ALLEN D NEASE. Outdoor Percussion Audition Packet

Transcription

1 ALLEN D NEASE Outdoor Percussion Audition Packet Abstract On behalf of the director, section leaders, and staff of the Allen D. Nease band program, we would like to welcome you and thank you for expressing interest in the front ensemble and battery for the season. The future is packed with great opportunities and experiences for this percussion program. Contained in this packet are the basic technique guidelines we will be implementing this year. Spots on the front ensemble will be very competitive; therefore, we strongly recommend you review and memorize the audition material, as they will be the primary tools we use in determining how well you fit within each section. We strongly recommend that you go through the entirety of the packet and understand all concepts and approaches that we are looking for. While we pride ourselves in producing an educational environment, those auditionees most prepared will have the greatest opportunity of attaining a spot within either percussion section. We encourage you to do your best and consistently produce a great attitude. Nease Percussion Staff

2 Table of Contents Nease High School Snare Drum Technique Packet... 2 Nease High School Tenor Drums Technique Packet... 6 Nease High School Bass Technique Packet... 9 The Physical Side of Marching Band ON A HAND Audition Music and Learning Exercises P a g e

3 Nease High School Snare Drum Technique Packet Glories Traditional Grip In order to achieve an excellent sound quality and approach to the snare drum we must have a consistent and uniform grip. We want to feel and hear warm, full, and resonate tones produced from the contact of the stick and the drum. To receive this quality of sound it is important that your hands maintain a relaxed grip around the stick at all times, allowing the stick to resonate in your hand. If you hold the stick too tightly, you dampen the stick's natural vibrations/resonation and "choke off much of the sound, leaving you with a very thin and inconsistent sound. Also, the brunt of the impact from the stick striking the drum will be transferred directly into your hands, which can lead to unnecessary injury. At A D Nease, we are interested in nothing but the best for you, so please always let the stick "breath" in your hands. The Right Hand should be naturally sloped to the right just enough to relax your arm muscles. If turned completely flat you will notice a small amount of tension which we DO NOT want. The butt end of the stick should not hide under or behind the right forearm. It should always clearly be seen. Stroke There are 2 main stroke types that we utilize at the Nease. The first is called a legato stroke. This is a very open flowing stroke allow the stick to fully rebound off the drum head. This creates a very open and big sound. The legato stroke is most often utilized in 8 on a hand exercises and double beat exercises. The second stroke type is called a staccato stroke. This is a stroke where its initially the same as the legato stroke but instead of letting the stick fully rebound, we control it so that it comes back to set position. This staccato stroke is most often utilized in accent tap exercises where you need to play an accent at forte and then immediately a tap at piano. Being able to play both types oi' these strokes are essential to good rudimental drumming. All strokes should be relaxed and more importantly should flow. The Fulcrum Most often, the fulcrum (usually between the thumb and index finger) is taught to be in one place, always. However, at Nease High School you will learn the wonders of a travelling or moveable fulcrum. With the moveable fulcrum we can utilize all parts of the hand in order to achieve the best sound. We will elaborate on this more in time to come. For now the thumb should be placed on the side of the stick with the index finger wrapped loosely but firmly around the other side lining up with the thumb. The remaining three fingers will cradle the stick in a relax grip. Make sure the space between your thumb and the rest of your hand that is not touching the stick is closed. Left Hand Many say the left hand is awkward and is hard to figure. I concur, although the grip is actually very RELAXED and NATURAL. The shape of your hand while speaking of left hand grip is very similar to the shape and relaxation of the hand while down by your side. In complete relaxation and zero tension your thumb will lie across the first knuckle of your index finger. Allow space for more relaxation as you grip the stick in the whole in which your thumb and index finger creates. The middle finger will have a natural curve like the index finger. Never 2 P a g e

4 will the middle finger be straight. Straight middle fingers creates disruption to the stroke type and possibly an altercation in the wrong part of town. Moving down the hand the stick will rest on the cuticle of the ring finger. The ring and pinky finger should never separate from each other. These fingers support the stick. These fingers should be completely relaxed at all times. Never should they be forced towards the stick. The forearm and thumb should be connected in a straight line keeping the wrist from turning out or in to or from your body. The wrist must remain straight and not broken. Playing Position: RELAX! When playing a drum, you should feel as though the sticks or mallets are sinking into the head, not crushing it. This analogy should help in avoiding a high velocity, pounding stroke. Let the weight of your hands and sticks do most of the work. When we physically approach our snare drums at Nease we want to be as relaxed as possible. Relax your hands down by your side, sticks in hand Relax all your muscles starting at your head moving down through your neck moving through your SHOULDERS (soft shoulders) to your arms and through your hands and fingers. You should now be gripping your stick just enough where the stick does not slide out of your hand. Still having integrity on the GRlP of the stick, nothing changes Raise your arms (relax) and put beads together meeting at your waist. This will determine drum height. The Right arm should be slightly higher than the left. If you were to look in a mirror you should see the right palm sitting on top of the left palm while gripping sticks in the traditional style. Beads should ¼ inch apart and ¼ inch from the head. Basically significantly close but not touching. Review Right hand and left hand GRIP when practicing Playing Position. The edge should be at 12 o clock. In order to master any playing position for any instrument, you must practice in front of a mirror, with a metronome and constantly be aware of how your hands look. APPROACH SNARES THE DOWN STROKE A down stroke is a rebound stroke until after it has hit the drum. Down Strokes are usually the accented note followed immediately by an unaccented note. If you play a note at forte, the stick will naturally rebound up to the previous extension point. When playing a forte accent followed by a piano tap, however, we need to control the stick on the rebound. This is a down stroke. After the bead of the stick strikes the head, stop the stick at the new extension point. The stick is stopped by not allowing the wrist to turn past the new extension point and allowing the fingers to slightly cushion the stick from extra motion. It is critical that the stick in not squeezed into a stopping position. Tension should be almost nonexistent in the hand. In diagram B, the paths are spread apart to see the starting point, contact point, and the ending point of a down stroke. 3 P a g e

