the following categories:

• Excellence in Performance, Writing and/or Composition• Excellence in Teaching, Inventions and/or Discoveries.A complete list of Hall of Fame members appears at the front of each issue of

Percussive Notes, representing a remarkable diversity of excellence that can be cat-egorized as follows:

• Excellence in Performance, Writing and/or Composition:9 Drumset Specialists9 Orchestral Performers (6 Timpani)7 Mallet Artists5 Composers

• Excellence in Teaching, Inventions and/or Discoveries:11 Educators (7 Private Studio and 4 College)6 Industry Entrepreneurs.

(A chart detailing their accomplishments appears on page 14).The process begins with nominations by the membership at large, whose recom-

mendations are forwarded to a special Hall of Fame committee consisting of the Advi-sory Board of Past Presidents and the current PAS President. This committee evalu-ates the nominations and selects the most deserving candidates. These individuals areconsidered for 10 years from the time of their last letter of nomination. The final slate ispresented to the Board of Directors, representing the membership, for a final vote. Thoseelected, living or deceased, are honored at the annual PASIC Hall of Fame Banquet.

Eighty-one individuals have been nominated for the Hall of Fame in the last 10years. Twenty-one of these outstanding individuals have been inducted. In 1993, 14nominations were received from the membership. This list was submitted to the Advi-sory Board of Past Presidents, which also considered 61 previous nominees and com-piled a list of 17 for consideration. Three were recommended to the Board of Directors,who elected all three honorees: Keiko Abe, International Marimba Artist, Composer,Educator and Recording Artist; William F. Ludwig, Jr., President of Ludwig Drum Co.,Author and Educator; and Joe Morello, Drumset Specialist, Author, Educator andRecording Artist.

By Bob Schietroma


The first woman ever inducted into the PAS Hallof Fame, Keiko Abe was honored at the PASIC’93 Awards Banquet in Columbus, Ohio. As the

diminutive lady shylyapproached the micro-phone to thank herpeers, one could onlycontrast her mannerwith the confident wayshe approaches themarimba.

Abe began her ac-ceptance speech withhumility: “Perhaps itis better for me tothink of this honor asa recognition of thepossibilities of the ma-rimba, and the manyfine composers whohave written suchwonderful music forme to experience andshare with audiencesand other marimbists.I also accept thisaward in honor of themany women who

have made great contributions for humanitythrough music.”

Keiko Abe (pronounced KAY-ee-koh AH-beh)is one of the most well-known solo marimbistsin the world. Her unique musical approach hasenchanted audiences and students alike for over30 years.

Abe’s first encounter with a marimba took

place in the early 1950s when Lawrence L.Lacour, an American missionary and professorat Oral Roberts University, brought four marim-bas to Japan. “One day I was going by the morn-ing ceremony when I saw the marimbas andheard the hymns that were being played,”recalled Abe in a 1986 Modern Percussionistinterview. “I was so taken by the sound that Iforgot where my seat was! It was a differentsound, so deep—especially the low sounds—andit made a strong impression.”

Despite a minor detour studying medicine (toplease her father), Abe quickly returned to herfirst love: music. She obtained an educationdegree and became a music teacher, only to real-ize that she really wanted to perform. Fateassisted her decision when she was called to subin a studio session. Composer and arranger IsaoTomita was present, and they soon began aworking relationship in the studio.

Following a decade of studio work and orches-tral playing, Abe sought to broaden her horizonsthrough the study of improvisation. “First Itried to copy artists like Milt Jackson andLionel Hampton,” she explained, “but one day Irealized that these were their voices, not mine. Idecided that I needed to find out my own way—my music, my heart.

“I’ve always been concerned about making myown performance as rich and varied as pos-sible,” she continued. “I had to find a way toensure 100% concentration during perfor-mances, and to achieve a creative space in myplaying that transcends mere technique. I didnot achieve that goal until I began to improvise,both alone and in ensemble. When improvising,you work with a presentiment of the soundsthat are about to be created, and you place each


By Lauren Vogel Weiss

Keiko Abe

phrase in relation to an intuitive and sensualconception of the musical structure. For this tobe successful, you have to concentrate on eachnote as it comes, and each note must count.”

She blends the music and her marimba withunique creative power, acute sensitivity, andvirtuoso technique to produce the consummateconcert experience. In addition to the largenumber of composers who are still dedicatingcompositions to her, she is well-known for herown marimba compositions. Frogs and Michiare two works that appear on countless studentand professional recitals all over the world, andher recordings (on Denon and other labels) arein music stores and music libraries alike.

“The marimba is very special for me,” Abesaid as she accepted her Hall of Fame award. “Ilisten carefully to understand its many possi-bilities. I have great respect for the marimba.When I play, I have a great desire to find its ex-pressive possibilities—knowing that at one timethis most beautiful wood came from a living treewith its own history and experience. It is as ifthe marimba bar breathes like a living tree, andwhen I make music I want to breathe with it.

“With these deep feelings, it is very importantfor me to continue to commission new worksand try to compose music which explores the ex-pressive and emotional possibilities of the ma-rimba to communicate to the listeners who cometo my concerts. Whether the composition has astrict form or explores improvisational possibili-ties, whether it is tonal or atonal, whether it isslow and ambles or it is fast and direct, I hopethe music of the marimba will always focus onreal communication rather than technical virtu-osity for its own sake.”

Appreciative of the support of her husband

and daughter, Abeshares this support byworking with youngmarimbists at theToho Gakuen Collegeof Music in Tokyo, aswell as with studentsall around the globe. Among her morefamous pupils is Evelyn Glennie, an outstand-ing percussion soloist in her own right. “During1986 I went to Japan to study with Keiko,”remembers Glennie. “Her lessons were full ofenergy and full of space as well. There was timeto think. We played together; we improvisedtogether; our lessons were full of communication.”

Keiko Abe’s music is a source of inspirationfor all musicians as she continues to conquernew territory for the marimba. From its primi-tive origins with all the limitations they imply,Abe has transformed the marimba into a com-plete concert instrument. Anyone hearing herplay for the first time will be astonished by themodern marimba’s wealth of nuances and thetremendous scope it can offer a musician. Abepossesses the essential qualities of a greatmusician—the seeming union of a player andinstrument—and she achieves a perfect combi-nation of virtuoso technique with an abundanceof truly deep feelings, from tender introspectionto passionate ardor coupled with great integrity.

“I share this honor,” Ms. Abe concluded, “incelebration not only of the marimba, but also formusic, musicians, and music teachers fromaround the world who create good conditions forbetter communication and understandingthrough the universal language of music.” PN


“It is the culmination of a lifetime…the highestaward in percussiondom…I can finally die,” saysWilliam F. Ludwig, Jr. of his induction to thePAS Hall of Fame. Though the PAS membershipis composed of players, educators, students andindustry people, Ludwig is overwhelmed about

his election because,“Most of the people inthe Hall of Fame arethere for playing.”

Ludwig has workedin the music businessfor over 50 years. Heis articulate andquick-witted, and hispresence is as com-manding as his profes-sional stature.

Ludwig says hism o s t m e m o r a b l emoment, aside fromfamily concerns, waswinning the NationalSolo Drum Competi-tion in 1933. “No, can-cel that,” he said a fewhours before the ’93PASIC Hall of Famebanquet. “It was mybid to buy back the

Ludwig name from Conn in ’55 —against myfather’s wishes. My father sold the company in’29 because of what happened on October 15,1927. It was all Al Jolson’s fault,” he said, refer-ring to the first motion picture to feature sound.“The company lost its customer base almost

overnight. There was no need for live music inthe movie theaters anymore.”

At that time, the company couldn’t rely onsteady sales of student-line instruments as pub-lic school music curriculums were still in theplanning stage. “School music programs werejust beginning to form in the very late ’20s,”Ludwig said. “It began with a gradual comingtogether of the educators themselves, whoformed an association that sponsored solo andensemble contests. This was when parents onlyrented their children’s instruments because theschools wouldn’t buy them. In addition to thecontests, music camps were also organized.School administrators soon recognized the valueof these promotions in that their town nameswould be seen all over the area. That is whenthey finally decided to participate.

“So the only customers my dad had afterJolson were the single players, and thereweren’t enough of them to sustain the business.He decided to sell the company in October of ’29,and two weeks later the stock market crashed.”

Ludwig, Jr. eventually bought the companyback while his father was out of town. “I was soexcited when I called him,” Bill recalls. “As soonas he answered, I said, ‘Hello Mr. President ofLudwig Drum Company.’ But he was mad ashell at me. He said, ‘You mean you bought itback? Are you nuts? You’ll drive us into bank-ruptcy!’ But you know what? Two years later myfather told me it was a good decision.”

Bill Jr. says that the value of a name is farmore important than its sale price, but admitsthat he ultimately surprised himself. “I turnedaround 30 years later and did the very samething when I sold the company to Selmer. Some-times you have to make a business decision


By J. J. Rusch

William F. Ludwig, Jr.

when you don’t necessarily want to.”William F. Ludwig, Jr. began playing drums

at age eight, receiving early lessons from hisfather. He played percussion throughout hisschool years, and in college served as solo tim-panist with the University of Illinois ConcertBand. At the University, he was enrolled in theSchool of Business Economics.

He joined the Ludwig Drum Company in1938, and except for 3 1/2 years of war service,guided its growth until the sale to Selmer. In1940 he authored an instructional book, ModernDance Drumming (formerly Swing Drumming),which is still included in many teaching listsand published in two languages. He also wrotemany of the Ludwig Drum Company catalogsand brochures.

During the 1960s, he guided Ludwig Indus-tries through its greatest growth period, whichresulted in major building expansions and theacquisition of several companies, including theMusser Marimba Company. He was namedpresident of Ludwig Industries in 1973 followingthe death of the founder, William F. Ludwig, Sr.

After 45 years in the business, Bill Ludwig,Jr. is recognized as a leading authority in themanufacture of all types of percussion instru-ments, and guardian of the Ludwig family heri-tage, including the most extensive museum ofearly drums dating from the Revolutionary War.He also collects percussion patents, havingaccumulated and cataloged every Americandrum and accessory patent ever issued by theUnited States Patent Office, beginning with theZimmerman percussion patent of 1858.

Today, nothing seems to delight Ludwig morethan seeing kids enthused about music. “Theyare the industry’s future,” he says, adding that

his advice to anyyoung drummer is ba-sic: “Study and play intime FIRST.

“A lot of successfuljazz drummers weretap dancers. BuddyRich always used to say, ‘I don’t play drums, Idance on them. It’s all in the feet.’ I asked LouieBellson about it and he agreed; he knew how totap dance too. Today, it’s the other way around.There are hundreds of books out on the hands,but none on the feet!”

He is not enthusiastic when it comes to elec-tronics and drums. “Beware of anything youplug into the wall,” he advises. “Drummersshouldn’t be computer programmers. There’snothing like the sound of a real drum. I thinkthe whole electric drum thing will collapse.” Hispersonal philosophy is a simple one. “No matterwhat, you always have to be prepared for whatyou’re going to do,” Ludwig said, reaching intohis pocket and pulling out a single sheet of yel-low notebook paper that contained eight hand-written points noted in single sentences on thepage—his only guideline for that night’s Hall ofFame acceptance speech.

William F. Ludwig, Jr. has lived through warsand depressions, rebuilt and sold a musicempire, and now lectures extensively on the his-tory of drums. No matter what endeavor he pur-sues, he is always—at the very least—preparedto do so. PN


“I was very honored,” Joe Morello says of hisinduction into the PAS Hall of Fame. “It wasespecially nice being there with Bill Ludwig, whoI became associated with in 1954, and it wasgreat seeing guys like Ed Soph and Peter Erskineagain.”

Soph, who presented Morello’s award onbehalf of the PAS, was equally delighted to

spend some time withMorello during PASIC’93. “The thing thatalways impressed meabout Morello,” Sophsaid afterwards, “wasthat you would neverknow he had all thosechops unless youheard him play a solo,because when heplayed behind people,he was never one toshow off and grand-stand. He alwaysplayed for the musicwith beautiful, flowingtime.”

If he hadn’t hadeyesight problems atan early age, Morellowould have pursued acareer as a classicalviolinist. But thestring world’s loss was

the drum community’s gain, as Morello becameone of the most technically accomplisheddrumset players to ever wield a pair of sticks,

setting a new standard for mastery of odd-timesignatures through his work with the DaveBrubeck Quartet.

Born July 17, 1929 in Springfield, Massachu-setts, Morello began studying violin at age six,and three years later was featured with theBoston Symphony Orchestra as soloist in theMendelssohn Violin Concerto. By age 15 he hadswitched to drums, first studying with a showdrummer named Joe Sefcik and then studyingwith the legendary George Lawrence Stone. “I’dwork out of his book, Stick Control, and after Icould play the sticking patterns I’d start throw-ing in accents in various places,” Morellorecalls. Stone was so impressed with Morello’sideas that he incorporated them into his nextbook, Accents & Rebounds, which is dedicated toMorello. Later, Morello studied with Radio CityMusic Hall percussionist Billy Gladstone, one ofthe most technically advanced drummers of alltime.

“My training was basically classical snaredrum technique,” Morello says. “But I used itthe way I wanted to. The objective of a goodteacher is to bring out the creativity of thepupil. Some teachers insist that a student playa certain style. Let the students be themselvesand develop their talent. Give them a knowledgeof the instrument; once they have that, they canuse it the way they want to use it.”

After moving to New York City, Morelloworked with an impressive list of jazz musiciansincluding Johnny Smith, Tal Farlow, Phil Woodsand Stan Kenton. While working with MarianMcPartland at the Hickory House, Morello’stechnical feats attracted the attention of alegion of drummers, who would crowd aroundhim at a back table during intermissions to


By Rick Mattingly

Joe Morello

watch him work out with a pair of sticks on afolded napkin. Jim Chapin tells stories aboutunsuspecting drummers who would try to im-press Morello by showing off their fancy licks.Morello would listen intently, then say, “Is thiswhat you’re doing?” as he’d play their licks backat them twice as fast.

His 12-year stint with Brubeck made Morelloa household name in the jazz (and drumming)world, and on the quartet’s recording of “TakeFive” he performed one of the most famous drumsolos in jazz history. “When people use the word‘technique,’ they usually mean ‘speed,’” Morellosays, commenting on the solo. “But the ‘TakeFive’ solo had very little speed involved. It wasmore about space and playing over the barline. Itwas conspicuous by being so different.”

After leaving Brubeck in 1968 Morellobecame an in-demand clinician, teacher andbandleader. He has appeared on over 120albums, the latest of which is his own GoingPlaces, released last year on DMP. He has writ-ten several drum books, including Master Stud-ies, published by Modern Drummer Publica-tions, and has done an instructional video forHot Licks titled The Natural Approach to Tech-nique. Morello has won countless music pollsover the years, and was elected to the ModernDrummer magazine Hall of Fame in 1988.

Morello says that the secret to technique isrelaxation. “It’s a matter of natural bodymovement,” he explains. “When your hand isrelaxed, your thumb isn’t squeezing againstyour first finger and your wrist isn’t at somefunny angle. The stick just rests in the handin a very natural position. When you strike apractice pad, you should be able to hear thering of the wood stick. The average person

chokes the stick, andthat comes throughon the drum. Thewhole thing is relax-ation and letting thesticks do most of thework.

“Technique is only a means to an end,”Morello stresses. “The more control you have ofthe instrument, the more confidence you willget and the more you will be able to expressyour ideas. But just for technique alone—just tosee how fast you can play so you can machine-gun everybody to death—that doesn’t make anysense. Technique is only good if you can use itmusically.”

Throughout his career, Joe Morello hasembodied that ideal to the fullest, achievingrenown for both his technique and his musical-ity, and inspiring generations of players throughthe example he has set of always striving forexcellence.

“I’m sure there are people who disagree withmy playing,” he says, “and there are some whothink I’m the greatest thing that ever hap-pened. That’s what is so great about this artform. It would be awfully boring if everyoneplayed the same. You would only have to ownone record.

“I’ve heard people say, ‘This drummer swingsmore than that one.’ I think ‘swing’ and ‘feel’ areindividual things. There is not just one way toswing. It’s a feeling that comes from within thatyou project through the drums.

“I’m not the end-all and know-all of thedrums. There’s a lot out there I don’t know, butI’m trying to do the best I can. The main thingis to be original.” PN



INFO

RMA

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OM

PILE

D B

Y BO

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HIE

TRO

MA A

ND S

TAC

I STO

KES

PAS Hall of Famersand their

contributions to thepercussion world


D R U M S E T

By Norman Weinberg

Guidelines for Drumset Notation

HOW SHOULD ONE NOTATEmusic for the drumset? Thisseems a simple question, yetan examination of the pub-

lished resource materials and perfor-mance literature reveals that compos-ers, arrangers, editors, authors and edu-cators often embrace different views onthe subject. This article, based on myDMA dissertation, attempts to answerthe question by surveying the publishedliterature and forming a compendium ofsymbols and notational procedures cur-rently employed for drumset notation.

By itself, a compendium of currentnotational practices does not com-pletely answer the question. DavidCope writes that: “The point is, whatreally needs to be done is not to keeplisting the diverse ways each composersymbolized his music or create substan-tially new and negating systems of no-tation, but to concentrate on codifyingone way for future composers to sym-bolize their music.”1

Recent history offers two examples ofattempts to codify a language. Espe-ranto was an effort to create an interna-tional spoken and written language thatwould be used by all the peoples of theearth. MIDI is a computer protocol thatenables electronic musical instrumentsto communicate with other computer-based systems. Esperanto was a failure,MIDI a success. The success or failure ofany codified system rests on the desireto adopt a standard without regard tospecial interests or personal views.

In an effort to avoid special interests,20 reference works and 200 perfor-mance works were analyzed in this sur-vey. Reference and performance materi-als were further divided into twocategories: those employing precise no-tation, and those based on improvisa-tory frameworks. In an attempt toavoid bias, no composer, arranger, orauthor’s material was represented inthe survey more than twice.

These guidelines will not try to cre-ate a uniquely new notational systemfor the drumset. Instead, they present a

clarification and simplification (whenrequired) of the notational systems al-ready in use in the majority of analyzedworks. I have chosen to follow the pathof Frank McCarty, who wrote that themain goal of a standardized notation “isto strengthen the notational languagebetween composers and performers bysimplifying and clarifying its contentand standardizing its applicabilitywithout, however, limiting its potentialfor expansion.”2

I have avoided a discussion of theconventions of normal musical layout(stem direction, beaming rules, spacingtables, etc.), except when traditional,accepted practice is obviously at oddswith the notation encountered duringthe analysis. I have also avoided work-ing with notational systems that arepurely “graphic” in concept. Theseunique notational systems are highlyindividual—fusing the notation to aspecific work—and not a part of the no-tational system generally in use by themajority of composers and arrangers.These graphic systems are “too specialand distinctive either to offer or requireany standards at this time.”3

This article is intended as a guidelinefor the composer, arranger, performer,educator and editor who may be lookingfor a notational system for the drumsetthat will be clear, concise and (hope-fully) adopted by the drumming commu-nity. Only when the composer and per-former understand the same languagecan true communication take place.

THE NEED FOR A STANDARDIZEDNOTATIONHugo Cole writes: “The first purpose ofa notation is to put over the messageclearly and concisely.”4 While the pur-pose of using a musical notation maybe obvious, the notation’s meaning it-self is not always so apparent. KurtStone writes: “Musical notation, afterall, is not an ideal method of commu-nication, utilizing, as it does, visualdevices to express aural concepts. Butit is all we have.”5

All communication systems requireconvention, and musical notation is noexception. In order for communicationto take place, the speaker must use alanguage familiar to the listener.Rastall assumes that the “composerand performer have a basic commonunderstanding of what is implied bythe notation.”6 Yet, this common under-standing between composer and per-former often breaks down, leaving theperformer confused concerning the ex-act intent of the composer.

When discussing notational problemsthat create confusion for performers,Cole offers the following list of the eightmost common causes of problematic no-tation:

1. Graphical faults (poor spacingand alignment, badly-formed symbols,unclear layout).

2. Inconsistency (contradictorymarkings, symbols used in differentsenses without good cause).

3. Too little information given(that is, too little for adequate perfor-mance under the prevailing conditions).

The most treacherous situation is ofthe generally consistent writer whoabandons consistency. If, for instance,nearly all simultaneous notes are prop-erly aligned, the few exceptions will bemuch more likely to mislead than ifalignment was haphazard throughout.

4. Too much information given(that is, unnecessarily much under pre-vailing conditions).

5. Meaningless precision.... but unnecessary instructions, such

as fingerings for expert players orbowings on every note, are unnecessaryin all conceivable contexts, and so un-justifiable. Excessive use of redundantand precautionary markings is also asymptom of overanxiety, and is to bedeprecated.

6. Uncertainty as to terms of con-tract (degree of latitude to be taken ininterpretation).

7. Ambiguity (where signs mayhave two meanings, only one of whichcan be correct).


Ex. 1. Key

÷

Ex. 2. The Staff and Clef for Drumset Notation

Ex. 3. Snare Drum, Bass Drum One, and Bass Drum Two Staff Positions

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Snare

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Bass

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Bass

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Tom

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Tom

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Open

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Ride

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Crash

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China

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Cowbell

—

8. Insufficiency of notation forthe job at hand.7

Percussion notation has its ownunique set of problems in addition tothose listed by Cole. As composers andarrangers invent signs, symbols andterminology, the percussionist is facedwith learning a multitude of musicallanguages.

The dream of a standardized percus-sion notation has long been the wish ofperformers and composers. Yet thedream has not materialized. Over 25years have passed since FrankMcCarty’s questionnaire on percussionnotation was published by the Percus-sive Arts Society. The results of thequestionnaire proved that 87% of therespondents agreed with the statementthat “an international symbologyshould be adopted.”8 Donald Martinosums up the desire to clarify notationby saying “the need to clarify and stan-dardize the existing symbols of ournotation must surely be evident.”9

Recently, there has been an explosionof drumset literature. An increase inthe popularity of jazz, pop and rockmusic (all of which make strong use ofthe drumset) continues to produce moremusicians who are interested in learn-ing to play the drumset. These musi-cians are a potential market for pub-lishers who produce books andmaterials for drumset instruction aswell as written arrangements ofrecorded performances. The emergenceof journals and popular magazinesdedicated to a large extent towarddrumset performance practices has pro-duced additional exercises and tran-scriptions of recorded drumset perfor-mances. The increased influence ofLatin, Caribbean, African and Indianmusic upon the commercial music scenehas spawned a variety of “style” guides

for the drumset. The evolution of thehome-publishing industry has made itpossible for anyone with a new idea topublish a method book, arrangement,or musical composition.

In the present state of affairs, eachmethod book, performance transcrip-tion, style study, magazine article ormusical composition requires a newand individual solution to the problemof drumset notation, and drumset nota-tion falls into further disarray.

THE GUIDELINESDrumset performance can be divided intotwo distinct styles: precise and improvi-sational. Precise musical notation is es-sential for many drumset solos, percus-sion ensembles, method books and edu-cational articles. Improvisational nota-tion is indispensable for popular music.Since these two performance styles havedistinct notational requirements, theguidelines will be divided into two parts.The first part will cover notational guide-lines for precise performance notation.The second part will present guidelinesfor improvisational performance notation.

In arriving at the recommendationsfor the guidelines, the criteria for selec-tion employed by the InternationalConference on New Music Notation was

constantly consulted. The Conference’scriteria were:

1. Given a choice, the preferablenotation is the one that is an extensionof traditional notation.

2. The notation should lend itself toimmediate recognition. This means itshould be:

a) graphically distinct;b) as self-explanatory as possible3. Proposals should be made only in

cases where a sufficient need is antici-pated.

4. Analogous procedures in differentinstrumental families should benotated similarly.

5. Given a choice, the preferablenotation is the one that has receivedrelatively wide acceptance.

6. The notation should be sufficientlydistinct graphically to permit a reason-able amount of distortion due to varia-tions in handwriting and different writ-ing implements.

7. The notation used should be themost efficient for the organizationalprinciples that underlie the respectivecomposition.

8. Given a choice, the preferable notationis the one that is spatially economical.10

Specifically applied to these guide-lines, criteria 1 and 5 were interpreted



to mean that a preferable notation isone that is employed in a majority ofthe 220 publications examined for theseguidelines. Criterion 2 (“graphicallydistinct”) specifies that signs and sym-bols should not contradict one another.In other words, each notation recom-mendation must represent a uniquesign, a unique staff position, and/or aunique symbol. Criterion 3 suggeststhat recommendations not be made forperformance techniques of a highlyindividual nature. And criterion 6 wasexpanded to include notational symbolsthat are common to computer-basedmusic-notation software.

PRECISE NOTATIONThe Legend—The legend (called a “no-tational key” or simply “key”) is a graphicexplanation of the notational systemused by the composer or arranger. Theseguidelines recommend the following con-cerning a notational key:

1. All compositions and charts shouldinclude a key.

2. The key should be given before anyactual music is indicated in the work.The key may be presented during theintroductory text in a method book, thefirst staff system in an improvisational-style chart, or above the music in an ar-ticle included in a journal or magazine.

3. The key should include the staffpositions for all instruments (writtenwith their associated note heads), allarticulation signs, all beater signs, andall additional notational graphic sym-bols used in the music.

4. All symbols, staff positions, note-head alterations, sticking, beaters, etc.,must be strictly followed for the dura-tion of the entire publication or sectionof the publication.

5. Do not include any notation signsor symbols in the music that are not de-fined in the key.

6. The only allowable addition to themusic after the key is given, should bewritten text.

STAFF POSITIONS FOR DRUMSThese guidelines recommend that all

drumset music be notated on the tradi-

tional five-line staff system. In addi-tion, all drumset music should employthe “neutral clef” (also called the “per-cussion clef”) to indicate that staff posi-tion locations are not indicative of pre-cise pitch.

Snare Drum and Bass Drums—The snare drum should be written onthe third space in the staff. This staffposition was employed in over 86% ofprecisely notated performance litera-ture, and in 97% of all improvisationalcharts included in the survey.

Works calling for a single bass drumshould place this instrument on thefirst space of the staff. This location isused in nearly 70% of all precisely no-tated performance literature, and over97% of all improvisational works. Whena second bass drum is required, itshould be scored on the first line of thestaff. Over 57% of all precisely notateddrumset literature that require a sec-

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Ex. 4. Tom-tom Staff Positions—One to Ten Tomsond bass drum place the instrument atthis staff position.

Tom-toms—As shown by the resultsof this survey, the position of tom-tomson the staff varies widely depending onthe number of toms required in thepublication. For example, when pre-cisely notated works call for only twotom-toms, the most common staff posi-tions are the top space for the first tom-tom and the second space for the secondtom-tom. But, when compositionsrequire four tom-toms, the most com-mon staff positions are the top space forthe first tom-tom and the fourth line forthe second tom. For this reason, theseguidelines will not present recommen-dations for staff positions based on firsttom, second tom or third tom. Instead,the recommendation will be based onthe total number of tom-toms includedin the composition (see Ex. 4).

STAFF POSITIONS FOR CYMBALSHi-hat—The hi-hat cymbals played withthe foot should be notated on the firstspace below the staff. This location rep-resents a solid majority of surveyed per-formance literature.

The hi-hat cymbals played by thehand should be placed in the spaceabove the top line of the staff. This lo-cation keeps the notation of hi-hat cym-bals (either played by the hand or thefoot) consistently on a space of the staff.

