Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Nunc Et Orci
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Morbi Posuere
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(item #aXXXX)
This information will help you to have
good$000.00
understanding in what we will be looking
for inB.the
2014-15
audition
proses.
Take
the
time
to
familiarize
yourself with all the materials in
Curabitur.
this handbook to help insure the best possible out come in the audition proses. This is what will
be used to determine who will be called back for the January camp. The execution of the first and
second levels of the technique program, physical condition, overall attitude, and all of the
intangibles are what we will look at when deciding who will spend the season with us.
Stroke Types
Our stroke types at The A-Team are the foundation of everything we will do. Regardless of the
section you will be auditioning for, you will need to be extremely comfortable with them and the
terms this packet uses to describe them.
Legato Stroke
Everything we do at The A-Team will stem from the legato stroke. In its simplest form, the
legato stroke means that the stick will start and end in the same place. You will keep your
hands open and with a soft touch on the stick, you will throw the stick down with the appropriate
amount of velocity needed for the rebound of the stick to carry itself back to it's starting position.
There should be no tension anywhere in your wrists, fingers, or arm to achieve this velocity, and
you should pay close attention that all three muscle groups are as relaxed as possible. The
appropriate velocity will be determined by the speed and height in which you are about to play
and you will allow the weight of your arm and hand to propel that velocity forward. The
following is an exercise that will help build up your legato stroke. Play each bar eight times
before moving on to the next. Isolate each hand, then with double stops.
Marcato Stroke
The basic definition we will use for the marcato stroke is that the stick will end lower than it
started. The marcato stroke will be how we stop the stick down at a lower height or create our
accent sound.While performing this stroke, you will again have an open hand with a soft touch
on the stick, you will throw the stick into the head, and you will use your fingers and palm to
cushion the stick to stop at the defined tap height. You will NOT squeeze to achieve the
stopping of the stick. Squeezing the stick at any time directly goes against the aforementioned
idea of open and soft. Use the above highlighted word, cushion, as you visual image. The
following is an exercise that will help build up your marcato stroke. Play each bar eight times
before moving on to the next. Isolate each hand, then with double stops.
A. Aenean elit.
B. Lorem ipsum.
C. Vestibulum quam.
Tap Stroke
The tap stroke will be defined as a low end legato stroke because the stick will still start and
end in the same place, only it will have begun at a lower height. We believe it is important to
highlight this as a stroke type, as it is common amongst marching percussionists to squeeze
(item # XXXX) $000.00
heavily at the low end and not allow their taps to rebound. Roughly 90% of what you play at
The A-Team will be at a tap height of some kind or another. This stroke will be achieved
D. Quisque Viverra
E. Suspendisse congue.
F. Nulla quis sem.
similarly to that of the legato stroke. However, the difference here is that the velocity or weight
you put into the stick to contribute to your 50% of sound production will come primarily from
pressure in the thumb and index finger being pushed into the stick/mallet. The weight of your
arm and hand will of course play a role, although a majority of the work is coming from the
primary fulcrum. The following is an exercise that will help build up your tap stroke. Play each
bar eight
before
moving on to the next. Isolate each hand, then with double stops.
(itemtimes
# XXXX)
$000.00
Up Stroke
The up stroke is the exact opposite of our marcato stroke. The stick will end higher than where
it started. You will follow all lessons previously described in the first three stroke types to
achieve the up stroke. With open hands and a soft touch on the stick, you will play at the tap
height and, while cushioning the stick with your fingers and palm, you will pull the stick
upward with your wrist to the defined higher height. The 50% of sound production you are
responsible for will still come from pressure within the the primary fulcrum, as it is a tap. The
A will help build up your up stroke. Play
B each bar eight times before
following is an exercise that
moving on to the next. Isolate each hand, then with double stops.
E
5
8 mp
12 mf
16 f
WEIGHT
This exercise is to help you learn how to use the weight of your arm and hand to push into the
head to produce the 50% of sound you are responsible for. You will play each letter two times
then move on to the next letter. All buzzes will be long and will connect during hand changes.
Produce the buzz length by applying pressure or pinching with the primary fulcrum of each
hand. Once you are playing the taps, relax the pressure and keep the weight that the buzzes
created in your hands.
Moeller Approach
Moeller is an approach we may very well use at times in our show or warm ups. However, the
motion we incorporate will not be as big as the traditional approach. We prefer that during this
motion you simply think of allowing your hands to be slightly more open and be less concerned
with a defined accent/tap height. Essentially every note is purely a legato stroke. Focus mainly
on having hands on the accent at the beginning of every three notes and having a small amount
of forearm support during the up stroke on the third partial.