5 THE UP STROKE Up Strokes are usually die unaccented note followed immediately by an accented note. If the stick is turned up to 3 inches to play a tap, the stick naturally will only rebound to the original height of 3 inches. If the next note played is an accent, then a significant amount of velocity needs to be used in the up motion and back down into the drum. The new velocity is applied alter the mp first strikes the drum, in conjunction with the rebound created by the initial stroke. In diagram C, the paths are spread apart to C sec the starting point, contact point, and the ending point of an up stroke. Approach Snares Volume Control We use a stick height system to define dynamics as follows: Levels of Listening Level I: Listening to your own sound production and constantly maintaining a consistent alignment with musical smndards (timing, quality of sound). Level II: Listening to your own segment (subsection) and maintain a consistent alignment with musical standards. Level III: Listening to the battery ensemble in regards to timing, clarity, dynamics, balance, and blend while maintaining a consistent alignment with musical standards. Level IV: Listening to the entire percussion ensemble, incorporating Levels I - III to enhance the full ensemble s timing, balance, blend, rhythmic interpretation, expression, range of dynamics, and phrasing. 4 P a g e

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7 Nease High School Tenor Drums Technique Packet Brothers of Tonal Love Grip At Nease, we like to utilize a very relaxed grip with the stick. It should rest between the thumb and forefinger and sit in this fulcrum very comfortably. The other fingers should wrap around the stick and rest on the back of it. There should not be any daylight visible between the thumb and first finger. The left hand should mirror the right hand in this same fashion. The sticks should have a slight angle along with your arm when they are in set position and the top of your hand should be slightly tilted (About a 45 degree angle between horizontal and vertical). Here is where you will learn the most important lesson any percussionist should know: TENSION IS YOUR ENEMY!!! There should never be any tension in your grip, hands, arms, body at any point in time. This can lead to bad playing and even worse, injuries. Stroke There are two main stroke types that we utilize at Nease High School. The first is called a legato stroke. This is a very open flowing stroke allow the stick to fully rebound off the drum head. This creates a very open and big sound. The legato stroke is most often utilized in 8 on a hand exercises and double beat exercises. The second stroke type is called a staccato stroke. This is a stroke where its initially the same as the legato stroke but instead of letting the stick fully rebound, we control it so that it comes back to set position. This staccato stroke is most often utilized in accent tap exercises where you need to play an accent at forte and then immediately a tap at piano. Being able to play both types of these strokes are essential to good rudimental drumming. All strokes should be relaxed and more importantly should flow. Motion There is a lot of motion involved in the playing of tenors. It's very important to understand what motions we use and when we use them. Tenor drumming is a very interesting art form because unlike a snare drum or bass drum we are playing on 2 axes the whole time, the X and Y axes. A good starting point for obtaining the motion we want is having a good base playing position. One way to achieve is to put both your arms down by your side. From here bring your arms to "set position" in front of you (set position is usually your right hand over drum 1 and your left over drum 2). This should be the most relaxed position you have ever felt. Your arms will naturally have a slight downward angle and the sticks should follow this. From this position everything should flow seamlessly together. The sticks will use what we call the Y axis. They will always group vertical and should come down vertical. If they do not have this vertical motion then the stick will slice and good technique and good quality of sound will be sacrificed. Your arms will follow the X axis. This means that your arms will be doing the horizontal movement for your hands. Often times the movement horizontally is compared to if you were moving your hands about an l" above a glass surface across the drums. Only at select parts where more strength and sound is needed will your arms switch to using the vertical Y axis. When you look at the playing zones page this will help you to better learn the motion we use to move around the drums. FLOW is the key to good tenor drumming. PLAYING ON ONE DRUM MUST BE MASTERED BEFORE MOVING AROUND THE DRUMS!! 6 P a g e