This location represents the firstinstance of having two instruments atthe same staff position location, as thehighest tom-tom in a set of seven tomsalso uses the first space above the staff.It is assumed that composers will rarelyneed to notate the highest of seven tom-toms at the same time as a hi-hat cym-bal played with the hand, but even ifthis is necessary, the cymbal’s identifica-tion will be made clear with the use ofan “X” note head. Example 6 illustrateshow the hi-hat cymbal and the tom-tomcan share staff locations.

Ride and Crash Cymbals—Theride cymbal should be placed on the topline of the staff. The crash cymbalshould be placed on the first ledger lineabove the staff. By using this staff posi-

tion for the crash cymbal, a logical con-sistency is achieved when a composi-tion calls for the use of the three mostcommon cymbals (this would include allof the surveyed works written in animprovisational notational style and allbut a few works written in precise nota-tion): hi-hat cymbals are notated onspaces of the staff and the hanging, orsuspended cymbals, are notated onlines of the staff.

Additional Cymbals—If more cym-bals are required for the performance,it would be logical to expand this sys-tem below and above the recommendedstaff positions. The top space of thestaff should be reserved for a second setof hi-hat cymbals. While only two of thesurveyed compositions call for a secondset of hi-hats, their use is becomingmore and more popular as drummersplace an additional pair of hi-hats on



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Ex. 5. Hi-hat Cymbals Staff Positions (Hands and Feet)

Ex. 6. Cymbal and Drum Sharing Same Staff Location

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Ex. 7. Ride and Crash Cymbal Staff Positions

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Ex. 8. Additional Cymbal Staff Positions

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Ex. 9. Cowbell Notation

the right-hand side of the drumset. Ifthis staff position is used, then allhi-hat cymbals will still be notated onthe spaces of the staff, thus keeping alogical and consistent format.

The fourth line of the staff should bereserved for a second ride cymbal. Plac-ing this instrument on the fourth linewould again be consistent with the no-tion that ride cymbals are written onthe upper lines of the staff.

Additional crash cymbals should beplaced above the first crash cymbal(starting at the space above the firstledger line above the staff). The exactcymbal types (China, splash, sizzle,swish, etc.) should be identified in thekey of the composition. For the per-former, the fact that a cymbal writtenat a certain staff location is a Chinacymbal or a splash cymbal is not rel-evant. Once the instrument is identi-fied in the key, and the performerplaces the requested instrument at aconvenient physical location for perfor-mance, the written identification of thecymbal type in the music is no longernecessary.

It is assumed that a composer or ar-ranger will seldom need to notate cym-bals above the second ledger line. Withthe system outlined above, seven cym-bals can be placed on the staff (this rep-resents the largest number of cymbalsseen in the surveyed literature). Stan-dard notation for cymbals will includetwo hi-hat cymbals, two ride cymbals,and three crash cymbals of varioustypes. If more cymbals are required forperformance, additional notes can beplaced above the second ledger line,and continuing higher above the staff.

STAFF POSITIONS FOR ADDITIONALINSTRUMENTS

The additional instrument most of-ten scored in drumset music is thecowbell. With a total of 19 precisely no-tated compositions in the survey callingfor the cowbell, a special, standardizedcowbell notation is necessary. It is rec-ommended that the cowbell be assignedto the top space in the staff. This willafford a unique staff position when the

cowbell is being played with the firsthi-hat in a common performance stylecalled “two-surface riding.”

In addition, a unique note-head sym-bol must be employed so that the per-former will be able to differentiate be-tween the other instruments and thecowbell. It is recommended that thecowbell be written with a closed tri-angle note head. When rhythmic valuesexceed a quarter note, the triangle notehead can be written open, thus indicat-ing a longer durational value.

SPECIAL NOTE HEADSCymbal Note Heads—The results ofthis survey on drumset notation showthat a large majority of composers andarrangers continue to employ the “X”-shaped note head for the notation of cym-bals. In the surveyed drumset musicwritten in precise notation, this notehead is used to indicate all of the cym-bals in 65 examples. Surveyed drumsetcharts written in an improvisationalstyle display a similar affinity for theuse of an “X” note head to indicate cym-


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Ex. 10. Cymbal Note Heads

Ex. 11. Parenthetical Notes for Ghost Strokes

Ex. 12. Rimshot Notation

Ex. 13. Hi-hat Articulation Notations

bals. Of the surveyed charts, 69 use an“X” for all cymbal notes.

With this magnitude of frequency,“X”-shaped note head should continueto be used in drumset music. The factremains that the “X” note head is themost popular (and most consistent)note-head alteration in currentdrumset literature.

These guidelines recommend that allcymbals (hi-hat, ride, crash, China,splash, etc.) be indicated with “X” noteheads. In addition to following the gen-eral convention of the surveyed litera-ture, the use of “X” note heads providesthe composer or arranger with amethod for placing both a drum and acymbal at the same staff location.

Due to the large number of improvi-sational charts that already employthis system, it is recommended thatcymbal note values longer than a quar-ter note be written with diamond noteheads. Stone recognizes this conventionwhen he notes: “Cymbals— x-shapednote heads for black notes; open dia-mond-shaped note heads for half andwhole notes.”11

Ghost Strokes—It is recommendedthat parenthetical note heads be usedto indicate ghost strokes. With theexception of “X”-shaped note headsused to indicate cymbals, the most com-mon altered note head found in the sur-veyed literature is one surrounded byparenthesis indicating a ghost stroke.Ghost strokes written as parentheticalnotes allow the use of this performancetechnique on any type of instrument(drums, cymbals, cowbells, etc.).

Rimshots—In the works examinedfor these guidelines, five different noteheads were defined as “rimshot” and 12different note heads specified rimshotvariations. These figures only representthe use of note heads to indicaterimshots. When articulations are usedto indicate rimshots, 14 additionalrimshots and rimshot variations areencountered. Obviously, drumset nota-tion shouldn’t require 31 different nota-tional procedures for a single effect.

Just as the notational symbol forghost strokes can be applied to any in-

strument of the drumset, a symbol forthe basic rimshot must be able to indi-cate this performance technique onboth the snare drum and the tom-toms.It is obvious that an “X”-shaped notehead may cause confusion when a largenumber of drums or cymbals need to beplaced on the staff, since an “X”-shapednote head indicating a rimshot wouldbe indistinguishable from a noteintended for a cymbal.

It is recommended that all rimshotsbe written as a normal note head sur-rounded by a circle. This conforms tothe standards set forth by both Stoneand Gardner Read’s Notation: AManual of Modern Practice.

Note Heads for Additional In-struments—Composers of both pre-cisely notated works and improvisa-tional charts write for instruments(such as the cowbell, woodblock, gongor triangle) that are not always associ-ated with the normal instruments inthe drumset. When additional instru-

ments are notated in drumset music,they should use triangle-shaped noteheads (either open or filled, dependingon the durational value). Instructionsfor the use of additional instrumentsmust be included in the key and strictlyobserved throughout the composition.

ARTICULATIONSHi-hat Articulations—It is recom-mended that open hi-hat cymbals bewritten with an “X” note head and anopen circle articulation mark. Closedhi-hat notes should use the articulationof the plus sign. These articulation signsand their associated meanings areapproved by the International Confer-ence on New Musical Notation, and rec-ommended by both Stone and Brindle.12

It is further recommended that thearticulation for closed hi-hat not beindicated unless the composer orarranger feels that it would clarify aparticular passage. The inclusion ofcircle and plus signs above every note



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Ex. 14. Natural Decay Notation for Additional Clarity

Ex. 15. Unnatural Decay Notation—Cymbals and Drums

Ex. 16. Bell and Edge of Cymbal Notation.

Ex. 17. Center and Edge of Drum Notation.

would be cumbersome and clumsy. Itshould be assumed that all hi-hatnotes are to be played on the closedhi-hat unless the articulation sign foropen hi-hats is present.

One of the main advantages of usingthe open circle for the open hi-hat isthat this articulation works equallywell for notes defined as a “foot splash.”This performance technique involvesplaying the hi-hat pedal with the footin such as manner as to create a soundsimilar to a pair of small crash cym-bals, rather than the tight “chick”sound normally associated with the hi-hat cymbals played with the foot. Simi-lar to the articulation for the closed hi-hat with hand, the closed hi-hat withfoot should be assumed unless thisarticulation sign is employed.

The symbol of an open circle bisectedby a line should be used to indicate ahalf-open (or half-closed) hi-hat. Whilethis performance technique is not ascommon as the stroke for fully openhi-hats, it does offer a higher degree ofprecision and musical nuance to boththe composer and arranger.

Decay Symbols—It should beassumed that all instruments of thedrumset be allowed to ring for the entirelength of their natural decay, and thatthe actual value of the intended dura-tions be written in the music. It is rec-ommended that composers and arrang-ers use the incomplete tie to indicatenotes that are allowed to ring throughtheir natural decay only if they feel thatcertain passages would benefit fromadditional clarification. Otherwise, nospecial articulation of durational valueis required. Some of the surveyed com-positions include the “L.V.” instructionalong with an incomplete tie. This prac-tice is redundant, as only one sign isnecessary and generally sufficient toindicate the desired result.

Notes on any instrument that areto be performed in a manner wherethe natural vibrations are cut offshould use the hi-hat articulations ofan open circle and the plus sign forsuch purposes. As seen in the examplebelow, this articulation can be applied

to both drums and cymbals with clar-ity and precision.

Surface-Area Indications—Fewworks surveyed for these guidelines in-corporate any type of surface-areaspecifications other than a written in-struction to play on the bell of the cym-bal. While surface-area designationsare more common in works written formultiple-percussion than they are onthe drumset, composers and arrangersmay want to incorporate more accuratesurface-area designations in the future.

It is generally agreed that percus-sionists “will usually strike the samearea of the cymbal unless otherwiseinstructed.”13 The Percussive Arts So-ciety agrees with Adams’ statementby saying that “the percussionist willplay in the area that elicits the besttonal quality from the instrument.”14

Therefore, it is unnecessary to indi-cate any surface area specification un-less the composer or arranger is ask-

ing for a specific musical color.If the use of a special surface area is

desired, it is best indicated by a briefword or two written above the music(such as “at bell,” “at edge” or “at cen-ter.” If the indications of surface areaschange so often that written text be-comes cumbersome, an additional ar-ticulation mark may be included forclarity. It is recommended that themethod approved by the InternationalConference on New Musical Notationbe used for such indications. An illus-tration of this notation is shown in Ex.16 and 17.

Additional Articulations—Allother articulations found in the sur-veyed works were seen in fewer than3% of the compositions. There is nodoubt that literally hundreds of differ-ent timbres can be coaxed from thedrumset by the use of special malletsand performance techniques combinedwith various surface areas. It would be

( ((


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Ex. 18. Sticking Indications

Ex. 19. One Voice Drumset Notation

Ex. 20. Two Voice Drumset Notation

Ex. 21. Changing from Vertical to Linear in the Same Measure

an impossible task to codify every pos-sible request from every composer, asinnovative ideas for creating newsounds are constantly devised.

It is recommended that any addi-tional performance techniques (suchas rimshot variations or playing onthe shell of a drum) be indicated withbrief text. If the alterations and modi-fications occur so often as to make theuse of text cumbersome, additionalarticulation systems should be de-vised. These additional articulationsshould be clearly defined in the keyand strictly adhered to throughoutthe entire publication.

It is further recommended that thenormal musical symbols for articula-tion and expression be avoided for thepurpose of creating special articula-tion signs. Accent, marcato, tenuto,slurs, ties, staccato, staccatissimo andother markings usually associatedwith the normal expression of musicalideas should be avoided. In addition,individual or unconventional abbre-viations should not be used for thispurpose. Instead, composers and ar-rangers may be free to invent theirown signs, or use special articulationsymbols normally associated withnon-percussion techniques.

Sticking—These guidelines recom-mend the use of the upper-case letters“R” and “L” for the indication of stick-ing. The method of writing an “R” aboveor below the note for the right handand an “L” to indicate the left hand canbe seen in over 73% of the surveyedworks that use sticking indications. Inaddition, the recommendation of thePercussive Arts Society should be fol-lowed: “The sticking should not be in-cluded unless a specific sticking is nec-essary to produce a desired effect.”15

Voicing for the Drumset—Thehighest percentage of works surveyedfor this paper write the drumset as asingle voice, as two voices, or freely al-ternate between one and two voices.These voicing methods account for 80%of all surveyed precisely written worksand 89% of all surveyed improvisa-tional charts.

It is recommended that drumset mu-sic be written in one or two voices, de-pending on the musical context and thevoicing that will provide the clearest in-tentions of the composer or arranger.Generally speaking, passages that areoften called “beats” contain one or moreinstruments that perform an ostinatopassage and one or more instrumentsthat play a rhythmic figure of morefreedom. Passages such as this are bestnotated in two voices. Passages thatcan be described as “fills” (horizontal or“linear” lines rather than a homophonicor “vertical” structure) are often bestnotated as a single voice. Changes be-tween one and two voices in the samemeasure should be avoided. However,changes between one and two voicesfrom one measure to another measureare acceptable.

Following general notational prac-

tices, when two lines of music are writ-ten on the same staff, the “stems of theupper part are drawn upward, thestems of the lower part downward, re-gardless of the position on the staff.”16

The position of rests placed upon thestaff can be shifted so that it is clear towhat line the rest belongs. However, ifa rest is “common to both lines, it canappear once at its normal position onthe staff.”17

Beaters—The most common beater,other than the normal drum stick, isthe brush, and the most commonmethod of indicating the use of a brushis the written word. It is recommendedthat beaters be indicated by writtenword unless the composer or arrangerfeels that fast changes between a num-ber of different beaters would be betterunderstood by graphic symbols. Ifgraphic symbols are to be used, they



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Ex. 22. Changing from Linear to Vertical in the Same Measure

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Œ Œ

Ex. 23. Symbols for Standard Beaters

should be defined in the key, and theiruse should be strictly observedthroughout the publication.

The graphic symbol for a brushshould be a pictogram of a brush. Thesymbol for a soft mallet should be anopen circle at the end of a vertical line,and the symbol for a hard malletshould be a closed circle at the end of avertical line. The symbol for a normaldrumstick should consist of a pictogramof a drum stick or a very small closedcircle at the end of a vertical line. Eso-teric beaters (such as knitting needles,rattan sticks, Superballs or coins, toname but a few) should be indicated bya brief word in the score or defined as agraphic symbol in the key.

It is recommended that composersand arrangers not invent their ownsymbols for esoteric beaters if a com-mon symbol already exists for thisbeater. When combinations of beatersare used in a graphic pictogram, it isrecommended that the composer followthe guidelines approved by the Interna-tional Conference on New Music Nota-tion. It reads:

Combinations of sticks:• All combinations should be boxed;• Do not indicate L.H., R.H. at top

of box;• Always draw the striking end

next to top of box18

Written Instructions—It is the rec-ommendation of these guidelines thatall written instructions be given inEnglish. Instructions that are longerthan a few words should be given a spe-cial symbol or short descriptive wordand be defined as such in the key.

According to John O’Neill, the mostcommon musical sign outside the staffis the written word.19 However, it iscumbersome to include long passages ofdescriptive text in close relation to thestaff. Karkoschka recommends that,“Symbols should be chosen where oth-erwise a lengthy text would be neces-sary, or when frequent recurrencemakes it more convenient to use theminstead of words.”20 Cope agrees whenhe writes: “If the verbal descriptionbecomes so long as to become cumber-

some and space consuming, it is best tocodify a single word or short phrasedefining such, with further elaborationat the beginning of the score.”21

Both authors are saying that aninstruction such as: “Turn L.H. over(back of hand facing ceiling). Lay tip ofstick on head and play with shoulder ofstick on hoop.”22 should not be includedin the notation. Instead, this instructionshould be given a symbol or a brief de-scriptive term in the key, and used con-sistently throughout the publication.

IMPROVISATIONAL NOTATIONWritten Beats—It is recommended thatcomposers and arrangers provide thedrumset player with a simplified ver-sion of a stylistically correct time pat-tern at the style’s first appearance. Ifdesired, additional clarity can be pro-vided by the term “ad lib.” written abovethe basic beat pattern.

If all composers and arrangers pro-vided this service to all drummers, thenyounger players would be able to sightread a basic time pattern that was sty-listically correct. When a composer orarranger begins a chart with only theinstruction “Latin”, young players areoften left in the dark. In addition, expe-

or


Ex. 24. Time Pattern Notation With Variations

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Ad Lib. Snare as written Ad Lib.

Ex. 25. Time Pattern Notation Without Variation

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Ad Lib.

4

8

rienced players would certainly notexpect to play the basic time patternnote-for-note, as the “ad lib.” indicationclearly shows the composer’s intent.

Time Styles—It is suggested thatcomposers offer basic beat patternsthat contain written notes for two ormore instruments of the drumset. Com-posers and arrangers can use the fol-lowing methods to indicate that theperformer is to play time for anextended period after the initial basicbeat pattern has been introduced: Awritten beat pattern should be usedwhen specific rhythmic figures aredesired or if the performer is to playcertain rhythms exactly as written. Insuch cases, the composer or arrangermay choose to add indications such as

“As written,” “Bass drum as written,”“Hi-hat as written,” etc., for additionalclarity. If these written indications arenot added to the music, the performershould feel free to play (or not play) thenotated passage.

The time style shown in Ex. 25 is rec-ommended if the performer is free toimprovise all parts. It is assumed thatcomposers and arrangers will want touse both methods of time notation, de-pending on what best suits their needs.

Fills—Composers and arrangerscommonly use the terms “Solo” and“Fill” seemingly without regard to theexact meaning of the text. It is recom-mended that the instruction “Solo” beused only when the performer is fea-tured for the indicated length of time.

Similar to the use of the term in orches-tral parts, “Solo” indicates than noother instruments in the ensemble areplaying, or that the part is to stand outfrom the remaining instruments in theensemble. The term “Fill” is much lessspecific, and should be used for all indi-cations that are not solos. Three meth-ods of notation are recommended forfills and solos: Precise fills—when thearranger knows exactly what he or shewants the performer to play; Rhythmicfills—when the arranger knows whatrhythm the drummer should play, butwill leave the exact instrumentation upto the performer; and Free fills—whenthe arranger allows the drummer tocreate rhythms and voicings for thepassage.



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Ex. 26. Precise Flls or Solos

Ex. 27. Rhythmic Fill or Solo Notation

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Solo

Ex. 28. Free Fill and Solo Notation

Ex. 29. Kick Line Notation

Precise Fills or Solos—Obviously,precise fills or solos should be notatedexactly as the composer wishes them tosound. So there can be no question thatthe performer is to play the writtennotes, the instruction “as written”should be included above the fill or solo.

Rhythmic Fills or Solos—Whenany rhythm is written in the staff withregular (or even “X”-shaped) noteheads, it can easily be misinterpretedas notes for a particular instrument(drums or cymbals). It is recommendedthat all fills and solos that notate arhythmic figure without indicating in-struments, be written with slashednote heads on the middle line of thestaff. Slashed notes heads should alle-viate any possible misinterpretation bythe performer.

Free Fills or Solos—It is recom-mended that composers and arrangersuse a series of slashes to indicate im-provisation.

Kicks—It is recommended that allkick lines be written above the staff incue-size notes. When kick lines arewritten in cue-size notes above thestaff, their meaning is clear. It wouldbe difficult to interpret kick lines asrhythms for any specific instrument inthe drumset. In addition, it is recom-mended that all kick lines include awritten indication that identifies theinstrument or section performing therhythm. This knowledge is vital to anintelligent, musical decision concerninghow the performer will interpret thekick on the drumset.

Structural Indications—Since allkick lines will be identified by instru-ment, other structural indications arenot required. However, the composer orarranger can be extremely helpful byproviding indications concerning thecomposition’s form. Written indicationssuch as “Intro,” “Verse,” “Head,” “Cho-rus,” “Bridge,” “Vamp,” etc., will provideboth the novice and the professionalwith a clearer picture of the form.

SUMMARYDuring the course of this survey, a star-tling number of notational variations

were found, including stave systemsranging from no lines to ten lines. Con-cerning the traditional five-line staff: sixdifferent positions for the snare drum,four different positions for the bassdrum, and nearly 100 individual meth-ods for notating tom-toms and cymbalswere analyzed and cataloged. An amaz-ing number of note heads and articula-tions were discovered in the literature:91 individual note-head variations and64 different articulations.

Obviously, the wide variety of nota-tional procedures encountered indrumset notation can cause frustra-tion for the novice and experienced

player alike. No other instrument intraditional ensemble organizationsasks a musician to work within such adisorganized and ever-changing nota-tional system. O’Neill realizes thatlearning a standard set of uniformsymbols is much preferred to learningunstan-dardized notation. He writes:“In the identification of elementswithin a series, subjects learn fasterif the elements can be identified withreference to a norm. Learning pro-ceeds most rapidly if there is someperceivable structure, particularly ifthat structure is developed (rein-forced) through physical presence.”23

÷4

4

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Fill



The notational system presented in these guidelines willsuffice for the vast majority of current drumset notation. Infact, this system would be applicable for each of the 220 pub-lications analyzed in this survey. As drumset performance re-quirements advance past their current point, these guide-lines can be expanded to fit the needs of both the composerand performer.

If all composers, arrangers, editors, and publishersadopted the guidelines presented in this paper, many aspectsof drumset performance would be enhanced. They would beperforming a great service to the drumset musicians who areexpected to properly interpret their creations.

ENDNOTES1. Cope, David, New Music Notation (Dubuque, Iowa:

Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., 1976), xi.2. Frank McCarty, “Percussion Notation,” Percussionist

15 (Winter 1978): 50.3. Ibid., 51.4. Hugo Cole, Sounds and Signs: Aspects of Musical Nota-

tion (London: Oxford University Press, 1974), 28.5. Kurt Stone, Music Notation in the Twentieth Century: A

Practical Guidebook (New York: W.W. Norton & Company,1980), xvii.

6. Rastall, Notation of Western Music, 11.7. Cole, Sounds and Signs, 32-33.8. Frank McCarty, “Percussion Notation,” Percussionist

15 (Winter 1978): 57-58.9. John C. O’Neill, “Recent Trends in Percussion Nota-

tion,” Percussionist 18 (Fall 1980): 51.10. Herman Sabbe, Kurt Stone, and Gerald Warfield, eds.,

“International Conference on New Musical Notation Report,”Interface 4 (November 1975): 33.

11. Stone, Music Notation, 219.12. Ibid., p. 82; Stone, Music Notation, 224; Brindle, Con-

temporary Percussion, 82.13. Daniel Clifford Adams, “Striking Implement and Sur-

face Area Specification in Unaccompanied Multiple Percus-sion Solos: Its Compositional Significance” (D.M.A. diss.,University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1985), 2.

14. Percussive Arts Society, Inc., Percussion Notation, 5.15. Ibid., 3.16. Boehm, Music Notation, 33.17. George Heussenstamm, The Norton Manual of Music

Notation (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1987), 79.18. Herman Sabbe, Kurt Stone, and Gerald Warfield, eds.,

“New Musical Notation Report,” 77.19. O’Neill, “Recent Trends”, 39.20. Erhard Karkoschka, Notation in New Music, trans.

Ruth Koenig (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1972), 5.21. Cope, New Music Notation, 5.22. Jared Spears, A Time for Jazz (San Antonio, TX: South-

ern Music Company, 1975), 1.23. O’Neill, “Recent Trends,” 28. PN

Dr. Norm Weinberg is a Professor ofMusic at Del Mar College in CorpusChristi, Texas, and Principal Timpanist/Percussionist with the Corpus ChristiSymphony. He serves as Associate Editorof Percussive Notes and as Chairper-son for the PAS World Percussion Net-work Committee.

Don’t forgetthe

BuildingFund!



D R U M S E T

By Dennis Rogers

Drumset’s Struggle for Legitimacy

I N 24 YEARS OF COLLEGE MUSICteaching my greatest dilemma hasbeen the way in which non-percussion music faculty view

drumset. General discussions with thesecolleagues confirms that drumset is alegitimate instrument that is quite ac-ceptable in the percussion curriculum.Yet, when it comes time for juries orrecitals, it is considered “most inappro-priate” for students to display theirdrumset skills. In discussions with sev-eral college teachers as PASICs over thepast decade, I have discovered that manyof them share this situation.

Most college music departments seemto accept the fact that drumset is beingtaught as part of the college percussioncurriculum. So the major problem facingpercussion professors is not the accep-tance of drumset into the curriculum butthe need for organized and effectivemethods of drumset instruction. Therenow exist two PAS committees for ad-dressing curriculum and instructionproblems that relate to drumset: thePAS Drumset Committee, chaired byEd Soph, and the PAS College Peda-gogy Committee, currently chaired byinterim Gary Cook.

The major question facing these com-mittees is “How do we best teachdrumset?” Drumset instructors—whoare the best resource for solving theseproblems—tend to fall into two cat-egories: 1. Formally trained “collegetype” percussion instructors whoteach drumset as part of a formal cur-riculum; 2. “Player types” who havegraduated from the “school of experi-ence” and are teaching outside of thecollege environment—private studios,music stores, etc.

Both are valuable resources for thestructuring and development of themost effective method of drumset in-struction. The problem appears to existin the difficulty of the two types of in-structors to communicate with eachother clearly to define and solve in-structional problems. This lack of com-munication is often a result of their dif-

fering backgrounds. The player/teachertends to lean heavily towards the prag-matic side, while the college instructortends more to a theoretical and peda-gogical approach. Both have valuableinsights to offer, and combining bothtypes of information into a balancedinstructional method should ideallylead to the most efficient method ofdrumset instruction. One place tostart in developing structureddrumset instruction might beto organize existing high-qualitydrumset method books into a plannedcurriculum.

Another step towards legitimizingdrumset in the overall musical world isin the commissioning of works fordrumset and orchestra, or drumset andband. Percussionist Steve Houghton hasalready contributed to this effort by com-missioning and performing works such asConcerto for Percussion and Orchestra byBilly Childs (1986), Concerto for Percus-sion, Brass and Percussion by John Serry(1985), and Music for Solo Percussionand Winds by Less Hooper (1984).

College percussion instructors shouldalso consider writing structured drum-set pieces that contain improvisationalsections within the structured solos.Students should be encouraged to do thesame. In fact, one of my former stu-dents, Rod Lincoln, wrote a drumsetwork with taped accompaniment for hissenior recital, and the piece, “Moods forInteraction” was subsequently pub-

lished by Studio 4 Productions. I havewritten and self-published eight drum-set recital pieces for college students,which makes me think that many of ushave music available to share witheach other.

Developing drumset curriculum andinstruction can take place if efforts atcommunication are made by alldrumset teachers, regardless of differ-ing backgrounds. In fact, it is the shar-ing of these differences that will lead todevelopment of the most effective meth-ods of drumset instruction. The twoPAS committees are the best conduittowards achieving success in this area,and I encourage them to continue theirimportant work. PN

Dennis G. Rogersis Director of Per-cussion Studies atMissouri WesternState College. Heholds BM and MMdegrees in percus-sion performancefrom the Univer-

sity of Missouri Kansas City Conser-vatory of Music, and MNA in Adultand Continuing Education and PhDin Curriculum and Instruction inHigher Education degrees from UMKCSchool of Education. His books SoloStudies Book I, II, and III and adrumset solo, “Flitation,” are publishedby Southern Music Company. Dr. Rogersserved on the planning committee forPASIC ’87 in St. Louis. He is presentlyserving on two PAS committees—the Col-lege Pedagogy Committee and theDrumset Committee. Dr. Rogers is chair-ing the Curriculum & Instruction Sub-committee, which is a part of the CollegePedagogy Committee.

