Resources-
Percussion-
Purchasing Equipment (Not Sponsored)-
Recommended Brands-
Black Swamp Percussion - Snare Drums, Auxiliary Percussion (tambourine, triangle, woodblocks, etc)
Innovative Percussion - Sticks/Mallets, Stick Bag
Marimba One - Marimba Mallets
Zildjian or Sabian - Cymbals
Yamaha or Mapex or Pearl - Marching Percussion
Seavine - Marching Cymbal Sleeves
Potential Percussion “Fitting Test" for beginners-
Michael Dick from the Texas Bandmaster’s Association recommends using the following rhythm/coordination test:
Sit in a chair and face me
Turn a metronome on 72 beats per minute with quarter notes
Have the students tap their right foot with you mirroring (left foot)
While tapping the foot, clap your hands with the beat
They will probably get this – ask them “Is it easy?”, “Which directions did your foot go?”, “What part of the beat were you clapping on?”, etc. Then have them tap their foot and clap on the up-beat (this will show a lot)
Clap/Count Procedure - In 4/4 time
Clap/Count Random
You count 1,2,3,4
Clap on 1,2,3 or 4 – change this up
Clap/Count Sequential • You count 1,2,3,4
Clap on 1 in 1st measure, 2 in 2nd measure, 3 in 3rd measure and 4 in 4th measure
Have them tap their right foot, then tap their right leg, then add tapping their left leg in an alternating motion in eighth notes (right, left, right, left, etc.)
Go to a table and play some simple-to-hard rhythms for them to play back to you
Have them sing/hum a couple of pitches to you (F, Bb)51
Dissertations/Research Papers to Read-