8 Playing Zones Playing Zones are the cornerstone of tenor drumming. If you don t have good zones then you won t have a good sound and odds are you won t have a good technique either. Unlike snares and basses which ideal playing zones are in the middle of the drum, tenors act much more like a timpani. The drum speaks more if you play in a zone about an l W away from the rim. This is where you will get the optimal sound and this is where the drums tone and the heads color will come from. The playing zones have their own flow to them as well and your arms will get used to the motion when you go across from drum to drum. The motion is often compared to that of a pair of windshield wipers moving from side to side across the top of the drums. Once again playing on one drum MUST be mastered before moving around the drums. Sweeps, Scrapes, Skanks and more... Now the part you ve all been waiting for... the jam. There are many things that make tenor drumming the coolest instrument to play on the drumline. We re flashy, we do crossovers and play cool skank patterns, and we just look good. Period. All of these things are fun to do and are a big part of what playing tenors is about but learn all the basics BEFORE this stuff. If not you cannot sacrifice the fundamentals for becoming a great tenor player. Sweeps, scrapes, and crossovers are all things that are very often self-taught. Just remember the proper technique and zones when performing these select movements. In a VERY GENERAL idea, crossovers generally follow this pattern: if you are crossing over on drums next to one other, cross the sticks only. If you are crossing over on drums with a drum in between them, cross your hands and/or wrists only if absolutely necessary. If you are crossing over on drums with more than one drum between them, cross your forearms. The same steps can be applied to scrapes and sweep patterns. Always remember though that you must be relaxed. TENSION IS YOUR ENEMY!!! We will elaborate more on the previous section in person. Summary Tenor Drumming is a unique/stellar art form and those who truly appreciate it become some of the great drummers in the world. Use all of the things that have been put before you and don t get discouraged. Yes the drums are as heavy as you think they are and no they don t get lighter. Now that's a hype!!!! By learning the basics and utilizing all the things presented in this packet you can go from being a good tenor drummer to becoming a great tenor drummer. Enjoy and Happy Drumming!! 7 P a g e

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10 9 P a g e Nease High School Bass Technique Packet Bass Boom The Way of the Nease Bassline When learning to do anything it is important to develop good technique. In music the technique you use on your instrument is what you will use to communicate the sound you hear in your head to the listeners. A good technique is one that will allow you to achieve your musical goals. It is important that you use a technique on rudimental bass drum that has two primary focuses. 1. An efficient, natural, relaxed, healthy style of playing. 2. The widest amount of musical expression possible while still maintaining a strong sense of physical uniformity. The goal is for the technique to be simple and effective. Since no one is going to make a lifelong career playing bass drum the technique taught needs to be one that uses only what is needed and a technique with transfer value. The technique that is outlined in this book is one that is ever evolving but consists of basic principles that are time tested and proven successful on ALL levels of rudimental bass drumming. It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away the unessentials! Bruce Lee - Tao of Jeet Kane D0 Proper Way to Hold a Bass Mallet Step 1 The proper way to hold a bass mallet is much like holding a snare stick. The biggest difference is that most bass mallets are designed to be held by the butt of the mallet. Holding a bass mallet farther back than you would hold a snare stick is also important in providing the much needed leverage for playing bass drum. Anyone that has tried to play bass before has quickly realized that a bass mallet on a bass drum responds differently than a snare stick on a snare drum. By holding the mallet like this you gain more control and will use less energy to achieve a strong sound. Step 2 For the most part the mallet should be held comfortably with little to none of the butt of the mallet visible. All fingers should be wrapped around the mallet and at no point in playing should any of them leave contact with the mallet. The fulcrum should be between the thumb and first finger and the rest of your fingers should have a sense of floatation as they rest on the mallet. No light should be visible between the thumb and first finger. If there is a gap between the two it can usually be solved by sliding the thumb back towards the hand. Your overall grip of the mallet should remain firm but not tense. Often when young players begin playing bass they squeeze more than necessary to help cope with and control the odd sensations of playing against gravity, dealing with a new kind of rebound, and working with a heaver implement. This leads to several sound and consistency problems. Because of this I constantly remind younger players to only hold the mallet with just enough tension to keep it from flying uncontrollably from their hand.

11 Step 3 Now let s look at the arm and mallet position. Start with your arm hanging by your side parallel to your body. Double check that your shoulders are down and relaxed then raise your mallets out in front of you horizontally like you were about to play snare drum. The mallets should be at a 90-degree angle. Now rotate from the forearm so that the bass mallet is parallel to the bass drum head. At this point your mallets should be parallel to the drumhead with the mallet head in the center of the drumhead and your forearm should be horizontal with your elbow about even with the bottom of your ribcage. Step 4 Your mallets should be at a 45-degree angle from your forearm. Now check that your forearms are parallel to the ground. From here rotate your mallets in, again from the forearm, towards the drumhead, so that the mallet head is 1 inch off the head. Also make sure that your elbows are outside the rim of the drum. This position is known as Sticks Out. Any time you are not playing and not at Sticks In this is how you stand. Make sure that your elbows are aligned where they would naturally hang when your arms are at rest by your side and not behind your back. With some larger drums it might be necessary to move your arms forward in order to play in the center of the head. Step 5 Keep in mind that while playing bass drum you won t be able to simply look down and see if you are playing in the center of the head. Once you are set look at your hand and arm and see what visual points you can use to always return to this position. For example maybe the knuckle of your ring finger lines up with the top of a lug, or the base of your thumbnail is at the same height as a tension rod. You can also place your forearms against the rim of the drum to correct your mallet s position on the head. I have also found success in using label reinforcements to help students find the center of the head. Label reinforcements are small round stickers made to mend tearing holes in notebook paper. If you stack three of these on top of each other and then place those in the center of the drumhead a bass drummer can feel around for them when they are not playing. At specified times I allow players to feel for the center of the head when they might normally just be standing at attention. Step 6 The player must work to eliminate as much tension as possible at all times. The art of bass drumming requires a great deal of physical and mental energy and because of this the player needs to create an environment in which thoughts and energy can flow throughout the body as uninterrupted as possible. It has been proven that tense muscles work differently than relaxed muscles. Often a player that is tense will react slower, use an unnecessary amount of energy, and create a harsh sound. Check the players shoulders for signs of tension. Often a player will raise their shoulders when they are tense. Also ask them if they are gritting their teeth or clenching their toes while they play. These are areas of tension that are common but not always obvious so make sure the players are aware of their tendencies. 10 P a g e

