Beyond Basic Percussion
This educational 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:
Each ensemble addresses in a creative way, basic percussion challenges such as:
- Approaching percussion musically
- Accessory percussion techniques
- Multipercussion setups
- Unique sounds, dampening concepts, etc.
- Sticking patterns on mallet instruments
- Equipment logistics
- Latin percussion techniques
- and more!
The accompanying online 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!
List of included ensembles, their principle focus, level & duration, number of players, and state listings:
- Batterie | Introducing accessory percussion instruments | (easy, 1:32) | 6-8 players | Texas (grade 3)
- Trap Door | Using trap tables | (easy, 1:51) | 5-10 players | Texas (grade 3)
- Multitasker | Multiple percussion setups | (easy, 1:43) | 4-8 players | Texas (grade 3)
- Low Tide | Control and dynamic expression at a slow tempo | (easy, 2:29) | Florida (grade 2), Missouri (grade C)
- Follow Suit | Producing non-standard sounds on standard instruments | (easy, 1:54) | 6-10 players | Texas (grade 3)
- Traumatic Chromatic | Fast chromatic scales | (easy, 2:21) | 6-9 players | Florida (grade 3)
- Mi Milagro | Making music and ensemble autonomy (no conductor) | (med-easy, 2:40) | 3-8 players | Florida (grade 3), Missouri (grade C)
- Rechargeable Batterie | Further knowledge of accessory percussion instruments | (med-easy, 2:36) | 8 players | Florida (grade 3), Texas (grade 3)
- Clave & Sons | Introduction to Afro-Cuban instruments in their traditional roles | (med-easy, 2:35) | 8-10 players | Florida (grade 3), Missouri (grade C), Texas (grade 3)
- Escape Artist | Tying together all concepts in this collection | (med-easy, 2:20) | 6-7 players | Florida (grade 3), Texas (grade 3)
| Author | Rath, Eric Hicks, Ralph |