Send address changes to:Percussive Arts Society

P.O. Box 25Lawton, OK 73502


R UDIMENTAL DRUMMING INgeneral and drum rudiments inparticular are often at the cen-ter of heated debate regarding

their relevance to a contemporary per-cussion program. Should they be givenonly cursory mention due to their his-torical significance? Should they be apart of every percussionist’s technicaldevelopment? Should they be dismissedas a useless, antiquated teaching toolnever to be used? All tough questions—none of which are about to be addressedin this article (I’m not that crazy). Whatwill be addressed are the many positiveaspects of rudimental drumming, andthe importance and use of the funda-mental philosophy of rudimental drum-ming known as the “rudimental idea.”

Several years ago, percussioninstructors seemed to have three mainconcerns about their students: 1. Theydid not read music well enough; 2. Theycould not play keyboard instruments; 3.They spent entirely too much timeplaying drum rudiments in an effort toearn that NARD button. With that, thefirst shots of the percussive civil warhad been fired; the camps were divided,the battle lines drawn. On one side,percussionists denounced rudimentaldrumming as an antiquated method ofrote learning; on the other side, drum-mers continued their relentless pursuitof the perfect three-minute roll.

The rudiments have a long and dis-tinguished history, beginning, as notedconductor and author FrederickFennell writes, “the early dawn of 19April 1775; for it was on this day thatWilliam Diamond, the drummer for theLexington Militia, beat the call ‘ToArms’ that assembled the Minute Menat Lexington Common.”

The 26 standard American drumrudiments were developed by theNational Association of RudimentalDrummers (NARD) in 1934, andremained relatively unchanged untilthe early ’70s when respected percus-sionist Ron Fink suggested that therebe 42 standard rudiments (PN, Vol. 10,

By Dan Moore

M A R C H I N G P E R C U S S I O N

#2). This suggestion sparked somelively debate, which led professor ofpercussion James Petercsak to write,“Instead of increasing the number ofrudiments, might it not better serveour purposes as educators and perform-ers to think seriously about reducingthe number? For instance, why couldnot a roll be identified simply as a sus-tained sound? Why not identify a flamas a grace note as would any otherinstrumentalist?”

In a 1974 issue of Percussive Notes,Dan Spalding suggested, in a slightlytongue-in-cheek manner, that therewere by his count approximately 81drum rudiments (excluding Swissdrumming, which is a whole other canof worms). Mr. Spalding went on topoint out that any number of differentrudiments could be derived from a listof seven essential techniques.

A few years later, after a great dealof work, the International Drum Rudi-ment Committee, under the leadershipof Jay Wanamaker, released a list of 40rudiments, which they grouped intofour families: Rolls, Diddles, Flams andDrag Rudiments. The list included thestandard 26 rudiments, yet it singledout what the committee referred to asseven essential skills: single-stroke roll,multiple-bounce roll, double-stroke roll,five-stroke roll, single paradiddle, flamand drag.

In a 1979 article for Percussive Notes(Vol. 18 #I Fall), PAS Hall of Fame mem-ber Haskell Harr wrote, “A drum rudi-ment is a fundamental rhythmic patternwhich, when practiced diligently, will aidin developing a basic technique for thedrum. The drum rudiments are thescales and arpeggios of the other instru-ments.” Mr. Harr went on to describe therudiments as being “misunderstood” andasserted that the purpose of the rudi-ments “is to provide a basic system fordeveloping dexterity with the hands forthe control of the drumsticks.”

I began to think about the HaskellHarr article, and years later as I re-read his precisely written statement, it

occurred to me that perhaps what hewas saying had less to do with ancientrudimental drumming or a list of rudi-ments and more to do with the develop-ment and maintenance of the mostbasic percussion skills. The commonthread running through all aspects ofpercussion lay not in the rudimentsthemselves but in the philosophybehind them—the philosophy I refer toas the rudimental idea.

The rudimental idea is the concept ofisolating specific patterns or techniquesand perfecting them through numer-ous, exact repetitions, buildingstamina, control, and dexterity. Thereis no mention of ratamacues or flamdrags or five-, seven- or nine-strokerolls; it is the philosophy of the rudi-ments that is important here. Thereare several notable rudimental drum-ming techniques and benefits that canbe applied to many areas of percussion.

CELLSThe use of cells is one such technique:taking a small cell from an existing com-position and creating from it a newexercise. The new exercise can then beslowed to a tempo that will facilitate themethodic breakdown of all componentparts of the cell. This weeding-out oftrouble spots effectively economizes prac-tice time, enabling the student to con-centrate on the most difficult passageswithout having to muddle through anentire piece, wasting valuable practicetime and energy.

FLEXIBILITYThe rudimental idea also provides forperformance of these cells at a variety oftempos ranging from slow to fast, allow-ing for effective performance at any giventempo.

STAMINAThe development of physical and men-tal stamina is still another benefit ofrudimental drumming, and is importantto a percussionist performing a four-hourdrumset job or a 13-minute drum corps

The War of the Rudiments




show. It is equally helpful to a percus-sionist playing cymbals on a Sousamarch, playing the snare part to Ravel’sBolero, or performing contemporary solomarimba literature.

DEXTERITYAn additional benefit of the rudimental

idea is the development of “lead handswitching.” This technique deals withthe ability to perform a passage startingwith either the right or left hand. Thistechnique is particularly useful to key-board percussionists and performers ofmulti-percussion music.

While most of the above-mentioned

techniques and benefits fall under the“common sense” category, there are alsosome hidden benefits that result fromthe study of basic drum technique. Forexample, if a performer can confidentlyplay a variety of single/double combina-tions on a snare drum, those skills caneasily be transferred to other percus-sion instruments such as marimba,vibes, timpani, drumset or multi-per-cussion. The idea is not to associate aparticular scale or key with a specificsticking, rather it is to empower anymusical idea as much from a kines-thetic level as from a cognitive level. Ifyou have a particular pattern or pas-sage under your hands so well that itrequires little or no thought to execute(kinesthetic), then you will be able toperform that pattern with less con-scious (cognitive) effort in a perfor-mance situation.

Many percussionists subscribe to thephilosophies of the rudimental idea. The

The War of the Rudiments


themes of practicing slowly andaccurately and of breaking down diffi-cult passages into smaller cells for prac-tice purposes can be found in manygreat percussion instruction books. It isdifficult or perhaps impossible todevelop a list of rudiments that will suitevery need because the rudiments meandifferent things to different people. To aband director teaching beginning per-cussionists, the rudiments might bedown-stroke, up-stroke, double-stroke,buzz, and rimshot (which some saypretty much covers most of drumming).To a snare drummer in a DCI drum line,a list of rudiments may be incompletewithout a fair share of “egg beaters,”“Shirley Murphys,” “Shocka-diddles,” or“cheese-chas.” A jazz vibes player orclassical marimbist may use endlesssingle/double combinations, flamaccents, and flam taps. Of course, if youwant to study ancient rudimental drum-ming, be sure to keep your ratamacuepyramids together. Or check outdrumset artist Terry Bozzio’s “rudi-ments from hell,” which he has givensuch names as “fluff-a-diddles,” “fluffeddouble para-fliddles” and “double para-fla-fla-fluffles.”

The solution to the rudimental debateis not within the rudiments themselves—not the Ancient Rudiments, the 13 or 26Standard Rudiments, the Swiss Rudi-ments, the 42 or 81 Rudiments, or even alist of essential skills. The solution can-not be found by attempting to change thenames of the rudiments, streamlinethem, or rewrite them altogether. Theimportance of the rudiments is in thephilosophy that they embody and how wechoose to apply that philosophy to ourspecific situation.

BIBLIOGRAPHYFennell, Frederick. The Drummers Heri-

tage. New York, Carl Fisher Inc., 1956.Fink, Ron. “The 42 Standard Rudi-

ments?” Percussive Notes, Vol. 10, #2,Fall 1971. p. 12.

Harr, Haskell. “Drum Rudiments.”Percussive Notes, Vol. 18,#1 Fall 1979,p. 71.

Petercsak, James. “Rudimental

Thoughts.” Percussive Notes, Vol. 10,#3, Spring 1972. pp. 9-10.

Spalding, Dan C. “81 Drum Rudi-ments?” Percussive Notes, Vol. 12, #2,Winter 1974. p. 21-22.

Wanamaker, Jay. “InternationalDrum Rudiments.” Percussive Notes,Vol. 23, #4, April 1985. pp. 39-42. PN

Dan Moore is a ma-rimba player and per-cussionist who hasbeen a winner in thePercussive Arts Soci-ety composition con-test and the NationalEducational Filmand Video Festival.

He performs with the Britain/Moore duo, isa professor of music at Montana State Uni-versity and is currently working on his Doc-tor of Musical Arts degree at the Universityof Kentucky.

AFFORDABLE INSURANCECOVERAGE NOW AVAILABLE—AN ALL-NEW MEMBERSHIPBENEFIT FOR PAS MEMBERS!As part of our continuing efforts to provide the

most value for your membership dollar, thePercussive Arts Society is pleased to announce

an exciting new membership benefit!All PAS members are now eligible to apply for

comprehensive, affordable group insuranceplans. The PAS Group Insurance Program offersnine coverages to meet your needs for health,

life, and personal protection.The plans are administered by Forrest T. Jones,

& Company, Inc. Based in Kansas City, Missouri,Forrest T. Jones has over four decades of

experience in serving the insurance needs ofassociations nationwide. With over 300

employees dedicated to serving you, you candepend on receiving knowledgeable answers toyour questions and prompt payment of claims.

Members who are interested in receiving moreinformation about the plans can contact the

Administrator toll-free at 800-821-7303,extension 100, or mail the coupon below.

I would like to receive informa-tion on the following coveragesavailable through the new PAS

Group Insurance Program:$250,000 Cancer Plan ❑

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M A R C H I N G P E R C U S S I O N

Marching Percussion Warm-Ups

By Riley E. Rose, Jr.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WARM-UPSfor the marching percussionsection start long before theinstruments are out of their

cases. The demand on today’s perform-ers requires endurance and stamina—formerly thought necessary only of sportsenthusiasts. As with any athlete, bloodflow, muscle stretching and breathingare warm-ups for this machine we havebeen given that allows us to display ourart. The mind gets our bodies primed forthe task at hand. Once this cycle is com-pleted, we are ready to hone our skillsand perform to the best of our abilities.

Too many times I see ensembles getoff the bus, throw a fast crank on a fewheads and start playing their show.Would you jump out of bed from a deepsleep and run a mile? Hardly! Thenwhy do we ask our musicians to do

this? As time permits, we should devoteas much time to warming up as to re-hearsing ensemble parts before a show.If that time is only 20 minutes, thenplan accordingly.

For the marching percussion section,slow unison playing helps warm themuscles, get oxygen to the brain formental preparation and allow the en-semble to feel secure within each of theplayers. Example 1 utilizes 16th notesper hand in unison, followed by 16thnotes with accents to achieve bothphysical and mental warm-up. This isnothing new to a lot of people, but youwould be surprised at the help this ex-ercise can provide in terms of establish-ing tempo awareness, ensemble cohe-siveness and security of playing whilehaving fun doing so—something weoften tend to forget.

While you are practicing, pay strict at-tention to accents and unaccented notes.Inflections of dynamics are as importantas the notes themselves. Be critical ofyour own playing and ask yourself,“What can I improve upon?” As with allexercises, start slow (mm = 70) then in-crease slowly in small increments. Youwill soon reach a plateau beyond whichyou cannot physically or mentally keepup. That’s okay. This is your “threshold.”Try to push that threshold higher eachtime you play. This increases your abili-ties and allows you to contribute to theensembles’ threshold.

Rolls! Who cares how you play themas long as you play them together?Besides, isn’t “together” (some call it“execution”) the name of this game?

The roll is made up of two things:downbeat diddles and upbeat diddles.What could be more simple? NOT!Questions arise: How open? Howclosed? Following the attack, wheredoes the roll start? Example 2 math-ematically spells out where each noteshould fall. Again, start slowly and in-crease the tempo to the threshold wetalked about earlier. Sextuplet execu-tion is extremely important. Subdivi-sion and artificial groupings are diffi-cult physically, especially if you don’tunderstand the concept mentally. Ametronome is the best investment onecan make.

Example 3 takes you through thesame process as Examples 1 and 2, butthis time taxing both mental and physi-cal awareness “to the max.” This exer-cise progresses from quarter notes tosextuplets, preparing you for the men-tal and physical challenges of sextu-plets. As you master these exercises,you should push yourself to practice atfaster tempos. Being physically able tohandle sextuplets at 160 will make thepassage of sextuplets at 140 seem like a“walk in the park.”

These exercises are not the only an-swer to ensemble warm-up problems, butthey will surely cure a lot of them alongthe way—some even by accident!

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Example 1

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Riley E. Rose, Jr. is percussion in-structor/arranger for “The Comman-dants Own” United States MarineDrum & Bugle Corps, with which hehas marched as a snare drummer forover 13 years. Rose is also the Percus-

sion Coordinator for the United StatesNaval Academy Drum & Bugle Corps,a member of the PAS Marching Per-cussion Committee, an adjudicator forboth DCI and DCA, and an indepen-dent marching percussion clinician.

He received his undergraduate musictraining at Ohio University in Athens,Ohio and is a graduate of the ArmedForces School of Music in Little Creek,Virginia. He is a co-partner in RosePercussion.

PN


�1995

PERCUSSIVE ARTS SOCIETY

22nd ANNUAL PERCUSSION COMPOSITION

CONTEST

Purpose: The Percussive Arts Society sponsors an annual competition to encourage and reward those who create music forpercussion instruments and to increase the number of quality compositions written for percussion.

1995 Categories: Category 1: Vibraphone Soloist with Percussion Ensemble (5-8 players)First Place: $500.00 plus publication by Pioneer PercussionSecond Place: $250.00Third Place: $100.00

Category II: Solo Percussionist (Small to Medium Set-Up) with Tape (cassette)First Place: $500.00 plus publication by Media Press, Inc.Second Place: $250.00Third Place: $100.00

Efforts will be made to arrange performances of the winning compositions at a future Percussion Arts Society Inter-national Convention or other PAS sponsored events.

Eligibility andProcedures: Previously commissioned or published works may not be entered.

Compositions should be between 5 and 15 minutes in length. Total duration of piece should be stated on manuscript.Clean, neat manuscript is required. Composer may send 3 copies of score or 1 score which will be copied for judgingpurposes. (Composer may likewise send 1 or 3 tapes for Category II.) Composer’s name may appear, but it will bedeleted for judging purposes. All entry copies become property of PAS. The difficulty of the composition is left to thediscretion of the composer. High artistic goals should be coupled with realistic demands to allow for performance atthe university level. Instrument demands should also be limited to those commonly found at the university level.

Application Fee: $25 per composition (non-refundable), to be enclosed with each entry. Make checks payable to the Percussive ArtsSociety.

Deadline: All materials (application fee, application form and manuscript(s) must be postmarked by April 1, 1995.For further information and complete details, contact: PAS, P.O. Box 25, Lawton, OK 73502-0025, (405) 353-1455.

1995 PERCUSSIVE ARTS SOCIETY22nd ANNUAL PERCUSSION COMPOSITION CONTEST

(form may be photocopied)

COMPOSER’S NAME _____________________________________________________________

ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________________

CITY ______________________________________ STATE ________ ZIP _______________

TELEPHONE NUMBER (include area code) _________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the enclosed composition is original and it has not been previously commissioned or published.

SIGNATURE OF COMPOSER ________________________________________________________

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


IN OUR SEARCH FOR THE ROOTS OFthe drum, we can travel the an-cient pathways of all the culturaltraditions of humanity. Eventually

we find that the origins of the drum areliterally at the very heart of the humancondition. The pulse of one’s own beingis an embryonic perception. The heart ofthe source—mother—is certainly a pow-erful pulse in the womb. The rhythms ofthe heart and the cycles of the breathare the tempo of our lives.

We see in the drumming traditions ofthe earth a huge motivational resource.Active in the arts of healing, revealingand appealing, rhythm turns work intodance, physical love into orgasm andtrance into a glance of altered con-sciousness.

All drummers share an intimacywith rhythm, a perpetual love of themomentum of life. Drums celebrate life,

I N T E R N A T I O N A L P E R C U S S I O N

from birth to death—the coming of age,battle and the dance of joy with thecoming of peace. From the lullaby, theballad, harvest celebrations and dancesof ecstasy to the funeral procession,rhythm supports the ebb and flow ofthe human condition.

Drumming is dance—energy inmotion. Most forms of drumming are anintegral part of dance or movement ofsome sort. The Korean culture has com-bined drumming and dance into anextraordinary spectacle. Sri Lanka,Africa, the islands of the Caribbeanand the Indian Ocean all have tradi-tions of drummers who dance whilethey are playing. Aboriginal peoplesaround the world use rhythm andmovement to access the consciousnessfor such functions as healing, dream-ing, storytelling, etc. Most of the drum-ming schools or clubs of South Americaare based on dance forms. In many cul-tures the drummer functions as the

leader, acting as director and providingthe necessary cues for changes and theoverview to shape the entire perfor-mance.

The music of the drum can inspireand direct our actions. Wanderingthrough life, motivated by our naturalcuriosity and inspired by the creativeresponses to the challenges of our dailylives, we can reach out and explore.Once we embark on a course of action,guides will appear along the way toprovide direction, motivation and inspi-ration.

GUIDESGuides are those who inspire action. Allcultures have established methods ofteaching their traditional arts—schools,private studios of master teachers, rec-reational clubs that specialize in localmusical traditions, i.e., the pan yards ofthe Caribbean and the samba clubs ofBrazil. Go to the music that turns you

Global Drums: Finding Yourself in Our World

By John Wyre

World Drum Festival, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1986

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on. Go to the performers that inspireyou. Great performers are not alwaysgreat teachers, but if their performanceinspires activity on your part, theyqualify as guides. The greatest guidesdon’t teach, they share discovery.

Let the drum be your teacher. Yourinstrument is a school for the imagina-tion. The university of life offers no de-grees, but teaches us that learning isthe daily evolution of our collective ex-perience. Share your knowledge, builda bridge to a new culture.

HANDS ONWe are all involved in the art of touch-ing, using the energy we can access toget things to vibrate. No matter whatyour major instrument, consider thehand drum: direct physical contact, nosticks, ease of transport, instant inter-action wherever you travel, great vari-ety of drums available worldwide and

that magical element—simplicity.One of the major lessons we all have

to learn in life is the lesson of simplic-ity. I remember an experience at aworld drum festival where a young per-former had his kit, as elaborate ascould be, with every conceivable kind ofrig for drums and cymbals and enoughpedals to service an octopus. After a fewrehearsals he approached a mrdangammaster from Madras, India and said tohim, “I’m sitting here next to you be-hind the wheel of a Rolls Royce ofdrumsets with all the bells andwhistles, and you’re blowing me awaywith a hollowed out log.” The lesson ofsimplicity had appeared on the horizonof his life experience.

MUSIC—THE FAMILY ARTAny school reunion teaches us that “whatwe are today we owe to each other.” In avery profound sense, NEXUS has been,

and is, an amazing workshop/laboratoryin my life. NEXUS came together in 1971out of friendship, a need to explore theinstruments we had constructed and col-lected in our young careers, and a sharedinterest in improvisation. After 23 yearsof performances around the world, ourfamily and our music continue to grow.NEXUS has provided so many lessonsover the years. Among them is thatexperience continually redefines every-thing, that everyone’s perception isunique, and that we should embracechange.

World drum festivals have become myextended family. For the last ten yearsit has been my great fortune to directand participate in many gatherings ofdrummers from around the world, pro-viding opportunities to experiencefirsthand the extraordinary diversity inthe art of drumming and discover thosethings that link us together along this

Global Drums: Finding Yourself in Our World


ancient path called music.There are those who would say we

should stay within our own traditionsand be consistent and loyal to our ownroots and cultural ways. Tradition can bea cruel padlock, and consistencydemands that we stay as ignoranttoday as we were last week. Our roots arein this vast universe that supports us.

EXPLORETravel is a real education. The artistmust explore (seek out), collect andreflect. Draw your inspiration from theextraordinary wealth of the families ofhumanity that inhabit the world. Theyprovide a kaleidoscope of music that isamazing in its variety and inspiring inits depth of expression, sophisticationand get-down-and-tell-me-about-your-real-life experience.

A university education can cost $5,000to $20,000 a year. A year in Cuba, Brazil,Trinidad, Indonesia, Africa, India, Korea,Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China, or anywhereelse for that matter, would be well withinthat budget.

Most major cities have attracted art-ists from many cultures, and many ofthese artists are adept at sharing theirknowledge as teachers as well as per-formers. In North America, we live inimmigrant cultures and share a wealthof global influences. Unfettered by cen-turies of tradition, we are free to ex-

plore and develop our own response tothese influences.

World music courses and centershave already developed at manyschools. Many colleges and universitiesoffer steel pan ensemble, gamelanensemble and African drummingensemble, bringing the arts of the Car-ibbean, Indonesia and Africa to post-secondary levels of education in NorthAmerica.

The gamelans of Indonesia representsome of the most sublime evolutions ofthe art of percussion and the art ofensemble performance in the world.

The steel pan is an instrument of the20th century, an extraordinary exampleof recycling. The genius of the people ofthe Caribbean transformed the castoffsof the oil industry into amazing musicalinstruments. These sources of soundhave enabled the artists of the islandsto share the spirit of their culture withthe rest of the world.

The drumming ensembles of Africaare as rich and varied as the myriad ofcultural traditions that make up thecreative treasure house that is Africa.African drumming offers an immediateinsight into simplicity, finding one’splace in the ensemble, perceivingrhythms in a variety of ways, drums asmelodic instruments and drumming aslanguage (the imitation of the spokenword).

FINDING YOURSELFDon’t be a clone. It is not for you to playlike someone else. What you are is byfar the best thing to be. If drumming iswhat you love to do, follow your heartbecause you’ll bring joy and positiveenergy to your work. Communicate.Reach out and touch someone. Getinvolved. Real experience brings confir-mation of understanding.

Nurture your dreams. You are thepilot of your own ship. You can be what-ever you can imagine. Find your ownway, create your own music, build yourown ensembles, study dance or someform of movement, learn to store yoursongs in your instrument and sing yourheart out.

Music is a universal language. Worldconsciousness is evolving, and althoughthis is challenging many traditions, weare enriched by our differences. Lifeleads those who will change; those whowon’t are dragged along complainingand screaming. To embrace change is toaccept that life is so much more thanwe know. PN

John Wyre per-forms regularly asa m e m b e r o fN E X U S a n d i sactive in a varietyof world drum en-sembles includingBuka and worlddrum festivals. His

music appears on NEXUS records andhis latest CD, Vagabond Dream, isavailable from Interworld Music.

A classic NEXUS improv, 1980

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Percussion in Armenia

A R M E N I A – “ C O U N T R Y O Fmountains,” “land of stones,”

“country of sun,” “cradle ofcivilization.” So many other

names are given to this once from-sea-to-sea (and now very small) country,which is situated on the southwesternjunction of Europe and Asia. For themusicians of Armenia it is primarily acountry of Sharakans—ancient melo-dies—and the motherland of Comitas,Aram Khachatourian, Charles Aznavourand the Zildjian family. It is a countrywhose mountains echo with the soundsof Dhol—a percussion instrument thatalways accompanies Khochari, a danceas old as the people of Armenia.

Whether the people of Armeniawanted it or not, history went its ownway, and for 70 of its 4,000-years of lifethe country was a member of the SovietUnion. As paradoxical as it may seem,that very period turned out to be themost significant in the formation ofArmenian professional music. Theopening of the first professional musiceducation institutions—Yerevan Co-mitas State Conservatoire (1923), twomusic colleges, a great number of musicschools—as well as the creation of asymphony orchestra (1924) and theopening of Opera and Ballet State The-ater (1933), fell during the first half ofthe 20th century, when the people whohad been suffering for centuries sud-denly felt a real possibility to createfreely and believed in the reality of thedream cherished for centuries—revivalof free and independent statehood.

For all the rich traditions of Arme-nian sacred and national music(Shnorhali, Narekatsi, Sayat-Nova, Co-mitas and others) and the presence ofself-taught, experienced musicians, thecreation of professional groupsrevealed the need for well-grounded lit-erate musicians, including drummers.The first percussion class was orga-nized in the mid-1950s. During the past30 to 40 years, similar classes wereopened in almost all music schools,music colleges and the Conservatoire.

At present the teaching process for per-cussion instruments is carried on inthree stages: 1. music school; 2. musiccollege; 3. the Conservatoire.

MUSIC SCHOOLSFor five years the pupils are taught toplay percussion in music schools. Theteachers are guided by an out-of-datestate program, which consists of instruc-tion on only two instruments from thefamily of percussion—xylophone andsnare drum. However, owing to theenthusiasm of some teachers and direc-tors of the music schools of Yerevan, insome classes pupils have the opportu-nity to master vibraphone, bells, Latin-American instruments and timpani. Butbecause of the absence of a coordinatededucational system, every teacher makeshis own program, which, as experienceshows, does not give positive results.Last year at the competition of drumstudents, the jury failed to reach a deci-sion because of the absence of specificdemands and criteria for the partici-pants. Today, the teachers and the Edu-cational Committee of the ArmenianChapter of PAS, which is being orga-nized at present, have the task to drawup a specific educational program forpercussion classes of music schools, col-leges and the Conservatoire.

It is believed that one shortcoming ofthe present system of education is thatthe same instructor is teaching all theinstruments in each school, and thoseteachers are mostly far from beingskilled in playing all the instrumentsequally well. A few years ago, an at-tempt was made to divide the trainingof a pupil named Artashes Sinanian sothat he had one teacher for snare drumand another for mallet instruments.Despite the positive results (Artashesis studying now in the Conservatoire, isa member of Yerevan PercussionEnsemble and is successfully playing inthe Symphonic Orchestra as a drum-mer), the experiment was not contin-ued. Now, in the music school where Iteach, a group under my direction tries to

work out a system for practicing theabove-mentioned method of education inschools. However, for the realization ofthat objective, method books for eachinstrument are necessary. We are alwaysin need of such educational supplies.

MUSIC COLLEGESThe education in music colleges lastsfour years, and is the most oppressive ofthe three stages of teaching percussion.None of the four colleges in Armeniaowns even elementary instruments nec-essary for the lessons. In Gyumri, afterthe 1988 earthquake, the college build-ing was utterlydestroyed and now the percussion classhas only one two-octave xylophone,which is kept in a trailer.

The education during this secondstage is carried out only on two instru-ments: xylophone and snare drum.O t h e rinstruments are out of the question.Consequently, the student who hasalready been acquainted with severalpercussion instruments in music schoolhas to forget about them here. Thegraduates of the colleges who decide tocontinue their education in theConservatoire will have certain difficul-ties there.

CONSERVATOIREThe education in the Conservatoire lastsfive years. Until recently the admissionrequirements were quite primitive. Itwas enough to play on marimba, whichwas the only instrument in theConservatoire. Thanks to the persistenceof the students and percussion professorSigizmound Nersissian, the classrecently was supplemented with newhome-made instruments. Simulta-neously the admission requirementschanged for the percussion classes. Nowthe entrant is expected to be skilled inplaying marimba, vibraphone, bells,snare drum, timpani and orchestralinstruments.