12 To stay relaxed is not to be passive, but rather to be ready to expend whatever efforts are necessary to meet the demands of a particular situation. To concentrate on the task at hand is to be able to supply the information the brain needs to activate the parts of the body required to produce the desired sounds. - Keith Johnson - The Art at Trumpet Playing Thoughts on Posture Step 1 Stand up straight. Whether you are wearing the drum or not it is important to stand as tall as possible. When wearing a bass drum it is natural to want to lean back or adjust how you re standing to compensate for the weight of the drum. This is BAD. Instead try to concentrate on stacking the spine straight on itself and maintaining the space between your rib cage and your hips. This cannot be overemphasized due to the fact that spines do not finish development until 17 years of age. Step 2 This brings up the issue of head placement. Where do you look? For many players the drum might be too high to look over. This should not cause any problems if approached correctly. Your head should be turned in at a 45-degree angle. While marching you can use peripheral vision, and in eases of demanding drill, turn your head a little if necessary. (This is becoming more common amongst indoor drum line shows). This will help to maintain a unified and professional image. When learning drill it is important to learn to dress to stationary objects such as instruments in the front ensemble. This 45-degree angle allows you to use yard lines as checkpoints, which are not as visible when looking straight ahead. Also, whenever possible dress down the line to the bigger drums because chances are they can t see to dress up. This means it is extremely important for the bigger drums to be Dot Mongers and be very precise about marching to their dot. When marching, some groups chose to tum their heads in any direction they want whenever they want. In my experience, these groups do not march or maintain intervals better than any other groups that keep their heads at a 45. They are; however, visually distracting with excess and unnecessary head movement while the rest of the marching ensemble marches with their heads stationary. Step 3 Bass Stands There are several benefits to using a bass stand. Many companies make stands specifically for basses; however, I have found that transforming something like a Ludwig bell stand works just as well. Why use a stand you ask? Isn t that just being lazy? Using a bass stand is a great way to allow the player to put more focus on the music and sound they are creating. I find it best to use bass stands early in a program when a player might be overwhelmed with new ideas on technique, learning music, and solidifying visual concepts. Later as a player becomes more proficient they should be weaned off the stand and begin working to develop the muscles needed to support and control the drum while marching. It is important to also remember that getting to use a stand is a privilege. Players who whine about the weight of their d1'um need to look past their self-absorption and understand that the majority of the other drummers feel the same way, but are still striving for their best. Any of my students who whine about their drum are told they will no longer be allowed to use their stand. This has led to very positive results. 11 P a g e

13 When using a bass stand, make sure that the height of the drum on the stand is the same as if it were worn. Also make sure that you are standing at a comfortable distance from the drum. Both the height and the distance from the drum should be the same as if the drum were worn. Now this might all seem like common sense but it is very important to be very precise about your drum placement. So much of what we do as percussionists involves muscle memory and with the bass drum you can t even see yourself playing unless you are looking in a mirror. For this reason I would not recommend using things such as a stack of chairs or even an overhead projector as a bass stand (yes, I ve seen it before). Therefore a bass drummer must make a conscious effort every time he uses a stand to be very accurate about placement. You can use a marker or even tape to mark your stand so that you set it up the same way every time. Step 4 Wearing the Drum There are several key factors to look at when standing with your drum on and your sticks out. First is the position of the drum. For the middle size drums (20-24 in) resting like this should not be a problem but every player is built differently. This is why it is important to approach the bass drum the same way a French horn player would approach their horn. We must bring the drum to the player not the player to the drum. The smaller drums have common problems of their own. Often the drum doesn t get high enough and ends up being too close to the body. If you are having trouble getting the drum high enough, first look at the J bars. The J bars can raise the drum and often by simply rotating the bars in or out they will allow the drum to sit on different parts of the bars to fix the problem. Ideally you would want the J bars to sit on the shell of the drum but sometimes they line up with the drum lugs instead. When this happens it is important that the bars do not rest on the tension rods. Over time this will bend and warp the rods causing problems when changing and tuning drum heads and eventually leading to replacement of the rods. If the J bars are resting on the lugs they will rub off the rubber protecting the bars from the shell. When this happens it can affect the drum position and lead to possible scraping and damage to the lug casing. The best solution I have found to solving this is mummifying the J bars with black electrical tape. If only a couple wraps of tape are used they will soon rub out of place creating a sticky mess. Another option when wanting to raise a drum is to saw off some of the J hooks that hook onto the two hoops holding the drum on the carrier. This will raise the drum some but be careful not to saw off too much or the drum will rest incorrectly when sitting on the body, Another option I have seen is using tenor.i bars and taping them up. This should be a last resort because the angle is smaller and does not rest as far under the drum making it unstable. I personally have never had to use Tenor J bars to a drum high enough. One final option when wanting to raise a drum is to drill new holes higher up in the belly plate for the J bars to mount on. Usually there are some options already available and the higher option should work for most players. In special cases where new holes need to be drilled be careful to have and use only the right equipment because careless drilling could lead to an uneven drum or even a cracked belly plate. 12 P a g e