The next portion of this audition packet will be the technique definitions for each individual
section. Remember to read all the material and to become familiar with the terms used in your
section. We expect you to have the following techniques and exercises memorized and prepared
to be used and played at a variety of tempi and heights. During your audition process, you will
want to make a great impression and we want you to give us the absolute best that you have to
offer. We would also like you to understand coming into auditions that this is a marching activity.
There will be a visual audition and we expect you to move and play. Happy practicing and
remember that at The A-Team, We love it when a plan comes together. Good Luck!!!
For all sections, our set position will be to stand with our heels together and toes apart (at the
45). All sections will begin with sticks/mallets in at their respective attention positions, during
the count off for anything we will begin marking time (whole foot a 1/2 off the ground) on the
last four beats before the attack and sticks/mallets will pop out on count three of the last four
beats. After a last time of anything is called, we will play the last time, stop marking time on the
release of the exercise, and all sticks/mallets will come back in on the count two immediately
following the exercise. For the 8s exercise, all quad and bass drummers will be expected to do
different arounds and split patterns on the spot as well as all bass drummers should be prepared
to play different drums throughout the audition and to play the unison part (snare part).
Playing Position
Having a proper playing position/setup is crucial to producing good sound quality and to using
the most efficient motions for the stroke. This begins with an appropriate drum height. In order to
produce consistent sound in each hand, the sticks need to have the same angle, and the fulcrums
need to be on the same horizontal plane. To get the correct angles, we use a two-finger setup
from the rim for both sticks. This gives the sticks a slight downward angle. To make the
D hand will be slightly higher than your left hand.
fulcrums match, your right
The beads must be in the center of the head at all times unless otherwise specified (edge, guts,
etc.). They must also be positioned a half inch off of the head and a half inch apart. The center of
the head provides the most open sound; playing outside of it will result in a loss of sound quality.
All of our heights are derived from the downward angle and proper bead placement. The sticks
should make a V shape that is approximately 90 degrees. In the right hand there will be a
straight line all the way from your elbow, to your first knuckle, to the tip of the stick. This will
cause your right arm to be boxed out; however, it is preferred to shift the V shape a few degrees
clockwise so that the right arm can relax in a slight bit. In the left hand there will be a straight
line from your elbow through the thumb; this creates a natural wrist angle. The rest of the arm
should hang by your side naturally.
B. Lorem ipsum.
A-Team Tenor Technique
The tenor (quad) line is responsible for providing the middle voice to the marching percussion
ensemble. The tenor drummer requires technical fluency in a multitude of percussive concepts.
Not only do we need to have an understanding of rhythm, but also move effortlessly around our
(item # XXXX) $000.00
drums while maintaining perfect rhythmic and dynamic clarity. These additional difficulties of
playing tenor drums does not provide us with an excuse to play poorly. It is absolutely
E. Suspendisse congue.
F. Nulla quis sem.
IMPERATIVE that we understand what everything sounds and feels like on one drum before
adding the motion around the drums. Only after youve mastered: A) efficient/correct technique,
B) rhythmic interpretation, and C) dynamic shaping on one drum are you prepared to introduce
the additional movement. In order for our tenor line to be successful, all members must know,
respect, and practice these requirements on a DAILY basis. All of the aforementioned
requirements
must$000.00
be unaffected by the movement around the drums for the tenor line to achieve
(item # XXXX)
its greatest musical potential.
Grip
Place the stick diagonally on the hand, on the back 1/3 of the stick, so the stick runs down the
natural palm lines of your hand. You should see the butt of the stick protruding from the back
part (the fatty, heel) of the hand. When done properly, the stick will be at a slight angle with
the arm, the first knuckle on the hand will be in a straight line with the arm. The palm should be
facing more downward, than inward and the thumb should be on the side of the sticks
The Fulcrum
The fulcrum is located between the pad of the thumb and the first finger. The thumb is held
firmly next to the hand with NO DAYLIGHT VISIBLE OR SPACE BETWEEN THE
THUMB AND HAND. The first finger is curled under the stick
Wrap the rest of the fingers around the stick. Be sure the stick is held with BOTH the fingers and
hand.The goal is to have a relaxed, concise grip with no spaces between the stick and hand, or
between the fingers.
Set Position
When set, both sticks will be held together with the right stick in front and the left stick behind.