There are serious difficulties for allthe entrants because of the inferior

By Leon Khodja-Einatian

I N T E R N A T I O N A L P E R C U S S I O N


education in the music colleges. How-ever, the shortcomings of the first twostages are overcome during the years ofstudy in the Conservatoire. The gradu-ate program requires students to studycompositions for all kinds of percussioninstruments.

Reforms in this system are certainlynecessary, and they must be done be-ginning from the primary education. Itis my hope that we would be able tofind a partner in the USA who wouldlike to share his or her rich experienceof teaching with us and help us intro-duce it in our practice. We think itcould be done in the following ways: tostart a branch of an American educa-tional institution in Armenia and usethe already experienced programs andmethods there. In my opinion, it is thebest way as it will allow us not to wastetime on experiments or on working outprograms and their improvement. Iwould like to address my appeal to in-terested educational institutions inAmerica for the establishment of con-tacts and further cooperation.

Besides the three-stage state systemof education there is also a small sectorof private lessons in Armenia. This ismostly due to the fact that drumset isnot studied through the state system.Hence, some musicians try to fill thisgap by organizing private drumsetlessons.

PERCUSSION ENSEMBLESThe attempts to organize percussionensembles were undertaken both by mu-sicians in the music schools and profes-sional drummers. For a long time thereexisted the Children’s Ensemble of theEsthetic Centre, which was organizedon the basis of the school directed bySayat-Nova (leader Christofor Zakiyan).The pupils’ ensembles of the schoolsdirected by Spendiarov and Tigranian(leader Armen Melkumian) and of theArt School (leaders SigizmoundNersissian and Vache Azatian) have beensuccessfully giving concerts. However,none of those ensembles was permanentand the repertoire of the schoolensembles was limited to popular com-positions arranged for percussionensemble.

In the fall of 1990 six students fromthe State Conservatoire and the musiccollege directed by R. Melikian gath-ered together and decided to organizethe Yerevan Percussion Ensemble. Ayear later they gave their first concert,during which they performed the“Toccata” of Chavez and “OctoberMountain” by Hovhannes, along withother compositions.

The object of the Ensemble is to pro-mote the world’s percussion classics,percussion music, to perform new com-positions of Armenian composers andpopularize the art of playing percussioninstruments. For a short period of time

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the group gained listeners and fans, gota firm place in the concert life of theRepublic, and received invitations toparticipate in various festivals, prima-rily as a performer of modern music.For two and a half years the Ensembleintroduced many compositions for per-cussion to its listeners from Yerevan,and their performances received manypositive responses in the press. A seriesof compositions has also been writtenfor the Ensemble.

Most of the members have finishedtheir studies, so now it is a group ofprofessional musicians. They continuethrough their own enthusiasm because,though the Ensemble is a welcome visi-tor at various events, concerts and fes-tivals, the musicians do not receive anyState support. If not for the tremen-

dous love the members have for percus-sion and music, this Ensemble wouldhave been a failure. The group consistsof six musicians, but the cast isenlarged, if necessary, both with drum-mers and other instrumentalists,depending on the score.

INSTRUMENTSThe situation with percussion instrumentsis far from being good in Armenia. The StatePhilharmonic Orchestra, the Opera and Bal-let Theatre and the Symphonic Orchestra ofthe State Administration of Radio and Tele-vision have the most complete sets of instru-ments in the Republic. The great bulk of theinstruments were presented to the groupsby our compatriots abroad. If not for thosegifts, there would possibly be no marimba,vibraphone, or bells in Armenia. One can

scarcely find professional instruments. Sothe musicians in Armenia have to make dowith the ones made by the local masters,which are far from corresponding to evenaverage standards.

The administration of the ArmenianChapter of PAS has several ideas tohelp the situation. In particular, wehope to arouse the interest of one of thepercussion manufacturers in opening abranch in Armenia. That would surelybe advantageous both to the firm andespecially to Armenia. PN

Leon Khodja-Einatian is a percus-sion teacher and performer in Yerevan,Armenia, and is president of the Arme-nian chapter of PAS.

Percussion in Armenia


I N THE SPRING OF 1993New York City played host toan internationally renownedgroup of ten young percus-

sionists known as the Marimba Ponies.They came with their mentor, MasahiroOgawa, and a group of dedicated roadies(their parents), to perform at the WorldTrade Center and give a recital atCarnegie Hall. The music was memo-rized, and rhythms and emotions flowedfrom this unique chamber group.

The countless hours Ogawa hasdevoted to the Marimba Ponies is evi-denced by the high standards of theirperformances. They play with such dis-cipline that audiences often can’t getenough—even with several encores. Iremember being thrilled by the Ponieson first hearing them in Tokyo in 1986.There seems to be an ageless quality to

By Steven R. Machamer

K E Y B O A R D P E R C U S S I O N

the ensemble because the age require-ment makes the ensemble appear tonot be getting any older, and alsobecause of the universal appeal thattheir programs offer. The Ponies havebeen welcomed by audiences inHarlem’s Apollo Theater as warmly asby the crowds at Carnegie Recital Halland the U.S. Embassy in Japan. It is nowonder that the group is in demandeverywhere.

Steven Machamer: For those who havenever experienced the joy of hearing aMarimba Ponies event, I want to saythat I know of no one who has notbeen immediately captivated by theirplaying. Even the youngest and mostanimated members, who are dwarfedby the size of a four-octave marimba,display a certainty in time and accu-

racy. In short, their playing is awe-some. What inspired the creation of achildren’s marimba ensemble, andhow long has it existed?

Masahiro Ogawa: I started the group asit now is 14 years ago, but I had beenorganizing marimba ensembles for20 years prior. I needed those first 20years of experimenting with arrange-ments and teaching techniques be-fore I was sure I could do what Iwanted with a group of ten youngmallet players. My goals were to in-still an appreciation for internationalculture along with the musical train-ing.

Machamer: What are the age limits foreligibility?

Ogawa: The Marimba Ponies ensembleis for students under 13. The

Live, From Japan, the Marimba Ponies!

Marimba Ponies in rehearsal at The World Trade Center, May 1, 1993


younger ones usually start gettinginterested around two or three yearsof age and are soon waiting for theolder ones to graduate out and createan opening. We welcome anyone withan interest regardless of physicalability.

Machamer: Approximately how manypupils have gone through your pro-gram since it began?

Ogawa: In 14 years of existence I wouldsay over 100.

Machamer: How often do you rehearse,and how much practice at home doyou recommend?

Ogawa: Each student comes to myhouse twice a week—once for a pri-vate lesson and once for ensemblerehearsal. At home I ask them towork for two or three hours per day,minimum.

Machamer: It sounds like the studentsdevote themselves to the Ponies morethan anything else in their lives,with the exception of school. Abouthow many arrangements does thisgroup play?

Ogawa: The group knows over 20pieces from memory.

Machamer: Many of the individualmallet parts are very exposed andquite soloistic. Also, each of yourstudents is versatile enough to playkeyboard and drumset parts attimes. How do the students learntheir parts, by rote or by studyingthe written music?

Ogawa: The youngest ones first be-come involved by observing specificparts at rehearsals. During privatelessons they are taught simplerparts by rote. By the time they canread music they already know mostparts by ear.

Machamer: Do you teach any concentra-tion techniques?

Ogawa: No, nothing special. I juststrive to keep them quiet and atten-tive during rehearsals.

Machamer: Do all your students own apersonal instrument?

Ogawa: Yes, at the very least all thestudents have their own four-octavemarimba.

Machamer: I have noticed a lot of paren-tal involvement. Exactly what istheir role?

Ogawa: Because the students are soyoung, mothers accompany theirchildren to lessons and are usuallyobserving the whole time. They payonly for the private sessions. Mytime for the ensemble rehearsals isvolunteered. The parents transportthe instruments and take care of theset-up for performances.

Machamer: Approximately how muchmaterial does a student memorize?

Ogawa: We keep the Marimba Poniesat ten members, so each arrange-ment has ten different parts. Some ofthe lines are very similar, but no twoare exactly the same. By the age of13 most members have memorizedall ten parts to 20 or more differentarrangements.

Machamer: Your daughter, KazukoKashida, is a fantastic marimbist.Did she study mainly with you?

Ogawa: Yes, and she used to be in theensemble. In fact, before the Ponieswere formed we had a familyensemble with my wife, son, daugh-ter and I.

Machamer: I know that your primarygoal with the Marimba Ponies is tofoster good will and friendshipthrough the universal language ofmusic. About what percentage ofyour pupils go on to pursue a careerin music?

Ogawa: About one-third turn profes-sional. Some of my students are nowpercussionists in leading Japaneseorchestras. Others are teaching incollege and high-school programs.

Machamer: Have the Marimba Poniesmade any commercial recordings?

Ogawa: No. We don’t like the com-mercial aspects of the business.We are really only interested inperforming for the purposes ofgood will. We occasionally play fora Rotary Club or Lions Club func-tion, but nothing of a commercialsense. After all , these kids stil lhave to be in school every day.

Machamer: What other percussion en-sembles have you had the opportu-nity to direct?

Ogawa: In addition to the elemen-tary-school-age ensemble, I alsoteach the Marimba Ponies Seniors(high school) and the Tokyo Ma-rimba Soloists. With a group knownas the Ladies Symphonic MarimbaOrchestra, we have had up to 50marimbas on stage with additionalpercussion instruments performingarrangements of Richard Strauss’sAlso Sprach Zarathustra andDvorak’s Slavonic Dances.

Machamer: What were your musical be-ginnings like? When did you discoverthe marimba?

Ogawa: When I was in elementaryschool, around 1938, it was the wartime. By the time my musical train-

Masahiro Ogawa, founder and director of theMarimba Ponies

STEV

EN M

AC

HA

MER

Live, From Japan, the Marimba Ponies!


ing could have commenced peace-fully, I was considered too old tobegin training towards a performingcareer. Also, we were so poor at thetime that my father discouraged mymusical studies in no uncertainterms. However, I was not able toshake the desire to express myselfmusically, and I eventually took les-sons from a member of the Japanesearmy band. My teacher was a won-derful instructor. More than any-thing else, he taught me to listen tomy soul. Through him I was inspiredto form my first student ensemble.

After the war it was not easy tofind available musicians, let alone afull section of string players. I gath-ered as many players as I could,supplementing the group with non-orchestral instruments out of neces-sity. That is when I started makingarrangements. I had the symphonicscores but not enough players tocover the parts. Hence, we mighthave settled for the accordion on vio-lin one, guitar on violin two, har-monica instead of clarinet and soforth. Those arranging experienceslater proved to be very useful when Igot involved with marimbas.

At the age of 18 I was on a ship toNew York to enroll in Columbia Uni-versity as an economics major. With somuch music to be heard in the city

there were many times when I put mystudies aside and went to the musichalls. Once, in 1949, I saw a show fea-turing the xylophone at Radio CityMusic Hall. I do not remember the so-loist, but I went away overwhelmedwith enthusiasm to play a malletinstrument. I got to thinking that inJapan there were many good violinistsand trumpeters but no marimbists. Irealized that if I studied mallets overhere in the United States, I could goback and be “Number One” on ma-rimba in Japan! [laughs]

Machamer: We have not had many groupslike yours in America since 1935 withClair Omar Musser’s InternationalMarimba Symphony Orchestra, exceptfor some of the college-level programs.More recently in the United States wehave started to see a revival of interestin the marimba bands of Mexico andCentral America. I know of no one,however, that has been as successfulwith the age group you concentrate on.Quite possibly the marimba industryin this country could benefit from yourexpertise.

Ogawa: Actually, I find it slightlyhumorous, but heartening, thatwhen we visit cities in Japan, thelocal music stores often report a sud-den increase in marimba sales soonafter our performances.

Machamer: Where did the group’sunique name come from?

Ogawa: The name Marimba Ponieswas chosen for two reasons. In part,because the children keep time inunison with one another by movingtheir bodies to the music, not tomention the fact that one of ourfirst sponsors owned a horse-breed-ing farm, and the children’s move-ments, according to him, broughtto mind the image of youngprancing ponies. PN

S t e v e n R .Machamer hasplayed percussionwith dance groupsincluding the KirovB a l l e t , M a r t h aClarke and LauraDean Dancers and

Musicians, and has played Baroquetimpani with a number of ensembles.He has also toured nationally with aconcert production of Andrew LloydWebber’s music, and his CD, VibrantBaroque, was released on the Ashlar la-bel. Machamer holds BM and MM de-grees from Juilliard, where he studiedwith Saul Goodman.

The Marimba Ponies with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Armacost, Princeand Princess Hitachi, Mr. and Mrs. Ogawa and business agent Katsuya Abe

Looking forthe latest wordon percussionproducts?Find it inthe Julyissue ofPercussionNews!

Read about and get a lookat the percussion industry’slatest releases inPercussion Industry News,edited by Steve Beck. Don’tmiss it!


“If I Were a Bell”: An Analysis of Bobby Hutcherson’s Solo

By Roger B. Schupp


R EPRESENTING THE POST-BOPschool of modern jazz vibra-phonists is the ever-talentedBobby Hutcherson. “If I Were

A Bell” is from Hutcherson’s albumFour Seasons (Ballaphon label) and isreminiscent of the mid-1950s record-ings by the first great Miles DavisQuintet and features the great drum-ming of “Philly” Joe Jones, who alsoplayed with Davis.

Although the solo begins diatonic itquickly becomes a bop-oriented solothrough the use of altered tones that ap-pear in the form of chromatic passingtones, neighbor tones and a lot of sur-round-tone figures. Examples of passingtones can be seen in measures 15 and 24;

neighbor tones are in measures 19, 40and 54; and the most frequently used, thesurround-tone and double-surround tonefigures can be found in measures 9, 10,15, 17, 48 and 55. These are not all of theornaments used in this solo, but they arerepresentative of Hutcherson’s solo in “IfI Were A Bell.” Occasional tri-tone substi-tutions are present, such as the one inmeasure 8.

Some general characteristics ofHutcherson’s playing include frequentanticipated chord changes, such asthe anticipation of the AMaj7 chordby a bar-and-a-half in measure 17. Heis an expert at working guide-tonelines. This tune is very well-suited forguide tones because of the presence of

numerous ii-V progressions. In par-ticular, look at measures 40 to 44.Hutcherson frequently plays on theupper harmonic extensions of thegiven chord, which adds a bop orien-tation to his soloing style. It may beunique to this particular solo, but onminor chords he appears to place anatural 11 at the beginning of thechange. On other occasions he willemploy a type of minor-major 7 tonal-ity (harmonic minor) on minor chords.

The solo ends in much the sameway it began. Hutcherson combinesdiatonic with altered tones to the keysignature being supplied by the chordchanges (generally ii-V progressionsborrowed from other keys). Enjoy!

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If I Were a BellBobby Hutcherson’s Solo

Four Seasons, Bellaphon CDSJP 210 Frank LoesserTranscribed by Roger B. Schupp


“If I Were a Bell”: An Analysis of Bobby Hutcherson’s Solo


Roger B. Schupp holds Bachelor’s andMaster’s degrees in Music Performancefrom Central Missouri State University andis a candidate for the degree Doctor of Musi-

cal Arts in Percussion Performance/JazzEmphasis at the University of Texas at Aus-tin. He has worked as a concert and record-ing percussionist in Nashville, Tennessee

and Austin, Texas, and is currently Assis-tant Professor of Percussion at BowlingGreen State University and actively per-forming in the Toledo area.

PN



V IDA CHENOWETH IS ONE OFthe most influential marimbistsof the 20th Century, her nameranking second perhaps only to

her former teacher, Clair Omar Musser.The peak of her career was from 1957 toaround 1963, during which time she per-formed steadily throughout the UnitedStates and Europe, as well as in Guate-mala—the home of the marimba. Shepremiered numerous works during thistime, many of which were written spe-cifically for her. Her last performancewas in Alice Tully Hall, in New York’sLincoln Center, in 1981. Dr. Chenowethhas been out of the mainstream of per-cussion for several years and now spendsher time as a working and teachingethnomusicologist at Wheaton College.

As a marimba instructor, she is notedfor her “no mistake” practice system, amethod that has helped produce somerenowned marimbists including LeighHoward Stevens, one of today’s leadingclinicians and an authority on modernmarimba pedagogy.

Dr. Chenoweth’s literary contribu-tions to music, and the marimba in par-ticular, have been printed andre-printed due to their unmatched qual-ity of research and first-hand knowl-edge. These contributions include TheMarimbas of Guatemala and her trans-lation of David Vela’s Information onthe Marimba.

The Epic LP Vida Chenoweth: Clas-sic Marimbist and a cassette of her re-cordings of the Jorge Alvaro SarmientosConcertino for Marimba and Orchestraand the Paul Creston Concertino forMarimba and Orchestra can beobtained through Wheaton CollegeBookstore, Wheaton IL 60187. A cas-sette of the premiere of the Robert KurkaConcerto for Marimba and Orchestraand Darius Milhaud’s Concerto for Ma-rimba and Vibraphone is availablethrough Steve Weiss Music.

This interview is a follow-up to an in-terview I conducted with Dr. Chenowethwhile I was making a new edition ofRobert Kurka’s Concerto for Marimbaand Orchestra. That interview was con-ducted across a table; this interview


was conducted across the ocean. Imailed the questions to her in NewZealand, where she could get them onher way to her summer project in NewGuinea.

Martin Weir: Your last interview withPAS was in 1981. What have youbeen up to since then?

Vida Chenoweth: My major commit-ments have been to Wheaton College,where I am Professor of Ethnomusi-cology, and to members of the Sum-mer Institute of Linguistics, whom Iserve as International Consultant inEthnomusicology. In the first in-stance, I am proud of my studentswho work as linguists-ethno-musi-cologists in 12 countries at present.My volunteer work as a consultanttakes me to wondrous ethnic groupsall over the world.

I have made time to write a bookon the singing and dancing of NewGuinea peoples, which traces histori-cal and eyewitness accounts of com-munal music making. I have alsocontributed a dozen or more entries

By Martin Weir

Catching Up With Vida Chenoweth


to the forthcoming Encyclopedia ofWorld Music put together by theSmithsonian Institute, published byGarland Press. My book of sevenBach chorales edited for marimbawas published last fall by Belwin, aswell as a series of Guatemalanmarimba music published by HoneyRock. For those who do not know, Inever “arrange” a work of Bach’s butadapt it to the marimba withoutchanging any notes. That’s why Irefer to the chorale book as “editing,”not “arranging” for marimba. It’s amatter of transferring performancetechnique.

I am now in the midst of severalprojects: (1) reviewing the Usarufalanguage, as I hope to visit theseNew Guinea friends next month; (2)supervising the second printing of In-formation on the Marimba, a book onthe Guatemalan marimba that Itranslated from Spanish and editedfrom materials collected by my friendDavid Vela, an anthropologist andretired newspaper editor in Guate-mala City; (3) preparing for thefourth printing of my book MelodicPerception and Analysis.

I give papers here and there as wellas lecture, but I don’t do windows!

Weir: Have you done any concertizingsince your 1980 concert at LincolnCenter’s Alice Tully Hall?

Chenoweth: I teach some masterclasses but, hard as I try, I cannotfind uninterrupted time to practicefor concerts. Without advertising itas such, Tully Hall was my farewellappearance.

My Canterbury marimba, whichsaw me through my entire public ca-reer—including recordings, CarnegieHall, playing for leading composersand conductors, all the historic mo-ments—is finally for sale. I reasonthat it should belong to someone whois now performing. For my own wellbeing, now that I am not playing pro-fessionally, I have a smaller, less glo-rious instrument. I remember what aSwiss friend told me about their

cows! The most productive cow isgiven the largest, deepest-soundingbell. When a younger cow eventuallytakes her place, the old dear is givena small tinkling bell. They say itdepresses her. Cows haven’t manyalternatives. I have.

Weir: Being that you live the life of anactive ethnomusicologist, has yourfocus on the marimba changed? Doyou combine your work in the fieldwith marimba?

Chenoweth: Where I work overseasare unnamed places on the map. Justto arrive is often strenuous physi-cally, so taking a marimba would beimpossible. My feelings for the in-strument have not diminished, butthe present demands on me preventits being the single focus of earlieryears. It’s like a good husband, Iguess: nice to come home to.

Weir: It must be very exciting to travelto exotic places. How and when didyou get started in these projects?

Chenoweth: Believe me, my trips arenot travel-poster experiences. Theyare often, in fact, life threatening.Yet it is a privilege to help, whereverI can, my colleagues who are strug-gling with unknown languages andmusic systems, and to encourage theunnoticed peoples they serve.

You know, a musician does not stopbeing a musician. One can stop a ca-reer or a profession, but in one formor another, music is bound to resur-face. When my linguist partner and Ilived with the isolated Usarufa tribein New Guinea, I became interestedin their songs and their creativity aspart of what made up the identity ofthese folk. We convey facts withwords, but we convey feelings withmusic. I wanted to join them in bothrather than teach them my tongue ormy music. I believe that the highestand, at the same time, the humblestact of man is to praise God, and thatis very difficult to do in someoneelse’s language or music system. So Isee part of my job as helping people

to believe in themselves so that theycan create naturally. This is a shortexplanation to a very long subject.

Weir: Could you go into a little more de-tail as to what this process involves?For example, how do you write downwhat you hear? Is it a graphic nota-tion or standard western notation?

Chenoweth: Auetic transcription isnotating what one hears. However, indealing with a foreign music system,we do not necessarily hear what theyhear. A preliminary analysis gives usmaterial by means of which we cancheck with local music-makers to seeif we have heard their music as theyhear it. Any music can be transcribedin terms of a graph, that is, a devicefor showing time and pitches—rhythm and melody. This is exactlywhat we have inherited in our west-ern notation—a graph. With extrasymbols to designate features notinherent in our own music, such asmicrotones, the staff for plottingpitches and note values for plottingrhythm will suffice for transcribingany music system, I should think.

Weir: What do you have to go on, bothmusically and communicatively,when you first get to your destina-tion?

Chenoweth: If data has been recordedand transcribed in advance, there ismaterial to act upon, but unlessthere is a linguist present who canspeak the language, collecting songsis done in ignorance of what is beingcollected. Any attempt to check ananalysis is futile.

Weir: What has changed by the time youleave?

Chenoweth: If, for any reason, thepeople have a feeling of inferiorityabout their own music, it will be, Ihope, put to rest. If they already lovetheir own music, they will, I hope,love it more. I have never met withan attitude that was not positiveand, more often than not, one border-ing on elation for having been es-

Catching Up With Vida Chenoweth


teemed. Sometimes they are inspiredto create new songs just from thesuggestion and interest shown.

Weir: Where are some of the places thatyou have worked, and where wouldyou like to go that you have not been?

Chenoweth: First as a concert artist,then as a translator, and then as anethnomusicologist I have circled theglobe more times than I can recall.Wherever my work leads me, I go. Idon’t recall ever wanting to go to aplace just to see it, so I have no ambi-tions that way. I will say that I haveworked or performed on every conti-nent.

Weir: Do you ever record the music thatyou work with?

Chenoweth: I have never made com-mercial use of any ethnic music col-lected over the years.

Weir: I have heard from many performersthat playing for a European audience isa much more rewarding experience. Doyou feel that American audiences havelearned, are learning, or are fading intheir appreciation of musicianship?

Chenoweth: Musical training has beensadly neglected since the ’60s. Judgingfrom the many college “prep” depart-ments, things are beginning to turnaround. Parental encouragement is vital.I attribute the greatest educational foun-dation to what is promoted at home. PN

Martin Weir has been principal percus-sionist with the Whitewater and Sorg OperaCompanies, and has played with theMiddletown (Ohio) and Richmond (Indi-ana) Symphony Orchestras. He holds aMaster of Music Degree from Miami Uni-versity of Ohio, and is presently studyingwith Professor James Campbell at the Uni-versity of Kentucky.


P E R C U S S I O N P E R F O R M A N C E

CRASH CYMBALS HOLD A CHOICEposition in the vast domain ofpercussion. Each brilliant crashis a spectacular flash that is

extremely visual to the audience. Thecymbal player is often a close ally to theconductor of an orchestra or concertband. Just before a loud cymbal crash,with a glance of the eye or a subtle nodof the head (often anticipated by thecymbal player), the conductor and cym-bal player have a precise musical rap-port that is almost surgical in nature.

A SHORT HISTORY OF CYMBALSWe know that crash cymbals date backto antiquity and have their origins inAsia, most notably Turkey. Cymbals havebeen depicted on bas-reliefs where theyare no larger than a dinner plate. Onealso finds them in art works of the MiddleAges, notably on sculptures and in illu-minated manuscripts where they serveas part of the large letters that begineach paragraph.

We also know that the sound of cym-bals from the 17th century was prob-ably very similar to those we havetoday. The artisans from Constan-tinople who made these cymbals wereexperts in their manufacture. To thisday, the names Zildjian and Sabianpractically dominate the market. Thename Zildjian comes from the originalTurkish cymbal maker named AvedisZildjian who, in 1929, emigrated to theUnited States, where his businessdeveloped into what it is today.

The exact proportions of the alloyfrom which cymbals are made remain aclosely guarded family secret. It is com-posed of copper and tin in the propor-tions of roughly 4 to 1. Of course, thesecret is well-guarded because it takesa special touch with the molten metalto produce the correct design and thegrooves, which influence the tone somuch. The instruments go into an ovenand are rolled, hammered and then cuton a lathe. The thickness varies fromabout 1 to 2 millimeters. The weight isa function of size, thickness and compo-

By Jean-Louis Matthey/translated from French by Michael Rosen

sition of the metal. The size and shapeof the dome varies from model to model.

Certain alloys create a dark-sound-ing color, for use with the music ofMahler, and others a bright color forDebussy or Ravel. Works for full con-cert band, such as Poem of Fire by IdaGotkovsky, necessitate cymbals thatare loud and brilliant with a full tone.In symphony orchestras cymbal playerschoose instruments of 16 or 18 inches,the choice being a function of the sizeand type of ensemble, the work beingperformed and the acoustics of the hall.When the cymbal player performs inconjunction with the bass drummer ina pit, like at the Paris Opera, the cym-bals should be a bit louder than thebass drum, never the other wayaround. One must always be aware ofthe efforts of the cymbal player, whoshould never be overlooked.

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS OF THECYMBAL CRASHThe technique of cymbal playing cannotbe completely mastered by studying itfrom a book. The student who wants tolearn more about cymbal playing must,therefore, seek the guidance of an expe-rienced cymbal player.

Because cymbal players usuallystand, they must be sure that theirweight is well-balanced so that thecymbals can be played with power andpanache. In order to play pianissimo,on the other hand, the performer some-times sits on a chair or a high stool.Above all, the idea is to achieve thegreatest amount of stability. (For ex-ample, wedge your feet into the rungsof the stool if seated.)

The actual technique of the cymbalcrash differs from one country to an-other. Some percussionists hold to theprinciple that the two cymbals strikeeach other at every point on the circum-ference at precisely the same time in akind of perfect symmetry, which avoidsthe flat sound as well as false sounds.This is true when the cymbals aremuffled, also. (By the way, be careful of

the buttons on your coat!) This tech-nique presumes that the attack is onthe vertical plane at about the height ofthe chest.

Another technique requires that theleft hand assume the role of an anvilwhile the right hand strikes, acting likea sort of “cymbal-mallet.” The left handremains stationary, or almost station-ary, and traces a light circle in the airfrom low to high, on the diagonal. Atthe same time, the cymbal in the righthand sweeps against the left cymbal inan inverse motion. The cymbals cometogether practically parallel to eachother. This is the technique that I use. Ihold the highest pitched cymbal in theright hand and the lowest pitched cym-bal in the left hand.