14 The other problem with smaller drums can be that they rest too close to the player s body to allow a natural arm position. The stereotypical top bass drummer is one with his elbows back behind his body causing all kinds of tension throughout his arms and sometimes up into his neck. Years of research in music and sports medicine have shown that relaxed muscles are more efficient muscles and can perform for longer periods of time with greater amounts of control. One way to extend the distance between the drum and the player is to put spacers between the J -rod clamp and the belly plate. The spacers can be as simple as two blocks of wood with holes drilled in them, For larger drums or smaller players the center of the drumhead might seem far away. If this is the case DO NOT adjust your mallet angle by breaking your wrist but instead just move your arm away from your body until your mallet s head is in the center of the drum s head. Your hand and forearm should never change. The only change that should occur is the angle of your arm from your shoulder to your elbow. Step 5 Sticks In and Sticks Out Before we look at actually striking the membrane we should talk about something very important that is often overlooked or under-emphasized. How you bring your sticks out and in, how you stand before you drum, and how you get to a drumming position are all important factors that will affect your performance. At sticks in" your mallets rest against rim of the bass close to your body. Your mallets should be even and vertical. The base of your mallet head should be right above your eyebrows. When you are standing at sticks in you should be holding your mallet the same as you would when you are playing. Often problems that occur have to do with mallets being uneven with each other or when the fingers are holding on to the rim. When your mallets are brought out to play there should be a specific count on which they lock into playing position. No matter what that count is or what the tempo is it is important to eliminate as much movement before the sticks out as possible. Make sure the sticks out happens on a count instead of between two counts. When bringing out your mallets it should happen as fast and aggressive as possible. This also applies for your sticks in as well. Be careful that your mallets come directly in so you get a clean, crisp, visual and audible lock. We are what we eat, and we perform how we practice. Before you even play a note people will know if you are worth listening to by how you present yourself. This is why the sticks out and sticks in are so important. The energy and care used for the sticks in and out usually correlate to the energy used in other initial motions like first steps, direction changes, and attacks. The number one cause of a bad attack is a bad sticks out. If a line can t bring out their sticks together then they have little hope of hitting the drum at the same time. Because of this the process of bringing your sticks in and sticks out should be practiced just like anything else you would work on and given the same level of excellence you would expect from your playing. A Look into the 3 Common Ways of Bass Drumming There are several ways to play bass drum, but in general there are three common approaches to playing the drum. These techniques mostly differ in the Way the wrist is utilized. It is important to keep in mind that great bass lines have performed at the highest level using all three of these techniques. However, I feel it is of the utmost importance to use the most 13 P a g e

15 natural and efficient technique possible not only to create the best sound but to insure good health of the players. The three common methods of bass drumming include: 1. Matched grip turned sideways. This is basically the same matched grip that would be used on a horizontal surface now being used on a vertical surface. Think of knocking on a door. 2. Rotating. The player thinks, not of using the wrist, but rather rotating the hand much like the left hand in traditional snare grip. Think of turning a doorknob. 3. A combination of rotating and breaking the wrist. This is where you concentrate on using both the door knock and the doorknob motions. In studying bass technique I was fortunate not only to enlist the help of great percussion professors, skillful in all areas (not just rudimental drumming) but also physicist and specialist in sports medicine. In doing this I was able to pin point key areas effecting our health and sound by analyzing the way our body works and responds to its natural environment. From the standpoints of both physics and biomechanics all things logically point to the idea that a technique that is used on a horizontal surface is not the most efficient to use on a vertical surface. One reason for this is the effect of gravity. Even though in most situations you are moving the mallet much faster than the applied force of gravity, you are still constantly affected by the downward pull of gravity. This is most notable when trying to control rebound because when playing on a horizontal surface, gravity is consistently pulling your stick in the direction of the membrane. When drumming on a vertical surface, the mallet is constantly being pulled away from the drum. No matter how hard or fast you drum, gravity effects remain constant. From a more kinesthetic view you can see that there is a need for a specified technique just by looking at drum s relationship to the body. All other instruments from frame drums, to violins, to trombones have an efficient technique that is based on the instrument s relationship to the body and the desired sound from that instrument. Trying to combine the motions of rotating and using the wrist overcomplicates what is needed to play bass. In general it is good to keep things as simple and efficient as possible. For example, a snare drummer playing traditional grip takes a straight direct path with his right hand (using the door knock) and a straight direct path with the left hand (using a door knob rotation) but never tries to combine the motions. With bass the same holds true. By rotating towards the drum and breaking the wrist you end up wasting a large amount of time trying to define when the wrist breaks, how much force comes from the wrist, and how much force comes from the arm rotating. 14 P a g e

