Music 29
Percussion Class
Dr. Beckford

Required Materials

1 - Practice Pad (Consider a Remo 8” or Xymox 8”)
1 pr. - 2B Drum Sticks (or medium size such as Firth “Generals”)
(Both available at Pecknel Music Co.)
1 - Cook, Gary D. Teaching Percussion, 3rd edition. Schirmer Books, 2006. (available at Book Store)

You will have thirteen class meetings and a final playing and written exam over all areas of Percussion. The final will consist of a Teaching Exam in which you must teach a non-percussionist a playing technique of the instructor's choice (by appointment on Final Exam day). The written exam will be a take-home exam, and the playing exam will be at the same time as the teaching exam (by appointment on Final Exam day). Theory majors will do a written project (composition for percussion) in lieu of the teaching exam.

SYLLABUS

Day 1 - Snare Drum: Review Syllabus; Defining Percussion; Defining the Student Percussionist; S.D. Grip and Stroke.

      Assignment: Single Strokes, Dead Strokes, 8-8-16.

Day 2 - Snare Drum: Rudiments: S.S. Roll, Flam, Drag; Set-up and Tuning the Snare Drum.

      Assignment: SS Roll, Flams and Drags.

Day 3 - Snare Drum: The Double Bounce; Roll Rudiments.

      Assignment: Develop Double Bounce, Work toward sustaining a connected double bounce roll.

Day 4 - Snare Drum: Diddle and Flam Rudiments.

      Assignment: Correctly execute Diddle and Flam Rudiments.

Day 5 - Snare Drum: Drag Rudiments; Reading S.D. Literature; “The General.”

      Assignment: Correctly execute Drag Rudiments; Begin “The General.”

Day 6 - Snare Drum: “The General,” Right-Hand Lead System, Single Drag and Double Drag.

      Assignment: Continue development of “The General;” Read Chapter on Timpani.

Day 7 - Timpani: Sizes, Rages, Mechanics, Grip, Strokes, Playing Spot, Rolls, Fp, Tuning, Sample Literature.

      Assignment: Read Chapter on Keyboard Percussion.

Day 8 - Keyboard Percussion: Intro. to Instruments and Mallets; Grip, Stroke and Stance; Reading Techniques.

      Assignment: Learn “Minuet in G.”

Day 9 - Keyboard Percussion: Perform “Minuet in G;” Four Mallet Techniques.

Day 10 - Accessories: Orchestral – B.D., Cyms., Tambourine, Triangle, Castagnets.

Day 11 - Accessories: Latin Instruments and Minor Accessories

Day 12 - Ensemble Playing – Class will play a variety of percussion ensembles and experience playing a variety of instruments in this setting.

Day 13 - Ensemble Playing Continued. Turn in Notebooks.

FINAL EXAM* - TBA

*Final Exam will be the Teaching and Playing Exam -- by appointment during the Final Exam time.

All students will keep a notebook of class notes and materials. This notebook will be handed in for approval on the last day of class.

All students will be expected to attend major percussion ensemble performances as well as guest clinics and masterclasses.