The tone is also a function of a rub-bing of the cymbals together, which cre-ates the “zzzzzzzzzzzzmmmmmmmm”sound. The longer the cymbals remaintogether the more this sound is appar-ent to the benefit of the quality of thecrash. How long the cymbals remain to-gether is, naturally, a matter of degreeand bit of chance too!

Bad luck sometimes makes the cym-bals stick together and not pull apartfrom each other. To avoid this catastro-phe (the “pop” sound) in both tech-niques mentioned above, one can tiltthe cymbals slightly so that they arenot strictly parallel. Here is where theweight of the cymbals has an effect onthe sound: the weight of the two cym-bals together, the weight of the bottomcymbal, which is acting like an anvil, orthe weight of the top cymbal, which isacting like a “cymbal-mallet” and whichshould be slightly less heavy by a fewgrams. In this manner, the air pocket—which could have disastrous conse-quences—can be avoided.

In terms of holding the cymbals, onecould wrap the leather strap around thefist, but this method is not recommended.It is much better to grasp the leatherstrap firmly between the index finger andthumb in a manner that will assure aconfident control of the cymbal crash.

Crash Cymbals


CONDUCTORS AND CYMBAL PLAYERSThe cymbal player must have a creative,unquestioning fidelity to the wishes ofthe conductor, who understands the lev-els of nuance that he wants and demandsthe kind of cymbal crash desired. Thecymbal player must anticipate an en-trance by attentive observation 20 or 30measures before the actual note. Thegesture or cue from the conductor mustbe felt internally and will thus be inte-grated with both the ensemble and themusical context. Above all, concentra-tion must be unwavering. When possible,memorize the measures between en-trances. This will help you concentrate.A healthy atmosphere of camaraderieand a sense of working side by sidewithin the percussion section is indis-pensable. The cymbal player and thebass drummer must play together like

one musician. In addition, they mustalso think alike when it comes to rhythmand interpreting the intent of theconductor’s gestures.

PREPARING YOUR MUSICIt is incumbent upon the cymbal playerto know the arrangement of the percus-sion instruments if there are many in acomposition. The cymbal player is alsoresponsible for other instruments suchas the suspended cymbal and gong, andmust not roll too fast on the suspendedcymbal or gong so that the sound doesnot “spread” too soon. The cymbal playermust also take care that there are no ex-traneous sounds from the instruments andthat things run smoothly. When I play avery loud crash, I move the cymbals in thefollowing manner to create what I call a“sonorous cylinder of sound” (see right):


In addition, the cymbal player mustsee that the music stand is at theproper height and that the musicdoesn’t fly off because of a gust of windas the result of a particularly loudcrash. (One should clip the music to apiece of stiff cardboard so that it doesn’tfly off the stand.) If it is necessary touse more than one pair of cymbals in acomposition for changes in color, theplayer should use some sort of rackmade to hold the cymbals. In addition,be very careful not to make any noisewhen you change cymbals or put themdown in the middle of a piece.

MUSICALITYTechnique, especially for cymbal play-ing, is a means to an end. The act ofstriking the cymbals and the completepreparation of a crash must be inte-grated into the musical line. This is ofutmost importance. To be an importantpart of the musical line and to relate tothe music in the most artistic mannerpossible, the percussionist must projecthimself somehow into the rests and be apart of the melodic context.

When preparing to play compositionsthat have been recorded, I suggestmemorizing the music before and afteryour entrance. Memorize the melodicline, of course, but also memorize therhythmic tension that is called for atthe precise moment of your entrance. Arallentando, or more rarely an accele-rando, is often revealed by the cymbals.One is reminded that the player canhelp the music’s intent by holding backfor dramatic effect. It is also of utmostimportance to master and control theduration of the cymbal sound and beaware of cutoff, which is not alwaysclear in the music.

We never want to confuse rhythmwith mathematics. Like the greatconductor Furtwangler once said,“Solfeggio is one thing and mathemat-ics is quite another.” Relationships givebirth to music. In the orchestra, a cym-bal crash only has significance in themusic’s melodic, harmonic, dynamic,dramatic and scenic context. If I playone cymbal crash in a room, I make

Crash Cymbals


noise, but if I play two crashes, I make music.By using technique, musicality and careful choice of

instruments (and their implementation) from the musicstand to the orchestra, the cymbals can reflect this. If teach-ers are sensitive to this, they will point out, observe and usevarious techniques that are used in symphonies all over theworld, which will help address this question. The mentalityof the symphonic cymbal player will call attention to thisquestion. Very often the cymbal player is a specialist, likethe timpanist. He knows the characteristics of the orchestrawell, the tradition for various passages—traditions thatdon’t necessarily fit the music. He also knows the habits andwhims of a conductor.

Cymbals, given their different diameters, are very per-sonal instruments. It is the sensitivity and musical cul-ture that guides the player ’s ear to search for just theright sound, which gives birth to the player’s creativity.Different cymbal players will sound different even whenplaying the very same cymbals. Cymbals will not have thedesired panache if they are chosen without regard to theacoustics of the hall or the personal feelings of the per-former on a given day.

Each composition, therefore, calls for a distinctly differentapproach. Since each entrance of the cymbals is a solo, theplayer must be conscious of the player’s role in the context ofthe music. Each entrance must be flawless and played withthe utmost taste. The cymbal player exposes himself physi-cally (for he is affected by the weight of the cymbals and therelationship of one to the other in order to attain the desiredsound) and psychically for the concentration to reach thatwhich must be attained. By definition, the timbre of cymbalsis incisive, coloristic, subtle in the piano dynamic, and isn’tmade to be drowned out or covered by the other instruments.The cymbal player is, therefore, a responsible musician anda complete artist who must approach even what seems likean insignificant part with care and professionalism. PN

Jean-Louis Matthey is second timpa-nist, first cymbalist and bass drumplayer of the Wind Orchestra Concordiain Fribourg, and timpanist of the profes-sional Chamber Orchestra of Villars surGlâne, France. He also works part-timein the music department of the universitylibrary in Lausanne, Switzerland. Hestudied at the Conservatory of Lausanne

and received private timpani instruction from CharlesPeschier in Geneva and with Harald Glamsch at the Conser-vatory of Bern.

A subscription to Percussive Notes makes a great gift!


Terms Used in Percussion: Oliver Messiaen’s Des Canyon Aux Étoiles

D ES CANYONS AUX ÉTOILES(From the Canyons to the Stars)is scored for Piano Solo, Horn,Xylorimba, Glockenspiel and

Orchestra. The first performance tookplace on November 20, 1974 at AliceTully Hall in New York with FrédéricWaldman conducting. Richard Fitzplayed the xylophone solo, GordonGottlieb played the glockenspiel solo andBarry Jekowsky played the crotales/géophone part.

This monumental work is in threelarge parts divided into 12 movements.The piece was commissioned in 1971 bythe American patron Alice Tully as awork to celebrate the bicentennial ofthe Declaration of Independence. Thestory goes that Messiaen simply con-sulted an encyclopedia in search of asuitable subject in fitting with theAmerican sensibilities he was trying tocapture. He discovered the canyons ofUtah, which are among the most mar-velous natural phenomenon in theUnited States. Then, in the spring of1972, he visited the canyons and wasoverwhelmed with their awesome gran-deur. Everything was there: the colors,the bird songs and the spaciousnessthat characterizes Messiaen’s music.The music flowed easily.

The 12 movements taken togethermake a complete tour of the sights,sounds and colors of Utah. It takes thelistener from the canyons to the stars,beginning chromatically in the desertand ending up diatonically in the celes-tial city. Other progressions go fromdarkness into light, from bass to trebleand from sparseness to density.

Here are the percussion terms thatMessiaen uses: [Text appearing insquare brackets is my own explanationand does not appear in the music.]Des Canyons aux Étoiles. (1971-74)

Claviers:1 glockenspiel (à baguettes)-(le glock-

enspiel est solo, sa partie est difficile)-étendue du glockenspiel, en sons réel: —one glockenspiel played with mallets.The glockenspiel is a solo instrument

By Michael Rosen

P E R C U S S I O N P E R F O R M A N C E

and the part is difficult, the range is asfollows and sounds as written:

[Messiaen asks specifically fororchestra bells played with mallets. InFrance a keyboard glockenspiel is actu-ally used as often as, or more than, thetype we use in America, which is playedwith mallets. The keyboard instrumentmakes such difficult parts as Sorcerer’sApprentice and Pines of Rome mucheasier—mainly because we wouldn’thave to play it at all! The first person inFrance to play Sorcerer ’s Apprenticewith mallets, by the way, was the per-cussionist Serge Baudo, who is now aconductor in Lyon.]

Glock à marteaux—Same as above,orchestra bells with mallets. [Marteauxmeans hammers. This term appears onthe glock part.]

1 xylorimba (le xylorimba est solo, sapartie est difficile)-étendue duxylorimba, en sons réels:—onexylorimba, the xylorimba is a solo in-strument and the part is difficult, therange is as follows and sounds as writ-ten:

[Unlike a xylophone, the xylorimba isnon-transposing and has a range of4 1/2, often 5 octaves, with the lowerregister tuned like a marimba and theupper register tuned like a xylophone.This instrument was made by Premierand Bergerault in Europe as well as

Deagan in America and was used oftenby composers such as Boulez, Berio andMessiaen in the 1960s and ’70s. TheJ.C. Deagan Co. made these instru-ments up until the late 1930s and onescan still be found that sound beautiful.A 5-octave instrument is needed forthis part. See Percussive NotesResearch Edition, Vol. 24, No. 3/6,March/September, 1986, p.128-133 forphotos of the instrument.]

Percussions:1. Jeu de cloches-tubes-étendue du

jeu de cloches-tubes, en sons réels—Aset of tubular chimes, the range is asfollows and sounds as written:

2. Triangle-Jeu de crotales (pour lescrotales, il faut: 2 baguettes, une tige demétal, et un archet de contrabasse)-étendeu du jeu de crotales, en sonsréels:—Triangle, a set of crotales (forthe crotales it is necessary to have twomallets, a metal stick and a bass bow),the range of the crotales is as followsand sounds as written:

N.B. Pour les crotales frottées parun archet de contrabasse, on peutavoir des crotales isolées, que l’ontient en main. Pour le rest, jouer sur lescrotales montées en jeu chromatique.—For the crotales that are bowed theplayer can hold the one to be playedin the hand. For the remaining sec-tions play crotales that are mounted

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chromatically on a stand.fouet—slapstickune paire de maracas—a pair of ma-

racasréco-réco—reco-reco [bamboo guiro]clochettes de verre—glass wind

chimesclochettes de coquillages—shell wind

chimesclochettes de bambous—bamboo wind

chimes [Messiaen translates this him-self in the score as “wood-chimes” al-though the word bambous actuallymeans bamboo in French. I would usebamboo wind chimes.]

géophone (machine à sable) (c’est untrès grand tambour plat, à 2 peauxtrès minces, rempli de grains deplomb-on le fait osciller de gauche àdroite et droite à gauche. Le géophoneest noté ansi: —a géophone (sand ma-chine) is a very large flat drum withtwo very thin heads filled with smallpieces of shot made of lead, i.e., BBs.It is played by tilting it from left toright and then right to left. [FromFrançois Dupin of the Orchestre deParis: “The name means the earth,geo = earth. The géophone is a kind offlat drum with two heads, similar to aChinese drum where the heads arefixed with nails. Inside there aresmall lead seeds that roll around in-side the drum as you slowly tilt it(like a toy airplane). It is about 4inches thick by 24 inches in diameter.The larger the drum, the longer thesound is sustained because there aremore metal seeds and they rollaround for a longer time.”] Thegéophone is notated as follows:

[Remo makes an instrument theycall an Ocean Drum that is astonish-ingly similar to what Messiaendescribes. They make three sizes and Iwould suggest the largest for this part.The painting on the head is optional

large), notated as follows:

le 2e tam-tam doit être très profond—the 2nd tam-tam should be very largeand have a very low sound.

1 tôle (immense feuille d’aciersuspendue que l’on secoue violement)—one thunder sheet (a very large sheet ofmetal suspended in such a manner sothat it can be shaken vigorously)

eoliphone (machine à vent) (toile ousoie tendue sur une roue à échelons-onl’actionne avec une manivelle)L’Eoliphone est noté ainsi—theeoliphone is notated as follows:

—eoliphone (wind machine) (canvasor silk laid over a wheel made ofwooden slats—it is played by turning ahandle attached to the wheel) [It isvery difficult to find a wind machinethese days. I would suggest using asynthesizer. I have also used a windmachine that is activated by blowinginto it much like a mouth siren. It isalso very rare. See Percussive NotesVol. 29., No. 2, December 1990, page 55for an illustration of an eoliphone.]PART I

frotter sur la tranche avec archet deC.B.—bow on the edge [of the crotales]with a bass bow

avec archet—with a bowcentre—at the center [of the conga

drum]bord—at the edge [of the conga

drum]d—abbreviation of droite, right handg—abbreviation of gauche, left hand

and doesn’t really make the drumsound better!]

3. 6 temple blocks, ainsi notés:—6temple blocks, noted as follows:

claves—claveswood-block—woodblockUne paire de maracas—a pair of

maracastambour de basque—tambourinepetite cymbale suspendue—small sus-

pended cymbalcymbale suspendue—suspended cym-

bal4. 4 gongs, ainsi notés—4 gongs,

noted as follows:

cymbale suspendue—suspended cym-bal

tumba (à jouer avec les mains—aubord: son plus aigu-au centre: son plusgrave)—conga drum played with thehands at the edge, the sound should bevery high and in the center of the drumwhere the sound should be very deep.[To be specific, a tumba is the largest ofthe three drums in a set of congas.However, in Europe composers usuallyuse the word tumba generically muchthe same way that we use the wordconga.]

grosse caisse—bass drum5. 2 tam-tams (un tam-tam médium

grave, et un tam-tam très grave), ainsinotés:—2 tam-tams (one tam-tam me-dium large and one tam-tam very

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mailloches en feutre compact—hard felt tam-tam beaterbaguettes de timbales—timpani sticks [on bass drum]pour assurer ce fa dièse avec archet, on peut prendre la

crotale en main—to assure this F-sharp is executed well withthe bow, hold the crotale while you bow it

très long—very long [refers to a fermata]3 (pour 2 e )—three in the place of two 8th noteslaissez résonner—let ringau centre—at the center [of the conga drum]gliss. sur les tranches (tige de métal)—glissando on the

surface [of the crotales] with a metal stick [triangle beater]avec la main—play with the handavec le pouce—with the thumb [on the tambourine part]4 baguettes—with 4 malletsjouer avec les mains—play with handsavec batte de triangle—with a triangle beater [on the

chime part, actually two are needed to play a trill]maillets—mallets [indicates to go back to the chime mal-

lets on chimes]laissez traîner sur la cymbale une “arraignée” de métal—

drag [scrape] a cymbal claw [spider] on the cymbal.PART III

mailloches en feutre compact—a tam-tam mallet with afirm felt head

baguettes de timbales—timpani sticksPART V

pte. cymb—(abrv. for petite) small cymbalcymb. susp—suspended cymbalavec 4 baguettes—with 4 malletsroulement avec 2 baguettes—roll with 2 mallets [crotale]

PART VIcloches—chimesgr. caisse—[abr. for grande caisse]—bass drumtrès long—very long

PART VIII3 (pour 2 e )—three notes over the space of two notes [in

this case it is three 8th notes over two 8th notes, which is an8th-note triplet]PART XII

jouer avec les mains—play with the handslaisser traîner sur la cymbale une “araignée” de métal—

place a cymbal rake on the cymbal. [The literal translation ofaraignée is spider. The player actually plays the cymbal witha mallet and then lightly places the rake on the cymbal tocreate a sort of sizzle effect.] PN

Michael Rosen is Professor of Percussion atOberlin Conservatory of Music and director ofthe Oberlin Percussion Institute, and he hasconcertized and taught extensively around theworld. He serves on the Board of Directors ofPAS and is an Associate Editor ofPercussive Notes in charge of Performance.

Terms Used in Percussion:Messiaen’s Des Canyon Aux Étoiles


Percussionists and Networks

E L E C T R O N I C P E R C U S S I O N

By Doug Harbord

I MAGINE HAVING THE ABILITY TOtalk to any percussionist in theworld at any time—about tech-nique, opinions, equipment, etc.

This may sound far-fetched for the aver-age musician, but in fact, this capabilityexists today. The World Percussion Net-work (WPN), a membership service ofthe Percussive Arts Society, is devotedexclusively to all topics of percussion. Inaddition, because I have been fortunateto have worked for a large computer soft-ware/hardware company for the past fiveyears, I have managed to find access toother valuable communication tools forthe drummer/percussionist/musician.These tools are all based on a large high-speed computer network known as“Internet.” These days, the Internet isbeing coined the “Information SuperHighway.”

THE VEHICLEInternet, in brief, is a highly sophisti-cated computer network implemented bythe Federal Government to connect amultitude of agencies, corporations anduniversities to one another. Since theequipment needed to connect directly tothe Internet is quite expensive, onlylarge corporations and institutions cantypically afford to have direct Internetaccess. Until recently, access to thispower was out of reach to the averagecomputer user, much less the averagemusician. But now, there are virtuallyhundreds of Electronic Bulletin Boardsand Internet Service providers aroundthe country and the world that havesome type of Internet access to offer you.

What does this mean to the musicianthat wants a piece of this enormous in-formation “pie”? If you own a personalcomputer with a modem and are willingto do some investigation to find a localBBS (Bulletin Board Service) that hasInternet services, you can participateright now. If you don’t have your owncomputer, but you are a student atmost any college or university, youshould have some type of computer ser-vice available to you at your school.

Check with the people in your libraryor computer science department to seehow Internet access works on yourcampus.

With this brief summary of the tech-nology required to interact with thenetwork, you’re probably asking, “Whatis out there for me?” Absolutely every-thing! To start, there is USENET,which is a huge electronic-mail facilitythat is broken up into many special in-terest groups. USENET is a serviceprovided by a company called UUNET,and uses the Internet to transmit datato millions of users. With some 3000+information forums, you will be able tolocate and share information on justabout any topic. There are, however,several specific newsgroups (as they arecalled) that are targeted to the musicindustry and musicians in particular.The following are some samplenewsgroups of interest to percussion-ists and a description of the contents:

rec.music.makers.percussion—General exchange of drums and percus-sion ideas and opinions. You can alsobuy and sell equipment on thisnewsgroup.

rec.music.marketplace—Generalmusic topics and sales of music record-ings etc.

comp.music—Computers and musi-cal instruments, MIDI synthesizers, etc.

These are only a sprinkling of thenewsgroups that relate to music anddrums that are available throughUSENET, and are by no means a limi-tation to the categories of discussion.The great thing about USENET is thatthe users have a pertinent role in whatgroups are created and the exact pur-poses of each section. New groups arecreated by way of an election process,and a moderator within the USENETcommunity will then introduce the newgroup if there is enough interest. Oncethe group is established, it will beginpropagation throughout the USENETcommunity via Internet and BBS inter-action. As people on the Net becomeaware of the newly formed topic area,they will begin posting questions, an-swering others’ queries, trading ideas,and sometimes even disagree with eachother ’s views and comments. This iswhat USENET is all about; people in-teracting with people.

Newsgroups of interest to percussionists are as close as your computer on USENET.


Percussionists and Networks

will likely have some assistance fromthe Systems Operator (or SYSOP, asthey are known in the BBS world) ifyou have questions or problems.

To veteran computer users, this mayall be review. For those contemplatingentering the world of personal comput-ers, this article may seem intimidatingand foreign. Over the past year, therehave been hundreds of books and ar-ticles written on the Internet and whatit can bring to users of all types—nov-ice through expert. A quick walkthrough the computer section of yourlocal book store will yield a greatwealth of material on Internet andBBSs in general.

Merging into the fast lane of the Internetis best done by putting the pedal to themetal. After all, you can’t get stopped forspeeding on this highway! PN

NET SURFINGOnce you have established a link tothe Internet, it is time for some in-tense Net Surfing (a slang term usedto describe interacting with theInternet). A great place to start is byfinding a simple News Reader applica-tion for your PC. These types of pro-grams are found on virtually everyBBS. These application programs al-low you to read USENET mail eitheron- or off-line. If you are unable to finda local phone BBS or Internet accessservice, then you want a News Readerthat can operate in an off-line mode tosave on your long-distance phone bill.These readers operate in a “batchmode” and connect to the source onlywhen you are ready to receive the datayou have chosen. Once you are con-nected to an Internet newsfeed, you

Doug Harbord isa drumset playerand percussionistwho toured with theAnaheim Kingsmencorps in 1976-77and was a memberof the California

State Drumline Champions at ElDorado High School. He holds a degreein mechanical engineering and has beeninvolved in various forms of music in-cluding recording sessions, nightclubcircuits, orchestras, ensembles and pri-vate instruction, as well as being adrum equipment inventor/entrepreneur.Currently he is a Systems Analyst withIntegraph Corporation, specializing insoftware performance analysis, andplays with two club groups, the FunkyMonks and Mr. Charlie.


Bars & Pipes Professional

E L E C T R O N I C P E R C U S S I O N

I N I T S S I M P L E S T F O R M ,a sequencer is a program that enables the user to record, edit andreplay MIDI data. Graphical dis-

play in standard music notation, scoreprinting, automated mixing, quantiza-tion, cut, copy, pasting, looping, metro-nome, auto punch-in/out, location points,syncing to SMPTE/MTC and a host ofother facilities are available on most oftoday’s better sequencers. Although youmay not be familiar with many of theseterms and features, they allow the userto complete a finished mix of a full MIDIperformance at home and then take thecomputer onto the stage or into the stu-dio where all that is needed is a sprin-kling of live musicians and a pinch ofeffects for flavor.

The first thing you notice aboutThe Blue Ribbon Soundworks’ Bars& Pipes Professional v2.0b(B&PPro2) is the layout. The MIDIdata travels through a graphical repre-sentation of a pipeline to the track win-dow, then out of another pipeline. In ei-ther of the pipelines, “tools” can beplaced to affect and alter the MIDI datathat passes through them. These toolsare the secret to B&PPro2’s enormouspower.

As standard, B&PPro2 comes withabout 70 different tools; by adding the“Creativity Kit” and others, roughly100 more are available: Quantize, Re-peat, Reverse, Tempo Tap, PhraseShaper, Keyboard Splitter, Chord Gen-erator, Transpose, Legato, Echo, Delay,

Feels Good,Strreeetch, etc. The

list is almost bewildering.One that is particularly useful for

drummers is the “Pattern Tool,” whichcan be displayed either as a keyboardmap or as a drum map. Phrases, loops,or entire tracks can be played straightinto the pattern tool from a keyboard,

Reviewed by Greg Malcangi

B&P Pro’s Track Overview window with the icon-based toolbox. Notice the multimedia tracks called Pictures, Toaster andMixer.


DrumKat, Octopad or other MIDI in-strument and are displayed as Hi-hat,Snare, Bass drum, etc. It is easy to cus-tomize the pattern tool for your par-ticular MIDI instruments and soundmodules, after which you can save it inthe “ToolTray” for future use.

Tools can be placed in the pipeline toaffect a whole track, or they can bedropped into the “Toolbox” and only thesection of track between the edit flagswill be “Toolized.” There is no limita-tion to the number of tools that can beplaced in the pipelines. With each ofthese tools, which simply are not avail-able on other sequencers, B&PPro2provides a range of facilities for produc-ing a finished MIDI mix.

Getting around B&PPro2 is straightforward: double click on a tool, and awindow appears displaying all its pa-

rameters; double click on the “Mix Mae-stro” icon and a window opens with fad-ers and pan pots for the automatedmixing. The track window can displaythe MIDI data as standard music nota-tion, piano roll, staff hybrid, a table ofMIDI “events” or even in guitar-tablature format. In all, there are 19display options, which can be shown si-multaneously if required, although thisdoes slow the screen update whenscrolling. In general, four or five of theoptions are ample for most projects.

Editing whole bars or tracks can beachieved in the “Song Construction”window, while individual notes orgroups of notes are edited from withinthe track window. There are a numberof icons common to many of the win-dows. Click on the pencil icon and writenotes, click on the hand icon and you

can move them. There are icons forerasing, copying and changing the du-ration of notes. Click on the group iconin conjunction with one of the othersand draw a box around all the notesyou wish to edit. Other icons will mag-nify the display and flip between barnumbers and SMPTE time. Keyboardshortcuts are provided for most of thefunctions.

B&PPro2 provides for simultaneousoutput to 48 separate MIDI channelsand an unlimited number of tracks.However, using a large number oftracks really does eat up the memory.The program states that two megs ofRAM are required, but four or six megsare needed for really serious work. Theoverall speed of the package, while notblistering, is fast enough. The programseems to be very stable, even with 10 or


B&P Pro‘s Pattern Tool displays a drum map for easy programming.


more windows open simultaneously. Inover 300 hours of use I have not experi-enced a single crash. [Editor’s Note:this has got to set a record for the most“bullet proof” software!]

Not content with creating a superla-tive MIDI sequencer, Blue Ribbon hasgone much further. Opening the“MediaMadness” window in B&PPro2takes us into the world of Multimediaand Video production. All our MIDItracks are in evidence, and in additionwe have the ability to drop in tools(specific to MediaMadness) that allowus to integrate a number of other com-panies’ hardware with the MIDI datawe’ve created.

One set of tools controls of video re-corders. Being able to have a video pic-ture synced and controlled byB&PPro2, displayed in a user-defined

window right next to your MIDI data,takes a lot of the hassle out of writingmusic for video and TV. There are spe-cial tools to control the Video Toaster(an internal card), used to create thespecial effects in programs such asBabylon 5 and Seaquest DsQ.

Inserting one or more of SunrizeIndustries’ plug-in boards and droppingin the appropriate tools allows you torecord up to 12 tracks of 16-bit (CDquality) live sound direct to hard disk,again all from within B&PPro2. Forgetabout having a computer controlling allyour MIDI data for the rock concert ormusic video; B&PPro2 can controlthe whole show. Plug in a few massivescreens, a bit of dry ice…lights…action…press return.

Blue Ribbon seems to have paidattention to an area that is often

neglected in the software community:an easily understandable manual. Ifthere is a problem that the manualcan’t solve, then after-sales support be-comes an issue. Not only does Blue Rib-bon have the standard telephone helplines, but they run their own BulletinBoard (404-315-0211) and can also befound in the MIDICVendor forum ofCompuServe.

In Conclusion: Once you get used toits unusual appearance, B&PPro2 isvery difficult to fault, the only real areaof concern being the poor quality of thescore printing. As a sequencer, B&PPro2 is one of the most powerful avail-able on any computer platform. Add tothis its multimedia control capabilities,and it really is in a class of its own. Ifyou own an Amiga and wish to start se-quencing, there is nothing to compare

While spartan, B&P Pro’s notation capabilities allow you to use MIDI data in standard musical notation.


SuperJAM! from The Blue RibbonSoundworks Ltd.

Pros: Windows environment music cre-ating and editing. MIDI inputs andoutputs. Can be used with an internalsoundcard. Ability to change styles,chord design, rhythm, tempo; createmelodies and record all as saveablesongs. Can “jam” with 20-plus stylesand create more for personal taste.

Cons: No use of true musical notation,though it can be saved as a MIDI fileand converted.