16 15 P a g e A golden rule is never to use more complex movements than are necessary to achieve the desired result. Start with simple movements and only introduce compound ones when you cannot otherwise succeed To hit a worthy opponent with a complex movement is satisfying and shows one 's mastery of technique; to hit the same opponent by a simple movement is a sign of greatness. - Bruce Lee - The Tao of Jeet Kune Do These are just some of the many reasons I have found it most beneficial to use the second type of technique mentioned for bass drumming, focusing on rotating much like traditional grip or playing with your inside mallet using Stevens four mallet technique. Getting past aesthetics and instead focusing on efficiency, sound, and health it is best to use a technique that involves little wrist but instead initiates with a larger group of muscles (namely the forearm) and to use rebound and fingers only to help guide the mallet to producing the desired sound. It s all about a logical use of leverage and body mechanics. Let s now look at how to apply this technique to drumming. Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth. Archimedes Drumming Now that we are standing with correct posture and have an understanding of how to hold the mallet, let s look at how to strike the drum. There are a couple key concepts that apply to the majority of what you will play on a bass drum. Let s look at these. 1. The wrist does not break at any point while playing nor should you use your wrist to play. 2. The elbow must move freely but it should never initiate movement. (Without the natural, free movement of the elbow you will never be able to play rolls and 4 s at a fast tempo with good sound quality.) 3. When you rotate out the path the mallet head takes should be the same on the way in. Avoid slicing. 4. You will still use rebound and fingers but to a lesser extent than you would on snare or tenors. 5. Throughout your playing remain relaxed and focus your attention on the sound (music) more so than your physical movement, Use your ears! Step 1 Monotone Legato Stroke First we will start with a basic legato monotone stroke. This is the same kind of motion used when playing B on a hand". We start by rotating from the forearm or dropping the mallet head. You should focus on initiating the motion from the mallet head as if there where a piece of string tied under the felt and someone was pulling it down. This means that you are allowing gravity to naturally pull down on the weight of the mallet head. As you do this it is important that the elbow stays loose. Continue to rotate until the back of your hand is parallel to the ground. At this point the elbow should be close to the body and in most cases just under or next to your bottom rib. Follow this same path back up to the drumhead. This would be a typical forte stroke. If playing multiple legato strokes you would strike the drum and then allow it to rebound to your next desired height then continue to follow this same motion. Throughout this process the fingers should not change from their original position of holding the mallet. As you

17 increase the speed of your legato monotone strokes the movement of the elbow will naturally decrease. 16 P a g e To conserve energy by using the least possible amount of energy to achieve a given result, eliminate the unnecessary motions and muscle contractions which fatigue without accomplishing any useful purpose. - Bruce Lee - The Tao of Jeet Kune Do Step 2 Down Stroke When performing a down stroke the motion will be identical to that of the legato stroke until after you strike the drum. At that point the mallet is stopped by stopping the motion of your hand and allowing the mallet head to rebound to your desired tap height. Concentrate on stopping the mallet with your back fingers and the weight of your hand opposed to squeezing with your fulcrum. Younger players have a tendency to squeeze harder than is necessary to stop the stick and even sometimes continue to squeeze while they play (most often in accent to tap exercises like bucks). It should be stressed that the hand uses only the energy necessary to stop the mallet and once the mallet is stopped the player relaxes. It is also very important that the player is made aware of this and practices achieving the same equality of sound when they play a down stroke as when they play a legato stroke. The natural tendency of a down stroke is to play harder than you would normally play resulting and a different sound. A good example of this is the eighth stroke of eight on a hand. The eighth stroke is a down stroke and many players will play this to hard resulting in an uneven sound when switching from hand to hand. Step 3 Playing Diddles When playing diddles the fingers become more involved. This is to help bring out the second note of the double that is naturally weaker than the first. Be careful with the amount of space you allow between the mallet and the palm of the hand. When playing on a horizontal surface the more you allow a large separation of space between the stick and the palm, the more you have to work against gravity as it pulls your mallet down away from the drum head. When playing rolls or diddles the importance of your elbows cannot be overemphasized. There is an amount of leverage that is gained in letting your elbows move freely that is necessary to achieve a strong sound. When playing diddles on a bass drum the amount of rebound is less and different than on tenors and snare and there is a considerable amount of weight from the mallet head, especially on larger mallets. Because of this you are required to stroke things out more than on other rudimental drums. This is why it is so important to be as relaxed as possible while playing. Think about your doubles as a combination of leverage (gained for the movement of your elbow and holding at the base of the mallet), rotation (velocity), rebound, and fingers all working fluently together. Step 4 Playing Flams The approach to playing flams on a bass drum should be the same as if on snare or tenors. Some drum lines take the approach of playing flat flams. This means the grace note of the flam is played at the same time as the primary note. This is done because it is easier to clean, I strongly suggest spending the necessary time to educate percussionists how to play proper flams with the grace note placed directly before the primary note. This will cause a fatter sound and though it may lead to some grayness at first in the long run it will be more

