Beyond Basic Percussion

General Info

Subtitle: 10 Beginning Percussion Ensembles
Publisher: Tapspace
Level: Elementary to Intermediate
Duration: 1:30–2:40 each
Pages: 126
Price: $89.00

Description

Beyond Basic Percussion was developed with one concept in mind: Help the percussionists in your ensemble become musically independent so you can spend more time making music and less time worrying about their logistics.

This practical and fun collection is designed by Eric Rath and Ralph Hicks, both of whom are accomplished band directors AND professional percussionists. Inside you'll find ten beginning-level percussion ensemble pieces that address the most common obstacles new percussionists and their teachers face in class. These pieces build on skill sets and difficulty as they progress, and each ensemble is creatively written to confront basic percussion challenges such as:

Approaching percussion musically
Accessory percussion techniques
Multi percussion setups
Unique sounds, dampening concepts, etc.
Sticking patterns on mallet instruments
Equipment logistics
Latin percussion techniques

The accompanying content includes full-length, multicamera video examples of each ensemble being performed, plus tips from the authors, technique demonstrations, individual parts in PDF format, and audio files.

Beyond Basic Percussion is also a great resource for university-level methods classes by giving non-percussionist music education majors experience with the "do's and don'ts" in the percussion world. All in all, this collection is packed with variety and enough educational material to last several semesters--everything you'll need to take your percussionists beyond the back of the room and into the music!

Song List

1. Batterie
2. Trap Door
3. Multitasker
4. Low Tide
5. Follow Suit
6. Traumatic Chromatic
7. Mi Milagro
8. Rechargeable Batterie
9. Clave & Sons
10. Escape Artist

Review

Dr. Dave Gerhart - Percussionist, Educator, Composer "I have used the book for the past three years, and I love it. It is perfect for my percussion methods class. I always used it at the end of the class before their final exam. We ran pieces and the students conducted them. I would walk around the ensemble and we would discuss common mistakes that happen in an ensemble setting. It is the perfect book for them to apply what they learned over the semester. I would highly recommend it for any percussion methods class or young percussion ensemble."

Dr. Susan Martin Tariq - Professor of Percussion, West Texas A&M University "Beyond Basic Percussion" fills a great void in beginning percussion instruction. Music educators should be thrilled to have video/audio demonstrations of the various percussion instruments used in concert performance and fun music for immediate application."

James Campbell - Professor of Percussion, University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY) "Beyond Basic Percussion" is a great resource for any school band program that wants to develop well-rounded percussionists. The musical concepts presented in this series pick up where other methods leave off. The music and performance techniques are presented by veteran teachers who are in the classroom every day and know what works to help students achieve their best. "Beyond Basic Percussion" is a welcome addition to the field of percussion education - a must-have for any serious teacher."

David Ratliff - Director of Bands, Madison Southern HS & Foley Middle School (Berea, Kentucky) "I think this collection is going to fill a very valuable gap in current percussion ensemble literature. The "easy difficulty level" but "quality composed" range has long been void of much literature. This book is going to work perfectly with my students, allowing them to work on individual techniques and instruments within the framework of an actual piece of music. Great book!!"

Brian Mason - Associate Professor of Percussion, Morehead State University "There are so many issues that percussionists face apart from simply playing the music. "Beyond Basic Percussion" helps the instructor address those issues in a logical and guided format that will provide a fun and musical experience for the students. This book is a must-have for any serious educator of young percussionists.

Additional Resources

Five Minute Drill (beginner level) and Nine Minute Drill (intermediate level) both provide simple ways to keep your percussionists busy during daily classroom wind drills. A complete set of exercises and fun play-along tracks for practice pads and keyboards that they can run themselves!

Reference