Requirements: Windows 3.1, VGA orbetter graphics display, Two mega-bytes of RAM, 25Mhz 386 or higherprocessor, Windows 3.1 compatiblesound card or MIDI interface.

Suggested retail price: $129Contact:

Venture Center1605 Chantilly DriveSuite 200Atlanta, GA 30324(404) 315-0212

RECREATIONAL COMPUTING,to date, has produced countlessdisks full of games for wastingtime. With all this junk on my

disks, I’m grateful for the “file delete”function on the computer. But do nodeleting with SuperJAM! This is a pro-gram of character and depth with sev-eral worthy applications. And it is fun!

SuperJAM! is set in Windows, whichmakes it easy to use with either amouse or keyboard. It is easily in-stalled, and a tutorial at the beginningof the 160-page user guide draws you

right into the program. After workingthrough the tutorial, the manual iseasily left for trouble shooting.SuperJAM! is interesting to exploreicon by icon. It can be used by a child—I tested it on mine—but has enoughdepth for the serious musician.

REVIEW SYSTEMI reviewed SuperJAM! on a 25Mhz 486color laptop using a parallel port MIDIinterface hooked to a KAWAI K1 synth.I was also able to run SuperJAM! on a20Mhz 386 machine, but response timewas frustrating. SuperJAM! suggests a25Mhz 386 machine as a minimum.Other MIDI interfaces tested with thisprogram were the Roland MPU401 MIDIinterface, and an 8-bit Soundblastercard, both using the standard Windowsdrivers.

JAMMING WITH SUPERJAM!SuperJAM! allows you to jam in realtime in several different ways. You canuse one of over 20 styles to changechords, patterns, rhythms, tempos and

styles asyou go. With a MIDI

keyboard, you can play a melodyalong with the program, but only if youhave enough hands. Or you can record agroove or pattern—even build a song—and save it, then play it back and impro-vise along with yourself.

SuperJAM! has a “house band” of fiveinstruments plus a soloist. All instru-ments follow the General MIDI formatof program-change messages. So, if youare using a GM compatible sound mod-ule or card, you can be up and runningin no time. (Unfortunately, our K-1from Kawai pre-dates General MIDIformat and we had a hard time findinga good drum patch.)

To just start makin’ music is a cinch,because SuperJAM! has so much pro-

Reviewed by Rebecca Ifland

SuperJAM!

Figure 1. The Keyboard window includes all the icons and keys you need tocreate music on the fly.


with it. If you are thinking of setting upyour own studio and want to record livemusic and MIDI, then an Amiga with aSunrize board and B&PPro2 is worthyof very serious consideration. PN

Greg Malcangi studied the tuba at theGuildhall School of Music and Dramain London. As a freelance musician, heworked under the batons of conductorssuch as Leonard Bernstein, Ashkenasy

and Haitink. Today Malcangi is arecording engineer at Heritage Studioin Cambridgeshire, England, which heco-owns with his wife, percussionistEvelyn Glennie.


grammed into it. Each style has an “in-troduction” and an “ending” pattern,”with a “break” (drum solo/tacet) and“gas” ( short and lively drum variation)pattern to vary the style when you feellike it. These variations are run bynifty icons: a green and red stoplightfor beginning and ending; a cup of cof-fee for the “break”; and a filling stationfor the “gas.” You click on the “go” but-

ton and out comes music to be edited onthe fly.

Chords are changed by selecting thetonic on the on-screen keyboard. De-pending on which key you choose,chords will be major, minor or aug-mented. (Chord qualities can be editedfor more color, but I can’t seem to getthis feature to work while the programis running.) To program a melody line,you can use the MIDI controller of yourchoice, or take a random melody fromthe “Eas-O-Matic MusicMaker” (whichwill also change chords for you if youdesire). The novice using SuperJAM!may stick with the pre-packaged styles,but there is much more to delve into.Bringing up the SONG window, you cancreate full compositions by piecing to-

Figure 2. The Eas-O-Matic windowallows you to point-and-click the iconsor use the (blue) PC keyboard keys tochange chords and create melodies.

gether styles, bands, or chordchanges—it is possible to alter andfiddle with many musical parameters tosuit your musical desires or needs: vol-umes of each instrument, patternsplayed by each instrument, soundsused by the bands, etc.

All the editing is done in variouswindows, using several icons. A pencilicon enables you to write new music; aneraser deletes it. To move something toanother place in the song, click on ahand icon and drag it; a copy iconduplicates and drags material to a newposition.

The SuperJAM! musical “score” isNOT black notes on white paper.Instead, notation is given as chartsdivided into quarter-note divisions.Chords are inserted at the desired beat,and accompaniments are designed on atwo-dimensional graph showing timeand note name.

SUPERJAM! AND THE PERCUSSIONISTSuperJAM! has a lot to offer the percus-sion community. It can be used as a tre-mendous practice helper. By muting thedrummer, you can use the SuperJAM!accompaniment to practice that drumgroove you haven’t been able to master.Keyboard percussion instruments, espe-cially vibes, are well suited for impro-vising along with a SuperJAM! song. Forthe student of music theory, SuperJAM!develops a good sense of chord usage,arrangement, and style. Whether youwant to easily pull together some musi-cal ideas you have, or just play aroundwith something more than a video game,SuperJAM! is a welcome addition to Win-dows software. PN

Rebecca Ifland isa marimbist who,with her sevenchildren, has per-formed in churches,rest homes and atWashington StateDays of Percussionconcerts. She is anactive member of the World PercussionNetwork.

Figure 3. Changing windows also changes menus. Compare the Song windowhere to the Patch Lists window in Figure 4.

Figure 4. The Patch List window shows fewer menu items than other windows.


Drumset in the University Percussion Curriculum

PURSUING AN UNDERGRADUATEdegree in percussion involveslearning to perform at a highlevel on a large family of instru-

ments. As John J. Papastenfan hasstated, “Teachers at all levels areencouraged to teach ‘Total Percussion,’defined as the training of students toplay with equal ability, in the threemajor areas of percussion, snaredrum, timpani and keyboard mal-let percussion. The concept of totalpercussion also implies that the stu-dent will be trained to play any ofthe vast number of accessory per-cussion instruments correctly andwith confidence. This holds true fordrumset and Latin percussion.”1

Many of the instruments in thepercussion family demand lifetimestudy, and a growing number ofpercussionists have spent theircareers specializing on individualinstruments. Well-known perform-ers include marimbists LeighHoward Stevens and GordonStout, and vibraphonists GaryBurton, Milt Jackson and BobbyHutcherson. The list also includestimpani specialists in major sym-phony orchestras and drumsetartists.

The increasing number of spe-cialty performers has not changedthe fact that the undergraduatepercussion student still is facedwith the task of developing a “to-tal percussion” competency. Be-cause so much has to be learned in alimited amount of time, the percussionteacher must chart a course of study forthe undergraduate student that willadequately cover the major areas ofpercussion, including the drumset.While general agreement exists con-cerning the teaching of the three majorareas of percussion (snare drum, tim-pani and keyboard mallet percussion),there remains uncertainty among per-cussion teachers as to the precisedrumset skills that should be taughtand how to best approach teaching

P E R C U S S I O N R E S E A R C H

The results of the questionnaire andinterviews raise interesting questionsabout the effectiveness of drumsetinstruction in the university setting.The questionnaire was administered tocollege and university percussionteachers listed under the category “Per-cussion Instruments (all)” in the Direc-tory of Music Faculties in Colleges and

Universities, U. S. and Canada.2

Part-time and adjunct percussionteachers were omitted. Of the 469questionnaires sent, 237, or50.3%, were returned.

Part One of the study’s ques-tionnaire was designed to identify(1) whether drumset is beingtaught; (2) who is teachingdrumset; and (3) the respectivelevels of drumset experience forboth the drumset teacher and thetypical drumset student in col-leges and universities throughoutthe United States and Canada. Itis clear that drumset instructionis established as a part of theoverall percussion curriculum inthe vast majority of colleges anduniversities in North America.Over 96% of the respondents be-lieve that drumset should be apart of the curriculum and 90% ofthe respondents state that theirinstitution offers drumset in-struction. Of the 17 respondentswho indicated drumset instruc-tion is not offered at their institu-tion, 15 stated that drumset in-

struction should be included as a partof the total undergraduate percussioncurriculum.

The survey indicated that the major-ity of drumset instruction in collegesand universities in the United Statesand Canada is done by a full-time fac-ulty member. Adjunct faculty members,graduate assistants and part-time fac-ulty members make up the next largestgroup. Surprisingly, 18% of the respon-dents indicated that drumset wastaught by two or more faculty membersat their institutions. Instruction by

those skills. The tradition of teaching“classical” instruments as opposed to“jazz/pop” instruments in manymusic schools is perhaps most evidentin the teaching of classical percussionversus the drumset.

The purpose of this study was todetermine basic drumset objectives forthe undergraduate percussion major

and to create a suggested course ofstudy designed to allow the student tomeet those objectives. College and uni-versity percussion teachers were sur-veyed, via questionnaire, to determinethe extent of their knowledge of thedrumset and to identify their pedagogi-cal needs and teaching strategies. Inaddition, four prominent drumset per-former/teachers—Bob Breithaupt, GuyRemonko, Steve Houghton, and EdSoph—were interviewed to solicit theirviews on the survey results and ondrumset teaching in general.

By Tom Morgan

…there remains uncertaintyamong percussion instructors

as to the precise drumsetskills that should be taughtand how to best approach

teaching those skills.


full-time faculty is an indication of therelative importance placed on drumsetinstruction.

Regarding drumset ability levels,almost an equal number of the respon-dents rated themselves as either mod-erate or high (85% and 86% respec-tively) and 13.5% of the respondentsrated themselves as extremely high.Very few respondents rated themselvesas poor or as having no experience. It isclear that most of the respondents feelthey are competent or better asdrumset players.

Over half of the respondents indi-cated that they had received pre-collegeprivate drumset instruction, while asignificant number of the respondents(41%) indicated they were self-taught.Of those respondents indicating theywere self-taught, 14% of the total groupindicated they were completely self-taught with no other drumset instruc-tion of any kind and 38% of the respon-dents indicated they had receiveddrumset instruction as part of their col-lege percussion curriculum.

Most percussion instructors feeldrumset instruction should be part ofthe overall college percussion curricu-lum even if they did not receivedrumset instruction as part of theirown college percussion study. Percus-sion instructors seem to have under-stood the need to develop their drumsetskills and have been willing to obtaindrumset instruction from outsidesources if it was not available in thecollege curriculum.

Over half of the respondents ratedthe drumset playing level of the typicalpercussion student entering their pro-gram as either moderate or poor. Thisindicates that most percussion studentsenter college percussion programs withat least some background in drumsetplaying but not at a level desired forcollege entrance.

Part Two of the survey, “DrumsetTeaching Philosophy,” was designed toidentify the manner in which thedrumset fits into the total percussion

curriculum. When asked which collegepercussion majors should studydrumset, 78% of the respondents saidall percussion majors—both perfor-mance majors and music-educationmajors—should study drumset as partof their overall percussion program.

Respondents were asked to indicatethe percentage of a typical percussioncurriculum devoted to drumset study attheir institution. The average responsewas surprisingly large at 20.2%. Amongthose surveyed, an average of one-fifthof the overall percussion curriculum isdevoted to drumset study.

Concerning the drumset curriculum,respondents indicated they favored acourse of study adapted to the students’needs (55%), abilities (28.6%), andinterests (35.7%). A somewhat struc-tured approach was selected by 25.7%of the respondents. Many respondentsselected several responses to this ques-tion. This mixture suggests that per-cussion instructors employ a structuredapproach that may be adapted whenrequired to fit the needs of individualstudents.

When asked about the drumset cur-riculum at their institution in thefuture, 36% of the respondents indi-cated they would like the drumset cur-riculum to remain the same, while 38.8% of the respondents reported theywould like the drumset curriculum attheir institution to become more struc-tured. This result suggests that manypercussion instructors strive to strike abalance between a curriculum adapt-able to the student’s particular needsand abilities but structured in itsapproach.

Part Three of the survey wasdesigned to determine what respon-dents believe are the importantdrumset skills and objectives to betaught. Respondents were presentedwith a list of competency statements,which required a two-part response.Each competency was then rated firstas to its importance as a basic drumsetobjective, and second as to the

respondent’s effectiveness in teachingeach competency. The ratings used aLikert scale ranging from N (none),then from 1 (low) to 5 (high).

In terms of importance, all of theoverall abilities (“ability to set up thedrumset in a logical manner,” “abilityto tune the drumset appropriately,”“ability to play in a big band setting,”“ability to play in a dance combo,” “abil-ity to play with brushes,” “ability toplay convincing fills and solos” and“ability to improvise”) were rated fouror higher except “ability to transcribefills, solos, etc.” and “knowledge ofdrumset history.” This result indicatesthat all of the overall abilities listed areimportant as basic drumset objectives.Respondents also were asked to ratethe importance of the ability to play ina number of different styles. The stylesrated above a four in importanceinclude “Latin styles (bossa nova,samba, etc.),” “modern jazz/swingstyle,” “funk/fusion style” and “rockstyle.” Respondents also were asked toindicate their own overall objective(s)and/or basic style(s) and rate each as toits importance under the category of“Other.” A long and varied list of overallobjectives and styles was generatedthat included items such as readingability, listening, drumset as a mul-tiple-percussion instrument, vocalgroup accompaniment, publisheddrumset solos, drumset in the sym-phony orchestra, playing with a clicktrack or sequencer, electronics andMIDI, club-date style, waltz and oddmeters, gospel style, new-age style,salsa style, country style, calypso style,polka style, and free or third-streamstyle. There was little consensus amongthis list, but the list as a whole didscore 4.1 in importance and 4.2 inteaching effectiveness, indicating thatrespondents felt strongly about theimportance of the objective or stylethey indicated and slightly morestrongly as to their ability to teach thatobjective or style effectively.

Respondents were asked to rate


their own effectiveness in teaching eachlisted competency. The four overallabilities that scored 4.0 or better were“ability to set up the drumset in a logi-cal manner,” “ability to play in a dancecombo,” “ability to tune the drumsetappropriately” and “ability to play in abig band.” “Ability to improvise” scored3.9, while “ability to play withbrushes,” and “ability to play convinc-ing fills and solos” each scored 3.8. Thetwo lowest ratings were “ability totranscribe fills, solos, etc. from re-cordings” and “knowledge ofdrumset history,” which scored 3.4and 3.3 respectively. The rela-tively low ratings for transcriptionskills and drumset history is in-teresting and suggests a lack ofunderstanding of drumset tech-niques and styles among collegepercussion instructors.

Respondents were asked to indi-cate the percentage (0 percent, 25percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, or100 percent) of their percussionstudents that actually obtainedthose basic skills rated as eitherfour or five indicating a high levelof importance. The averageresponse was 52.1%. This re-sponse suggests a serious problemwith the effectiveness of drumsetteaching in our colleges and uni-versities.

Respondents were asked if they felt asingle drumset teaching resource existsthat adequately addresses the basicskills rated as a four or a five in impor-tance. The response was an overwhelm-ing “no” (86%). Among the small per-centage of respondents who reported anexisting adequate drumset teaching re-source, there was no consensus. Studioand Big Band Drumming by SteveHoughton and Essential Styles for theDrummer and Bassist by SteveHoughton and Tom Warrington wereeach cited twice. While these are bothexcellent teaching resources, neither ofthem is designed to be a completedrumset curriculum. There clearly is aneed for a complete drumset course ofstudy.

Respondents were presented with alist of drumset videos and asked toselect any currently used. The drumsetvideos with the highest scores were Backto Basics by Dave Weckl (26.6%), SteveGadd: In Session by Steve Gadd (26.2%),and Steve Gadd: Up Close by Steve Gadd(26.2%). Respondents were asked to indi-cate names of videos used that were notincluded on the list. This question gener-ated a list of 25 different videos (see video

list at end of article). There was noconsensus among those selected.The drumset video seems to be anuntapped resource among drumsetteachers, students and even videoproducers. Even the most popularvideos were used by only about26% of the respondents. Drumset:A Musical Approach by Soph/Arnold, an excellent basic guide tothe drumset that includes a dem-onstration of historical drumsetstyles, was selected by only 13.9%of the respondents, while 130 re-spondents, or 54.8%, did not selectany of the videos on the list, indi-cating a lack of knowledge or inter-est in the use of video material indrumset education.

Respondents were asked to listthe five most important recordingswith which undergraduates shouldbe familiar. Many listed specific re-

cordings while others listed artists orgroups. There was very little consensusconcerning specific recordings. The list isweighted heavily toward the jazz style;however, it does represent a good over-view of the jazz drumset playing style.While many of these recordings werecited as few as four times, it is clear thatno consensus exists among college anduniversity jazz educators regarding spe-cific audio recordings important for un-dergraduate percussion majors.

The list of most-often-cited artists isalso weighted heavily toward jazz per-formers. All but two of the artists citedare drumset players, with Count Basieand John Coltrane included on the listas exceptions. Buddy Rich was most of-ten cited by respondents as an impor-tant artist, but it is clear that no con-

Respondents were presented with alist of drumset instruction books andasked to select those they currentlyuse. The drumset instruction bookswith the highest scores were AdvancedTechniques for the Modern Drummer byJim Chapin (74%), Advanced FunkStudies by Rick Latham (41.3%), Stu-dio and Big Band Drumming by SteveHoughton (38.8%), The New Breed byGary Chester (34%), Four-way Coordi-

nation by Dahlgren/Fine (24%) and TheSound of Brushes by Ed Thigpen(22.8%). It is interesting that all ofthese books are very practical innature, dealing with specific techniquesthat can be clearly articulated andunderstood by the student and teacher.None of these books deals with drumsethistory or the evolution of style. Themore conceptual books on the list, suchas Drum Wisdom by Bob Moses, Differ-ent Drummers by Billy Mintz and Mas-ters of Time by Steve Davis, scored sur-prising low. Respondents also wereasked to report drumset instructionbooks they use that were not includedon the list. This question generated alist of 124 different instruction books.The book scoring the highest on thislist was Syncopation by Ted Reed.


There is clearly a needfor a complete drumset

course of study.


sensus exists among college and uni-versity jazz educators regarding thosemusical artists important for under-graduate percussion majors.

Respondents were asked to identifywhat they believed were the three mostdifficult aspects of drumset teaching/learning. Four principal aspects ofdrumset teaching were selected most:time-keeping (51%), listening skills(47%), independence techniques (43%)and improvisation (40%). Respon-dents were also given an opportu-nity to indicate other aspects ofdrumset teaching under the cat-egory “Other.” There was little or noconsensus among the respondents;however, the responses centeredaround more abstract aspects ofdrumset teaching, such as musi-cianship, swing feeling, groove,taste, interaction with other musi-cians, musical editing, knowledge ofall styles, creativity, touch, and self-awareness. For the most part, re-spondents selected the more ab-stract concepts of drumset playingas the most difficult aspects ofdrumset teaching/learning.

Respondents were presented alist of components of the under-graduate percussion curriculumand asked to rate them by order ofimportance using a scale from oneto ten (1=most important; 10=leastimportant). Snare drum, keyboardpercussion, and timpani wereclearly indicated by the respon-dents as the three most importantcomponents of the undergraduate per-cussion curriculum. Drumset was ratedat 5.1, which placed it fourth in priority,between timpani and multiple percus-sion.

Respondents were presented a list ofcomponents of the undergraduate per-cussion curriculum and asked to indi-cate the approximate percentage oftheir percussion curriculum that isdevoted to each of the listed compo-nents. Again, snare drum, keyboardpercussion, and timpani were clearlyidentified as the three most importantcomponents of the undergraduate per-

cussion curriculum. Drumset was ratedfourth, just behind timpani, with anaverage of 15.7% of the total under-graduate percussion curriculum de-voted to its instruction.

In addition, respondents were pre-sented a list of components of theundergraduate percussion curriculumand asked to indicate the approximatepercentage of the “ideal” percussioncurriculum that should be devoted to

each of the listed components. Drumsetagain rated fourth, just behind tim-pani, with a recommended average of13.3% of the total undergraduate per-cussion curriculum. Respondents see aneed to bring the percentages for thecomponents into a balance.

Part Four of the survey wasoptional and consisted of two open-ended questions and a request for addi-tional comments. Respondents wereasked to list three of their greatestneeds as drumset teachers. The com-ments fell into seven general catego-ries: (1) Facilities/equipment: Many

respondents cited their need for itemssuch as a school drumset, better prac-tice-room facilities, and recording andplayback equipment. (2) Text/videos:Respondents had specific ideas abouttexts and videos they would like to seecreated. Play-along tapes and videos of-ten were cited, even though it is clearthat many of the respondents are notaware of the materials of this type thatalready exist. (3) Load time/study time:

Many respondents expressedfrustration at the lack of time inthe undergraduate percussioncurriculum for adequate drumsetinstruction. Also, a desire formore drumset study and practicetime for instructors wasexpressed. (4) Performance oppor-tunities for students: Respon-dents noted that it is importantfor drumset students to havegroups with which to performwhile learning to play thedrumset. Many institutions donot provide sufficient ensembleofferings to allow each drumsetstudent performance opportuni-ties. (5) Instructor training: Manyrespondents expressed the needfor more drumset training. (6)Student training: Respondentsexpressed the desire for studentsentering their programs withmore extensive drumset back-ground and training. (7) Funding:Respondents expressed a need forfunding for materials and equip-ment pertaining to drumset

teaching such as recording equipment,music, drumsets, clinicians, etc.

Respondents were asked to identifythose additional teaching materialsthat would make drumset teachingmore effective. The comments werequite varied but the following five cat-egories were cited most often: (1) Play-along materials developed especiallyfor drumset players; (2) A comprehen-sive text/video that would deal with ev-ery aspect of drumset playing; (3) Mate-rials (both written and audio/visual)dealing with drumset history; (4) Mate-rials (both written and audio/visual)

Over half of the respondentsrated the drumset playing level

of the typicalpercussion student entering

their program as eithermoderate or poor.


dealing with drumset chart reading; (5) Respondents believ-ing that adequate materials exist.

The survey as a whole indicates that while many percussionteachers in colleges and universities view the drumset as an impor-tant part of the overall percussion curriculum, no consensus existsas to the specific skills that should be taught or as to effective teach-ing strategies. Methods and materials that focus on technique exer-cises and beats are stressed by many while activities such as tran-scription and the study of drumset history are not. This may be theresult of a lack of understanding concerning the drumset by manypercussion instructors. Many respondents expressed a need for as-sistance in teaching the less tangible concepts of drumset playingsuch as style and improvisation.

Results of the drumset questionnaire, along with a list of in-terview questions were sent to four drumset performer/teach-ers: Bob Breithaupt, Guy Remonko, Steve Houghton, and EdSoph. Phone interviews then were conducted with each of themwith their comments recorded on audio tape. All of theinterviewees learned to play drumset through such non-formal-ized methods as listening to recordings and live performances;transcribing drumset solos, fills, and segments of time-keepingfrom recordings; and practicing technical exercises from well-established method books, some of which were not originallydesigned for drumset instruction. Structured drumset lessonsplayed less significant roles in their development than did per-sonal investigation and study.

All of the respondents felt strongly that drumset should be apart of the overall percussion curriculum because of its musicaland commercial viability, as well as the fact that improvementin general time-keeping skills is always a by-product of drumsetstudy. They also expressed concern that many percussion cur-riculums place too much emphasis on marimba study. They feltthat drumset should play an equal role with the other majorpercussion instruments in the percussionist’s development.

The respondents chose broad areas as the fundamentaldrumset skills such as listening (both self-evaluation and ana-lytical listening to important drumset artists), styles, tech-nique, and improvisation. Each respondent has developed hisown unique approach for teaching these fundamental skills.

All of the respondents provide some type of listening re-sources for their students, but there were differences of opinionregarding how students are encouraged to listen. A large list ofimportant drumset artists was generated by the respondents,which covered a very wide range of playing styles and historicaltime periods. The respondents generally believed that the list ofimportant recordings and artists in the survey indicated a moresuperficial understanding of the drumset, although they did nottake issue with the value of any particular recording or artiston the list. The respondents favored drumset instruction mate-rial that has many applications and can continue to be usedeven as styles change. Syncopation by Ted Reed was mentionedby all four of the respondents as an example of this type of re-source. A concern was expressed that technique books may beoveremphasized in drumset teaching and that musical concepts


should instead be stressed. Basic and intermediate drumsetskills and concepts were cited as areas in which instructionalmaterials still need to be produced. Video was cited by all therespondents as being a very useful drumset teaching tool. Alsosuggested were drum machines, amplified metronomes, andvarious kinds of play-along resources.

Overall, the interviewees believed that weaknesses exist indrumset instruction in colleges and universities, but that ana-lytical listening, transcribing, musical practice and studyingdrumset history were activities that might improve the overallknowledge and understanding of drumset playing among col-lege percussion students and teachers.

DRUMSET VIDEOSAcuña, Alex Drums & PercussionAronoff, Kenny Basics of Rock DrummingBissonette, Gregg Private LessonBuddy Rich Memorial ConcertsSmithsonian 1 & 2 Art Blakey & the Jazz MessengersBozzio, Terry Solo DrumsBruford, Bill Bruford and The BeatCameron, Clayton Living Art of BrushesHorton, Yogi Funk DrummingJones, Elvin Different DrummerMorales, Richie Hitting the GrooveMorgenstein, Rod Putting it All TogetherRoach, Max In SessionRoach, Max Max Roach in ConcertSilverman, Chuck Afro-Cuban Rhythms for SetSteinholtz, Jerry The Essence of Playing CongasSmith, Steve Part 1Smith, Steve Part 2Thigpen, Ed The Essence of BrushesWhite, Lenny In ClinicZildjian Day in New York

ENDNOTES1. John J. Papastenfan, “Private Lessons: The Need and

Content,” Percussive Notes 27, (Winter 1989): 34-35.2. _________. Directory of Music Faculties in Colleges and

Universities, U. S. and Canada. (Missoula, MT: CMS Publi-cations, 1990-92).

Note: The above article was extracted from Tom Morgan’sDMA document entitled A Basic Drumset Course of Study forthe Undergraduate Percussion Major, which is available fromUniversity Microfilms in Ann Arbor, Michigan. PN

Dr. Tom Morgan is Director of Percussion Studies at WashburnUniversity in Topeka, Kansas. He holds degrees from the Universityof Northern Colorado and the University of Oklahoma. Morgan isan active drumset player in the Kansas City area and is a memberof the Topeka Symphony Orchestra. He endorses Sabian Cymbalsand Sonor Drums and is a clinician at festivals and music campsthroughout the region.


Percussion Education: A Source Book of Concepts and Information

To receive your copy, send a check or money order to: PAS, P.O. Box 25, 701 NW Ferris, Lawton, OK 73502Bookstore discounts available • School purchase orders accepted

Percussion Education: ASource Book of Conceptsand Information

Price: $9.95 plus $2.00shipping

Developed by Garwood Whaley and the PAS Education Committee, this book has beenvery well received and is now a required text in many college percussiontechniques classes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS• Recommendations for the Reorganization of Percussion Instruction • Percussion in the School Stage Band• Motivating the Percussion Student • Percussion Problems from the Podium• The School Percussion Ensemble: Organization • Presenting a Percussion Clinic for High School Students• The School Percussion Ensemble: Instrumentation • All-State Percussion Auditions• The School Percussion Ensemble: Literature • Percussion in the Concert Band: An Annotated List• Percussion Equipment, Inventory, and Security • The Elementary Percussion Section Part I: Repertoire—• Sticks, Mallets, and Beaters: Which for What? The Foundation of Musicianship• The Percussionist’s Pencil: Aids to Marking Parts • Percussion Method Books: A Bibliography• The Elementary Percussion Section Part II: Part Editing • The Worst Percussion Solos Ever Written (How to Avoid Them)

• Audio and Video Percussion Resources

The Complete History of the LeedyDrum Company

Rob Cook$19.95Centerstream PublishingP.O. Box 5450Fullerton, CA 92635Distributed by Hal Leonard PublishingCorp.