18 beneficial to the players and listeners. Adjudicators I strongly encourage you to have an open mind about the interpretation of the flam and its usage on different instruments before we scare them out of all rudimental drumming. Bass drummers should be expected to not only play flam rudiments but also to play them well. The biggest concerns are sound quality of the inner beats and how to play more complex flam rudiments (cheeses, flam drags, Inverts, etc.) on the different basses. In general the taps and inner beats of flam rudiments should be approached how they are defined in the (Blending and Volume Ticks section of The Art chapter). The smaller the drum and the tighter the head the more a player can use rebound to his advantage. The larger the drum and the less tension the drum head has the more a player will need to stroke out what they are playing. This is the point when someone always says Hey wait a moment! You NEVER see Hams in the music bass drummer s play so why should my bottom bass drummer learn to play flam drags if he s never going to play them? First off I don t know that you never see a bass drummer play a flam. Secondly and more importantly you teach a bass drummer how to play proper flams because they will have music that will require them to use the skills that are developed from learning how to play flam rudiments. The ability to play accent to multiple taps (like in flam accents) or control over doubles (like in Swiss triplets) are good examples. It is important to stress to your players that everything that a snare drummer can play can also be played on a bass drum. Some Considerations While Playing The Motion of the Elbow To better understand the motion of the elbow place your arm in the position defined earlier as sticks out. Without a mallet in your hand rotate your arm in the same fashion as you would to open a doorknob, unscrewing a light bulb or playing traditional grip. Continue to wave your hand faster and with more velocity as if you were playing bass at a forte dynamic. Feel and watch what your elbow does naturally and this should be a good indicator of the motion used when playing. Keep in mind that this motion will only be amplified by the mass of the bass mallet. Understanding Gravity To better understand the effects of gravity stand with your mallets in rest position. Now SLOWLY rotate the mallet until you feel gravity start to pull on the mallet head. At that point let the mallet and arm fall naturally by your side. This will help give the player a guide in the path that the mallet should take. Remember that even though you are usually drumming faster than the pull of gravity, its effects are all ways consistent - pulling your mallet away from the head. If you want to know what bass drumming without the effects of gravity are like, go to your local amusement park and ride the free fall ride. While falling imitate the motion of drumming in the air and this should give you a pretty good idea of what drumming in a 0 gravity environment would feel like. 17 P a g e

19 Common Errors and How to Avoid Them 1. Breaking the wrist. How do you avoid it? Just don t do it. 2. Slicing. It is important that you take a direct path away and to the drum without change. It is known as stirring the pot when a player rounds off the path he is taking to or away form the drum. If a player is doing this they are not only expending more energy than is necessary, but they are also affecting the sound that is being produced. The sound is affected because the mallet was designed to strike the membrane dead on, not with glancing blows. If you are a teacher it is of great importance that you make the bass drummer aware of these kinds of problems because they cannot see themselves while drumming. As a player it is important that you use a mirror whenever possible and check that you are taking the same path down as you are back up. 3. Practicing on a pad. Practice pads are good things. This being said nothing can replace practicing on the actual instrument you will be performing on. I once had a great bass drummer tell me Figuring out how to grid flam drags on a 30 inch drum wasn t as much figuring out how to grid flam drags as much as it was figuring out how to play a 30 inch drum. This technique was created for use on a vertical surface. Therefore it cannot be correctly duplicated on a horizontal surface. When practicing on a practice pad I suggest just using match grip but due to the fact that there are certain muscles and motions that are used when playing bass that are not used when playing other forms of percussion, you should always strive to play on a drum as much as possible. The transfer value of a good technique should involve things like understanding the importance of breathing while you play and staying relaxed not I m going to sit down behind my drum set and jam out with the same match grip I use for rudimental bass drumming Would you use the same technique you use on a marching snare on a concert snare or the same sweep patterns and technique you use on tenors on Timpani? 18 P a g e

20 Splits Splits are the bread and butter of a bass line. The term split refers to the individual parts that when played collectively form one musical idea. When all drums are played at the same time it is called unison. Obviously any rhythm can be split but there are four common subdivisions that are used by most every bass line. These are playing one, two, three, or four notes consecutively with an even rhythm. Most often these are referred to as ones, twos, threes, and fours. Let s now look at each of these subdivisions in more depth. As we do it will be assumed that the subdivisions are eight note based. Obviously playing 1, 2, 3, or 4 notes consecutively and spaced apart evenly can be applied to several rhythms but the nuances of each subdivision remain the same. 1 s: This most often refers to splitting eighth notes. The maturity of a bass line is shown in how well they can play their ones and twos. This is because the rhythm is more open and the space makes it not only harder to play but easier for the ear to hear when it is played poorly. 1 s are arguably the most important of all the splits a bass line will play because they are the foundation of 2 s, 3 s, and 4 s. The first note of all of these variations is after all the same. 2 s: Twos most often refers to splitting l6 h notes, two notes a person, with a single alternating sticking. The most common problem with playing 2 s is the left hand. Often it is dropped in early resulting in the rhythm being closed, or crushed. To tix this the player must first have a strong grasp of l6'h note rhythms and they must understand that they are playing rhythm, not just two really fast notes. This is also the most prominent problem with threes and fours. Another common problem with 2 s is that the right hand is played differently than then when playing the 1 s. Differences could be playing faster or with more velocity producing a louder sound. This is caused by a lack of understanding and ability of a student to control their independence. Independence is one of the most necessary and often over looked areas of importance in bass drumming. Another aspect of 2 s stems back to how a player performs their down strokes. A 2 s run represents the sound of constant sixteenth notes and when played on snare or tenors (assuming more than two notes are being played) a phrase of sixteenth notes would be played legato, lf a bass line down strokes their twos too hard this results in an unnatural sound that will not blend well with the other sections. Because of this a bass line should be made aware of the sound they are creating and strive for even and smooth sound quality. 3 s: Threes most often refers to splitting sextuplets three notes to a person with a single alternating sticking. Threes harbor special attention because they can be considered the only one of the four common subdivisions that is triple rather than duple. Music that has an overall triple feel to it is often referred to as being round or flowing. When teaching a bass drummer they should of course play correct rhythm at all times, but it can be beneficial to go beyond just the written notes. If a bass line understands that triple rhythms have a certain feel or sound to them they will have an easier time conveying this sound as they play. Often I will tell my line to envision liquid as they are playing three s runs to help them create a sound in their head that they will be producing as they drum. 19 P a g e