The thumbs will be under the stick, so the knuckles will be under the sticks. They will be
straight and not curved. Both sticks, will be flat to the drums, just above the back rim of the
spock drums, about three finger widths above. This position should be as similar as possible to
the playing position, so few adjustments need to be made as the sticks move between playing and
set positions.
Fig.3
Fig.7
Any movement around the drums should include as little motion and space as possible
It is also important to understand the two motions associated with tenor drumming occur in two
separate axes, the X and Y. Although we classify our movement into these categories, our
movement always remains fluid. Movement in the X axis refers to motion across the drums
and is controlled by the forearm in order to move the wrist as one entity, allowing uniformity of
technique as we navigate the instrument. The Y axis refers to motion up and down and is
controlled primarily by the wrists.
Home Base
When playing a passage and the sticks are tacit, they will always float from whatever drum
was just played, back to tacit over 1 and 2.
Crossovers
A crossover occurs when we place either the left or right A) stick, B) wrist, or C) arm over one
another. This is primarily a visual component of our instrument, but also serves a utilitarian
purpose, allowing us to play the proper voices without making extreme alterations to sticking.
Remember that the first priority we have is to produce the proper sound on the instrument.
Performing crossovers cannot detract from our responsibilities as a musician. There are three
types of cross overs we will use and they are as follows:
A Stick Cross
A Wrist Cross
An Arm Cross
Before you get to camp spend some time moving around different drums using the eights
template for full battery. Here are some patterns to look at:
Drum 1 out to 3
Drum 2 out to 4
Drum 3 in to 1
Drum 4 in to 2
The fulcrum is a T Fulcrum that connects the index finger and thumb. Without a mallet in your
hand, the thumb rests between the two knuckles on the index finger and creates a T shape
between the digits. The mallet sits between these two fingers and from there, the rest of the
fingers wrap around the mallet.
Make sure there is not much space between your little finger and the base of the mallet. We do
not choke up on the mallet because this limits abilities you have with a mallet. This is a different
way of thinking from snare or quad sticks but that is because these are different implements
played on a wildly different surface.
To create the proper look of the arms and placement on the bass drum head, relax your arms at
your side and bend from the elbow until your forearm is parallel with the ground. If the mallet is
sitting correctly in the hand, this will create a 45 degree angle in relation to your forearm which
decides what height the bass drum will be. The center of the bass drum should then be adjusted
to where the mallet head is. Dont change your hands and arms, change your equipment.
Be sure to leave just a few inches of space between the inside of your elbow and the side of your
body. If your wrist is kept in a natural line in relation to your forearm, the result is a VERY slight
downward angle into the drum head. This slight angle focuses the energy from the hand, into the
mallet, into the drum head.
When prepping for a full stroke attack, the movement initiates from the fulcrum of the hand,
rather than leading from the wrist or from the end of the mallet. The full stroke prep should be as
relaxed as possible. Most of the work is done by gravity when we let the heavy felt part of the
mallet pull the hand down towards the ground. When the mallet becomes parallel to the ground,
a burst of energy drives the mallet back into the drum head. This energy initiates from the
forearm with a small amount of movement which translates up the arm from the elbow, through
the wrist, into the fulcrum, and finally through the mallet and into the head. This exponential
energy transfer can be compared to a whip, with a small amount of energy in the elbow and
forearm translating to a very high velocity at the end of the mallet, which in turn creates a full,
warm sound from the drum.
It is highly important to have as little tension in the upper body as possible. This means the
shoulders are relaxed, the arms are relaxed, and even the hands are relaxed when not engaged in
playing. By knowing when to relax the muscles and when to engage them, a player can be as
efficient as possible and not exert any unnecessary stress on their body. Relaxation is key.
FLAT-CRASH PREP
CHOKE
PORT
CHOKE
PORT
FLAT EVAL
TAP
Technique
Timing
Attitude
Preparation
Musicianship
Adaptability/Rote Learning
Sight Reading
Two-Mallet Technique
Marimba and Vibraphone players:
Grip
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Mallets should rest between the first joint of the forefinger and the thumb. This will create the
fulcrum.
There should be about an inch of mallet sticking out the back.
Wrap the remaining fingers around the mallet.
The hand should be relaxed and natural when gripping the mallet.
All fingers should REMAIN IN CONTACT with the mallet AT ALL TIMES.
Grip pressure in the front of the hand will change depending on the desired articulation. For
instance, relaxed grip produces a legato tone and increased grip pressure produces a more
staccato tone.