Unlike many academic books re-lated to the history of somethingwith page after page of text, this177-page book is literally a walkthrough the Leedy Drum Companyhistory with advertisements, pic-tures, family tree, biographicalsketches of prominent personalitiesof the Leedy legend, short editorialcomments and a chronological pro-file of the rise and fall of the com-pany. For anyone who hasexperienced Leedy drum equip-ment, this book is a nostalgic ad-venture that causes one to reflect onthe past and the future of percus-sion. Certainly the mark that theLeedy Drum Company left on thepercussion community will be feltforever, and it is well to note thatthere is a resurgence of interest inthe Leedy equipment today.

The Complete History of theLeedy Drum Company is a well-compiled book for anyone who is in-trigued by drum history.

—John Beck

Franks For The MemoriesMaurie Lishon$19.95Rebeats PublicationsP.O. Box 6Alma, MI 48801Anyone who ever entered Frank’sDrum Shop felt the mystique, his-tory and camaraderie containedwithin. Anyone who ever talked toowners Maurie and Jan Lishon feltthe pride they had in their contribu-tion to this shrine of percussion.Franks For The Memories puts it allinto perspective and the reader isleft with a sense of history and theLishons’ part in it. Never before inpercussion history, nor perhaps inits future, will there be a Frank’sDrum Shop or Maurie and JanLishon. Their contribution was sin-cere and fulfilling, and we profitedfrom it. This book is a way of sayingthank you for what they gave us.

The 177-page book includeschapters on The Dixie Music House,the Lishon family, equipment, the

mystique of Frank’s, Roy C. Knapp,and Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich andLouie Bellson, plus an appendix onthe students of Roy C. Knapp and“Messages From Friends” who paytribute to Maurie and his contribu-tion to and influence on the percus-sion community.

—John Beck

Tambourine! The Happy SoundTabourot$15.00The Tactus PressP.O. Box 9704Department B 2Austin, TX 78766-9704Tambourine! The Happy Sound is a79-page instruction book, historybook and, at times, joke book on thetambourine. Although there are notechnical exercises, the book con-tains short examples of rhythmicpatterns pertinent to the text, andthere are numerous illustrationsdescribing techniques for the tam-bourine, some of which are humor-ous. It is assumed that the readerhas the ability to read music and pos-sesses a basic familiarity with the ru-diments of music theory and history.

The book is divided into 18 chap-ters with titles including: The Se-lection, Care and Feeding ofTambourines; Zen and the Art ofTambourining; Mazhar, Tar, Doiraand Other Beasts from the East;Where There’s a Zill There’s a Way;The Complete Zilsmith; and Eons atthe Improv. There is also a Bibliog-raphy for Tambourine and BasicEarly Dance and an index.

There is much information scat-tered throughout the book, and forthose who take the time to look forit, their knowledge of the tambou-rine will certainly be enhanced. Inthis day when there are literallyhundreds of instruction books onthe market, perhaps a different ap-proach to learning is needed. If so,Tambourine! The Happy Sound willfulfill that need.

—John Beck

Fundamental Method for TimpaniMitchell Peters$21.95Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.16380 Roscoe Blvd.P.O. Box 10003Van Nuys, CA 91410-0003Anyone who decides to write a newcomprehensive method for an in-

strument works under the longshadows cast by those texts thathave been in general use for manyyears. In the case of timpani, onecannot help but make comparisonswith methods such as the Goodmanor the Friese-Lepak. Peters statesthat his goal was “to provide the be-ginning timpanist with a completeand comprehensive course of studycovering all of the basic techniquesinvolved in timpani playing.” Thisis much more limited in scope thanthe texts mentioned above, whichalso include material for the matureplayer, such as orchestral reper-toire.

Peters’ 215-page publicationfalls into four large chapters:—“General Information,” “BasicTechnique,” “Etudes for Two Tim-pani” and “Exercises and Etudesfor Three and Four Timpani.” Inaddition, an appendix includessuch information as directions forchanging a plastic head, a glos-sary of terms relating to timpani,a discussion of special effects, for-eign terminology, musical termi-nology, parts of the timpani, careand maintenance, and informationabout calfskin heads.

There is little that is strikinglynew or unique. Every turn of thepage reveals material you will prob-ably have encountered in othertexts, such as familiar tunes pro-vided for pedaling and ear-trainingdrills, cross-sticking exercises andetudes prefaced by exercises for vo-calization and the development ofthe ear. Nonetheless, the advan-tages of the new method are note-worthy. The text is clearly writtenand thorough, with appropriate ex-planations and descriptions givenfor all essential techniques, i.e.,legato and staccato strokes, muf-fling, counting rests and tuning andreturning the drums. And, most im-portantly, the 63 etudes provide amuch more systematic and realisticregimen for the younger studentthan can be found in the oldermethods. There is certainly enoughmaterial to avoid the necessity ofsearching for additional literature.The book is also quite generous inregard to photographs and illustra-tions.

Given the constraints of sizeand cost, and given that all willnot agree on what constitutes “allof the basic techniques,” Peters

Publishers and composers are in-vited to submit materials to Percus-sive Notes to be considered forreview. Selection of reviewers andthe editing of reviews are the sole re-sponsibility of the Review Editor ofPercussive Notes. Commentsabout the works do not necessarilyreflect the opinions of the PercussiveArts Society. Send two copies of eachsubmission to: James Lambert, Per-cussive Arts Society, P.O. Box 25,Lawton, OK 73502 USA.

PERCUSSION REFERENCETEXTS

Orchestral Excerpts—A ComprehensiveIndex

Carolyn Rabson$35.00Fallen Leaf PressP.O. Box 10034Berkeley, CA 94709This 331-page hardcover book isjust what the title implies: an indexof orchestral excerpts informationfor all instruments of the orchestra.One must only look for the com-poser and title of the work to begiven the source information, whichlists the book title and page numberof the excerpt desired. There are 21source books listed for percussion,such as Morris Goldenberg’s Mod-ern School for Snare Drum andWaldemar Zyra’s Orchestra Stud-ies . Note that Orchestral Ex-cerpts—A Comprehensive Indexdoes not contain the actual ex-cerpts, but will only tell you whereto find them. The individual mustown the source books or have ac-cess to them through a library orsome other source. Still, this indexprovides the instrumentalist witha quick guide for researching ex-cerpts, thus eliminating precioustime spent thumbing through onebook after another.

—John Beck

Edited by James Lambert

Selected Reviews of New Percussion Literature and Recordings

Difficulty Rating ScaleI-II Elementary

III-IV IntermediateV-VI AdvancedVI+ Difficult

S E L E C T E D N R E V I E W S


instrument notation variesslightly from piece to piece, andeach has its own separate key tothe notation. A cassette tape(which was not included for re-view) is also available. This bookoffers a variety of ideas and de-mands for those looking for solodrumset material.

—Lynn Glassock

KEYBOARD PERCUSSIONSOLOS

Solfegietto IVC.P.E. Bacharranged by Eric Chandler$3.00Pioneer PercussionBox 10822Burke, VA 22015Using a piece that is familiar toevery young pianist who pro-gresses beyond the neophytestage, this arrangement adaptsyet another work from the pianorepertoire for a keyboard-malletinstrument—in this instance, thevibraphone. The arrangement pro-vides a good test for a student’sabilities to use a fully-integrated,four-mallet approach in the execu-tion of the two-voice counterpoint.A contrapuntal work, such as this,is even more demanding on the vi-braphone than on marimba requir-ing, as it does, judicious use ofpedaling and/or mallet-dampeningtechniques. In this publication,decisions about pedaling and mal-let dampening are, with but fewexceptions, left up to the player.Phrasing is also left primarily tothe discretion of the soloist. Sincephrasing is such an importantconsideration in performing thispiece in a musically satisfyingmanner, a few comments or sug-gestions for the user would havebeen appropriate and welcomed inthe performance notes.

This is literature for collegevibists, or very advanced high-school players. There is no doubtthat students who devote the timeand effort needed to master thispiece will get a generous return ontheir investment. It is, simply put,one of those pieces that is great funto play—and, of no less importance,something a general audience willenjoy.

—John R. Raush

Marimbasonic VIMarkus Halt$15.00N. SimrockSelling agent Theodore Presser Co.1990 Presser Pl.Bryn Mawr, PA 19010Certain performance techniquesseem to become associated with aparticular instrument and histori-cal period. For example, pas-sagework of broken chords andscales set in a fabric of repeated16th-notes calls to mind a stylecharacteristic of baroque string mu-sic. Marimbasonic displays a styleof writing found so frequently nowin contemporary marimba litera-ture that it is perhaps equally iden-tifiable with that instrument andthe present era. Most of Halt’s well-crafted four-mallet solo is set inrapid 16th-note patterns of alter-nating double vertical strokes,single alternating strokes anddouble lateral strokes.

Starting off at a brisk tempo(quarter note = 132), the listenergets the impression that the piecewill be something of a perpetuummobile; however, Halt alternatesthe fast “perpetual motion” portionswith slower sections with angularmelodies á la Prokofiev. The piece isdissonant but tonal, centered on“d.” A marimba extending down tolow-F is required.

This piece clearly has all of theprerequisites for earning a place inthe standard repertory for the ma-rimba. It is idiomatically writtenfor the instrument, provides oppor-tunities for the player to displaymusicianship as well as sheer tech-nical prowess and is appealingto the ear. (A recording ofMarimbasonic is available on aBayer Records CD #160 006).

—John R. Raush

MULTIPLE PERCUSSIONREPERTOIRE

The Anvil Chorus VDavid Lang$8.95NovelloSelling agent Theodore Presser Co.1990 Presser Pl.Bryn Mawr, PA 19010This is an interesting eight-minutemultiple percussion solo that, as ex-pected from the title, features pre-

dominately metallic sounds. The in-strumentation includes 2 wood-blocks, 3 resonant metals, 4non-resonant metals, 4 metal platesplayed with pedals and pedal bassdrum. The solo opens with chimehammers playing a steady patternof 8th notes, which are spiced withpunctuated accents on the non-reso-nant instruments. The middle sec-tion of the solo includes groups ofstaccato patterns that dialogue be-tween the different instrumentgroups. The solo closes with a groupof running 16th notes that acceler-ate to a climax. It’s an excellent solothat would present a unique addi-tion to an advanced recital.

—George Frock

Jardins de Paille VIGerard Siracusa$34.50Gerard BillaudotSelling agent Theodore Presser1990 Presser Pl.Bryn Mawr, PA 19010This is an eight-and-a-half-minutesolo for a large multiple-percussionsetup. Instrumentation includes 3toms, vibraphone, cymbals, tamtam, bass drum with pedal and as-sorted accessories, and tuned gongs.There is an excellent sketch to as-sist with the arrangement of instru-ments, which are specified bypictograms on the scores. The solois printed on 11 unbound pages,which assists with avoiding pageturns. The solo opens with a flurryof 32nd-notes, then moves to morespaced and sustained tones. Thereis a sense of freedom and a feelingof improvisation in many of the sec-tions. This is an excellent solo forthe advanced performer and shouldhave considerable audience appeal.

—George Frock

SNARE DRUM

Pile Driver I-IITodd Ukena$2.95RBC PublicationsP.O. Box 29128San Antonio, TX 78229Pile Driver is another trainingsnare solo in the Construction Se-ries by Todd Ukena. This 48-mea-sure solo is a quick-tempo solo incommon time. There are no techni-cal demands other than single

must be complimented for accom-plishing the mission he set out toperform.

—John R. Raush

DRUMSET

Jazzmania et Rapmania III-IVJean Francois$4.75Edition Aug. Zurfluh73 Boulevard Raspail75006 ParisThese two short solos for drumsetare each in a contrasting style. Thesolos require a standard five-piecedrumset with cymbals. Rapmaniacalls for a Charleston Cymbal, butthe notation indicates it is probablya hi-hat. Jazzamania is to be per-formed at 132-160 mm and is writ-ten in a triplet or swing feel. Thesolo opens with a display of tripletsmoving from drum to drum, thenmoves to a four-measure solo of16th notes. The remainder of thesolo is a time feel with interplay be-tween the hands and bass drum.Rapmania is a 19-measure solo (84-100mm) written with an 8th-noterock feel. It starts with a time feelon hi-hat and eventually moves tofill patterns between the drums.The print is very clear with eachsolo printed on a single page. Theseare excellent training pieces for theyoung drumset player.

—George Frock

10 Progressive Soli fur Drumset II-Vcollected by Joachim SponselDM 18 (Deutschemarks)Musikverlag ZimmermannPostfach 940183Gaugrafenstraße 19-23D-6000 Frankfurt/Main 90GermanyThe ten solos in this collectionwere written by nine differentdrum teachers/performers andrange from elementary for solo #1to advanced for solo #10. All of thesolos are playable on a standardfive-piece drumset. A few of the so-los also require a cowbell and/or aspecific type of cymbal, such as asplash or china. The pieces rangefrom one to three pages in length.Except for solo #6, which is in 12/8, the collection deals solely withthe rock/funk/fusion style of play-ing. Because the solos were writ-ten by different composers, the



strokes. The pattern of an 8th notefollowed by two 16ths is foundthroughout the solo. There are nu-merous dynamic changes that pro-vide both technical control trainingand interest. The print is very clear,and there are both rehearsal andmeasure numbers provided. A goodsolo for the beginning or young stu-dent.

—George FrockSix Slick Stix Click Licks IV-VPaul Goldstaub$16.00Baker PublicationsSMU Box 752510Dallas, TX 75275This is a trio for three snare drum-mers each utilizing various acousti-cal expressions including snares onand off, playing with fingertips andperforming both rim and stickclicks. In addition, there are spokensounds, hand claps and silentstrokes which produce visual inter-est. The trio is written as a fugue,and there are numerous dynamicscontrasts. Techniques required in-clude mostly single note patternswith occasional short rolls. Thereare numerous passages that areplayed in unison, and the interplaybetween the parts will require bothrhythmical and technical precision.The vocal sounds will add to the funand provide audience appeal.

Each part is 4 pages in lengthbut is printed to avoid page turns.Highly recommended.

—George Frock

PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE

Ungarischer Tanz Nr. 5 II-IIIBrahmsArranged by Gunther TrebDM 20 (Deutschemarks)Otto Wrede Regina-VerlagSchumannstraße 35Postfach 6148D-6200 WiesbadenGermanyThis is an arrangement of the famil-iar “Hungarian Dance No. 5” byJohannes Brahms and is scored forxylophone, marimba, snare drum andbass drum. The melodic material isassigned to the xylophone throughoutthe arrangement. The marimba ac-companiment normally plays 8th-note patterns, which play the root ofthe chord on the counts, answered bythirds or double stops on the after-beats. The snare drum plays typical

march-style patterns with techniquesincluding single notes, flams and afew rolls. There are notated x’s inboth the snare and bass drum parts.No instructions are presented, so it isassumed these are to be played asstick beats. The print is excellent,and the opportunity to introduceyoung students to the standard lit-erature is important.

—George Frock

La Danza IVG. RossiniArranged by Steve Grimo$12.95Southern Music Co.San Antonio, TX 78292Rossini wrote his Soiree Musicalesin the form of eight chamber ariasand four duets. They were com-pleted after he retired from his suc-cessful career as an opera composer.This publication features one ofthose pieces, the TarantellaNapolitana, arranged by SteveGrimo for mallet ensemble. Grimo’sadaptation is scored for a core quar-tet comprised of xylophone, 3 1/2-oc-tave marimba (or vibe), 4-octavemarimba and a low-A marimba.This core quartet can be expandedthrough the addition of optionalparts for bells, string bass or bassmarimba, tambourine and triangle(one player) and two timpani.

The success of a mallet arrange-ment of a transcription is often predi-cated upon the nature of the originalmaterial. Grimo could not have madea better choice. This is dance music—a tarantella featuring whirling 8th-note rhythms set in a rapid 6/8meter—and makes an ideal vehiclefor adaptation to the more staccatoorientations of the wooden keyboard-mallet instruments.

The arrangement has beenthoughtfully planned to be as versa-tile and accessible as possible tohigh school and college ensembles.It can be performed with a mini-mum of four players using threemarimbas and a set of bells, withplayer I and IV sharing the low-Ainstrument. Of course, the additionof four parts in the expanded ver-sion adds a valuable dimension interms of color and excitement.Thanks to Rossini and SteveGrimo’s astute eye and industrious-ness, mallet students now have thepleasure of playing and learningsome delightful music they mightotherwise have never encountered.

—John R. Raush

MIXED MEDIA

Sequences Concertantes V-VIMickey Nicolas$38.25Gerard BillaudotSelling agent Theodore Presser1990 Presser Pl.Bryn Mawr, PA 19010Sequences is a 15-minute composi-tion for trombone and one multi-percussionist who performs on 4timpani, bells with pedal, 2 bongos,3 toms, vibraphone and marimba.The composition opens with a fan-fare-type intro by the trombone,which moves to a series of scale-type passages on the glock. Severalcontrasting sections follow, eachemploying a different color of per-cussion instruments. The marimbasection has numerous block chordsthat require four-mallet technique.At measure 268 there is a loudchord on vibes that is sustainedover a four-mallet roll on marimba.

The print is excellent and theseven pages are not bound, thus en-abling the percussionist to place themusic at various sound locations.An excellent diagram helps withthe arrangement of instruments.This is an excellent composition forthe advanced recital.

—George Frock

Phantasmata VIGunther Schuller$30.00 (includes 2 performancescores)

Margun Music, Inc.167 Dudley RoadNewton Centre, MA 02159This 14-minute composition forviolin and marimba was writtenfor the Marimolin duo ofmarimbist Nancy Zeltsman andviolinist Sharan Leventhal. Thepiece is in four movements. Move-ment I—Maestoso, dramatic andvolatile in its gestures and charac-ter; Movement II—Lively, nervousand mercurial, challenging thevirtuosic capabilities of the play-ers; Movement III—Molto Adagio,music of utmost stillness, staticand inner-directed; MovementIV—Grave, prolonged cadenza—like peroration for the marimba.The composition requires a five-oc-tave marimba, the ability to play afive-note chord every now andthen and uses a graduated malletconcept.

Phantasmata is an excellent

composition that requires a mastermarimbist. The violin part is alsodifficult and requires an excellentplayer. The music is written inmanuscript and printed on good pa-per stock. Congratulations toGunther Schuller for an excellentcomposition.

—John Beck

Suite: The Two Sisters VIIan Finkeled. Nancy Zeltsman and SharanLeventhal$40.00 (includes 2 performancescores)

Margun Music, Inc.167 Dudley RoadNewton Centre, MA 02159Dedicated to Marimolin, the tal-ented duo of violinist Leventhaland marimbist Zeltsman, thisduet represents a genre not oftenencountered in contemporary per-cussion literature—a piece that isinspired by a program. The pro-gram is evident from the subtitle“One Day in the Life of a ChamberGroup.”

The program notes explain fur-ther. “This suite is inspired by thebasic insanities freelance musi-cians in New York go through eachday. The requirements of afreelancer are vast and on any gighe or she might be called upon toperform an amazing smorgasbordof music. Couple this intense mu-sical pressure with the lousy chal-lenges of everyday life in the city,and you come up with a virtuososociety which is completely flippedout.”

The story unfolds during thecourse of the six movements of thesuite, each of which is providedwith its own provocative title.Movement I, “Pick’em Out on 8thAvenue,” portrays the protagonistsat a hall “…complete with badacoustics, high prices, manage-ment with a bad attitude and anasbestos problem. We feel andhear their rage…as they are putthrough the different bags of mu-sic.” Repeated four-note chordsplayed fortissimo in the marimbaand “smears” for both instrumen-talists convey some of these vio-lent emotions.

The second movement, “Pas deDeux,” portrays an effort by theduo to forget the “bad musical ex-perience of the morning” by turn-ing to “dancing to clear theirminds and bodies…” Much of this

Selected Reviews of New Percussion Literature and Recordings


movement is framed in triplemeter, and, in one section, be-comes a frenetic waltz.

Movement III, “The CockroachRehearsal,” is inspired by a re-hearsal in which the performance isa “free-for-all,” thanks to the con-ductor who is nowhere to be found.Finkel’s music is of an appropri-ately scurrying nature, withostinato-like patterns. One interest-ing requirement has the violinistplaying four-note chords with loosehairs around the instrument “a laJoe Venuti.”

The music of the fourth move-ment, “Scaring the Rats (HomeSuite Home)” conjures up scenes of“ex-lovers” and “rat-humans.” As istrue throughout the piece, Finkel’srhythmic inventiveness can bereadily appreciated as he character-izes the bizarre story-line withconstantly changing rhythms, in-cluding a shuffle.

Movement V, “Disappointment”(in their brief romance with the rat-humans), ends in a virtuoso ca-denza, a tour-de-force for bothperformers, “to prove the love andrespect they have for each other…”Preceding this cadenza, Finkel pro-vides a section set in swing style.The last movement, “The Check isin the Mail (All Gigs End ThisWay),” is a finale to end all finales,and displays the composer at hisvery best in terms of inventivenessand cleverness.

Written for the abilities of aZeltsman and a Leventhal, thissuite will challenge all who chooseto play it. For those who can masterits technical hurdles, it will be anextremely gratifying experience.Both violinist and marimbist willneed to be technically and musi-cally advanced. (A five-octave ma-rimba is required.) The publicationis admirably done, with two per-forming scores and details such aspage turning notes for the perform-ers provided.

Thanks to his background as amallet virtuoso and his experienceas a composer and arranger, Finkelwas admirably suited to the task ofwriting a piece such as this. And wecan readily agree with him when hewrites in the program notes that“this suite is dedicated toMarimolin not just because of theirvirtuosity and true love of music,but also because they hired theright man for the job.”

—John R. Raush

PERCUSSION RECORDINGS

AskJulie Spencer$15.95Interworld MusicRD 3, Box 395ABrattleboro, VT 05301As I listened to this compact discand read the insert, a “light-bulb”experience occurred. One wordcaught my eye as I read the insert,“soulful,” which perfectly describesthe music performed so superbly byJulie Spencer, Common Ground(Spencer, John Bergamo, andGernot Blume) and Colored Fish(Spencer, Blume, Pedro Eustacheand Dan Morris). All selectionswere written by Spencer, with theexception of “Infinity,” which iscredited to Spencer, Blume andBergamo. Not only will the listenerfind Spencer’s compositional abili-ties outstanding, but her technicalfacility and musical expression onvibraphone and marimba areequally as riveting.

Most selections on this disc arefor solo marimba; however, severalselections occur in an ensemble set-ting and “Ask” is a hauntinglybeautiful solo for vibraphone. Forthose familiar with Spencer’s com-position “Cat Clock I & II,” “CatClock III” is another delightful se-lection reminiscent of the earlierwork. “Tribeca Sunflower” is an in-teresting solo marimba work inwhich Spencer makes use of rattlemallets.

The quality of the recording isoutstanding, especially in regard tothe lower range of the marimba.The marimba Spencer uses for therecording (4 1/2 octave Kori) is ex-tremely rich and resonant, provid-ing an added bonus to the overallflavor of the recording. I applaudJulie Spencer’s creative genius andhighly recommend Ask to anyone.

—Lisa Rogers

Coming HomeStefan Bauer BandVillage Productions, GermanyComing Home features selectionswritten by marimbist/vibraphonistStefan Bauer and saxophonistMatthias Nadolny, who are accom-panied on this recording by TimWells on bass and Thomas Alkier ondrumset. Bauer’s jazz virtuosity isapparent on every selection. Sev-eral particularly mesmerizing selec-

tions are: “Wagaye,” “ComingHome,” “Belebam,” and “Minia-tur(l),” which is a wonderful solo vi-braphone work that emulates thestyle of and expresses admiration toDavid Friedman. Coming Home isan appropriate title for this disc be-cause the listener always “comeshome” to a peaceful, loving andfriendly state-of-mind with each se-lection.

—Lisa Rogers

WoodcutsNancy Zeltsman$14.98GM Recordings, Inc.167 Dudley RoadNewton Centre, MA 02159Zeltsman’s album provides a veri-table smorgasbord of contempo-rary marimba repertoire, andserves as something of a samplerof the rapidly expanding solo ma-rimba literature. The secondmovement of Daniel Levitan’s“Marimba Suite #2” is the openingwork on the album. It bears hisunmistakable stamp in terms ofits rhythmic vitality broughtabout by asymmetrical meters anda penchant for syncopation.

Andrew Thomas’ “Merlin,” com-posed for and dedicated tomarimbist William Moersch and in-spired by the Arthurian legend, isin two movements. The broodingopening movement capitalizes onthe lush sonorities of the marimba’sorgan register. The second move-ment imparts a vivacious moodwith shifting accents and a dance-like quality. Both receive a convinc-ing interpretation at the hands ofZeltsman, an artist of the first rank.

One of the “sleepers” on this al-bum—something that will not beknown even by marimbists—is thedelightful “Tango Suite” by AstorPiazzolla, originally for two guitars.Both parts are performed byZeltsman. The music of the threetangos comprising the suite is quiteeclectic stylistically. One hears aninteresting amalgam of LatinAmerican, contemporary Westernart music and jazz elements.

The title piece of the album wascomposed by Zeltsman. Woodcutsbegan, she says, “as an experimentto learn the ropes of a multitrackcassette tape recorder.” Using same,she “developed” the final version ofthe work heard on this CD, whichincludes “five layers of marimba,triangle, maracas, kalimba and one

or two layers of vocals.” Woodcutswas inspired by the third and final“Danses de travers” from Satie’sPieces froides. Zeltsman gives asstrong an account of her abilities asa composer as of her talents as amarimbist.

Nick Kirgo’s “November Ma-rimba” displays the marimba’s po-tential for lyricism as well asfrenetic action. “Gypsy” by SuzanneVega (transcribed by Zeltsman) fea-tures a soothing, simple melodywith broken chordal accompani-ment, while “Ragamuffin” byMichael Hedges (also transcribedby Zeltsman) shows off themarimba’s piano-like capabilities offusing a melodic line and severallayers of background accompani-ment.

Caleb Morgan’s “Pay No Atten-tion To That Man Behind The Cur-tain” displays the excitingpossibilities of combining marimbaand tape, the latter in this case aproduct of a Synclavier II MIDI’d toa TX816, D50 and S900. Concludingthe album are two excerpts fromRobert Aldridge’s “From My LittleIsland,” dedicated to Zeltsman. Shecould not have chosen a bettercloser. The “Hymn” is evocative—hauntingly beautiful—and the“Dance of Passion” elegant and ex-pressive. They are demanding mu-sically as well as technically andhearing Zeltsman’s performanceleaves the listener with admirationfor her on both counts. The CD cer-tainly leaves the listener wanting tohear more.

The quality of sound on this re-cording is magnificent, a tribute toboth the recording engineers and tothe five-octave marimba from Ma-rimba One, designed and built byRon Samuels. This recording hassomething for everyone—the seri-ous composer, the connoisseur ofcontemporary music and themarimbist, not to mention musiclovers in general.