21 4 s: Fours most often refers to splitting 32" notes four notes to a person with single alternating sticking. The most common problems with 4 s are that they are played too fast and thrown into the head. An excellent way to practice 4 s is play only the right hand. When doing this, the players should hear straight sixteenth notes and be able to tell if they are closing them down. l also have the students play the same thing with just their left hands to help match the quality of sound and rhythm. When putting both hands together and playing all four notes it is VERY important that all four notes are the same volume level. This can be hard to do and takes lots of practice at many different tempos to master. Something that helps most players is for them to think of playing a crescendo leading to the last note of the 4. The essence of playing 4 s and 3 s correctly is independence. This is discussed in detail in The Art chapter but let s go over some key points in relation to 4 s. The most obvious correlation to fours is double beat. The way that a player plays two isolated legato strokes in a row is the same way they should be played when playing four notes with a single alternating sticking. Many players will use more arm, or over attack the first notes of their fours. Remember not to use more energy than is necessary to produce a strong, even sound. 20 P a g e

22 The Physical Side of Marching Band It s not enough just to play and split the sweetest beats on the planet. You need to possess the skills necessary to march (or run) while throwing down as well. Our activity is one that involves the highest level of musical and physical skill and if the two sides cannot function in harmony then they will both suffer. I have seen many lines that play great standing still, but as soon as they strap the drums and try to move the music suffers. In this section we will be looking at ways to help strengthen the muscles needed to march and carry a drum effectively as well as techniques to prevent injuries. There are some key points to remember when bass drumming to prevent unnecessary injuries, pain, or fatigue. 1. Always stretch before marching. There is often not enough time during rehearsal to spend time stretching so the player must have the maturity to take time on their own, before rehearsal, to stretch out what the need. The calves and back are key areas for the bass drummer. 2. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water before a rehearsal of any kind (indoors or out). Your body is made up of this stuff! The essence of life! Stay away from pop (if you re from the north), coke (if you re from Texas), and soft drinks if you re from the rest of the world. More so it s the water you drink before rehearsal that will be most beneficial for you opposed to the water you drink during a rehearsal. 3. Use proper posture. This includes standing up straight and focusing on being relaxed while maintaining the space between your ribs and hips. Leaning back is one of the worst things a bass drummer can do. Most bass drummers will lean back to help compensate for the weight of the drum but this actually hurts a bass drummer instead of helping him. When you lean back you compress the lower part of the spine causing lower back injuries. You also shorten your step size making you use that much more unnecessary energy to keep up when you march. 4. Breathe. Breathe! The The proper flow of oxygen is what is going to fuel your muscles and mind. Any tension will restrict this flow and not only slow you down but also make your actions harder to accomplish and less efficient. In general if good health is maintained off the field then you will have an easier time on the field. The better you can march, the more control you will have over what you are playing. 21 P a g e

23 8 ON A HAND or Monotone, Legato Strokes Why do we play them? - To develop good sound Quality How do we develop good sound quality? - Through consistency Consistency of what? 1. Rhythm 2. Sound 3. Where we strike the instrument 4. How much force or velocity we use 5. The chosen dynamic or how high we play 6. What muscles and levers we are using 7. The sound matching from hand to hand 8. The sound of the legato strokes matching the down stroke 9. Fulcrum (This is not a complete list but you get the idea) How do I develop consistency? - Consistency = Concentration + Repetition. What kind of sound do I want to achieve? - A full, dark, strong sound at any given dynamic. How do I practice monotone, legato strokes? I. Practice at all dynamics and heights, including crescendos and decrescendos. 2. Practice different number combinations. 3. Practice at several different tempos. Things about Monotone, Legato strokes to keep in mind. 1. Be aware of the sound of your first and last note on each hand. Often they will sound different if you do not actively listen and adjust for them. 2. It can help to mentally think or sing a long monotone sound or pitch as I am drumming. 3. Be aware of how they apply to my other exercises and show music. Example = In my timing exercises know what is legato and what is down stroked or staccato. 4. Listen for balance and blend with the rest of the Bass line on both unisons and splits. 5. Keep in mind the different amounts and kinds of lever usage at different tempos. 22 P a g e

24 Audition Music and Learning Exercises The following information provided on the following pages contains the audition material for battery instruments. The best way to start and learn the music would be to start down tempo from the provided tempo by at least 30 Beats Per Minute (bpm). The gradually build the tempo up as you become comfortable with the exercise. The following materials in the Music and Learning exercises are as follows: -Jedi Eights -Phat Rabbit -Accent Tap (Will be released at a later date) -Duple-Triple -Did-Trip Alternative-Exercises -Poly-Technics Mini-Cadences -The Monster If you have any questions regarding the exercises on the page, don t hesitate to ask any of the previous year s students for assistance, as well as any of the current battery technicians. Nease percussion students pride themselves in their practicing habits and battery auditions are extremely competitive even for current battery members. If there are any questions regarding the information about the overall packet information, please don t hesitate to contact either Steven Gosselin (steven.gosselin@comcast.net) or Nick Ryan (n.ryan@unf.edu) and we will be more than happy to address these concerns. Good luck to everyone auditioning, and we look forward to seeing you all there! 23 P a g e

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