Matching articulation is an extremely important aspect of having a unified front ensemble. We
will be paying close attention to how quickly players can adapt to/match articulation
throughout the ensemble.
The Stroke
-
-
-
-
-
Sound Production
-
-
-
Playing areas on the bar are a VERY IMPORTANT part of proper sound production. We play
in the center of the bar on both naturals and ACCIDENTALS. There are two exceptions to
this: one being impossible tempos which we will then play on the edge of the accidental, and
two being extreme low register notes where playing in the center may crack the bar.
Weight is an important part of producing a full sound, keeping the hands relaxed will allow
you to create this sound.
Playing soft requires firm grip pressure and short controlled strokes. SOFT DOES NOT
MEAN WEAK.
* Xylophone and Glockenspiel use a slightly different technique; grip is focus more toward the
front of the hand. These instruments require less weight for sound production.
1
2
Four-Mallet Technique:
Place the outside mallet between the middle and ring fingers. The ring and little fingers should
wrap around the mallet and the mallet should not stick out the back more than a quarter inch.
The mallet should rest in the meaty area of the finger, not too close to the knuckle and not
too far into the hand.
Make sure the hand is rotated so the thumb is up.
Place the end of the inside mallet into the middle of your palm, hold the mallet in place with
your middle finger and allow it to rest on your forefinger. Place the thumb on top of the
mallet to create a fulcrum; you will put pressure on this point to secure the mallet.
Your thumb and forefinger are responsible for the shifting of intervals between the two
mallets. This is done by rolling the mallet and extending the forefinger.
Intervals SHOULD NOT be shifted by extending out the ring and little finger.
-
-
-
Stance and body position to the keyboard should be the same as the two- mallet approach.
Thumbs should face up, the palms should face each other.
To play both mallets simultaneously stroke should be initiated from the wrist NOT the elbow.
To play an individual mallet, rotate the wrist toward the keyboard (pivoting AROUND the
stationary mallet) to strike the note. The pivot is essential to avoid wavering mallets while
not in use.
When playing the outside mallet DO NOT allow the fingers to create the stroke.
rotations should be used
ONLY wrist
Technique
Timing
Attitude
Preparation
Musicianship
Adaptability/Rote Learning
Sight Reading
Two-Mallet Technique
Marimba and Vibraphone players:
Grip
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Mallets should rest between the first joint of the forefinger and the thumb. This will create the
fulcrum.
There should be about an inch of mallet sticking out the back.
Wrap the remaining fingers around the mallet.
The hand should be relaxed and natural when gripping the mallet.
All fingers should REMAIN IN CONTACT with the mallet AT ALL TIMES.
Grip pressure in the front of the hand will change depending on the desired articulation. For
instance, relaxed grip produces a legato tone and increased grip pressure produces a more
staccato tone.
Matching articulation is an extremely important aspect of having a unified front ensemble. We
will be paying close attention to how quickly players can adapt to/match articulation
throughout the ensemble.
The Stroke
-
-
-
-
-
Sound Production
-
-
-
Playing areas on the bar are a VERY IMPORTANT part of proper sound production. We play
in the center of the bar on both naturals and ACCIDENTALS. There are two exceptions to
this: one being impossible tempos which we will then play on the edge of the accidental, and
two being extreme low register notes where playing in the center may crack the bar.
Weight is an important part of producing a full sound, keeping the hands relaxed will allow
you to create this sound.
Playing soft requires firm grip pressure and short controlled strokes. SOFT DOES NOT
MEAN WEAK.
* Xylophone and Glockenspiel use a slightly different technique; grip is focus more toward the
front of the hand. These instruments require less weight for sound production.
1
2
Four-Mallet Technique:
Place the outside mallet between the middle and ring fingers. The ring and little fingers should
wrap around the mallet and the mallet should not stick out the back more than a quarter inch.
The mallet should rest in the meaty area of the finger, not too close to the knuckle and not
too far into the hand.
Make sure the hand is rotated so the thumb is up.
Place the end of the inside mallet into the middle of your palm, hold the mallet in place with
your middle finger and allow it to rest on your forefinger. Place the thumb on top of the
mallet to create a fulcrum; you will put pressure on this point to secure the mallet.
Your thumb and forefinger are responsible for the shifting of intervals between the two
mallets. This is done by rolling the mallet and extending the forefinger.
Intervals SHOULD NOT be shifted by extending out the ring and little finger.
-
-
-
Stance and body position to the keyboard should be the same as the two- mallet approach.
Thumbs should face up, the palms should face each other.