—John R. Raush

Vagabond DreamJohn Wyre$19.95Heron Pond ProductionsP.O. Box 100Norland, Ontario, Canada KOM 2LOVagabond Dream is a CD of threecompositions by John Wyre—Vaga-bond Dream, Bronze Blossoms andJourney of the Bells. The words,music and performances of the com-

positions are by John Wyre. The ar-tistic and technical production is byRay Dillard. The bells and gongsused on the compositions are fromthe collection of John Wyre and rep-resent instruments from around theworld.

Vagabond Dream is in a sensethe realization of a fascination JohnWyre has with bells and gongs andparticularly, the sound at the end oftheir natural decay, a sound not al-ways experienced by an audience ina concert hall. “Digital technologynow allows me to share thesesounds with a larger audience,”says John Wyre.

Each composition uniquely dis-plays John’s ideas musically, artisti-cally and compositionally. Thelistener is for a brief moment intime suspended in it. There are nopulsating rhythmic patterns, nomelodies other than those createdby the ringing sounds and seem-ingly no beginning or endings to thecompositions. One is surprised tofind that the composition hasstarted or ended. This CD should belistened to in a room of total silenceand when one is in a meditativemood. John’s text reading at the be-ginning of Vagabond Dream andJourney of the Bells helps to set thereflective mood of the compositions.

Vagabond Dream represents adifferent approach to music. JohnWyre’s compositions are uniquelydifferent and create a level of lis-tening not found in most music. Thecompositions are excellent as is thesound of the CD. Recommended.

—John Beck

Music From Big RedThe Utopian Futurist Society$15.95The Ucross Foundation2835 U. S. Highway 14-16 EastClearmont, WY 82835-9712The Utopian Futurist Society con-sists of four members: TomBlomster, Mark Foster, Dean Peer,and Donald Roberts. On this par-ticular compact disc recording, spe-cial guest artist, Andrew Stevensalso performs with the group.Blomster, Foster, and Roberts per-form on a variety of percussion in-struments (i. e. vibraphone,marimba, drumset, bells). Peer isthe bass player and Stevens em-ploys flute, clarinet, bass clarinet,and tenor saxophone to completethis unique recording.

Most selections on Music From

Big Red were written by TomBlomster, who was inspired by townsand places in rural Wyoming whilein residency with the Ucross Foun-dation. In addition, these composi-tions combine various musicalforms—jazz, rock, classical. For ex-ample, “Wyarno” is a selection inwhich the listener hears a constanttrain whistle motive against a jazz-oriented melodic line. “Quiet Hero”is another selection written by MarkFoster and dedicated to scientistsand doctors continually striving forcures to diseases that plague society.

The recording quality is excel-lent and the technical and musicaldiversity of the group is astounding.Some of the other selections on thisdisc are: “Two of Us,” “Big Red,” and“Ucross.” Music From Big Red defi-nitely evokes images of the peopleand places of rural America. What arefreshing and unique recording inwhich percussion performance istaken to new heights! Highly rec-ommended.

—Lisa Rogers

VIDEO INSTRUCTION TAPES

Drums and Percussion: Working ItOut—Parts I & II

Dave Weckl & Walfredo Reyes, Sr.$39.95 eachDCI VideoCPP Media Group15800 NW 48th Ave.Miami, FL 33014These two videos are valuable edu-cational resources for establishingthe right groove and rapport be-tween drumset and percussionwithin a variety of feels. Both vid-eos follow an organized format witha demonstration and discussion ofcertain grooves between drummerWeckl and percussionist Reyes, fol-lowed by a demonstration within agroup setting. Weckl and Reyes doan excellent job of defining theirroles as drummer and percussionistand demonstrating how to work to-gether as musicians.

Part I examines the followingfeels: 8th Note Feels—Ballads &Rock, Funk/Rock Feels (cha-chabeat for percussionist), TripletFeels—Shuffle Funk or Hip Hop,Latin Rhythms (danzon, songo).Part II examines Reggae, LatinAmerican rhythms (bomba,mozambique, samba), 6/8 Clave,Triplet-Oriented Grooves (shuffle

rhythms, straight-ahead jazz). PartI also includes a discussion betweenWeckl and Reyes that focuses on ap-plying rudiments to playing. (Forexample, the 6/8 Clave feel incorpo-rates the double paradiddle.) PartII includes a more lengthy discus-sion in which Reyes gives advice onthe role of the percussionist in astudio situation and the explorationof Cuban rhythms.

Each video is slightly over onehour in length and the two shouldbe viewed as a set. The cameraangles are great and the demon-strations of feels in a group settingserve as reinforcement to the previ-ous discussion of each feel. Thesevideos successfully examine thecritical relationship between drum-mer and percussionist.

—Lisa Rogers

The Drummer’s Guide To ReadingDrum Charts

Steve Houghton$39.95CPP Media Group15800 N.W. 48th Ave.Miami, FL 33014

Selected Reviews of New Percussion Literature and RecordingsThe goal of this video is to providedrummers with the necessary toolsto successfully read charts.Houghton attains this goal througha very systematic and thought-pro-voking presentation that includes adiscussion on the importance ofreading, the demonstration of vari-ous concepts to strengthen readingskills, and the examination ofcharts that pose various problemsand their solutions. In his examina-tion of several charts, Houghton isaccompanied by Tom Warrington onbass and Bill Cunliffe on keyboards.

Several important conceptualareas Houghton covers are: me-chanics of reading, figures/kicks/accents, common figures, the 8th-note concept, right-hand lead, set-up rules, verbalization of a chart,and articulation. Within all theseareas, he has great advice forstrengthening reading and per-forming skills. The development ofthe drummer as a musician, not a“chart-reading dynamo,” is appar-ent in his discussion of articula-tion, which, as Houghton states, isoften overlooked.



A booklet with all charts and im-portant examples is included, whichreinforces the concepts presented.The Drummer’s Guide To ReadingDrum Charts is a must for anyonewho wants to become not only a bet-ter reader, but a better drummerand musician.

—Lisa Rogers

Gene Krupa: Jazz LegendBruce Klauber and Glenn Mangel$39.95DCI Music VideoCPP Media15800 NW 48th AvenueMiami, FL 33014Hard as it is to believe, there willsoon be (if there are not already)students who will not recognize thename Gene Krupa, let alone knowwhat he accomplished and contrib-uted to music in the 20th century.Therefore, this video, a retrospec-tive of Krupa and the music withwhich he was associated, is of spe-cial importance to a widely diver-gent audience—historians, musiclovers, students of jazz history and,of course, percussionists.

The video utilizes a wide varietyof source material, including 1940sfilm footage and still photos, andclips of Krupa playing with thelikes of Benny Goodman, LionelHampton, Teddy Wilson, AnitaO’Day and Charlie Ventura. Itshows Krupa playing solos in tunessuch as “Avalon,” “Big Noise fromWinnetka” and “Sing, Sing, Sing.”Much information can be gleanedfrom the narrative, provided byLouie Bellson, such as his commentabout Gene’s technique, which fa-vored “singles,” and Buddy Rich’sadmiration for Krupa, which wasreflected in the fact that Rich usedthe same setup.

If this video helps in any way tomake future generations aware ofthe contributions of the man whodid so much to make the drumset asolo vehicle, it will be more thanworth the effort that has gone intoits production.

—John R. Raush

Playing, Reading and Soloing With aBand

Gregg Bissonette$39.95 video$21.95 book with cassetteDCI Music VideoCPP Media15800 NW 48th AvenueMiami, FL 33014

This 99-minute video features fivesongs from Gregg Bissonette’s soloCD Siblings, and features RocketRitchotte on guitar, Brett Tuggle onkeyboards and rhythm guitar, andGregg’s brother Matt on bass.

After a short musical intro,Bissonette talks about reading andthe way he uses “cheat sheet”charts in his various performancesituations. Then the band plays“Teenage Immigrant,” which usesbeats similar to those heard on “TheImmigrant Song” (Led Zeppelin/John Bonham) and “Teen Town”(Weather Report/Alex Acuña). Thisis followed by a fairly lengthy dis-cussion on chart reading and someterms that are commonly used insuch circumstances. Bissonettethen plays the basic beats and someof the solo ideas that he uses duringthe piece. The complete song isplayed again while Gregg talksthrough the chart, which is shownon split screen.

The next selection is “The VulgarBoatman.” After the band playsthrough the tune, Gregg demon-strates some of the basic solo ideashe uses, as he did with the firstsong. (This is the only tune on thetape that is not repeated whileBissonette goes through the chart.)

The importance of finding andkeeping the right tempo is thendiscussed at length. The othersongs are covered in basically thesame manner, with Gregg playingsome of the ideas separately andoccasionally telling a story abouthis previous experiences. The bookwith cassette (or CD) covers muchof the material in a similar man-ner. There are, however, some im-portant differences in that thecassette has all of the songs re-peated at the end without thedrums and Gregg’s playing hasbeen transcribed in the book byChris Brady. There is some over-lapping and repeating of informa-tion, but having all three sourcesis definitely the way to go.

This is a very impressive demon-stration of technical and musicalability by one of today’s best drum-mers. Soloing and “busy” playingstyles are emphasized rather than“groove” playing, which is to be ex-pected for this type of “lesson.” Thevideo, book and tape offer a greatdeal of information (and inspira-tion) to those at the intermediate toprofessional level.

—Lynn Glassock PN


Directory of AdvertisersLudwig/Musser Industries ............................................. Cover IVmalletech® .......................................................................................................................................62Marimba One ........................................................................ 58Modern Drummer .................................................................. 27Not So ModernDrummer ........................................................ 17Percussive Arts Society ................................... 26, 28, 35, 47, 75Pro-Mark ............................................................................... 17Remo, Inc. ..................................................................... Cover IIIRepaircussions ....................................................................... 35Rhythm Music Magazine ........................................................ 40Ripin Paitimusa ...................................................................... 43Ross Mallet Instruments .......................................................... 55Sabian, Ltd. ............................................................................. 4SofBags ................................................................................. 34Stotz Cable Timpani ............................................................... 64The Woodwind & The Brasswind ............................................ 32Udu Drum .............................................................................. 41Yamaha Corporation of America ......................................30, 31Zimmermann Frankfurt .......................................................... 43

BENEFACTORSAvedis Zildjian Co.Paiste America, Inc.Pearl Corporation, Inc.Remo, Inc.Remo Southwest, Inc.Ross Mallet Instruments Inc.Sabian Ltd.The Selmer CompanyYamaha Corporation of AmericaPATRONSEvans Products, Inc.HSS, Inc.Kaman Music Corp.Kori Percussion-USALatin PercussionMapex-Jupiter PercussionRoland Corporation—USSPONSORSAdams PercussionAmerican Drum Mfg. Co.American Drum of VirginiaBison Drum CompanyCappella Wood EnterprisesCentury Mallet Instrument Serv.Clevelander Drum Co.Danmar Percussion ProductsDeschler PercussionDrum Workshop, Inc.J.D. Calato Mfg. Co./Regal TipKat Inc.Kevin Lepper PercussionMalletechMarimba OneMeinl Cymbals & PercussionMike Balter MalletsModern Drummer PublicationsMountain Music GroupMusic For PercussionNoble & Cooley Co.Percussion Concepts Midwest, Inc.Pro-Mark Corp.Purecussion, Inc.Repaircussions/Stotz Cable TimpaniRythmes Et Sons SarlShure Brothers Inc.Stingray Percussion, Inc.Tom GaugerUdu DrumVic FirthXL Specialty PercussionFRIENDSABC Percussion MalletsAction Reaction U.S.A., Inc.Acupad SystemsAfrican DrumsAlchemy PicturesAlfred Publishing Co., Inc.All One Tribe™ DrumsJose AliceaAlphonse Leduc & Cie SarlAmanda’s Texas Underground, Inc.Amani DrumsMartin AmthorAndrew Marchetti ProductionsAquarian Accessories Corp.Ashlar RecordsAsian Sound/Michael RantaAtlanta Pro Percussion, Inc.

Audiophile ImportsAvita Records/Riochat MusicB. Rad PercussionBaker PublicationsBaltimore DrumBands of America, Inc.Gilliam BaylowJohn H. BeckBerklee College of MusicBobby Christian Music PublishersBoston UniversityBrixton PublicationsBrook Mays Pro Drum ShopBudget Mu$icC. Alan PublicationsCanopus Co., LTDCapital UniversityCarl Fischer, Inc.Caribbean Music & Dance ProgramCasper College Music Dept.Central Instrument Co., Inc.Championship Marching PercussionClarion University of PAC.L. Barnhouse Co.Cleveland Institute of MusicClevelander Drum Co.Cliff Alexis Steel DrumsColorado State UniversityColumbus PercussionConcorde TrioCook’s MusicCoyle Music Centers Inc.CPP/Belwin, Inc., Music PublishersCrafton Percussion WorksCSU Summer ArtsDeMorrow InstrumentsDePaul UniversityPeter DonaldDick DiCenso Drum ShopFred J. DivisekDMP RecordsDrummers CollectiveDrum HeavenDrumit PublicationsDrummers WorldThe Drum PadDrums LTD, Inc./Franks Drum ShopDrums On SaleDrum SpecialistCloyd DuffDuquesne UniversityEarth Rhythm WorkshopEastonEgypsia Exotic ArtesElectronic Percussion SystemsEmpire State Percussion MusicEncore MalletsEntrainment PercussionFrank EpsteinFall Creek MarimbasFlorida State UniversityFMS, Inc.Folkbeat PercussionFred Gretsch Enterprises Ltd.Fredrico PercussionGambal ManufacturingGilt TripsGoldline Percussion ProductsGM Recording, Inc.

GP Percussion Timpani Mfg.Great Southern PercussionGrooveworksDavid GrossGrover Musical Products, Inc.Grover Pro Percussion, Inc.Terence GundersonInternational Association of RudimentalPercussionistsHal Leonard Publishing Corp.The Harid ConservatoryHarris-Teller, Inc.Herbert Brandt-NotenversandHeritage Music PressHoneyrockHoshino (USA) Inc./Tama DrumsH.Q. PercussionIdyllwild School of Music & the ArtsIndiana UniversityIndiana University of PennsylvaniaInnovative PercussionInterstate MusicInterworld Music AssociatesIrwin EnsembleJack Cenna-Percussion ServicesJAG DrumsJB MalletsJ.B. PublicationsJoe Voda’s Drum CityJ.R. PublicationsJuilliard SchoolJust DrumsK & K Sound SystemsKemper-Peters PublicationsKendor Music, Inc.Kettles & Company/Jonathan HaasKlassik Percussion & ServiceSerge LaFlammeLane Percussion ConsultantsLang Percussion, Inc.Lentine’s Music, Inc.Lone Star PercussionLuebbe Hearing Services, Inc.Mallet UnitManhattan School of MusicMannes College of MusicMarilyn Endres DrumsMarv Dahlgren PublicationsRobert M. McCormickMedia Press, Inc.Mel Bay Publications, Inc.Meredith Music PulbicationsMiami Percussion InstituteMusicians Institute (Pit)Musicians Workshop ProductionsMusikverlag ZimmermanNeil A. Kjos Music Co.New Music Marimba, Inc.New Music WestNEXUSNichols Music PublicationsNorthwestern UniversityOberlin Conservatory of MusicOld TimersOlympic PercussionRipin PaitimusaPan Caribe ToursRichard PantaleoPanyard, Inc.

Pauken ToursPaul/Mueller StudioPeabody Conservatory of MusicPercussion Concepts Midwest, Inc.Percussion ConstructionPercussion Events Registry Co.Per-Mus Publications, Inc.Gordon PetersPioneer PercussionPlugs-PercJoseph PorcaroProfessional Music Center & Drum ShopPurchase School of the ArtsPR Percussion/Paul Real SalesJan PustjensRam PercussionThomas D. RaneyRhombus PublishingRhythm FusionEmil RichardsRife’s Drum CenterRKG EnterprisesRobinson PercussionRodam DistributingRow-Loff ProductionsRudimental Percussion PublicationsSam Ash Music StoresSan Francisco Conservatory of MusicRobert J. SchietromaWilliam SchneidermanSewanee Summer Music CenterS H Enterprises, Inc.The Shepherd School of MusicSher Music Co.Sherwood Drum Co.Silver Fox PercussionSimon Fraser UniversityLonnie D. SlawsonSmith PublicationsSofBagsSomers Music PublicationsSouthern Music Co.Stanley Leonard Percussion MusicStephen F. Austin State UniversitySteve Weiss MusicStewart-MacDonaldTalking DrumsThe TaLoose GroupTaos DrumTemple UniversityTheodore Presser Co.Thunder StudioTommy’s Drum ShopTone EnterpriseTough TravelerUnited States Percussion CampUniversity of Cincinnati CollegeUniverity of HartfordUniversity of Missouri-Kansas CityVater PercussionVellum & Parchment Works, Ltd.Wilfrid Laurier UniversityWindsor Music PublicationsThe Woodwind & The BrasswindWorld Drum CenterDevin Bryan WrightZenobia Musical InstrumentsRobert Zimmitti

Adams Percussion ........................................................... 44, 57American Drum of Virginia .................................................... 32Aquarian Accessories ............................................................ 23Avedis Zildjian Co. ......................................................... Cover IIMike Balter Mallets ................................................................ 48The Clevelander Drum Co. ............................................... 37, 55College Music Society ............................................................ 80D. Picking .............................................................................. 62Dörfler Klassik Percussion & Service ...................................... 43DRUM!................................................................................... 26DRUMST6 .............................................................................. 81Encore Mallets ....................................................................... 32Experimental Musical Instruments .......................................... 64Fall Creek Marimbas .............................................................. 33Goldline Percussion ............................................................... 34Innovative Percussion............................................................. 75Interworld Music .................................................................... 55Kori Percussion ...................................................................... 52Ludwig Music ......................................................................... 59

Sustaining Members


BUILDING FUND DONORSTHE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN DONATING TO THE BUILDING FUND FOR

THE PERCUSSIVE ARTS SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AND MUSEUM.Alan Abel • Aubrey Adams • Gregory Alico • America Drum-George Jacob • Arizona Chapter of PAS • Richard Ault • Barbara and Buster(Elden) Bailey • John Baldwin • Richard H. Baller • Ruth Bandler • Cosmo Barbaro • John Beck • Steve and Maria Beck • Louis P. Bellson •Clark and Margie Bennett • Mark Berres • David P. Black • James Blades • Michael Bookspan • Bonnie Boss • Frank Bourke • Jeff L. Brown •Leo Browne • Leo J. Burke • Ruth Cahn • William L. Cahn • James B. Campbell • James R. Cantley • Ernest Cervantes • Eric and LaurieChandler • Anthony Cirone • Phillip A. Cloutier • Joe and Lin Cochran • James A. Coffin • Laurence Gerard Cousins • Stanley E. Dahl • JoanDahlgren • Jim Dallas • Christopher Deane • Frank Del Piano • Dick DiCenso’s Drum Shop • Paul Dolby • François Dupin • Val Eddy •Frank Epstein • Dr. David P. Eyler • Randy Eyles • Phil Faini • Sandy and Wendy Feldstein • Florida Chapter of PAS • George Frock • GeorgeGaber • Norman Gadd • Edwin L. Gerhardt • Lynn Glassock • Evelyn Glennie • Goldline Percussion Products • Mark Goldstein • GenaroGonzalez Jr. • Jeremy Robert Gonzalez • David E. Goshen • Gordon Gottlieb • Michael Gould • Billie Grace • Don and Mary Green •Jonathan Haas • Blair G. Helsing • Kevin P. Henss • Mark Hershon • John Hill • Steve Houghton • Bob and Carolyn Houston • IndianaChapter of PAS • Christopher James • William Tennant Jastrow • Kentucky Chapter of PAS • Christian Krehbiel • Dan Knipple • KoriPercussion • Ilyas Kurban • Jim and Doris Lambert • Limecroft • Arthur Lipner • Greg Malcangi • Marshall Maley, Jr. • Joseph W. Marquardt• Stuart Marrs • Maryland Chapter of PAS •Betty Masoner • Marie Matson • Vincent Mauro • Lloyd McCausland • Robert M. McCormick •Kristen Shiner McGuire • Jack and Pat McKenzie • The McMahon Foundation • Stan Melmer • Meredith Music Publications-GarwoodWhaley, President • Ben Miller • Mitch Miller Foundation, Inc. • Modern Drummer Publications, Inc.-Ron Spagnardi • Moore Printing &Graphics-Timothy J. Moore • Paul Mootz • Music for Percussion, Inc. • New York Chapter of PAS • North Carolina Chapter of PAS • Jac.Nuijt • Dennis M. O’Shea • Oklahoma Chapter of PAS • Gary J. Olmstead • Charlotte Owen • Bland Palmore • Gordon Peters • MaryPolsgrove • Kurt Prihoda • Marta Ptaszynska • Salvatore Rabbio • Dr. Josephine Raburn • Thomas D. Raney • Dale Rauschenberg • John R.Raush • Remo, Inc. • Thomas H. Robertson (Tommy’s Drum Shop) • John Roeland • Lisa Rogers • Ney G. Rosauro • Michael Rosen • RossMallet Instruments • Jerry Roucka • David Samuels • David H. Scherer • Robert Schietroma • William Schneiderman • John Scofield • EdShaughnessy • David Shephard • Sanford Siegel • Thomas Siwe • Dr. Larry D. Snider • South Carolina Chapter of PAS • Robert V. Sperlik Jr.• Murray Spivack • Herschel L. Stark • Howard C. Stein • Robert Stuart • Studio 4 Productions • Tennessee Chapter of PAS • Sarah G.Tenney • Texas Chapter of PAS • Preston Thomas • Carl Trezza • Ian Turnbull • Ruth Komanoff Underwood • Keith Unger • Carl Valvai •Patrick N. VanderTook • John Versocki • Vic Firth Incorporated • Virginia Chapter of PAS • Lauren Vogel • Douglas Walter • Norman andNancy Weinberg • Douglas J. Wolf • Gerald and Barbara Wolf • Woodstock Chimes Fund of Kvistad Foundation • David Wuliger • MichaelA. Zelenak • Oliver “Ollie” Zinsmeister

ENDOWMENT FUND DONORSTHE ENDOWMENT FUND OF THE PERCUSSIVE ARTS SOCIETY EXISTS AS A RESULT OF THE GENEROUS DONATIONS OF THE FOLLOWINGCOMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS. THIS FUND, WHICH CURRENTLY STANDS AT $100,000 AND IS SEPARATE FROM THE BUILDING FUND,

EARNS INTEREST FOR THE FUTURE OF PAS. LEVELS OF CONTRIBUTION HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AS FOLLOWS:BENEFACTOR $10,000 OR MORE

PATRON $5,000-$9,900

DONOR $2,500-$4,900

SPONSOR $250-$2,400

FRIEND OF PAS $25-OR MORE

BENEFACTORSColwell Systems, Inc. • Venus and Val Eddy • William F. Ludwig, Jr. • Remo, Inc. • Armand Zildjian

PATRONSLudwig Industries • Yamaha International

SPONSORSMike Balter Mallets • Drums Ltd./Frank’s Drum Shop • Randall Eyles • Gary France • Thomas Gauger • Kaman Music Corporation

• Kori Percussion, USA • Ludwig Music • Robert McCormick • Mr. and Mrs. Jack McKenzie • Jim Petercsak • Steven Ross &Associates • James Salmon • Thomas Siwe • Larry Snider

THE LIST OF FRIENDS IS TOO EXTENSIVE TO INCLUDE HERE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE A LIST OF FRIENDS, PLEASE WRITE TO PAS, PO BOX 25, LAWTON, OK 73502.

Yes, I support PAS. Enclosed is my check or money order in the amount of ❑ $15 ❑ $25 ❑ $35 ❑ $50 ❑ $__________________.Please credit my tax deductible donation to ❑ $ _____________ Building Fund ❑ $ ______________ Endowment Fund.

PLEASE PRINT YOUR NAME & INFORMATION CLEARLY

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________NAME_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CITY STATE POSTAL CODE COUNTRY_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PHONE_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

COMMENTSPlease return this form with payment to Percussive Arts Society • P.O. Box 25 • Lawton, OK 73502

WE THANK OUR DONORS HERE, AND INVITE YOU TO SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PAS BUILDING FUND OR ENDOWMENT FUND.


By J.B. Smith, Host

PASIC ’95–Phoenix, Arizona/November 1-4, 1995

SOME OF YOU MAY BE WONDERINGwhy Phoenix was chosen as alocation for PASIC ’95. You maybe asking “will prominent art-

ists, exhibitors, contest participants,school groups and world-class clini-cians come to the desert Southwest fora percussion convention?” Unquestion-ably, the answer is “yes!” Phoenix isone of the most popular winter-monthconvention sites in the nation. The fa-cilities, location and weather make it

ideal for PASIC. As well, with PASICpositioned between the NBA All-Stargame and the NFL Super Bowl, thecity will be ready to shine in the na-tional spotlight and prepared to accom-modate thousands of guests fromaround the globe. The proximity of theconvention center to the Hyatt Regency,Symphony Hall and a wide range ofrestaurants and entertainment facili-ties will make it easy to enjoy the con-vention and take advantage of all Phoe-

nix has to offer. As for member partici-pation, a very active Arizona Chapteris already vigorously pursuing regionalartists and students to be involved.School groups have already begun tomake plans to attend. We anticipate alarge number of west coast membersmaking the trip to Phoenix since it isonly a half-day’s drive away, as well.Given the circumstances and opportu-nities that are in place, PASIC ’95 willbe a great convention! PN

The Percussive Arts Society sends out press releases monthly to publications, manufacturers and retailers in the percussionindustry to keep them informed of the latest PAS activities. The space here is reserved for reprints of these official releases. Foradditional information on any item printed here, write to PAS, P.O. Box 25, Lawton, OK 73502, or call (405)353-1455.

WORLD PERCUSSION NETWORK MOVES TO LAWTONLAWTON, OKLAHOMA—Remember this number: 405-353-1441.

It’s the new phone number for the World Percussion Network (WPN), the PercussiveArts Society’s bulletin board system devoted to percussion topics and percussionistseverywhere.

The WPN was recently moved to PAS headquarters here, thanks to the efforts ofsystems operator Barry Zimmerman, World Percussion Network Committee chairman NormanWeinberg, committee members Blair Helsing, D’Arcy Gray, Ed Hartman, James Lambert,Joseph Youngblood, Rebecca Kite, Richard Gipson, Richard K. Jones and Russ Girsberger,as well as the many users and industry members whose contributions made purchasing thenecessary hardware and software possible.

“Now that the PAS has officially taken the WPN under its wing, its visibility,growth, and usefulness to the percussion community at large is certain to increase,”noted Weinberg.

The WPN has been in operation since April, 1991, when Zimmerman set up the networkprototype in his home in Lakeland, FL. Since that time the network’s user base hasexpanded from just a few to more than 300 active users, with new users logging ondaily.

The network is designed to provide PAS members the opportunity to exchange elec-tronic mail, MIDI and text files, and the ability to research percussion material on-line. In addition, some percussion industry members have uploaded their catalogs tothe File Libraries section of WPN, and a number of publication indices, such as thosefor back issues of Percussive Notes, Electronic Musician, Modern Percussionist andModern Drummer, are available. Future plans for the WPN include on-line access to backissues of Percussive Notes and other research materials stored at the PAS ResearchLibrary, and access to an annotated bibliography of percussion works compiled bygraduate students at the University of North Texas under the guidance of past PASpresident Bob Schietroma.

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