To play both mallets simultaneously stroke should be initiated from the wrist NOT the elbow.
To play an individual mallet, rotate the wrist toward the keyboard (pivoting AROUND the
stationary mallet) to strike the note. The pivot is essential to avoid wavering mallets while
not in use.
When playing the outside mallet DO NOT allow the fingers to create the stroke.
rotations should be used
ONLY wrist
Burton Grip
Holding the Mallets
!
!
!
Place the outside mallet between the fore and middle fingers; the knuckle of the forefinger
should be in contact with the mallet. The back of the mallet should rest in the meaty part of
your hand near the base of your thumb.
Grab the inside mallet with you forefinger and thumb, the thumb should gently press the
mallet into the first joint of your forefinger. Wrap the remaining fingers around the mallet.
There should be around an inch of mallet sticking out the back of the hand.
The ring finger will press the OUTSIDE mallet in the palm of the hand. Doing this will insure
the mallets not clicking while playing and it will also secure the outside mallet.
Stance and body position to the keyboard should be the same as two-mallet approach.
To play both mallets simultaneously the stroke is created by using the wrist. This should be the
same as when playing two-mallet technique.
To play individual mallets rotate the wrist in the direction of the mallet you desire to play
(pivoting AROUND the stationary mallet). The pivot is essential to avoid wavering mallets
while not in use.
When two-mallet material is played holding Burton grip mallets 2 and 4 are utilized. Mallet 2 is
played using the same rotation as previously noted. Mallet 4 however is played using a wrist
stroke the motion should be straight up and down. Mallet 3 at this time will be held parallel to
the performers stomach, this will get the mallet out of the way, and the interval should be about
an octave to set this up.
Tuning
-
Ear training is critical to playing timpani, the timpanist will be expected to sing intervals as
well as Major and minor scales.
General knowledge of clearing the heads is desired.
General knowledge of technique (French Grip) and sound production is required.
Tuning process
!
!
!
!
!
!
Pedal should be all the way down; you will tune the drum up towards the pitch.
Sing desired pitch.
Strike the drum ONCE softly with the mallet or finger and push pedal forward until desired
pitch in found.
When you believe you have found the pitch, strike the drums again ONE time to check if pitch
is correct.
For rapid changes where checking pitch is impossible, gauges can be referenced.
If pitch is out of tune while playingFIX IT!
Technique
Holding the Mallets
!
!
!
!
The Stroke
!
!
!
!
!
Rolls
! Forefinger and thumb will remain in contact with the mallet at all times.
! For slower rolls wrist only should be used, for faster rolls the back fingers should help
propel the mallets towards the head.
! Roll speed will change for crescendos only in special circumstances. Velocity, weight
and the height of the stroke are used alter dynamics during a roll.
! Each drum and pitch will have a slightly different roll speed. Finding the right speed
will provide a full rich sound that does not alter the pitch. This varies drum to drum and pitch
to pitch so some practice will help you determine which speed works best.
Muffling
Drums should be muffled on the playing spot.
- Depending on the situation you can either use your other hand to muffle or the back three
fingers if there is not much time in between muffling and
playing notes.
- Press firmly on the head to eliminate the chance that the fingers will make a buzzing sound
while muffling.
Try not to slide fingers across the head as you muffle, this will also create an unwanted sliding
sound.
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Split Triads
L etc.
3
3
10
L R L R etc.
13
20
Thirds
R etc.
25
32
Thirds Filled In
35
L etc.
SCALES.
* Play in natural, harmonic and melodic minors as well
L etc.
The Academy 2013
13
17
21
25
ADD-ONS
Mason
12
Laissez-Faire
MALLETS
Benoit
The Academy 2013
11
TIMPANI
16
FLOWBEE
R L R R L R
Mason
R L
L R L
R R L R R L
L R L
L R L
R L R
R L
11
16
R L
L R L
R L R R L
R R L
L R L
21
GREEN
G.H. Green
R L R L R L R L
etc.
11
GREEN/FLOWBEE
* This exercise uses the root and fifth from the I and V chords. When transposing to other keys,
use the same chord tones and place the notes on the appropriate drums.
NO FLAMS
Mason/Benoit
The Academy 2013
11
15
17
BUCKET
Block Chords
12
13-24
18
24
14-23
36
30
42
5/4 Accent
47
49
1 etc.
51
53
55
57
59
61
BUCKET
Timpani
Block Chords
15
13-24
23
31
14-23
muffle 8th rest
39
47
5/4 Accent
50
53
56
59
61